To the fan I had arrested today...

[Anonymous]

Ed is the MAN!!! Plain and simple.
It's idiots like the *** he busted who gives railfans a bad name all over.
Railfans who act like that idiot <for lack of a better term.> don't deserve to be called "Railfans." and I hope I never meet such a careless, brainless moron like the dimwit Ed busted and arrested.

Ed, please keep us informed of how this digithead's case plays out. I hope he gets banned from trackside for good.

[cpbloom]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting we get in a public discussion about the perpetrator. I was just wondering if I was the only one wondering who done it . . . .

I gave most of us on here more credit than that.

Gabe

I can't believe anyone here would do something like this but I too am also curious as to who done it although its not killing me to know who so i'll just leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

Thanks folks..
i know all of you are smart enough not to tresspass...we have had threads upon threads about it...and most of the people here are intelligent enough to do their fanning from a legal standpoint.

But all that said, what I would have wished for is any other conclusion to this besides what happened in the end.

My posting wasnt aimed at you folks, nor was it a attempt to garned praise...it was a outlet for my anger at being put in a position where there was no other choice.

Sad for the fan...(hush, Gabe!) because he now has a criminal record....sad for me because I now am the proud owner of a serious butt chewing by my boss over even mentioning it on a public forum.

He can stick it, but still, didnt need the hassle..

Point is, I wanted the "fan" to think, once he had calmed down, about what he was doing and where he was...

Hopefully if he reads it, instead of hearing it while he is trying to take pictures, well, maybe some of it will sink in.

Pleas, folks, dont play the guessing game about who it is...our Risk Management Officer has already warned me about ever even hinting at the persons name...think about it and you will all see why...

End result is we all lost....

All over some photos I would have gladly taken for him...

And so it goes....


Ed

MY [2c]? The person must not have been the brightest burning bulb on the block,...for not having the sense to take the break you tried to give him.

I think it's just a natural human tendancy to pu***he envelope, ...go somplace beyond where you know you should stop, ( 1. to get a better view, and 2. just to get away with it) And when you do, and someone makes their displeasure known,....I think that it would take a real fool not to see the blessing in being told to leave,....since the alternative would be to be told you have to stay (as in "detained").

I've only been asked to get off RR property twice in 48 years,...one of those just this past summer.

Did it make me angry? Well, sure in the "disappointed" sense, but I wasn't so stupid to not realize that following the guys pointing finger was my best bet at the time.. Considering the alternative.

Besides, I figured he was just doing what his job insisted he do,...to any outsider, I sure wasn't gonna take it personal.

What's amazing is the number of positive encounters I've racked up over the years, running into MOW workers, yard crews, engine crews waiting for relief, who were easily as "chatty" as I was,...of course I showed the common respect of behaving in a reasonably safe fashion,..not standing between the rails like some idiot waiting to get hit.

[Anonymous]

Dumb A$$ should have used a ZOOM LENS instead,DUU!
BNSFrailfan.

[cpbloom]

I seem to remember a lot of topics here that talk about how law enforcement "harass" railfans when they should be trying to catch real criminals.

I could see a person with this mentality trespassing and there are a lot of people here that have that same mentality (although most wouldn't trespass), so in retrospect, I'm not surprised at all.

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

....sad for me because I now am the proud owner of a serious butt chewing by my boss over even mentioning it on a public forum.

Now that is just sad. In an instance like this, when the railfan was clearly at fault, all we can worry about is the railfan's right to sue the railroad. Man, I hope someday this country can screw its head back on properly and lose the cheesy lawsuits...

Chris
Denver, Co

[dharmon]

I say we let this fade to the back pages and go away.......Ed doesn't have a real big butt and it probably needs to heal a bit so he can drive to work still.

While I agree this should grace the pages of Trains...it should be at the discretion of his employer.........mean time, we can help to ease any heat on Ed by letting it go.

Dan

[emd_SD_60]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

So, now that you spent the afternoon in jail, and have to post a bond tonight to get out...

Was it really worth arguing with me about being in my yard, taking photographs of that locomotive?

Have you finally figured out that why I was angry with you was not because I dont like fans, but because you were standing in the center of live yard tracks?

Smack dab dead center of track 43, between the rails.

Did it ever click with you how much danger you were in?

Didnt you understand that we were down in the yard working, not just hanging out on a locomotive?

