I have more confidence in most of the police in my area that that. I HOPE it is not misplaced.
Anyway, according to one railroad *** who recently questioned my presence in a public park adjacent to the tracks, the city police are already refusing to respond to reports of railfans on public property, only responding when the railroad has taken someone into custody or have called for inter-departmental assistance. Accoring to him, It simply is not lawful to arrest someone just because they are just standing around, even near the tracks.
So you see, even the UP police are no longer harrassing me, though they do ask what I am doing. I have absolutely no problem with that. I gladly tell them - and yak railroading with them when they have time.
Incidently, railroading IS my vocation, AND my avocation, as it was for three generations back in my family. I started railroading with a grease bucket yoked to my back as I hiked down the track slopping grease on switch points. I am now a signal engineer - I love the technology of railroading. It’s in the blood, so to speak. But I have never revealed that connection to any UP officer or local policeman. As I don’t work directly for the railroad I am watching, it is irrelevant.
It is only the park police that are still giving me trouble. Imagine, not being able to just sit in a public park and do paperwork! I can hike, bike, play ball, feed the birds, picnic, snooze, or even watch the military supply ships from the same park bench. But be in the same spot and appear interested in the railroad - whamo. The park police run you out when they see you. Silly isn’t it!
It is so terribly ironic the the railroad police accept my watching the railroad, but the park police don’t. Fortunately, the park police are spread over the whole region, so I see then rarely. The railroad police and city police are there every time I go to the park, and they no longer bother me.
I still think this will all