CN must be serious about this, because I went by Homewood Yard today and they have built a huge 7 foot high chain-link fence around almost the entire yard.
“Pit of paranoia” we’re descending into? Have you read the papers lately? Maybe if people had been just a little more “paranoid”, the scum who commandeered those planes on 9-11 might have been investigated before 3000+ people died. Perhaps if imbeciles would quit shootin’-up shopping malls and schools, and committing every other act of savage violence we get to hear about on a daily basis, and innocent, law-abiding citizens wouldn’t have to worry about gettin’ clipped by some baboon who thinks the thug-lifestyle is glamorous, we wouldn’t need cameras in every corner and you wouldn’t have to be disgusted.
I spend endless hours at various Metra Stations on the BNSF with my Grandson.
The one and only time we’ve been approached was by the Ticket Agent at Stone Av.
where I informed her we were in a Public access area. She threatened to call the Police,I replied use my Cell. No action taken. Metra has a lienient policy concerning rail fanning from platforms.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. - William Pitt, 1783
Dude, may I suggest you stop watching Fox news so much.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.
Confucius
The most terrifying words in the English langauge are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
Ronald Reagan
Any nation that thinks more of its ease and comfort than its freedom will soon lose its freedom; and the ironical thing about it is that it will lose its ease and comfort too.
W Somerset Maugham
No man is enitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.
Douglas Macarthur
I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
President James Madison
A free America… means just this: individual freedom for all, rich or poor, or else this system of government we call democracy is only an expedient to enslave
Yeah nobody has said anything to us yet in the year or so we have been going up to the Clarendon Hills stop by our house mostly park along Burlington Ave and sit back on the car hood or on the grass near the platform or if the stations not busy with passengers waiting to go downtown we go across the tracks and sit on the benches by the station.
I remember one summer when I was in 10ish back in the 80’s me and two of my friends built a lemonaid stand on a wagon that was equiped with two big coolers of lemonaid and brought it up to the outbound platform and setup next to the shelter with the benches for the evening rush we made soooo much money that summer nobody said anything and we even sold one glass to a conductor off a passenger train and clarendon hills police officers on a few diffrent days every time they walked up we were all like “oh no were busted!” and they just asked for a glass of Lemonaid that we offered to them free of charge but they all insisted on paying lol wonder if that would fly these days [:D]
This is something that I wouldn’t be too worried about and lose any sleep over. As a property owner, CN has the right to protect their property the way they see fit. The rr most likely is fed up w/folks coming upon the property, such as walking between rails, between tracks, too close to tracks, etc. Unless someone has bad eyesight, a train can be viewed from several blocks away from the tracks and there is no need to be 20 feet from the tracks. Just like a earlier post stated, 100 feet away is a safe distance if in the event a brakeshoe or say a banding strap on a load of lumber comes flying off. Just because a road runs along a track, it doesn’t mean its a public road. If you’'re unsure about being at any given location, don’t stay there. As for me, I don’t watch trains in my spare time but…after reading about the public watching platform @ Homewood, I am giving the thought about going up there in the future and spending a day watching all the rail action pass by at what seems to be a perfect, ideal location for train watching ( and seeing trains of a rr that is several 100 miles from where I live).
So true. In fact, in their desire to protect themselves from lawsuits, it makes sense that they would enforce this rule. I am not worried about it because there are plenty of platforms, bridges, and other public places that I can shoot photos from, and not have to worry too much.
Folks, whatever we like/don’t like about the present, wait for it. It’ll be a fond memory in just a few short years. Every generation laments its own passing. Rose coloured glasses and all that.
When you consider what we feel were more innocent or friendly times, and that we are not special in any way, think about how shocking it would be for us to be parachuted into the next century and realize what change really means. Think about what the experience of the last World War was like and how it changed us. Now we are learning about other ways for humans to treat each other, and we will adapt. More to follow.
-Crandell
Selector:
I don’t know about the others, but I, for one, do NOT think the old days were more innocent or more friendly. In fact, I think just the opposite. I believe that we are in no greater danger now than we have ever been, and that the climate of fear that currently permeates our society is completely groundless.
Does any rational human actually think that a loosely organized band of primitive religious zealots is a greater threat than the “cold war”? Is the thought of Iran having a couple of Nukes even remotely in the same class as when the USSR had THOUSANDS of nuclear intercontinental Ballistic missiles, and hundreds of submarine based nuclear missiles all carefully aimed our way?
If you think crazy people with guns are something new, then you weren’t black in the south in the '50s.
As far as your prediction that future generations will not understand my generation’s concerns about loss of freedom, you are probably correct. You tend to not miss what you never had. The current crop of young people (under 40) have been having their lockers, book bags, backpacks, and pockets randomly searched since the third grade. They tend to be less disturbed when the government wants to do it to them as adults.
