Photographic Terrorism

lyonsroar

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Just stumbled on this blog posted in a local forum. Thought it'd be a good read and argument.

It concerns the rights photographers have to shoot.

Posts from Sunday March 6th on up are the relevant ones...

RailfanRails (<-------clicky)

I'll definitely be watching it for updates.


I'll add the posts in here in case someone doesn't want to click the link:

From oldest to newest:

Around 11 am this morning I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Garcia while waiting for the UP 1989 to enter the BNSF at the Amtrak station. Needless to say Mr. Garcia lived up to what UPRR wants their personnel to be.

To back up a bit I was in my Jeep reading the paper and emails in the Schneider Trucking lot next to the Amtrak station when I noticed Mr. Garcia leave his units and walk around a 1/4 mile to where I was parked. First thing out of his mouth is "Do you work for the BNSF"? Well here we go he is going to ***** me up and down for being on railroad property. My answer is short and to the point, "No and this isn't RR property". Well this set off a tirade between us. Just as I thought he had decided to leave he abruptly stops, turns around and starts to write down my license plate info. To me this is a blatant threat as the UPSA's keep a database of people they encounter on UPRR property. Since I wasn't on UPRR property and he wasn't an UPSA, I jumped out of my Jeep and started to take pictures of Mr. Garcia. Knowing he was in the wrong he tried to hid his face every time I pointed the camera at him.

I left the lot and drove down Pacific street listening to Garcia call for an SA. As I was setting up to get a better shot of him I noticed he was climbing down the BNSF embankment to get to Pacific street. As he was crossing the road I grabbed the shot of him above. When I stopped at Pacific and South 7th, Garcia came up to my Jeep stuck his head into my window and stated "In my mind you are a ****en terrorist and I will report you as one".

Well Garcia you are the terrorist trying to terrorize someone by threatening them.
Labels: UPSA Harrassment UPRR Criminal Terrorist

Well, I had a visit from the Terrorism Joint Task force yesterday at my work (why at my work who knows) concerning a report by the BNSF that I am a potential terrorist. This little visit will probably mean the termination of my employment, which in this day and age of employers would be the norm.

This incident stemmed from an encounter with a BNSF vehicle on Saturday morning. I was chased down by a 08 or 09 White Jeep Commander on S 8th St. with the driver trying to force me off the road. This individual then proceeded to chase me up S 13th st. I called 911 on this vehicle and reported the incident in real time providing the vehicle description and license plate number.

I was interviewed by the task force and really do not know what the outcome will be. It appears that the railroads in Omaha and Council Bluffs are preparing a spring offensive against railfans. Looks like its time to find a lawyer.

Remember you no longer have the rights you where born with.

A UPSA showed up at my workplace this afternoon. This time my employer informed him that he was not welcome and to leave. Before leaving he informed the security office to tell me not to take pictures in a specific are anymore. Since I was on public property, that is a pretty tall order.

I placed a call the ACLU this afternoon to request information on my rights and was given the email address of [email protected] to send the information into.

This won't be the last of this nonsense it appears.

Seems that the railroads just want to be heard. A BNSF SA called me at my desk this morning saying I caused them all kinds of problems on Saturday. I informed him he needed to talk to the FBI Task force as I had already discussed the incident with them. The convesation evolved in to threats from both side with the agent closing his conversation with "you are a terrorist and will be treated like one".
 
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I am sorry, somehow i have missed the point about not being able to photograph the trains. Is that this fellows purpose? Am confused as to what he does beside keep track of trains.

i do see the comment about taking pictures, but was this what started the issue, or was it perhaps the bloggers tracking down the agent.

I certainly don't want my right to take photos on public lands to cease, but it also seems this fellow has gone out of his way to create a problem for himself, altho it does seem a bit of a reach to start throwing about the T word.

Don't mean to get into a debate, just trying to better understand what is happening.
 
It sounds like someone who was out to shoot trains had a bit of a hassle with an over-zealous RR bull - kind of hard to make sense out of it, but I do get the impression the photographer went out of his way to escalate the situation.
 
From what I read it seems like all the photog did was tell the officer that he wasn't on railroad property.

But I totally agree there's two sides to every story...I don't know the photog or anything so I can't comment on his character.
 
sounds like my daily photo trip

I got a lot of weird looks when I attempted 'street' photography in downtown Cleveland with a gripped T2i. But that's the worst of it so far.
 
sounds like my daily photo trip

I got a lot of weird looks when I attempted 'street' photography in downtown Cleveland with a gripped T2i. But that's the worst of it so far.
yea if you are doing street lose the grip lol...

the best shots are in the places I "cant" go, which makes it that much more exciting!
 
I love confrontation. I can't wait for the first time that my rights are infringed upon, just so I can make a big stink about it. I'd also like to be called a terrorist at some point for taking photos, that's somewhat of a life goal of mine. Unfortunately the Naval Air Station that had been in my town for a number of years just closed down... :(
 
So when will they make illegal the capturing of photons while on public land that are bouncing to the camera from a private area?
 
So when will they make illegal the capturing of photons while on public land that are bouncing to the camera from a private area?

Sounds like, from the railroad guy's POV, it already is illegal...
 

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