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A friend who shall remain nameless was harassed while taking photos of trains working a local power plant.
He was on a public highway.
These pertain to the U. S. and it might be smart to print a couple of copies to carry with you in case it happens to you.
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There are some folks that get carried away when a uniform is worn. Barney Fife comes to mind.
Charlie
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And thus the legality behind google earth street view
![Icon_lol Icon_lol](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/icon_lol.gif)
Actually, this issue has come up with my job. Despite that I work for the government, I am not allowed to enter property without landowners permission (unless I am on my way to ask permission). The issue of collecting data or taking photos from the fence line without landowner permission required us to get clarification from our legal staff.
--
Kevin
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Charlie, this must be information that someone doesn't want me to know. :?
![Misngth Misngth](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/misngth.gif)
I clicked on your link, read the info, then printed a copy. The copy didn't re-size in the manner I had expected, but when I attempted to open the link a second time, my computer froze. The "BACK" button restores operation to normal, but the linked info remains inaccessible.
The likely explanation is that I made an error somewhere,
![35 35](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/35.gif)
but it's not readily apparent to me.
Wayne
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doctorwayne Wrote:Charlie, this must be information that someone doesn't want me to know. :?
I clicked on your link, read the info, then printed a copy. The copy didn't re-size in the manner I had expected, but when I attempted to open the link a second time, my computer froze. The "BACK" button restores operation to normal, but the linked info remains inaccessible.
The likely explanation is that I made an error somewhere,
but it's not readily apparent to me.
Wayne
It's a sign
-Steven-
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The link works fine for me.
Charlie
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Printed a copy for myself, thinking I'll forward this to someone I know who is a cop out here to get his input too
-Steven-
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Charlie B Wrote:A friend who shall remain nameless was harassed while taking photos of trains working a local power plant.
He was on a public highway.
These pertain to the U. S. and it might be smart to print a couple of copies to carry with you in case it happens to you.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf">http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf</a><!-- m -->
There are some folks that get carried away when a uniform is worn. Barney Fife comes to mind.
Charlie
I had someone do the similar, I can see one point were no law on paper is going work and that is 'conspiracy'. Anyone can call the cops and claim conspiracy to commit terrorism. That's all it takes to get cops to remove you from taking photos of trains.
Tom
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Charlie B Wrote:The link works fine for me.
Charlie
Yeah, not sure what I did, but it's okay now.
Wayne
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Here is the response I got from the guy I know who is a police officer in Wheaton,IL
"The only time we worry about railroad photographers is when they stand on the railroads property. The Union Pacific has a zero tolerance for people standing right off to the sides of the track. If they're on public property, there's nothing we can or would do to stop them."
-Steven-
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thanks for posting that bill on here. and you can mention my name too . i have nothing to hide, as you know we did nothing wrong. just seems as americans we are loosing our rights and the days of having ole fashion fun are beginning to go away. but again thanks for posting this and providing me with the info.
todd
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Hi Charlie---thanks for posting this information---seems to me that with all the high tech devices that can be used for "spying",the last thing the cops should be worrying about are a bunch of railfanners taking pictures of trains---I guess some people take their jobs far too seriously : :hey:
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It is not just in the US where things like this happen. Last summer I was out taking some pictures of Ontario Northland Railway trains at Swastika Junction ( where the north/south mainline branches of into Kirkland Lake and east to Rouyn Noranda Quebec ) and I was approached by a two police officers. One was a lady officer and the other a guy. They asked why I was there and what I was doing. I told them I had premission to be on ONR property to take pictures of the trains and showed them the paper I had saying so. The guy officer knows I take pictures along the ONR tracks a lot and was okay with me being there . The lady officer spent close to 20 minutes trying to suggest I was up to no good and maybe taking pictures and making notes to plan some sort of attack.
![Eek Eek](https://bigbluetrains.com/images/smilies/extra/eek.gif)
She even threatened to take my scanner and camera away. :? I was lucky enough to have a ONR track worker come along and back me up about being allowed to be there. Even then the lady officer gave the track worker and me a lecture about how taking pictures and owning a scanner should be against the law as only people who are up to no good need to be doing such things.
Now I could understand them asking me questions about being on ONR property but when they approached me I was on public property drinking a bottle of water with my safety vest on. I also later found out from the guy officer they had seen me from a nearby road and he had told the lady officer it was not unusual for me to be there taking photos of the trains but she had decided before even approaching me she was not going to allow me continue.
Granted it was the first time in 20 years I have ever be questioned to why I was taking pictures and so far it has never happened again. I also make sure I get premission to go on ONR property when taking photos but the only time I actually do go near the tracks is to walk across them to a better spot. Other than that I stay well clear of the tracks. I bring my scanner with me at all times so I know exactly where each train is and how close they are to where I am. It also tells me when a train is close so I can get my camera ready.
Wayne Reid