Dude, it was a joke. Go take a vallium and calm down. It’ll be ok.
Odd. I hadn’t taken pcarrell’s story as a joke, and fail to see why you did. Valium, apparently, is the least of my worries.
Crandell,
I may be wrong but GDS may have been referring to his own comments as the joke…
Tom
Tom, I understood, but I just don’t get it.
Maybe if offends my sensibilities when people make decrying statements about people who put their lives on the line on a daily basis. As a person who served his country for 30 years, I would like to think that people respected my calling. A joke should be in good taste, and should be easily discerned for what it is. In this case, I took it as a smear on the people that do what they can to make our world safe.
Maybe he is right…I need to cool off.
Thanks Crandell. I was referring to my own comments. I thought that was pretty clear. I appreciate you seeing that, anyway.
Unbelievable.
You can register here to obtain an ID card to show you’re a raifan helping security:
http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/request?open
I’ve been a model railroader 35 yrs and currently work for TSA.
News Release
BNSF Railway Asks Rail Fans for Cooperation To Keep America’s Rail System Safe
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, June 7, 2006:
BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) is recruiting rail fans to help keep BNSF properties safe by reporting suspicious activities and to help prevent possible security breaches.
“Keeping America’s rail transportation network safe from crime and terrorist activity is a high priority for the railroad industry,” says William Heileman, BNSF general director, Police and Protection Solutions. “Every day across the country, rail fans photograph and watch trains as they pass through communities. It seems natural to harness their interest to help keep America’s rail system safe.”
Rail fans can register for the program by going to the Citizens United for Rail Security (CRS) Web site (http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/request?open). CRS participants will receive an official identification card along with access to news and information on the BNSF CRS Web site.
To report suspicious activity, CRS members and the public can call (800) 832-5452. The information will be taken by a BNSF representative and routed for appropriate response.
“Supporting homeland security in this manner is positive for everyone," says Carl Ice, BNSF’s executive vice president and chief operations officer. "It supports the nation’s security efforts, improves safety within our company and the community, and improves operations by helping to remove
Not even close…Shame on you for not having a clue what the real gestapo was like. [V] Maybe if you attended the three services for the pilots killed on 9/11 you might appreciate what some people in this country and around the world are doing to prevent it from happening again.
This is no secret…raids on terrorist camps have produce pictures terrorist took of the targets they hit and were about to hit. These pictures look a lot like what railfans take. Last week in Michigan there was a big upset when pictures of Mackinac Bridge were found with 1000 or so cell phones. While the lads still face money laudring and other fraud charges the terrorism charge were dropped. But just imagine if the bridge did get blown up and nothing was done. Then I guess you be the first one wonder why the pictures didn’t lead the police to investigate further.
I feel bad for Phil. But I have a good felling that in the end nothing will happen to him. But I can’t fault the railroad for investigating him.
The BIG fault found in the 9/11 commission report was that leads were not investigated. Polls show that the American public wants the 9/11 commission recommendations followed. And now that they are, the US is Nazi Germany??? Give it a break. You can’t have it both ways.
But then what fun would that be. For way too many Americans, 9/11 was great TV but now they want something more. Take care for what you wish for…
tatans, the handcuffs are for the protection of the arresting officer(s) and the suspect, many of whom are high on crack or methampehetamine and will do strange things. If it is patently unnecessary to restrain someone, the police would still do it because it is the smart thing to do, although they always have the discretion.
Handcuffing keeps the power in the hands of the arresting officer, quite rightly. After the arrest and reading of rights, they eventually let him go.
We can all agree that this was an innocent episode gone horribly wrong. Also gone horribly wrong were recent incidents of lax security. We all know it as 9/11. If we don’t want police to do their business, then we should disband their forces. If we want them to do it better, we should all agree on what that means. Otherwise, they should do what appears to be the most sensible in times of insecurity and confusion. Currently, and until we perfect the Vulcan Mind Meld, that includes restraint and arrest so that the person can be arraigned and dealt with in a standardized setting…the courts.
I sincerely hope this gets thrown out of court for Philip’s sake. But I am glad he is in this pickle for our sakes.
