PC: Passes

["Evil Mike" <evillmike@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

     It is odd that this pass issue has come up now.  On July 13 I worte 
J Alex Lang or the Eastern Rail News site on a pass idea: 

RR's don't like people tresspassing becuase they might get hit 
> and sue or disrupt opperations.  For a fee*, RR's should allow people 
to 
> come in, take a Rail safety class, take a test to prove they are true 
> Railfans and then the RR should make them buy a hard hat and 
visibility 
> vest.  For their money the people would get a railfan lisceince good 
on 
> that road's property.  The conditions would be that they would have to 
> wear the vest and hat and abide by employee's instructions that have 
to 
> do with safety or opperations.  They could have a scale of membership.  
> As you pay more you get more perks.  $30 for a basic membership.  $50 
> would let you shoot busy yards.  $100 gets you a tour of a local shop.  
> $250 would let you pilot a local.  $500 a road frieght and $1000, in 
> addition to the preceeding, would let you get a trip to a major hub, 
> like Altoona,  for a tour.  The whole ride would be in a cab.  Just 
> think of the possibilities.  Railfans would become an asset to the RR 
> not just a hinderence that makes its living off the rail induslty w/o 
> giving anything back.


The examples I gave were there to give some humor to the e-mail, but the 
basic idea is there.  Alex Lang resopnded that this is a "pipe dream" 
and the insurance co's and the lawyers would never allow it.  Another 
idea is that RR could make you an employee.  You'd be a track inspector 
or ROW watcher or something.  Your only compensation is that you can 
come on the property and take pictures.  Heck you could even be 
classified as part-time.  Also the difference b/t an industrial site and 
a RR is that the site has fences and cameras and other physical 
barriers.  I will NEVER cross a fence put up by a RR.  A rapid transit 
line goes through my town.  There is a fence along the whole route.  
There are places where I could easily get through, but I won't.  Even 
when my Aerobee goes over the fence I won't cross.  Most ROW's are vague 
and undefined.  This is what makes them different.  When I see any fence 
line I know I is wrong and big trouble if you cross.  I don't get that 
with RR's.  I just don't want 'fannning to get to the point where 'fanns 
tell about how they were able to infultrait the Pittsburg line ROW and 
dispite the fact they lost 2 friends to mines and another to the dogs 
they still got the PIC of the SD70MAC.  MESSAGE TO THE LIST:  Has anyone 
been arrested for tresspassing or know anyone how has?  Have you ever 
been harassed?  Do tell.

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