Apparently, the only place becoming welcome for trains is the magical neighborhood of Mister Rogers. That experience on the longtime PBS show would take children on an imagination journey from Rogers' living room to the land of make-believe.
Well, some metro residents would prefer the train take that route, if only to make the whistle stop for good.
Two separate stories in The Oklahoman featured residents in Edmond and Norman complaining about the noise trains make when bustling through town.
"They blast them so loud I can hear them from Second Street to Danforth Road," Edmond resident Cindy Hammett told the paper. "They really lay down on the horns."
We guess she is probably not referring to the New Orleans jazz scene.
Connie Hefner of Norman is also fed up with noisy trains.
"It was so loud it hurt my ears," was her quote to The Oklahoman. "I like trains, and I get that they have to sound their whistles, but does it have to be so loud?"
Yes, they do have to sound their whistles. According to federal law, any train approaching a crossing and traveling faster than 60 mph must blow the horn at least 15 seconds before reaching the crossing, noise be damned.
Sorry, Norman and Edmond dwellers. We know you like your quiet suburban lifestyle with your well-manicured yards and dog wash lanes at the car wash, but the train will run on time. And like Johnny Cash, you will hear it.
