Thalys is refurbishing all of its trains. You can become the lucky owner of a unique seat, lamp or table, a true collector’s item!

Select the item that interests you and use your mouse to bid for it until the bid is closed.

All proceeds will go directly to UNICEF in support of its WASH programme to improve access to safe drinking water.

Here the boutique on eBay for bids and the press release (French).

Today, it’s the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD). The video before is part of the campain to increase awareness that the most of the victims related to railways are… road users! So, please, act safely at level crossing!

Despite all the measures taken to indicate the presence of level crossings and make them safe, too many road users and pedestrians are killed or injured at such crossings each year around the world. Almost all accidents at level crossings are due to road users failing to observe mandatory stop lights, signals and basic traffic safety rules. Contrary to what is generally thought, most accidents involve “regulars”, in particular those living near and/or making regular use of a level-crossing, as familiarity habit makes them less careful or more reckless, which may prove fatal.

In order to reduce these accidents, countries are making efforts to remove level crossings. This is, however, a long-term undertaking because there are still hundreds of thousands of level crossings in the world and removing them involves huge costs and relatively long study and implementation times.

This is why education of road users ans pedestrians remains key and imperative to reduce level crossing accidents.

On 22 June 2010, the rail and road sector in more than 40 countries worldwide are organising together the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) to make people understand that these accidents could be avoided if they obey the traffic rules and are aware of the danger of risky behaviors at level crossings.

The International Level Crossing Awareness Day focuses on educational measures and the promotion of safe behavior at and around level crossings. It is built on existing national events which will be held jointly at various locations in every participating country on 22nd June 2010 and constructed around the common message “Act safely at level crossings!”. In addition to regular or permanent activities held throughout the year, many special communications actions have been planned across the 5 continents: fleyers handed out at level crossings, in schools, driving schools, scouting clubs etc., posters will be displayed in railway stations, on trains and other central places, special messages will be broadcast on radio, television and led screens in railway stations, press conferences will be organised with national and local press.

In addition the European Commission totally financed a video clip showing a bad behavior at a level crossing to aware the public, particularly the road users and pedestrians on the dangers at and around level crossings. This video is avalaible in English and may be used by all ILCAD campaign partners free of charge on internet worldwide, and free of charge in Europe only on tv, cinemas, screens in train stations or aboard trains and on internet and on internet worldwide. All partners in the campaign will upload the video on their own website, sometimes only in English or with the official logo and the motto in their own language.

Based in New York City it has executed over 100 missions involving tens of thousands of undercover agents. Among the executions there’s the No Pants Subway Ride day whose first time is dated 2002.

The 2010 edition took place in NY and 43 more cities last 10th of January:

On Sunday, January 10th, 2010 over 5,000 people took off their pants on subways in 44 cities around the world. In New York, our 9th Annual No Pants! Subway Ride had over 3,000 participants, spread out over six meeting points and ten subway lines. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our mission report and photos.

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Below the video on YouTube reporting from New York.