What exactly does a BNSF officer need with an ID? I highly doubt they can run a search on it...
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
Were your locations at the 45 ft. and 50 ft. away from the rails both still on BNSF property [Q] Or, were you on a public street by then [Q] - in which case I wonder why you moved further away - or not, in which case it's understandable.
Oh, by the way - which one of you held the measuring tape at the nearest railhead so as to know that you were only 45 ft. away from it [Q]
- Paul North.
As a general rule, my encounters with CSX special agents have been pretty good. I received an appropriate lecture when I was where I shouldn't be (at Barr) but he did answer my questions in order to avoid a future encounter. I've also met them several times at Blue Island crossing and they've always been pleasant since I've confined myself to the sidewalks for my trainwatching and photographing.
Sounds like George Orwell's 1984 to me. I agree that the railway has a right to enforce their rules on their property...so I can't fault them for that...but...what a society we've become when all around us are suspicious and we need to show ID just for being parked somewhere to watch trains.
I had the pleasure of dealing with the BNSF police a couple of Saturdays ago when riding the Metra BNSF line downtown and back from Rt 59. BNSF called in their police from accross the country to help assist with the large weekend crowd going to / coming from several large weekend events in Chicago. Between two and four officers were assigned to each train. I stand in the vestibule a lot so that I can listen to the scanner, talk to the train crew and avoid the sometimes large crowds that pack into the train cars on summer weekends. All of the BNSF officers, except for one jerk, were very profesional and friendly. I won't bad mouth the one officer who I referred to as a "jerk" out of respect for the other BNSF officers except to say that if your job is to maintain the peace don't create your own personal chaos. A lot of people who ride Metra have their habbits and when one officer enforces their own personal rule system the first reaction is usually a "what?" response.
CC
I'm innocent- haven't been there in awhile.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
This evening while in Dubuque, IA on business I grabbed a Subway sandwich and drove to C.P. "East Cabin in East Dubuque on the BNSF main line to exercise our hobby. I had my car facing the main line and was approx. 45 feet from the rail-head and all of a sudden here comes a BNSF police Ford Explorer. The BNSF fellow put his "gumball" lights on and proceeded to ask what I was there for. I immediately responded "watching trains"...he asked for ID and I gave him my BNSF Citizens for Rail Safety card which he cheerfully accepted as ID. He asked me if I hung around that point often and I told him no and told him where I typically railfanned. He told me they had some railfan who hung around there alot but was not being safe...being too close to the rail and setting his tripod on or very near the tracks. I had about a fifteen minute and very nice subsequent conversation with this man and he went on his way (I also backed up my car another five feet as he said the rule was to be at least 50 feet from the rails.
If you are the railfan who frequents East Cabin CP in East Dubuque...my suggestion is for you to stay farther back from the rail or find another place to watch trains as the BNSF police AND the East Dubuque Police are aware of you and are looking for you as some citizens have evidently complained about you...a word to the wise (as they say) is sufficient.
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