View from the sticks

I had a very close call last night on the way home and I thought I would share it. I was driving home on a street i don't often take at a time I was tired and not paying close enough attention to my surroundings. There is a road right next to the local grain elevator and the railroad tracks cross the road here. Like many RR crossings out here in the sticks there is no automatic barrier or lights. It is up to you to look and listen closely before crossing and that is where I screwed up. I have poor hearing with constant ringing in both ears plus I had the radio playing. The railroad tracks curve around the back of the grain elevator so there is no more than about 50ft of visibility. So I am driving and just as the front tires of my car hit the railroad tracks I hear a train whistle and it is LOUD. I look to my right and no more than a car length away is a fast moving train engine. I floored the gas pedal on the car and just cleared the track as the train went by. There was maybe a second of margin but no more. So in the end nobody got hurt but it was very close. The AAA was right in there old advertisements that most accidents happen within 5 miles of home and I think it is due to the familiarity of our surroundings giving us a false sense of security. So learn from my mistake and look and listen closely when crossing railroad tracks. You DON'T want to look up like I did and see nothing but fast moving train engine filling your vision. ;-)