LIRR Engineer Threatens to Call Police On Me

I was at Woodside on the LIRR taking photos. As an M7 pulled in I got a shot (without flash, obviously) and stood on the platform waiting for another train. All of a sudden, a man in a red shirt comes out and asks me if we're getting on, and we say no. The conductor then closes down the doors. All of a sudden, out of the second car, the doors reopen, and the guy in red comes out again, saying that we can't stand on the platform taking photos, or else he'll call the police. We said we were waiting for someone, but he said we have to wait in the mezzanine. The conductor was asking him "Hey, what's going on, you're holding up the train." So, the guy goes back in, the conductor closed back down, and about 30 seconds later, the train was off. I'm pretty sure this guy was the engineer, since he was not in uniform, and the conductor seemed to know who he was (the conductor was in uniform.)

Seriously, these guys shouldn't be holding up trains to annoy 17-year-olds.

Okay for the record, we know what kind of environment we are living in post 9-11, if not life under the rock must be getting to you.

Secondly, any of those locations such as Jamica, Woodside, Hillside are not good locations! You're asking for trouble!

Do yourself as well as the employees a favor, don't photograph on platforms or anywhere that is blantly noticable. Remember, they didn't make the rules they just enforce them. They are doing that to re-ensure your safety.

Just for record, there is NO photoban in effect on any MTA property, this red shirted individual was wrong and acting as vigilante.
HE had no legal business to tell you to stop.
MTA is only proposing ban on subways and has not expanded the request to include LIRR or MNCR.

DutchRailnut wrote:Just for record, there is NO photoban in effect on any MTA property, this red shirted individual was wrong and acting as vigilante.
HE had no legal business to tell you to stop.
MTA is only proposing ban on subways and has not expanded the request to include LIRR or MNCR.

Thanks Dutch, I was unclear on that. I was pretty sure that any LIRR or MNCR photoban would come under even heavier opposition than the subways, since it is FRA-governed, and runs outside for most of its length. Hopefully, they won't try to pull a NJ Transit on us, and try to outlaw photographs from outside the property.

On another note, LIRR/MNCR engineers should really be required to at least wear a badge signifying that they are an employee. I thought it was a passenger at first.

John, I would say that this employee was in the wrong, and if it were me, I would of reported him to the MTA complaint board, and explain what happpened. You were not doing anything wrong.

Neil Feldman wrote:John, I would say that this employee was in the wrong, and if it were me, I would of reported him to the MTA complaint board, and explain what happpened. You were not doing anything wrong.

Here's the problem, the employee was wearing a red shirt, I have the M7's number (I have a photo of it), but I didn't even think about it. Next time, I will get on the phone right away and call LIRR.

R142A wrote:

Neil Feldman wrote:John, I would say that this employee was in the wrong, and if it were me, I would of reported him to the MTA complaint board, and explain what happpened. You were not doing anything wrong.

Here's the problem, the employee was wearing a red shirt, I have the M7's number (I have a photo of it), but I didn't even think about it. Next time, I will get on the phone right away and call LIRR.

Question????, Do you know for a absolute fact that the individual who gave you was indeed the engineer? It is possible that he/she/it was just
a passenger who was slightly de-ranged or something.
I would hate to see you get an engineer in possible trouble unless you are
one hundred per cent positive that it was the engineer without any doubt.
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:

R142A wrote:

Neil Feldman wrote:John, I would say that this employee was in the wrong, and if it were me, I would of reported him to the MTA complaint board, and explain what happpened. You were not doing anything wrong.

Here's the problem, the employee was wearing a red shirt, I have the M7's number (I have a photo of it), but I didn't even think about it. Next time, I will get on the phone right away and call LIRR.

Question????, Do you know for a absolute fact that the individual who gave you was indeed the engineer? It is possible that he/she/it was just
a passenger who was slightly de-ranged or something.
I would hate to see you get an engineer in possible trouble unless you are
one hundred per cent positive that it was the engineer without any doubt.
Noel Weaver

Well, the Conductor closing the doors asked the guy like he knew him, "What's wrong? Why did I re-open the doors?" Plus, when he went back in, it took about half-a-minute for the train to start again.

Next time, let him call the cops. Don't back down to anyone when you know you haven't done anything wrong. The lady that lives across the tracks from MP56 came out one day and asked me what I was doing. I stood up on the hill and told her I was a member of a model rr club (the club is about a 50ft walk from the tracks.) and I was just waiting for the train to take a picture. She then told me to be careful and have a nice day . The whole time, she was in the wrong, thats why I didn't back down. She was standing on the tracks, questioning me why I was out there, when in fact I was on private property.


Just to cover myself, I should ask our landlord where her property meets the LIRR Property.

Any employee of MTA, being engineer or mechanics or other has to wear a Company ID card , clearly vissible.

If the engineer was uncomfortable with the sitiuation he every right to tell you to go take a walk. Go ahead and rat him out and see how far it gets. The MTA really doesn't care about picture takers these days. The only thing the engineer did wrong was that he didn't call the police on you. You guys should hire Ron Kuby.

Damn straight! Never back down when you KNOW you're right. That's why I've always challenged a cop when they tell me I can't be taking pictures(except for the time I was filming, but I had reasons for that which I explained).

DutchRailnut wrote:Any employee of MTA, being engineer or mechanics or other has to wear a Company ID card , clearly vissible.

Well, he wasn't, but I should've asked him for his ID so I could report him. He was clearly an employee, because he had radioed in for the doors to be re-opened.

point88 wrote:If the engineer was uncomfortable with the sitiuation he every right to tell you to go take a walk. Go ahead and rat him out and see how far it gets. The MTA really doesn't care about picture takers these days. The only thing the engineer did wrong was that he didn't call the police on you. You guys should hire Ron Kuby.

He does? I don't think so! If I'm not breaking a rule, then I'll stay there next time. Maybe he did call the police, but police don't arrive in 30 seconds. Right after, the engineer told me to leave, I went up to the Woodside 7 train platform. Got a nice M1 shot from up there. However, I should probably have stayed, he had no right to tell me to leave. However, if a police officer had told me to leave, I would have, and then called up the Civilian Complaint Review Board to file an investigation against the officer who couldn't even follow the law.

Lets look at this photo thing and the crank that asked you to leave from two different angles, the practical and the legal.

From a legal point of view, federal law prohibits you from photographing anything on the Long Island Rail Road property. Additionally, if you are on Railroad property without the purpose of boarding a train, you can be asked to leave by an officer or representative of the Company. If you fail to leave you can be ejected or arrested by any employee or Company officer. Not all employees must wear an ID Card, and no employee is required to show identification to a trespasser, nor give their name to a trespasser.

From a practical point of view, few people care if you take pictures of the Railroad. The LIRR used to issue Photo Passes that would ward off a cranky or self-rightous employee who yelled at them. You found what I feel is an overly ambitious busybody who got in your face. They're out there and they always have been.

Let it go and don't lose any sleep. Nobody will care if you "report" the person who yelled at you. Some will feel he was doing a brave thing and somehow saving the world from terrorists or some such stupidity.

Turn the other cheek and enjoy your photography.

C