This story makes it sound like there is a terrorist lurking around every corner and behind every tree. This quote sums it up, “Authorities say they’re not trying to breed a culture of paranoia, but a culture of preparedness.”
They did not mention trains. I still wonder if someone who saw that piece will see a railfan and think, “He is looking at a train! We are all going to die!”
Ironically, I noticed one of the links at the right was how to deal with a panic attack.
This is not just a problem for railfans but also for all who value freedom or think they are “free” Americans. The worst terror attack so far seems to be from those within who hold the idea of the threat of terror over our heads. Just like riding in a car, an airplane or train might kill you if it crashes, or misstepping on a flight of stairs, crossing the street, or turning on a light could possibley, just might, if the conditons are right, maybe would kill you or at least injure you badly. Just think what would happen if something, by chance, should go wrong in your daily life that would cause a serious injury or even death. Think about that all the time when you are going about your daily life. Now you are a prisoner of your own life, held by the thought or fear of something that might, or might not, happen. Now pay the insurance company big premiums to pay somebody else if something does happen. Gotcha!
This country is sinking ever deeper into the quicksand of paranoia.
The Christmas and Times Square bomb attempts were, in fact, a great success. The goal wasn’t to kill a lot of people. The goal was to make us afraid. Killing a lot of people is just a device to make us afraid. They managed to do that without killing anybody.
Are you really free when taking pictures of a train is considered suspicious activity in need of government scrutiny?
Preparedness is always a good idea. We really should be at least aware of the possibility of a terrorist act, whether it be domestic or international - and we’ve experienced both in this country now. Paranoia, on the other hand, is uncalled for, but for people who live in a world of black and white, if you don’t fit into the category of trustworthy, you must be a terrorist.
That said - as many have pointed out before, as railfans we are an often-knowledgeable pair of eyes. We therefore owe it to ourselves to remain trustworthy so if we do spot something out of the ordinary we can be taken at our word.
In the fire/EMS business we are very aware of the possibility of a terrorist act, and the fact that the attackers may also target us with a secondary event as we arrive at the site of the deed. Living near the border as I do simply amplifies that.
I’ll agree that those who exploit the paranoia are a problem (“we’re the government - we’re here to help…”), but we don’t want to ignore the issue either.
One thing I wish that railroads would do is to enlist the help of railfans for security - there are tons of us looking at trains and rail infrastructure. If you see something suspicious, call it in!
Paranoia is also crippling your life with “precautions” that are way out of proportion to the actual threat.
Paranoia is treating everyone like a criminal because there are a few criminals among them.
Paranoia is believing that an innocent activity like photographing a train or a tall building, or an airplane arriving at the airport is grounds for fear and police action “just in case”.
I am now leaving this thread before I get it locked.
A very debatable topic, Sawtooth. BNSF has enlisted the aid of railfans, most others have not. The real key for railfans is to do not act like idiots or pains in the hiney, but be responsible and careful become friends with the local railroaders but not overbearing and demanding; respect them and thier jobs and hopefully gain their respect. Yes, report a problem if you see a real problem and danger, but do not overlarm yourself. I you do it right you should not have a problem in the long run. And if a railroader or the railroad tells you to bug off or get lost, do it without arguement.
I have mixed thoughts about all this. Mostly, it’s that by hassling us without a legitimate reason, the authorities are wasting their time, resources, and opportunities to address and prevent real threats, while other more troublesome events are or could be occurring - every railcar spray-painted with graffiti is an objective demonstration of that. [sigh] I have no time for the fear and paranoia mongers.
But Larry/ tree68 has a valid point about preparedness and precautions. It’s well worthwhile, because what you do of that sort in the remote event of a terrorist act disruption will more likely be useful in the event of a blizzard, tornado, hurricane, ice storm, power outage, water system malfunction, banking system ‘meltdown’, etc., etc. I remember seeing the Civil Defense Emergency Operations Center and shelter for Sussex County in Gerogetown, Delaware some years ago. My guide said that he didn’t ever really expect to use it for a nuclear attack by the USSR - but they’d already been plenty glad to have had it and been able to use it during evacuations from hurricanes coming up the Atlantic Coast, shelter for travelers during blizzards, etc. From that, I think we can turn the negative of terrorism fears into a positive for real day-to-day life.
