[Tagging] Why the difference between railway=crossing and level_crossing?

[Steve Bennett]

On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 3:00 PM, Nathan Edgars II <neroute2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> The only difference between these tags is whether the crossing is for
> pedestrians or also vehicles. But that can be determined from the way that
> crosses the railway at the node. So why are these tags separate?

I guess because tags describe not only functions (X can cross Y) but
also form. Level crossings and pedestrian crossings look very
different. In another universe they might have been the same tag. It
doesn't really matter, does it?

Steve