Western Railroad Discussion > More Homeland Security nonsense

Am I the only railfan who heard the national news on ABC (radio) at 0700 EST? The newscaster had a piece about how the latest blurb from Homeland Security will adversely affect "railroad enthusiasts". I wish I had a link or could quote it verbatim, but the guy said that the FBI is going to monitor ALL railfan websites looking for people who provide information about train movements and schedules! Give me a break!

I hope someone out there might be able to post a direct quote of this newscast.

Probably a good idea, given the huge number of attacks on trains that have been mentioned on sites like this.

I'm not worried. Those BNSF Junior Railfan Vigilante cards everyone is carrying is giving the railfan community enhanced new super power.

Well now I heard it all. I find it hard to understand why people who no nothing about something always have to make a flat statement.

Jackpot, if you are referring to the Citizens for Rail Security card that BNSF has signed people up for including myself, there is no POWER to them. Its just like a neighbor watch program. I HAVE one of the badges and DO NOT consider myself a junior rail fan. I have been around the industry for over 45 years and I know more than the average rail fan about what goes on around the railroad.

I take this chance to help protect a valued commerical business with another pair of eyes a part of what I can do to help protect this country for anyone who wants to attack it. As a 3 tour Vietnam vet I try to involve myself in my community in any way I can.

Just a suggestion, you might try it yourself. you might be supprised how good you feel. Get out from behind your keyboard and you sarcastic comments and give it a try.

I wasn't awake at 0700 EST!!!

KK

shannon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I take this chance to help protect a valued
> commerical business with another pair of eyes a
> part of what I can do to help protect this country
> for anyone who wants to attack it. As a 3 tour
> Vietnam vet I try to involve myself in my
> community in any way I can.
>
> Just a suggestion, you might try it yourself. you
> might be supprised how good you feel. Get out from
> behind your keyboard and you sarcastic comments
> and give it a try.

I need a card from the BNSF or other railroad for this?
No, I do not think so.

Getting paid to "monitor" railroad web sites all day? Where do I sign up

They will get bogged down in paperwork and become a useless quagmire within days of beginning!

KK

The best part is what precisely do they plan to *do* about if if they find such horrible information? If you're an employee, that's one thing, but for those of us who do not even remotely work in the railroad industry and post "heads up" type stuff, or operating patterns based on observation?

I'm like grande_fan, though - get paid to surf T/O and the like all day? Where do I sign up?

Direct them to Amtrak's Web site. That should confuse them.

This is what happens folks when you create a huge bureaucracy with a budget of the same size. HS is, I believe, second only to DOD in terms of budget and personnel. Those pointy headed little bureaucrats think have they the keys to the kingdom and that they have to do something to justify their existence (and the expansion of their department and "mission") hence they get in to all kinds of things that are none of their business. Bureaucracy is supposed to be a solution to a problem, but it often ends up being the problem.

Did a little search to try to find the source of these comments; came up empty.

But I did find a number of news items very FAVORABLE to railfans. The public does not really see us as the bad guys. Here is one example

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2007/02/03/news/sunday/news05.txt

Shannon wrote:
"Just a suggestion, you might try it yourself. you might be supprised how good you feel. Get out from behind your keyboard and you sarcastic comments and give it a try"

Try what? Help the railroads? I certainly do, more than 40 hours each week. And it does feel really good to go to work and do my part to move the nation's commerce. And it feels good also to turn in trespassers, even those with cameras and holding scanners and encroaching on the right of way. Sometimes, those are pretty suspicious, too. I am ON GUARD as the company program says.

These days, you can't be too careful. I'd guess if the terrorists are smart enough to read stories by reporters about leaving business cards on tankcards of deadly chemicals to get ideas for their next terror attack, they've figured out that they too can print out a BNSF Railfan Vigilante card to carry in their wallet (next to their Al-Qaeda membership card).

"Ah, just watching trains, Mr. Al-Hassain? No problem. You check out. You've got that BNSF railfan club membership card there, so we're not worried about you. That ethanol train should be along in around 20 minutes. "

jackpot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Try what? Help the railroads? I certainly do, more
> than 40 hours each week. And it does feel really
> good to go to work and do my part to move the
> nation's commerce. And it feels good also to turn
> in trespassers, even those with cameras and
> holding scanners and encroaching on the right of
> way. Sometimes, those are pretty suspicious, too.
> I am ON GUARD as the company program says.
>

Not to many of your crew members like you that much eh???
Yarddog

hey, as long as I give em an early quit and a bottle of scotch for Christmas, I'm in good graces!!

Does this mean Amtraks "Julie" will be listed as a potential terrorist ?

biff Wrote:
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> Does this mean Amtraks "Julie" will be listed as a
> potential terrorist ?


na,she's giving "disinformation." Arrival time?? HAHAHAHAHAH! At least when it's an Amtrak train on the UP

Homeland Security is a total fraud. What a joke and the border with Mexico is wide open. Two Border Patrol Agents were sentenced to 12 years prison for shooting a drug runner in the butt. Meanwhile, the free drug runner is suing the two agents for 5 million dollars. This is our "Homeland Insecurity." Read the story:http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/10/20/154246.shtml?s=lh

I think it's a whole lot like checking under a child's bed for monsters, then the next day letting them rocket down the interstate while the driver tries to sip hot coffee and tune the radio. We protect against what scares most people, not what kills most of them. I mean really, how many lives do you think a half a trillion dollar upgrade to the highway system might save?

On the good side, at least I don't have to worry about reporting anything I think might actually be a terrorist attack on a railroad; I can just post it here and let the feds take it from there. It's comforting to know they are taking such good care of us, personal liberty can be so insecure sometimes. Those days of sayings like "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" were way too liberal anyway.

And yes, we should all take a page from the poster who greatly enjoys turning miscreants in to the authorities. Do your duty with zeal and report all violations so our leaders can deal with anyone who is subversive to the goals of the State and party. No need to limit it to trespassers, go directly to a higher level if you witness any infraction of rules no matter how small.

No, wait a minute. There are reasons I love this country, or I would have left for Siberia years ago (Really. I like Siberia). I guess I'm one of those that believes "Give me liberty or give me death" is more than just a saying, and if it ever comes down to the point I have to decide between the two I won't compromise and will do my best to stand my ground for others as well. I owe that to the people who operate either type of machinery in the photos below.

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It should also be pointed out that unless the FBI has lots of railfan agents, how are the agents going to be trained in "railfanspeak"? Try this on for size: "The 103 job just left Gibson and is headed for CB. Has a matched set of 3 ex-Sfe B23'7s all in blu/ylw,on the point, very nice. Has 103 cars and about 60 deep is an ex-D&H covered hopper with GROX reporting marks but still a nice looking car."

Quote "Probably a good idea, given the huge number of attacks on trains that have been mentioned on sites like this".

What attacks? Did I miss something? The only "attacks" mentioned on this site are things like idiots driving their SUV on the mainline or graffiti clowns tagging up the trains. Railfanning is a HARMLESS enjoyable hobby - Let's not turn a person who like's to photograph trains into the next osama bin laden boogie man.