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"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
http://sweetwater-photography.com/
QUOTE: Originally posted by EMT49 this hole thing has gotten out of hand this is just the govermets way to try to control us [:(!] we pay taxes and should be allowed to get pics of trains as long as your not tresspassing.i would have stood up for my right to do so . i would go to the same spot over and over just to let them know there not scareing me. and i would try to get other people to do the same and maybe the media if they are intrested. we the people of the us are letting the goverment take our freedum because of some terrorists. we need to let them know we wont stand for by litters to you local news paper and goverment officals sorry about spelling i know it sucks [:(]
QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon Okay gents......time to throttle back a bit. First of all Tim, you did the right thing. Diffuse the situation and seek answers in a non-combative method. There is alot of confusion regarding what can and can't be done, and that extends to the law enforcement communites. And when in doubt, they are probably going to default to telling you not to do it. Ed gave some good advice, and I'd present what I found out to the watch supervisor and take it from there. No cop wants to be the guy that let the next London, 9/11 or OKC happen again. So if you see someone taking pictures of a railyard, the natural presumption would be that they were a railfan....right? But what if they were middle eastern or Chinese and taking pictures of a railyard or station? What if they were taking pictures of an airport or an aircraft carrier...from public property? Would you be suspicious then? How about your house? (Anybody have a home appraised lately or a nosy home owners association?) Folks are quick to say stupid cops, barney fife, etc...but these folks are trying to do a job, often with less than perfect guidance and to them a railfan (hmm guy with camera, maybe a map, notebook, scanner) taking pictures of a potential target looks exactly like what he is .......an intelligence operative. Because at the basic level that is what a railfan is...an intelligence collector ...observing, noting, and recording data....albeit for personal vice government use. So maybe, just maybe, you could cut these guys some slack and do as Tim did. You want to beat the terrorists, yeah don't give in, but do it by helping the good guys do their job better, not by being a childish***and adding fuel to the fire or there really will be problems.... Tim you're off to a good start. There's some good (and bad) advice offered above. Dan
QUOTE: Originally posted by mehrlich QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon Okay gents......time to throttle back a bit. First of all Tim, you did the right thing. Diffuse the situation and seek answers in a non-combative method. There is alot of confusion regarding what can and can't be done, and that extends to the law enforcement communites. And when in doubt, they are probably going to default to telling you not to do it. Ed gave some good advice, and I'd present what I found out to the watch supervisor and take it from there. No cop wants to be the guy that let the next London, 9/11 or OKC happen again. So if you see someone taking pictures of a railyard, the natural presumption would be that they were a railfan....right? But what if they were middle eastern or Chinese and taking pictures of a railyard or station? What if they were taking pictures of an airport or an aircraft carrier...from public property? Would you be suspicious then? How about your house? (Anybody have a home appraised lately or a nosy home owners association?) Folks are quick to say stupid cops, barney fife, etc...but these folks are trying to do a job, often with less than perfect guidance and to them a railfan (hmm guy with camera, maybe a map, notebook, scanner) taking pictures of a potential target looks exactly like what he is .......an intelligence operative. Because at the basic level that is what a railfan is...an intelligence collector ...observing, noting, and recording data....albeit for personal vice government use. So maybe, just maybe, you could cut these guys some slack and do as Tim did. You want to beat the terrorists, yeah don't give in, but do it by helping the good guys do their job better, not by being a childish***and adding fuel to the fire or there really will be problems.... Tim you're off to a good start. There's some good (and bad) advice offered above. Dan Thank you Dan, for a little common sense and sanity. mike
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF4ever I don't fault the police on the scene here--they have a job to do and often any misguided application of their policy is the result of orders from higher up. Not sure I agree with the earlier assessment about someone with a camera and scanner looking like an intelligence operative. Maybe a BAD intelligence operative. The pros--and you have to put Al Qaida in that class--do their surveillance far more discretely. I'm sure the sight of someone taking photos or listening to a scanner can get a 911 caller worked up but the reality is that the really good people doing reconnaissance will never be noticed or will be ignored if they are.
QUOTE: Originally posted by kevikens It will do little good to confine your concerns to writing something on this forum. You must get up, get out and do something constructive as several of us here in NJ have done. <Snip>
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