Rude residents call csx on me

[AC6000CW]

my class mates thinks im just wasting my time with trains. do yall agree or disagree. oh by the way im just 15 feet from the csx railroad track on a country road in florida.

[GP-9_Man11786]

I was actualy aressted once for checking out some old coaches sitting on a long-abandoned line. Their windows were all smashed an vandalized and I was looking for builder's names on the trucks. The cops caught me and took me in! I got a good lawyer and I got what's call and Ajournment in Contemplation of Dismissal or ACOD. So I have to be good for 6 months and NEw York expunges it from my record.

I have to aggree with being coopretive with the cops because that will come back to help you in court. In my case both the DA and my lawyer ended up arguing with the judge in my favor. (The DA wanted me to do 16 hours of comunity service but *&^%ing judge Judy wanted me to do 50).

[DrummingTrainfan]

The only time anyone with the railroad has said anything I was with my dad (a UP employee) sitting in my car at the passenger shops in Council Bluffs. This guy comes out and tells us we can't do that (probably thinking we're wanting to go inside) so we left...but later as we drove by he flagged us down and was nice and gave us a tour of some of the cars. (FYI for anyone interested he said that you can call down there and -possibly- get tours...I forget if that was pre or post 9/11 so that could have changed)

Another time a jogger came up to me when I was railfanning at a Metra station asking why we do it, she said that she always sees people taking pictures of trains and was wondering why we do it. Nothing bad...just sort of funny!

I do agree that if you pay the fine you admit guilt. Appeal! Even if it was some miniscule amount I'd still appeal...(although part of my reasoning would have to be getting to argue a case!)

[tmcc man]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Amtrakid

[:(!]I was just blamed today by a nother jerk, becuase other kids abbuse the trains. GO figure they blame the only person in my neighborhood who respects trains! And than people wonder why kids in the teens dont really like trains, they cant do what they enjoy without getting scoulded!

Corey

WTF!!!!???. That has to be the worst generalization that i have ever heard. Sure some kids do, but people should not always think that. I am 15, and i am lucky that i have not been scolded for anything yet. That is rude though someone would say someting like that. But the best thing you can do is just brush it off, or ignore the person. I love to ignore people because some people cannot stand not getting attention.[:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

[:(!]I was just blamed today by a nother jerk, becuase other kids abbuse the trains. GO figure they blame the only person in my neighborhood who respects trains! And than people wonder why kids in the teens dont really like trains, they cant do what they enjoy without getting scoulded!

Corey

[Anonymous]

Everyone who has posted on this fourum is very right.

I am 14, love railfanning, and have been hassled a few times, mostly by people ( security cops) who thought a young kid with a camera and a tripod was big trouble.
They should go find real criminals.

Chris

[peterjenkinson1956]

i would like to ask you.... have you told your parents or a good friend of your parents who would be very understanding... you must do something about this because you may now be on some data base or something also if you donot pay any fine it will only get larger and one day it may cause you a problem with employment etc... please seek advise from a "grown up" ( sorry ) contact the department who issued the fine and explain to them... do not approach the lady... hope this helps...peter

[Anonymous]

I'm 14 and I also do a lot of railfanning. I'm glad that lady got what she deserved. When I railfan I usually try to stay atleast 30-40ft away and off the ballast. I do most of my railfanning in a yard so I've had RR personel come up to me and ask me what I'm doing. I calmly reply I'm just watching the trains, and my friend usually has his scanner with him so the RR guys can usually tell we're just mere railfans and nothing more. Still haven't gotten invited into the any of the locomotives though, darn it. Someday..........

[wctransfer]

Well, see , in my case , i once and a while get closer to trains , but it doesnt bother the engineer, first of all because they all know me, and i talk to them all teh time, and i get rides, and after they are doen they let me "check out " the power . If someone called the cops on me and they were standing there, id be polite in teh rude way, by making a point and shovin it in her face. And what i dont like is that when im on a bridge takin pics of trains comin into Northtown, people look at me like some cat with a gun! But i shrug it off because why they get mad because they are stuck waiting for a coal train, i can just sit and laugh at them cuz im having fun [}:)][:D][(-D][yeah][tup]

Alec

[Anonymous]

I can't think of a single thing you did wrong unless you were blatantly on the railroad's property and/or interfering with railroad business. Nothing wrong with listening to a scanner, and I do hope for the dumb cop's sake he realized you were using a scanner, NOT a walkie-talkie that also broadcasts.

I notice nobody's said much about that huge fine. Whether it's five dollars or five thousand dollars, APPEAL it! Get an attorney to do it for free if you can--sometimes they can call the right people and "make it go away" -- after all, think how much your local paper or TV station think of a big huge corporation, a nasty old lady, a cop who should have known better and a kid who's being bullied for no real reason...After all, if you'd flown a kite over the RR's yards you would have posed a bigger threat; but it's all a kind of that exaggerated reaction to terrorism today, or should I say people finding scapegoats because they are afraid of the unknown.

Don't let yourself be a scapegoat. Don't pay the fine unless you are ordered to. APPEAL. Even if you don't have a lawyer (especially!), show up in court ON TIME and argue your case. You want to bring a parent along, or some other adult who knows you're bright and well-meaning, some authority like a minister, scoutmaster, teacher, coach. A railroad official or worker would be even better, if they are prepared to say what a "nothing" thing you did or didn't do, but we can't always have perfection. Just remember that if you do pay the fine without a court hearing your are admitting guilt: of what you didn't say but since the fine is "huge" I assume whatever that cop found to charge you with must have found something pretty signifiant--but that doesn't mean there's a bit of truth to it, does there? And while I'm on the subject, if the cop doesn't show up in court on your hearing date your case gets thrown out -- no harm no foul. In the American system of justice the accused (you) gets to face his accuser (cop).

"For evil to triumph, all that is necessary is for good people to do nothing." You apparently did not commit even the tiniest form of evil, but you will have to be a good man and do something within the bounds of your local justice system. You will be doing a good thing not only for future railfans, but for us Americans who care deeply about the slow erosion-by-apathy of our civil rights and liberties. Good luck!!

Allen Smalling
[e-mail]

PS: Keep this site posted!

[Gluefinger]

Yeap, I believe that one.....

[Anonymous]

That's VERY funny.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help guys!!!
It just so happens that she was yelling at me agiain and walked across the tracks and a cop saw her and finned her HAAHAHAHAHAHAHa[:D]

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by amfleet

I never ahd a problem well a couple years ago my brother graduated from college in Madison and I was wating for a WSOR train to go by and stood on the tracks and by them for a very log time. Never got in trouble. I saw people walking on the tracks with their dogs, or just walking on them for no reason. People like that should get in trouble, railfans should not!

WAIT! Why were you standing on the tracks!?!! That was kinda of stupid to be in on this post about safety and then you tell us you stand on the tracks???

[emd_SD_60]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainman2244

That has happened to me once before...Some dumb@$$ lady called the cops because I was at a museum on the switch engine they have. She said it was railroad property and i said no it isnt, it is a museum. So she called the cops, they came down and she got HER FAT @$$ hauled away in a police car becauseshe called the cops for a false alarm [:D]

LOL! If that happened to me, i'd be making funny faces (esp. rasberries) and gestures to her as she passed by in the Tijuana Taxi! [:o)]