Railroad Photographers/Railfans after 9/11

An article about railfans and terror...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dy ... Found=true
I took the easy way out and now limit my railroad photography to tourist operations and museums only...

I haven't had any problems since 9/11... but I wonder if things may start to get dicey due to the U.S. govt's response to the things that happened in Spain.

I often worry about encountering police who are interested in interrogating me about "trespassing" when I am on public property (e.g. station platforms) photographing trains.

Station platforms are considered private property for purpose of access. The owner, even though a public agency, is entitled to limit use of its property including limiting that use to persons boarding or alighting from trains and others assisting the passengers. The railroad or transit agency is free to impose such rules as it sees fit for other activities. Most transit agencies, if not all, have rules to that effect. Some prohibit photography from their platforms and/or regulate it, some don't.

Public property in the context of right to access consists of the public rights of way such as parks, streets and sidewalks. So long as one does not unreasonablt obstruct the passage of others in these public rights of way or create a hazard, photography is lawful. Police officers may always lawfully question the photographer but may not otherwise restrict the photographer so long as there is no hazardous condition or unreasonable obstruction caused by the photographic activity,

its heck railfanin man.. i dont shut off my truck when i go.. i leave keys in it running.. when i hear a train i go from my bushes to some closer to get shots then load up and hightail it out of there... i dont wait around... i dont like guerilla railfanning but hey ya gotta do what ya gotta do

If you have not been following this debate you might want to look at this topic on the NJT board especially as NJT has just announced that you will need a photo permit to photograph any NJT rail vehicles not just ON their property but now from OFF their property. To me this is an abuse of power and the implications for rail fans are chilling if allowed to go unchallenged. If you agree you might want to call NJT public relations and let them know of your disapproval.

If you have not been following this debate you might want to look at this topic on the NJT board especially as NJT has just announced that you will need a photo permit to photograph any NJT rail vehicles not just ON their property but now from OFF their property. To me this is an abuse of power and the implications for rail fans are chilling if allowed to go unchallenged. If you agree you might want to call NJT public relations and let them know of your disapproval.

i haven't run into any trouble with anyone since 9/11, only once a conductor asked me what my camera was for, and i told him i was a train buff

That is how terrorism works. It makes the government more restrictive until the government becomes more evil than the terrorists and the common slobs (like us) becomes a McVeigh and joins the terrorists...It has happened time and time again.... Ed

I've said it before and I am saying it again: if anyone is going to report rail related hanky-panky, it will be a railfan!! We want the trains to stay around, so we therefore should be used, not abused. We are like a free security force! And we have CAMERAS! So when Mohammed Terrorist plants a bomb on a GP9, we will snap his picture, call the cops, toss the bomb into the woods, then go down the tracks in the GP9 and pretend it was done for the safety of the railroad and not just for fun...