Railroad Crossing

Heading south west on the Provo River Trail toward Utah Lake, the path will take you under the railroad tracks. I discovered this when we first moved to Provo and I took up jogging. If you time it right, you can pass under the railroad tracks right when a train is passing overhead. The noise and the rush of the train is exhilarating. Or you can hide out by the railroad crossing and wait for the train, then jump out and try to stand close while it passes. The wind from the train wildly blows around you and almost seems to pull you in.


My brothers and friends and I started to stalk the train in these ways. I don't think any of us realized that railroad tracks are government property and you could get caught for trespassing. One night my little brothers Jacob and David and friends Zee and Clayton and others were climbing up on the bridge where the train passes over the river. They were hanging off of the beams. A train passed and they acted in the traditional crazy way, whooping and hollering. No harm done. Then a second train passed. Then the police showed up. Apparently one of the train conductor had made a phone call after he passed the bridge. I think the police knew that he wasn't dealing with hard-core delinquents. But for scare factor, and just to be a jerk, he frisked them and handcuffed them. Jacob, (who was only about 12) was handcuffed to Clayton and Zee was handcuffed to David and taken in. My aunt (who was not happy) had to come get them when my mom couldn't be reached. Jacob and David later had to go to juvy court and got in trouble for curfew. They got off without being charged with trespassing though because there weren't any visible signs. Now there are.

I haven't been hanging out by the tracks lately but I've taken bike rides with my kids along the trail and shown them the bridges. I've told them of adventures we used to have. I guess I really don't want them to hang out down there because I've turned into a typical mom, worrying about things that will never happen, but I still get a somersault of thrill in my gut when I hear the horn blast of the train passing through town.