A Tip o’ the Hat
A bullet train meandered down the track on autopilot after its driver left the cockpit to find his hat. The train, which can reach 167 mph, crept along on autopilot at 13–18 mph for about five minutes while its controls were unattended. Company rules at the Central Japan Railway require drivers to always wear their hats, but the driver “left the driver’s seat to look for his hat after he realized he wasn’t wearing it,” a spokesman said. Isn’t there any sort of rule about leaving the cockpit while the train is running? There is now: “We have notified all drivers that they should continue driving until they reach a station, after which they should report that they have misplaced his or her hat.” (Reuters) ...How reassuring for the passengers to learn that the drivers needed to be told that.
Available in This is True: Book Collection Vol. 7