Railroad Employees and railfans: Growing issue?

[Evan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHvEbiaS ... e=youtu.be
Saw this from a guy I follow on Flickr, and as I was watching I couldn't help but wonder if anyone else had this issue. Anyone had a bad run in either with Police or Railway employees(s)?

[59caddy]

Look at the video comments.

[Mr. Tops]

I think the interactions in the video you linked were absolutely fair and appropriate on the behalf of the South Carolina Central RR. Who I'm assuming was their trainmaster (in the blue w/white stripes shirt) was very polite, fair and friendly, as was the employee in the F350. Just as the trainmaster said, he's simply looking out for his guys and his property. He explicitly said several times, he didn't have a problem with him taking pictures, he was just doing his job to check out "suspicious activity". Yes folks, by rule we are required to report suspicious activity. We may not think it's suspicious in the railfan community but think of it from the other side of the perspective. Not all railroad employees know what a railfan is, or understand what we do. So yes, when someone is following you around all day taking pictures of your train, ESPECIALLY if the train is hauling safety sensitive material, you may get a paranoid if you are not "in the know". Railroad employees have every right to question what you are doing, even if you are on public property. The reason this episode was prolonged was because the photographer felt his rights were being impinged. The railroad employees were not telling him to stop taking pictures, they were not telling him to leave, they were not even threathening to call the authorities. They were simply questioning him. He acted as if they were trying to arrest him.

[SD80MAC]

What Tops said.

I would like to meet whoever took this video and smack him right in the face. Idiots like that are the reason we have problems.

[ConrailMan5]

Wow. They were going to let him go. All you gotta do is say. "This is what I'm doing" and answer their questions in a friendly way. Generally they will let ya go. He may approach you again at another location, but the moment that the "train master" (as I believe he was) lets his guard down is the day that something serious happens. All that guy did was perpetuate the situation. And he compares the train master to the cops? They are different people! What a bafoon.
With regards to the employee interactions, I live 50 feet from the MI line, so I am often out of my house in the same spot every day. Crews "know" that I am harmless and simply am doing a rail fan roll by. I actually met one if the conductors on 39E once and found out his wife teaches at ypsi high. So not much negative.

[Mr. Tops]

To elaborate on this topic a bit more I will say that there ARE railroaders out there that think they are vigilantes. They may not be as friendly and fair as were the ones in this video. Not a growing issue really, just a few rotten apples in the bunch. But this goes for any line of work. Police officers are the same way; one may be cool and the next one will try to arrest you for a perfectly legal activity simply because he is not educated on the laws. Bottom line is just be smart. Stay on public property and don't get belligerent like this guy did. He turned an innocent two minute interaction into a drawn out 10 minute ordeal.

[midland sub]

The way I look at such situations is simple. If someone came and started taking photos or shooting video of me at work, public are or not, it gives me to the right to ask them what they are up to. Doesn't entitle me tell them they can't do it.

[Evan]

I agree with you Tops. Worst issue I've had was a HESR (Also a G&W Company) come and ask me what I was doing, I simply replied that I was waiting on a few trains. He smiled and talked with me for a while then left. This guy from the start was over-doing it. That guy was really polite and even said they didn't wanna sound mean or rude.

[J T]

The way I look at such situations is simple. If someone came and started taking photos or shooting video of me at work, public are or not, it gives me to the right to ask them what they are up to. Doesn't entitle me tell them they can't do it.

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

[SD80MAC]

The way I look at such situations is simple. If someone came and started taking photos or shooting video of me at work, public are or not, it gives me to the right to ask them what they are up to. Doesn't entitle me tell them they can't do it.

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

Railfans, JT.

[J T]

The way I look at such situations is simple. If someone came and started taking photos or shooting video of me at work, public are or not, it gives me to the right to ask them what they are up to. Doesn't entitle me tell them they can't do it.

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

Railfans, JT.

Ah, I thought maybe he had some other type of job that he was using for the analogy.

[A No.1]

Best thing you can do as a Railfan is get a job on the Railroad

[Typhoon]

The way I look at such situations is simple. If someone came and started taking photos or shooting video of me at work, public are or not, it gives me to the right to ask them what they are up to. Doesn't entitle me tell them they can't do it.

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

Irrelevant.

[J T]

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

Irrelevant.

For whom?


Very few occupations have a fandom based heavily on photography. Airplane and train photography pretty much lead the way in that regard. That's what sets railroading apart from the average occupation on this topic, thus making my question relevant.

Look, I respect that you as a railroader do not want to be photographed doing your job, that's why I tend to shy away from photographing actual crews on the ground working (or riding cars while switching). And with the relatively few photos I have taken of crews working, I've always inquired with a railroader or two first, before sharing the pics, if the crew members in question are doing everything by the book.

I don't really agree with Joe Hinson taking that discussion as far as he did, but there is a little more to the story than what that video shows. However, personally I would not have wasted that much of my time or the railroad employees' time debating something that could have been settled in a matter of seconds.

[Typhoon]

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

Irrelevant.

For whom?

The question.

[midland sub]

I'm in the medical field so there is no fandom with what I do other than improving my patients lives.

Foamers forget the number one unwritten rule of Class 1 and regional/shortlines owned by the G&W and WATCOs of the world. You are hired to be fired for a rules violation. Sort of makes sense that some get a bit testy when it comes to being photographed or recorded. Small portion of people who work in the industry are like this, so deal with it accordingly with COMMON SENSE. There are times such as Steve Barry and with other's who have stood their ground on overzealous actions and won. But those are far and few events. Most of these incidents are minor that get blown out of proportion by thin skinned and overly sensitive fans on fan boards.

I guess I see things different from growing up in rural southern Ohio where it's normal to ask a stranger to us what they are doing. We don't mean anything by our "friendliness".... it's just our way of saying hello and maybe helping someone in distress. Or letting you know that we noticed you.....

[J T]

Great post.

[MDH]

Is there a fandom for the type of work you do?

I have to beat off the accounting groupies with a stick. They darn near cream their pants when I use a 10 key because it's "heritage equipment"...

[midland sub]

WOW!!!!! Ten keying...........

[EWRice]

I would love to hear the conversation from the day before. By coming back out the next day and following the trains moves all day (if that is what happened), then it seems like this guy was antagonizing the RR employees a bit. Also, I have a feeling judging by the "sharp camera work" that this was a candid video trying to get a "reaction" out of somebody to post on youtube (just as the trainmaster had said) and say "Look at what this G&W employee did/said to me". This could cost him his job or something. I understand taking a few photos or some video, but to follow all day, I would question it too. I was extremely nervous last year when people were filming and taking pictures of my crew and myself pulling a 2700 pound detroit diesel and trans out of a luxury yacht, while it was at the dock, in the water, using a minimal of equipment. None of us liked it and we considered getting marina security involved. It was like having someone (other than the owner) breathing down your back all day. I am not saying that this guy can't photograph, but I think he may have gone overboard, and this video kind of proves it.