Train Safety in Peru

Having recently had the privilege of visiting the beautiful city of Cuzco, Peru, and taking the train to Machu Picchu, I read “Surge in Urban Train Traffic Brings More Deadly Accidents” (July 9) with disbelief. The article’s point seems to be that Southern Californians are having a difficult time learning about train safety. In Cuzco the train runs through urban neighborhoods without guard rails. It runs so close to homes you can have a clear view of the TV screens inside the homes. It also runs close to schools, playgrounds, roads and pastures. It runs both forward and backward, as switching back and forth is necessary to climb out of the natural bowl where the city is located.

In Cuzco every man, woman, child, llama, dog, cat and chicken understands the importance of staying off the tracks when the train is approaching and not challenging the train to a death race. It seems incredible that in this ancient city, with a very poor and undereducated population, the grasp of this concept is better than here in Southern California.

Phyllis Specht

Pasadena