"Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano this week suggested citizens should call law enforcement when they see someone taking a picture of “critical infrastructure.” Photographing rail lines from public property remains perfectly legal, but Napolitano suggests citizens should call police anyway.
“One of the things we ask people to do,” Napolitano told Fox News, “is when they see something unusual, if they see, for example, somebody continually taking photographs of a piece of critical infrastructure that doesn’t seem to make any sense … to report that to local law enforcement so it can be followed up on.”
I’ve been “investigated” as “suspicious” for simply sitting along a public road and it, like TSA at airports, is yet another slam against our basic 4th Amendment rights. Ms. Napolitano’s suggestion will just tie up police and sheriffs for no real reason. She tells people that if you see someone doing something that’s “perfectly legal”, report it anyway.
I am waiting for some officious twit, on a typical Friday afternoon and evening, to start reporting to police the 50-plus railfans congregating at the Fullerton Amtrak depot. The incidence of cameras is about 1.2 per railfan.
Most of us carry wallet cards identifying us as members of BNSF’s Citizens for Rail Security. I wonder if that will add to the confusion.
The local Fullerton police have jurisdiction. I have never had official contact with them but others say they are sensible concerning railfans.
Or Deshler, or Folkston, or Cresson, or Rochelle, or any of the dozens of railfan Meccas around the country.
I will say that, while I didn’t speak to any of them directly, the local police in Deshler seem to understand the railfan thing, not to mention knowing some of the regulars.
It’s great to be aware of your surroundings, but understanding what they mean is important, too.
Consider that it’s common knowledge in 9-1-1 centers that handle cell calls that a single incident on a busy interstate will generate 10-12 calls. The local roads aren’t much better, and the callers usually don’t know where they are, or even what they are seeing. Most wouldn’t know “heavy smoke” if they saw it, yet your backyard bonfire gets reported as a “possible structure fire with heavy smoke showing.” I get so tired of responding to that junk…
This will all come to a head, and likely end, when a flood of such calls about railfans come flowing into law enforcement and they (law enforcement) find that virtually all of the calls (if not 100%) are false alarms related to railfans innocently exercising our hobby.
What should be done is to have a call for all railfans to be anyplace trackside at precisely 12N EDT, Saturday October 3rd. with cameras. The more public the area, the more non-railroad property, the better. We can call it a Photo OP IN. No beligerence, no arguing, no ruckus. Just everyone be there with camera whether or not you take a picture or not.
As long as the fear mongers keep constantly telling us that everyone is out to get us and that all middle easterners want all westerners dead you can expect this panic driven foolishness to continue and to continually get worse.
I understand that the threat level has been raised to periwinkle.
OK - I’m one of the last people to start yelping that homeland security policies are an attempt to take away our personal freedoms, but this is too much. I can understand the extra security at airports (mostly because I refuse to fly anymore), but this kinda BS statement by Ms. Napolitano is way off the deep end by suggesting people call the cops even though someone is clearly not breaking the law. That’s ridiculous in the least.
She needs to get treated for cronic foot-in-mouth disease she’s afflicted with - she’s already insulted veterans and now she’s indirectly coming after legitimate hobbyists.
IMO, much of this is nothing more than the government (at any level) giving the appearance of doing something when they really aren’t. “Yes sir, we’re on the ball, on top of it, don’t worry.” When in reality the truth is closer to, “Hopefully the vast majority won’t find out that we’re clueless, inept, and dysfunctional on our best day.”
I see this on the job too. Many things done for “safety” that really may not be a bad idea, but don’t make things much safer. It just looks like the railroad is “proactive.”
Jeff
PS At a railfan meeting last night I learned that the new UP high bridge west of Boone is equipped with security cameras. Also the county road underneath the old and new bridge is open to the public again.
Very good idea, it’s about time WE (railfans) shouldn’t be singled out as a “Terrorist Threat”.
Just because we “hang out” at any location with a camera in hand, or around our necks doesn’t mean we’re going to do something nasty. (hurt other people, or destroy infrastructure.)