What is really different today is that we have competing 24 hour a day news media, who overly dramatize everything in the never ending quest for ratings. Burglaries have become “home invasions”, cars no longer have accident’s, they “slam into each other”, and crimes are generalized to make the danger seem much worse than it is. If an illegal immigrant drives drunk and is involved in a fatal auto accident, the news will point out how many thousands of aliens are illegally here and lead the citizens who tend to not actually think things through to believe that the roads a
Cool…thanks…makes sense for the people to be more relaxed out in the “boonies”.
Going back to the original topic - I have a question from The Driver: You can go to Rochelle, cross the tracks at will, stand right next to the tracks, and, having been there, watch the BNSF go through there at a fairly high rate of speed.
No one patrols there. No one makes you get back 100 feet. No one even seems to be all that interested in what is going on except the devoted rail fans.
So this is different from our watching on private property within the 100 foot requirement, how?
Don’t need an argument, just a polite explanation.
Mook
[quote user=“zardoz”]
Dude, may I suggest you stop watching Fox news so much.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.
Confucius
The most terrifying words in the English langauge are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
Ronald Reagan
Any nation that thinks more of its ease and comfort than its freedom will soon lose its freedom; and the ironical thing about it is that it will lose its ease and comfort too.
W Somerset Maugham
No man is enitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.
Douglas Macarthur
I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
President James Madison
A free America… means just this: individual freedom for all, rich or poor, or else this system of government we call democracy is only an
[quote user=“Phoebe Vet”]
Selector:
I don’t know about the others, but I, for one, do NOT think the old days were more innocent or more friendly. In fact, I think just the opposite. I believe that we are in no greater danger now than we have ever been, and that the climate of fear that currently permeates our society is completely groundless.
Does any rational human actually think that a loosely organized band of primitive religious zealots is a greater threat than the “cold war”? Is the thought of Iran having a couple of Nukes even remotely in the same class as when the USSR had THOUSANDS of nuclear intercontinental Ballistic missiles, and hundreds of submarine based nuclear missiles all carefully aimed our way?
If you think crazy people with guns are something new, then you weren’t black in the south in the '50s.
As far as your prediction that future generations will not understand my generation’s concerns about loss of freedom, you are probably correct. You tend to not miss what you never had. The current crop of young people (under 40) have been having their lockers, book bags, backpacks, and pockets randomly searched since the third grade. They tend to be less disturbed when the government wants to do it to them as adults.
What is really different today is that we have competing 24 hour a day news media, who overly dramatize everything in the never ending quest for ratings. Burglaries have become “home invasions”, cars no longer have accident’s, they “slam into each other”, and crimes are generalized to make the danger seem much worse than it is. If an illegal immigrant drives drunk and is involved in a fatal auto accident, the news will point out how many thousands of aliens are illegally here and lead the citizens who tend to not actually think things through t
[quote user=“zardoz”]
Dude, may I suggest you stop watching Fox news so much.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.
Confucius
The most terrifying words in the English langauge are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
Ronald Reagan
Any nation that thinks more of its ease and comfort than its freedom will soon lose its freedom; and the ironical thing about it is that it will lose its ease and comfort too.
W Somerset Maugham
No man is enitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.
Douglas Macarthur
I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
President James Madison
A free America… means just this: individual freedom for all, rich or poor, or else this system of government we call democracy is only an
They are going to lock this thread and I won’t get an answer to a legitimate question…
Hey Harry, long time no see. How’s things in Bala Cynwyd these days?
CN is free to protects it’s private property. So go away if you don’t like it. Maybe a hobby like collecting toenail clippings would be less stressful for you?
Jen, there may not be a legitimate answer to your question, except that some employees in the other places are being “pro-active” (don’t particularly like the term, but can’t think of a better one).
There have been many times when I’ve been to Rochelle and have seen action that makes me cringe. If it doesn’t make other railroaders (i.e., the ones who are on duty and passing through there) cringe as well, I’d be surprised.
Since you and Ed last visited Rochelle, some rules and appropriate signage have been prominently posted, prohibiting children from going too close to the tracks. I’ve not seen anything enforced by anyone except parents so far, but one of these times a child in an adult body is going to either come to grief himself or will cause somebody else a bit of grief (or maybe just an upsetting, scary moment). If that happens, you may see the railroad’s police descend upon the place from time to time, protecting the interests of their respective companies.
Thank you Carl. Poke me with a fork. I am done!
Mook
I am not surprised that those simple quotes numbed your mind…I would imagine that happens quite often to you.
By the way, thanks for the compliment.