And personally, I won’t let the SOBs win by affecting what I do or where I go, as least as much as possible - NYC is just 90 minutes away, and I continue to go there whenever and wherever I choose. My biggest risk is that I’ll get locked up for what I might do to one if I catch him in the act nearby . . . [;)]
[banghead]To add to what Phoebe Vet said; Larry and Paul both commented on.[#offtopic]
The thread that connects, precaution, preparedness and paranoia is very thin. But is somewhat strengthened by a political will to let no good crisis go to waste.
Paranoia is also a tool of politicians, used to seperate more money fron treasuries, by giving immediacy to a crisis for that end. Money is their power and power is their currency. Itr is the act that steals form the public welfare, and leave paranoia in its place.
As Phoebe Vet had stated the failed acts of terrorism still accomplish a goal-very cheaply as the terrorist wheedles away our freedoms for the perception of precaution.
As Larry intimated, in a crisis of a terroristic act, you can bet the tensions are very high as the firemen, policemen, and other First Responders roll up on the scene. Is it one act of terrorism or is there another act waiting to do collateral damage on the responding services to the first event? Will there be additional acts for the same reasons on following waves of responders? Paranoid? You Betcha!
9/11/01 was the first attack on the daily freedom in the lives of America, and ultimately the World. [soapbox]
Geeze fellas. Any chance we could somehow make this thread about trains, or railroading? Otherwise, it will probably degenerate into something not fun.
‘‘Despite that article and others like it - Let’s not let the paranoid fear-mongerers - from any level, organization, or institution - make you afraid or deter you from engaging in your rail-related hobby. The actual number of terrorist incidents committed by railfans and model railroaders is exactly . . . ZERO. Railfans are not the ones that the authorities really ought to be worried about.’’
Perhaps not about trains or railroading, but how about railFANNING?
I do not go out trackside nearly as much as I used to because I am tired of the suspicious looks from Mr. & Mrs. Sixpack. However, I do understand why someone who is not at all interested in train that sees someone standing near the tracks would be suspicious (thanks to the fear-mongering from DHS).
But when it is in the middle of the day and I have my equipment set up on tripods in plain view of the world, an a cop asks me, “What are you doing?”, I am greatly dissapointed, as I would hope the police would be smarter. I have to bite my tongue so I do not respond, “You mean BESIDES THE OBVIOUS?!?!?!?!?”
For the same reasons I do not do that much photography any more, unless it is for hire (weddings, portraits, etc). Being stared at by sheeple gets real old in a hurry.
Ya know, when I was much younger I swore to myself that when I got older I would never use the phrase “the good old days”. So much for that oath.
Geez Paul, I really don’t feel better about it! And Zardoz, you have to remember that “big brother is watching you” it is just not the big brother Orwell and McCarthy told us about in the 50’s, it’s more like Pogo’s, “We have met the enemy and he is us!”. But I digress. You hit a nerve with me: I also don’t feel comfortable around the railroad anymore, at least not like I used to. Oh, yeah, there are places where I am known by the railroaders and it’s ok, but those places and guys are fewer and farther between than used to be. The NAAFVRCBTP…the National American Advancement For Vigilante
It is certainly true that railfans are not terrorists, and that they could even play a role in observation and reporting of suspicious activity. However, while that is all true, it is also true that railfans themselves will readily appear to be “suspicious activity” to the greater non-railfan society. That is the problem that I believe the original poster had in mind.
What happens in the realm of terrorism, whether creating it, or fighting it, is entirely related to railroads and to people who like trains and photograph them as a hobby. Terrorism can take many forms, but it is often planned around transportation systems because they offer the target of many people grouped together. And railroad transportation in particular, offers a greater attraction to terrorism because railroads carry hazardous chemicals and materials that are capable of playing a role in an attack. And the chemicals are in large quantities, and rather unsecured. So railroads are particularly wary of a threat of terrorism.
Of course you don’t have security if your leaders are teaching vigilantiasim on the grounds that there is a terrorist under every lampost! By keeping us on guard based on railfans taking pictures ins terrorism, plain and simple. I’m a 67 year old man taking a picture of a train and some fear fed whatever or whoever calls the cops on me is not freedom or security, it is vigilantism and terrorism.