Have you any idea how dumb you were, and how mad it made me when the answer to all my questions about why you were here was "All I want to do is to take some photos" .

I politely explained to you why you couldnt be where you were, I even offered to take your camera, and take some photos for you...but you insisted you had the right to drive into private property, park in the middle of our emergency road, and block it with your car (which is why your car was towed) then wander across live tracks that I was switching into, climb around on a flat car that was part of a track we were kicking cars into...because "all I want..."

Your "want" in no way supercedes the safety, and well being of my crew.

You put yourself in harms way, with total disregard to your safety, and the safety of my guys....

I tried to get you to leave, on your own...but no, "All I want is to take some photos" must, in your mind, justify you breaking the law, and getting yourself killed.

You refused to listen to me when I explained what we were doing, and what was happening in those tracks...

Didnt the railcars crashing into each other give you any clue as to how dangerous a place it is?

I really dont care if you saw that locomotive in California years ago, nor do I care that you feel it is safe to stand in the middle of live tracks "because I have been around a lot of trains before"....

You were in my yard, in my tracks, jacking with my crews lives and livelyhood, and doing your best to get coupled up....

When you go to court, remember, I asked you to leave, I even offered to take some photos for you, with your camera, so you would leave on your own, gave you every chance I could to understand that railyards are dangerous, even for those of us who work in them...and you couldn't see beyond your "want".

Because of narrow minded, selfish people like you, all the legitimate fans, those who play by the rules and the law, will suffer...

Why was it so hard for you to understand that what you were doing was dangerous, illegal and just plain dumb?

Or, did you know that, and just didnt care, or allowed your "want" for photographs to overule your common sense?

Do you even have any common sense?

I doubt it, everyone I know is smart enough to not stand in the center of tracks, and certainly not argue with the guys working there that you have the right ot be there because you "want to, and the Constitution says I can"

Wrong, the Constitution says nothing about your wants, but it does say you cant tresspass on private property.

It does say you can take all the photos you "want" to, from public property...
but not in the middle of my yard, in tracks I am kicking cars into.

So, I hope the afternoon in jail, and the fine the judge will enforce on, along with the probation you will have to serve, because I plan on asking for that, will wake you up to how close you came to being killed.

I have enough problems with the jackasses at grade crossings trying to get killed, I really dont need them to sneak into the yard, and do it where I have to walk every day.

We took your "mug" shot for a reason, and have passed it around to the rest of the crews, so if I, or any of my crew, ever find you with one foot on PTRA property, we will have you arrested for tresspassing, again...and the fine will be even bigger.

And yes, I am sure you have realized by now that they are police officers, not security guards, and now that you have seen the inside of the Harris County Jail, remember, you brough it upon yourself.

You refused to listen to me when I explained what we were doing, and what was going to happend.

It is not because we dont like you, but because even though you dont seem to care if you get yourself killed by our train, we do!

And trust me, your lucky the gumshoe got to you before my engineer did...he was going to stuff you in the trunk of your car, and have it towed to a storage lot...


I will personally ask the judge to give you jail time, if you ever show up again.

And yes, I am a little sorry about the thread I started on that locomotive...yup, thats me, Ed Blysard...the guy who almost killed you by accident today.

Do not ever, ever let me catch you in my yard again.

I know who you are...and now you know who I am.
I am pretty sure I know what name you use on the forum, both this one and the one about models...

Do not tempt fate again.

Ed

I applaud you there! If you should ever catch him in the yard again, well in this case some bottle rockets (or firecrackers) will come in handy![}:)]

[Anonymous]

Ed, you did exactly what you should have done, because if he got injured, he would blame you and the railroad (if he lived).

Some years ago, at a Conrail yard, I saw a Penn central locomotive that was about to be sent to a scraper (no number boards, all other numbers painted over) , So, I had to take some pictures, but I at least had some common sense!). I went to the yard office, and asked for premission to walk over to it. An employe there heard me talking to the person behind the desk, and offered to take me over to it, Not only did he take me up close to take its picture, I was able to control it as it was connected to a train that was going to stop at the scrap yard. So, not only do I have pictures, I drove the train's last run. I later found out he was the yard master, so it makes me wonder why people do not ask first? [%-)] [|(]

[Anonymous]

Nice job Ed!