Tatans, the police will handcuff you for THEIR protection. Even before they have officially arrested you. They have no way of knowing if you are going to go bananas and try to do something stupid. They did the right thing by cuffing him, however I think that once they sorted it out they should have promptly removed the cuffs. There is no reason he should have been in handcuffs for 90 minutes. And I do have somewhat of a biased view of police officers since I have three uncles, two aunts, and a couple of cousins who are officers in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. It is easy to condem those of us (that inculdes me, I’m active duty Navy) who protect the rest of you. We get crap for doing our jobs the right way, and we also get crap for doing our jobs the wrong way. How about next time a police officer pulls you over for speeding you thank him before he walks away. From reading Phils posts he doesn’t seem to have a beef with them for doing their job. And he is sincerely apologetic for the whole situation. Granted the Railroad Police officer was probably trying to save face, but nobody is perfect. There is no doubt in my mind that the charges will be droped. I’m glad that nothing more serious happend to Phil during the episode, I just feel bad that it had to happen to a good guy like him. And to Curt, this country is nothing compared to Nazi Germany!! I resent the fact that people think like that. Granted traveling is a bit of a pain in this post 9/11 world, and rail fanning is becomming more and more difficult. But that is the price we are going to have to pay to live safe and secure. I just advise to roll with the punches and take everything with a grain of salt. There is nothing we can do about it. I myself have been approached while railfanning but I have found that by being friendly and courteous to the officers they left me alone after a few minutes. In one instance I had one officer point out a better place to snap some photo’s and it was a little bit safer to since it was a little more off
selector,
I can assure you that you have completely misjudged me. I have the upmost respect for our law enforcement and the people who serve our country. Thank you for your service. It’s veterans like you and those currently serving that made and make this country so great. My father served in the Navy from 1942 to 1946 aboard The USS Hilbert, DE742. I would have served myself had I not been attacked by a bobcat when I was eight and lost my left eye. That kinda disqualified me. My 16 year old son however, is hell bent on joining the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, and letting them send him to college when he graduates high school. What I meant by the waste of taxpayer dollars remark was simply this: Exactly how many branches of law enforcement does it take to control and or subdue ONE man with a camera and a can of oven cleaner? Now, do you see where I was going? A lot of those officers could have and should have been doing something far more important. Yes, I agree, the incident COULD have been more than what it was, but it was not. You took my entire joking statement out of context. Then again, maybe I could have delivered it more effectively. You have my apologies.
Most of Germany were good little goose steppers too
Give it a break when you get arrested for walking down the street
[quote user=“Gumby4”]
Not even close…Shame on you for not having a clue what the real gestapo was like. [V] Maybe if you attended the three services for the pilots killed on 9/11 you might appreciate what some people in this country and around the world are doing to prevent it from happening again.
This is no secret…raids on terrorist camps have produce pictures terrorist took of the targets they hit and were about to hit. These pictures look a lot like what railfans take. Last week in Michigan there was a big upset when pictures of Mackinac Bridge were found with 1000 or so cell phones. While the lads still face money laudring and other fraud charges the terrorism charge were dropped. But just imagine if the bridge did get blown up and nothing was done. Then I guess you be the first one wonder why the pictures didn’t lead the police to investigate further.
I feel bad for Phil. But I have a good felling that in the end nothing will happen to him. But I can’t fault the railroad for investigating him.
The BIG fault found in the 9/11 commission report was that leads were not investigated. Polls show that the American public wants the 9/11 commission recommendations followed. And now that they are, the US is Nazi Germany??? Give it a break. You can’t have it both ways.
But then what fun would that be. For way too many Americans, 9/11 was great TV but now they want something more. T
I think everyone should be forced to have handcuffs and gags on if they want to walk down the street in order to protect the police from the public? That would be the right thing we are far to dangerous to have walking around the country
I bet you think Rodney King was treated the right way too
[quote user=“jguess733”]
Tatans, the police will handcuff you for THEIR protection. Even before they have officially arrested you. They have no way of knowing if you are going to go bananas and try to do something stupid. They did the right thing by cuffing him, however I think that once they sorted it out they should have promptly removed the cuffs. There is no reason he should have been in handcuffs for 90 minutes. And I do have somewhat of a biased view of police officers since I have three uncles, two aunts, and a couple of cousins who are officers in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. It is easy to condem those of us (that inculdes me, I’m active duty Navy) who protect the rest of you. We get crap for doing our jobs the right way, and we also get crap for doing our jobs the wrong way. How about next time a police officer pulls you over for speeding you thank him before he walks away. From reading Phils posts he doesn’t seem to have a beef with them for doing their job. And he is sincerely apologetic for the whole situation. Granted the Railroad Police officer was probably trying to save face, but nobody is perfect. There is no doubt in my mind that the charges will be droped. I’m glad that nothing more serious happend to Phil during the episode, I just feel bad that it had to happen to a good guy like him. And to Curt, this country is nothing compared to Nazi Germany!! I resent the fact that people think like that. Granted traveling is a bit of a pain in this post 9/11 world, and rail fanning is becomming more and more difficult. But that is the price we are going to have to pay to live safe and secure. I just advise to roll with the punches and take everything with a grain
Let’s just not let this thread get out of control here.
Let not have any trouble in the ranks.
SOMEONE has to be the voice of sanity here! It might as well be us!
(Yes, I’m still following this)
Robert, thank-you! I appreciate your gesture.
I am actually impressed that there was such cooperation between the various components of your security response system. In the movies, that always seems to be a favourite whipping boy…centrism, usurpation of jurisdiction, large male members doing the thinking for all involved and not the brains or ethics. So, I see it a different way. Also, who was to know, without the standard take-down, exactly what he was up to or what he had in the way of implements or weapons. I sure as heck didn’t know.
I am not so sure you need to apologize, truthfully, because maybe I need to be more thick-skinned. Also, I am perhaps a bit sensitive because I enrolled in the