Re: PC: Fwd: [dandh] Fw: NS Is Stepping Up Tresspassing Prosecution!

["Bill K" <pontiac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

wow and I thought you didn't do anything bad

personally I think I'd just carry a cell phone and when I find blockages,
or watch kids putting them up, I'd call both the police and I'd come up
with a number for the closest railroad office and let someone there know
what's up.   For example in Syracuse you might call the East End yardmaster
in Dewitt - some of the numbers over there are right in the phone book.  
let him call the dispatcher or whatever...  

This way you get credit for stopping the vandals and make fans look good,
whereas the other way no one knows about it.   now if a train is coming,
that's one thing, but otherwise you may as well use it for the opportunity
it is.

One reason railroads hate trespassers - on Conrail near Reading PA some
clown rode right down the ROW on a dirt bike, ignoring signs and so forth,
hit something and crashed and broke his arms.   he then successfully sued
CONRAIL over his injuries - how he won this I don't understand, if people
were held responsible for their own stupidity in these kind of situations
the trespassing would not be a problem.  But as I understand it even a
liability release can be made meaningless by a good lawyer...  which is
dumb, the things should be binding.  But it's stuff like this that gets
people kicked out.   Another thing that happened was the railfans abusing
the D&H in Binghamton, which resulted in the CP's same anti-trespassing
policy as NS down there.  


One other suggestion for that pass thing - I think to get it you should
have to take the same kind of test as you do to get a driver's permit - on
railroad safety rules instead.  short, 10 questions on anything in the rule
book (sell the books too and make a few bucks there) and you have to get
8/10 right or something like that....

Bill's Syracuse rail page 
 
http://www.dreamscape.com/pontiac/rail.html

----------
: From: Evil Mike <evillmike -AT- hotmail.com>
: To: penn-central -AT- smellycat.com
: Subject: Re: PC: Fwd: [dandh] Fw: NS Is Stepping Up Tresspassing
Prosecution!
: Date: Tuesday, July 21, 1998 6:06 PM
: 
:      Hi, I'm Mike Brotzman. the one who found this message and posted it 
: here.  I'm 17. able to drive and live in New Jersey.  I have never been 
: arrested or in any other been in any other kind of trouble.  I am glad 
: this issue has provolked a responce and I have seversl issues to make 
: known.  I am was a small CR stockholder and when that was sold I got = 
: parts of NS and CSX.  I used to think NS was the good guy, but I see 
: that I was wrong.  I plan to complain.  I urge everyone to complain also 
: and try to find some common ground.  I would also encourage rainfans to 
: buy RR stock so they can have a combined "voice".  In the past I have 
: gone 'fanning with my father.  On 2 occasions I have removed blockages 
: from mainline tracks that would have caused a derailment.  I even 
: watched the kids who put then up.  I am not a major fan.  I don't get 
: out much.  In S. Jersey you don't expect many trains so I make do w/ 
: exploreing and photographing RR structrues (active and abandoned).  I 
: come from a twon with low/no crime.  All the cops in my town do is 
: harass kids.  This makes me very wary of all police (despite the fact I 
: never do anything "bad" or destructive.  Where ever I go I am always on 
: the lookout.  Recently I went to Reading yard and was able to shoot the 
: flat-switching there.  I did nothing dangerous and got smiles from the 
: crew.  There were even several transients walking around.  I was there 
: for at least 45 min and nothing happened.  When we got back to the car 
: there were 2 cop cars "talking" in the lot (We had been aware of there 
: presence).  If CR had cared they would have been on us in seconds, but 
: we walked right past the yard office and nothing happened.  From what I 
: hear this will change in the future.  It looks like from now on all 
: 'fans will have to take some precautions.  I have some tips.
: 1)  Keep your scanner tuned to the Police Band.
: 2)  Go in groups of 2 or more.  One can lookout or keep his scanner to   
 
: the PB and the other can monitor RR chanels.
: 3)  Be aware.  Look all around you at all times.
: 4)  Don't be visible.  Wear dark cloths and don't stand in view of     
: roads.  Also don't stand near RR access roads where the cop can      
: preform a drive up arrest.  You can walk the tracks, but when you     
: see anything comming get back.
: 5)  Assume everyone is out to arrest you.
: 6)  Park the car in a place where it dosen't say "the owner is     
: railfanning". 
: 7)  If you see a cop comming get the heck out of Dodge and don't all     

: go in the same direction.
: 8)  Know the area.  Know where the car is.  If you have to split up     
: have a meeting point.  Plan for the worst.
: 9)  Make it hard for the cop.  If you have to ford a river or creek or   
 
: take off X-country do it.  Convince the cop that his time is     better 
: spent eating doughnuts than chaseing you.
: 10) To get away from the main stream areas where the cops are.  Buy a    

: De Lorme (TM) map.  I have several.  These maps show you how to     get 
: places where no regular patrol would be.
: 11) 'Fan on Sundays or weekends, in general it might help.  Also if      

: you have the urge to walk a tunnel or bridge go on a major     holiday.
: 12) If you have it take your shareholders certificate with you.  It     
: might help.  (You DO own a part of the co.)
: 
:     I hope that one or all of these can be heplful.  PLEASE DO NOT 
: resist arrest.  And if they ARE going to get you stop so they won't 
: tackle you and hurt your camera.  If you want to try the "I didn't know 
: I was tresspassing.  I'm blind and deaf and have an IQ of 3" defense do 
: not have any pictures of yourself posing under a "No Tresspassing" sign. 

: Also do not try to flee in your car they can get the plate #.  Run then 
: come back after about an hour.  If you park right they will never know 
: the car is yours.  Remember no matter what you think of the RR's try 
: your hardest to spot things that will save the RR money or make the RR 
: money, its all they care about.  We want the RR to get a positive 
: impression of Railfans.  If you can try to save an OCS from crashing.  
: To address the concern that 'fanns might spot safety violations I did 
: see a violation of rule G.  An engineer stopped his frieght to buy beer 
: from a track-side establishment.  I did not have my camera.  Also I was 
: wondering what they do to your film if you are caught?  Do they un-roll 
: if in front of you, kinda like they do with beer if you are found 
: transporting it accross state lines?  PLEASE RESPOND TO THE RR's IN A 
: CALM AND NON CONFRONTATTIONAL MANNER.  They are technicly in the right, 
: but you can be amazed by what kind asking can get you.