[Jack_S]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

sad for me because I now am the proud owner of a serious butt chewing by my boss over even mentioning it on a public forum.

Ed

Ed, too bad your boss couldn't see the benefit to be gained by mentioning it here. By alerting all of us to the situation we are able to apply some serious peer pressure to the trespasser, thereby reducing the likelihood of a repeat offense. Also, the discussion in your favor has probably imprinted itself on some railfans who have never even thought about this issue.

Were I your boss I would say: "Good move. Just don't ever let his name become known through you." Open discussion of such stupidity is the best way to prevent it in the future. And all RR bosses ought to realize that most railfans are on their side of this issue and could be a force to prevent trespassing.

For 30 years I worked as a volunteer auto racing official and track worker, and I have seen behavior by race fans that was just as foolish as you describe. Off-road racing fans were the worst, with NASCAR fans a close second. Off-road fans would do things at the track that chilled your blood, and at the Riverside SCORE races there was a fatality almost every race weekend. IN THE GRANDSTANDS!!!!

Keep up the good work.

Jack

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jack_S

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

sad for me because I now am the proud owner of a serious butt chewing by my boss over even mentioning it on a public forum. Ed

Ed, I appreciate you posting this. Yeah, the lawyers these days advise zipped lips on this kind of thing. Hopefully there will be no repeats of this incident.
MP

[Anonymous]

Some people really need a cranial rectosis. It usually helps!!

[Anonymous]

So much for asking for Permission anymore I guess.

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CopCarSS

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

....sad for me because I now am the proud owner of a serious butt chewing by my boss over even mentioning it on a public forum.

Now that is just sad. In an instance like this, when the railfan was clearly at fault, all we can worry about is the railfan's right to sue the railroad. Man, I hope someday this country can screw its head back on properly and lose the cheesy lawsuits...

Chris
Denver, Co

Dude, what that heck are you talking about? What lawsuit? I don't know what you are talking about with his right to sue the railroad.

As a lawyer, I really don't mind lawyer insults, I get paid to take them. But, to talk about a cheesy lawsuit that hasn't happened? I don't know why you think this guy will want to sue the railroad (or what ground he would have for doing so). If he has any brains, he will not waste his money on a civil attorney and spend it all on a criminal attorney to see to it that he doesn't get an executed jail sentence.

The only lawsuit the railroad would really have to worry about is if Ed didn't tell him to go take a hike and he got injured on their property.

Gabe

[Anonymous]

Quite a few years back, around 1990 or so, I was a volunteer fireman/EMT in a small town I won't mention along the then BN mainline. I remember the day well, because I was starting a week of vacation from my regular job, and had decided to sleep in. Around 7:45AM, I heard the California Zephyr blow through town(I lived about 100 yards from the rail line) and I remember looking at teh clock and rolling over to go back to sleep, Just as I began drifting off, my plectron went off, signalling a rescue call. At the end of of the signal, the dispatcher called out: "train versus pedestrian". Since I was awake, I responded to the call, and was surprised to find that only myself and one other firefighter were in town, so it was just the 2 of us, and we responded to the scene which was about 1 mile east of my house. Sure enough, the Amtrak was standing on the mainline as we made our way from the highway to the ROW, and the conductor met us at the Train, his first words were: " you don't even need to go up there, he's dead". As EMS responders, the law requires that we respond anyway, so on I went, and I am not afraid to tell you, it was not pretty. The engineer was standing nearby, clearly upset. He said the man was riding a motorcycle down the middle of the tracks( The highway was closed due to construction, so he obviously decided to take the tracks as a detour, which was a fatal mistake)the engineer said: "I saw him as I came through town, and I blew the whistle, and I know he heard the whistle, because he looked back and then stopped, and he was trying to get the motorcycle off the tracks when I hit him"
The sight sickened me, and for years afterward, I felt sick everytime I heard Amtrak come through town. The man's body lay some 300 yards or so from the point of contact,
no longer even on the track he was hit on, but on the other track next to it, squarely between the rails. The force of the impact had knocked the man completely out of his clothes, the only clothing remaining on his body was his undershorts, and they were down around his ankles. The man's head no longer resembled anything human, it looked more like a squashed grape. The railcrew had covered the body with a sheet, to spare the passengers from the sight. Our only actions that morning officially, was to check for the ABC's, and then call the county coroner, because as BLS responders, we could not declare the man officially dead. Of all the calls I responded to in my five year career as a volunteer firefighter/EMT, I can still remember this one vividly after almost 20 years. Amtrak's whistles no longer bother me like they did for the 2 or 3 years after the call, but reading this thread sure brought it back.
Ed, no question about it, you were absolutely right. I know the speeds were not anything like an Amtrak, but the results of train versus human are always the same. It's ugly for everyone involved, and you are right, everyone loses, not even just the idiot who got himself killed, but everyone involved.

