They will find some cars not watched on a siding, and get out their spray paint there.
This style of grafitti started in New York City and spread from there. In some places like Los Angeles, grafitti of the kind seen on rail cars is applauded by various “community leaders” as a valid expression of art. There was even an article in the L.A. Times about how wonderful and meaningful it was. Common respect of private property, whether, rail cars, buildings or walls, are of little concern to some people and do take a back seat to street art expression. This is the new world we live in, and L.A. and NY City are always the first to initiate change. Railroads are part of society, and therefore not exempt from the new thinking.
Some model railroaders even apply that type of grafitti to their rolling stock.
Some time ago, there was a documentary on TVO, the Ontario public television station, about these so-called “artists”. One segment showed a number of them showing up at a rail yard (looked like a storage yard more than one being switched) at night in nice-looking cars. I was wondering, as they went to work painting stuff which belonged to someone else, how much they would have appreciated my artwork on their cars when they returned.
Many of the people doing this sort of stuff obviously have the money to do it, coupled with an unearned sense of entitlement.
The penalties need to be stiffer and, if the evidence is strong enough, the railroads should start suing those who are caught.
I like that idea! Maybe the RR could commission a bunch of artists to paint any unauthorized vehicle that they happen to find parked on railroad property. Of course, vehicles parked in legitimate parking lots would be spared. The railroad’s P.R. Dept. could simply announce that it’s an effort to beautify their property.[(-D]
They are afraid of Freedom of the Press. You and everyone else with a camera or phone is now part of the press because in an instant you can upload it to a news site or you tube. Companies like controlling their own image and their press releases. When you show someone what is happening it makes them upset. Even Burger King has signs on the doors saying you can’t video because someone uploaded an employee taking a bath in the kitchen sink.
If a police officer or other government authority tries to take a camera away from you while shooting a news worthy event they are violating your rights. Tell them you are an independent reporter and this story is going to be on CNN in fifteen minutes. Then ask them to spell their name to make sure it appears correctly. You might get beat up but then your lawyer will have a field day and you can get everything on your wish list.
p.s. I railran from a parking lot located in a national forest. I paid for the parking permit to be there so nobody can say I can’t be there. The tracks are right next to it. Other wise I just look out the window when I drive because there is a track next to every freeway.
The BNSF Railway Co. is clamping down on people trespassing on its property, and that includes anywhere the company has tracks.
“We are going to be aggressively enforcing our no trespassing policy,” BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas, of Seattle, told The Montana Standard on Friday.
The Butte rail yard has its own security personnel, and Butte police will be asked to help enforce the no trespassing policy, Melonas said. Sheriff John Walsh could not be reached for comment on Friday.
Wishful thinking at best…BNSF can not patrol every mile of track and even if the crews reports trespassers they will be long gone before any action can be taken.City police can not babyset private property since most police is to busy attending other duties…