Napolitano makes perfect sense to me…report everything you see and nothing will be missed!! A dog is crapping on someone’s lawn?.. call the police!! Your neighbours toe nails aren’t painted today?.. Veeerrrrrry suspicious!!! Maybe she’s converted over to “those guys”… make that call! OMG… a cloud in the shape of a dagger!!! That’s a 911 for sure… Napolitano is the dumbest thing ever to walk upright… we may all be doomed.
While I like your idea on general principals, it is probably not too good in practice because calls will go not to brain dead Homeland Security but to local police. About all you are likely to accomplish is to get local police, who have far better things to do, mad at you. You might even get ticketed for false 911 report, and I would not want to rely on the “Homeland Security told me to do it” defense.
The scariest part is the assumption that someone who is planning a terrorist attack has to go out to the target site with a Cannon Digital Rebel and a 300MM or larger lens and start snaping shots from every possible angle.
Terrorist are evil or insane, but they aren’t necessarily idiots.
Oh yes, don’t tell anyone about the 'birdseye" feature of Bing Maps.
Oct 3 picked because it would give everyone a couple of weeks to decide what they want to do, I’m busy the next three Saturadys, and so I just picked the date out of thin air. Figure Sat. is the best day rather than a weekday when all good and prosperous Americans are busy at work and rather than a Sunday when all good Americans are at Church; yeah, Saturday works best.
We will do nothing. We will just stand by viewing a railroad track or tracks and maybe taking pictures of trains if we wish. The alarmed public will be the ones to jam the 911 phone lines telliing whoever answers that the lady from Amtrak told them to call if they see people taking pictures of trains. Let the police take it from there. If they have been informed by Amtrak and Homeland Security about the threat of people taking pictures, they will report back to Big Brother and Sister; if they haven’t heard from them, it will just be interesting to see how it all plays out. If enough photographers are caught and reported by the general public at the same time it might just be enough to underscore the foolishness of these laws. All I am saying is that we’ve talked about this and talked about this and now here is an opportunity to do something that does not take much effort, does not put anybody at risk, does not destroy property, but just might show them up. I don’t care if somebody else wants to spearhead it, I just suggested it as some way to make our plight heard. Evidently they don’t read our posts here at Trains.com!
I’m in - 10/3 is good for me (I have TiVo to record football). I can get out to Isanti where there’s a perfectly legal public parking lot right next to the BNSF Hinckley Sub and my favorite gourmet coffee shop just up the street.
I said this as a sarcastic remark. But, hey, I’ll do it. It would be neat to hear that several hundred or even several thousand railfans across the country went out to take pictures at the same time on the same day. Even if no one calls Homeland Security, maybe there would be enough good precise minute shots for a page or so in Trains! Say Saturday, October 3, 2009 11:45AM to 12:15PM Eastern,10:45AM-11:15 AM Central, 9:45AM-10:15AM Mountain, and 8:45AM to 9:15AM Pacific time there were people with cameras somewhere near a railroad, any railroad, anyplace at random. Do it legally (?) on public property or your own property, NOT ON RAILROAD PROPERTY, don’t have to take a picture if you don’t want to, just have a camera with you, don’t have to confront anybody or say anything to anybody. Even if nothing happens or gets reported to anyone, the show of force (farce) might be worth it. Easterners can have lunch while doing it, west coasters can finish breakfast just in time, the in betweeners can enjoy a coffee break, and you don’t have to take up your whole Saturday, just as much of that half hour as possible.!
then you wonder why the railroaders hate foamers . you guys are the first to complain when the law comes to your spots and questiions you and the same guys who complain when railroaders turn you in. then you guys are the same guys who bitch and moan when you here of someone screwing up and making a bad name for foamers , then you have the nerve to turn railroaders in on the abuse button here for your own fantisy to continue.
With all that said my point is the same guys ( all you guys posting) Are attempting to go out and draw alot of attention to your self and really set yourselfs back 20years and if you come out in the swarms that your trying to do so you can prove your points, then great i Hope everyone of you go to jail ( for your cause yea right) and i will help the police arrest the ones in my area. this is not a game. You want to be accepted do it the right way not as a bunch of vigalanties . No im not parinoid and i dont belive the world is ending. but when i see groups of people standing track side its not ussually a good thing and most generally ends up being trouble.