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

I say we let this fade to the back pages and go away.......Ed doesn't have a real big butt and it probably needs to heal a bit so he can drive to work still.

While I agree this should grace the pages of Trains...it should be at the discretion of his employer.........mean time, we can help to ease any heat on Ed by letting it go.

Dan

Or we could draw fire by changing the subject to how it is that you know how big Ed's butt is?

Gabe

[Mookie]

Diecastgalore! Another Lincolnite! I am so pleased! [:D]

Gabe - now you have brought up a subject I could get behind..... [}:)]

[gabe]

FYI, naturally I am joking . . . someone had to say it.

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Diecastgalore! Another Lincolnite! I am so pleased! [:D]

Gabe - now you have brought up a subject I could get behind..... [}:)]

Cool, my diversion is working . . .

[jeaton]

Any railroad employee who has ever been on the ground can speak to the silence of a rolling car. Even with authority to be on the property, I would not be limiting my vision to to the view in the viewfinder unless I had someone watching to alert me to everything else that might be going on.

Jay

[Anonymous]

Ed,you are 100% correct in what you did. All I ask that if a railfan wants to come in my yard and take pics, then he/she needs to sign a release for permission and some safety briefing. If not, then I will call our police as well as the locals...

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

I say we let this fade to the back pages and go away.......Ed doesn't have a real big butt and it probably needs to heal a bit so he can drive to work still.

While I agree this should grace the pages of Trains...it should be at the discretion of his employer.........mean time, we can help to ease any heat on Ed by letting it go.

Dan

Or we could draw fire by changing the subject to how it is that you know how big Ed's butt is?

Gabe

According to an Executive Order signed in 1998, you can't ask and I don't have to tell. [:0]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Diecastgalore! Another Lincolnite! I am so pleased! [:D]
[}:)]

Mookie! shhhh! you weren't supposed to tell anyone![:)]

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by diecastgalore

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

Diecastgalore! Another Lincolnite! I am so pleased! [:D]
[}:)]

Mookie! shhhh! you weren't supposed to tell anyone![:)]

[censored] oops - sorry - ............................. (whisper) but won't they see it on your postings.........or is that a red herring? [:-,]

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

Dude, what that heck are you talking about? What lawsuit? I don't know what you are talking about with his right to sue the railroad.

As a lawyer, I really don't mind lawyer insults, I get paid to take them. But, to talk about a cheesy lawsuit that hasn't happened? I don't know why you think this guy will want to sue the railroad (or what ground he would have for doing so). If he has any brains, he will not waste his money on a civil attorney and spend it all on a criminal attorney to see to it that he doesn't get an executed jail sentence.

The only lawsuit the railroad would really have to worry about is if Ed didn't tell him to go take a hike and he got injured on their property.

Gabe

Gabe,

My sincerest admiration to you for being a right thinking lawyer. I knew there had to be one or two out there! [;)]

My comment was kind of directed more at the mentality of the management, and involvement of Risk Management (and I'm sure this doesn't mean risks to the railfan). Ever since the whole McDonald's hot coffee deal, the attitude towards lawsuits has really been messed up. In this situation, I could just see the railfan getting a lawyer, and trying to sue for emotional damage at being arrested, and not getting the shots of the locomotive, plus having this discussed on a public forum.

Think that's whack? I would have whole heartedly agreed with you maybe 5-10 years ago. But if someone can spill a cup of hot coffee on themselves and sue McDonald's, then what isn't possible?

As I said, I'm glad to know that there's at least one lawyer out there that has his head screwed on straight, and won't sacrifice morals and principal in the name of making a buck. Sadly, I also know that there are plenty of lawyers that wouldn't think twice about taking a goofy case like this if there was a profit to be had.

Chris
Denver, CO

-Chris
West Chicago, IL
Christopher May Fine Art Photography

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams

• Reply