SALT LAKE CITY --The Utah Transit Authority is warning people to be alert around Trax trains and platforms.
UTA backed up its warning with a tweet showing a very close call a woman had with a train while on her phone.
Despite that scary incident, the woman stays on her phone and almost walks right into a platform sign.
Fox 13 showed the video to riders downtown, and they weren’t surprised.
“You see it more when there are big events going on downtown and there are a lot of people using the train that don’t typically take it and you see a lack of awareness I guess for what’s around you," one rider said.
That lack of awareness can lead to serious injury and death. In March, a man wearing headphones was hit by a TRAX train at the Ballpark station. UTA police say he didn’t see the train coming.
“Since TRAX runs on electricity, it’s very quiet and a lot of people don’t hear it coming until it’s too late,” said Carl Arky, UTA spokesperson.
Arky hopes riders will learn from the woman’s missteps.
“We want them to take the earbuds out when they’re getting on a platform, or stop looking at their phone, stop talking on their phone wait until you get on board," he said. "It could be the difference between getting home for dinner and not getting home for dinner.”
