Would you do this?

Firefighterdan

343 NEVER FORGET
I was just wondering how many of you would risk your lives for this photo opp. This particular cut of centerbeam flat cars is about 12 or 13 and goes around a blind corner, so you cannot see the other end. There are a couple local photographers that use this spot to shoot High School Senior, and family pictures. It is just a matter of time before someone is going to lose their life.........over a picture! :(



4db32f3a6491194b87408dbcc4754be1.jpeg
 
Those couplers collapse into the coupler carrier @ 12" ... many a carman has lost a foot crossing over couplers ... perhaps there was no locos in the area, but it is still Criminal Trespass, and child endangerment ... they could lose their childrens custody in a court case over this photo.

Where did you obtain this photo, and in what State ?
 
Last edited:
I definitely would not! Cars can shift, couplers fall off, and there are lots of sharp edges to get hurt on. It's idiots like this that will get hurt then sue the railroad for their injuries, and they are also the same ones who love to take pictures of family members sitting on the tracks.
 
That is so dumb on so many levels. What kind of busch league photographer thinks that makes for a great family photo? Then what kind of person pays for it? LOL.

Hey honey... let's go lay underneath the neighbor's SUV and take the best family photo ever!
 
Maybe he works for the RR, then it is OK :o

He should post it on Facebook, then someone in the Courts will get wind of the photo, and take his children away from him.
 
Last edited:
Based on the picture I can not judge the situation. It might even been taken in a railway museum.

Assuming these people and a "couple local photographers" are not completely retarded to do this on an train in operation, I don't see the harm. I would not be surprised if these cars have been collecting dust for months or years. Look at the rust the couplers have collected; does that look like these cars are in use?
 
It is not at a museum, the railcars are parked there, on an active track, they are modern centerbeams, US equipment is always highly rusty, and unpainted ... there is no BonAmy cleaning lady who comes out to shine up the couplers
 
This is an active track, and these cars are parked for maybe a week before being moving into the lumber yard a mile away to be loaded.
 
I definitely would not! Cars can shift, couplers fall off, and there are lots of sharp edges to get hurt on. It's idiots like this that will get hurt then sue the railroad for their injuries, and they are also the same ones who love to take pictures of family members sitting on the tracks.



You know, there's a certain saying that I use to describe how some people in Atlanta drive and it definitely describes people that sue railroads when it's not the railroads' fault. My expression is "IDIOTS AMONG US!!!" and I use it everyday in Atlanta.
 
This is an active track, and these cars are parked for maybe a week before being moving into the lumber yard a mile away to be loaded.

The stupidity of the photographer aside (let's assume the families don't know any better), if you believe this to be an offence and are concerned about an accident taking place, perhaps you should be a bit more proactive and report it to someone who can take steps to prevent the possibility of that happening instead of posting here and giving off about how irresponsible it is. If as I suspect, your concern is genuine, is it not also irresponsible not to report this to the relevant railroad? It's highly likely they are unaware of this activity taking place.
 
The stupidity of the photographer aside (let's assume the families don't know any better), if you believe this to be an offence and are concerned about an accident taking place, perhaps you should be a bit more proactive and report it to someone who can take steps to prevent the possibility of that happening instead of posting here and giving off about how irresponsible it is. If as I suspect, your concern is genuine, is it not also irresponsible not to report this to the relevant railroad? It's highly likely they are unaware of this activity taking place.

That's a good thing to do when it's a local issue. Dan most likely is 3000 or more miles from where this picture was taken. In the past I have reported people who have done dumb things like this.
 
That may be the case but he seems to know where this is so perhaps an e-mail would be prudent? It is stupid behaviour and the only way it can be stopped is if the railroad company knows it's happening before there is serious injury or worse, a fatality.
 
For one, my only experience with trains are when i stare at them from my work window, or Trainz itself. Somtimes Ill wait for the OREX line by sitting (10 meters minimum) from the rails with my camera... but for someone like me, a software guy, I would have had NO idea that this is dangerous. Ok, my common logic paranoia would say not to go between two large movable objects (for the same reason I wouldn't stand near an aircraft prop even if there is not pilot in the plane, weird things happen)... but it's hard man, for these people it may have seemed OK.

I agree about reporting, sadly with my government, reporting any corruption or crime goes nowhere, so Ill probably end up tweeting about it to the Transnet (our rail co) and then hoping they care. :(
 
That may be the case but he seems to know where this is so perhaps an e-mail would be prudent? It is stupid behaviour and the only way it can be stopped is if the railroad company knows it's happening before there is serious injury or worse, a fatality.

I agree it is stupid behavior and I said that, but from the view of this photo the location is unknown to those outside the area. The area looks to be anywhere between Georgia and Maine or about 2000 miles or more apart south to north, or anywhere east of the Mississippi River, which would add in another 2000-plus miles by the type of foliage in the background. That's a lot of ground to cover, and reporting that by someone on the Pacific Northwest Coast, which is about 5,000 miles from the east coast, that's purely impossible.

The problem too is railroads here run through miles, if not hundreds of miles, of unprotected territory where there maybe a siding or two for an industry, or maybe a branchline or two, but nothing else around in the way of any population. Sure if people like this are spotted well then it's only a matter of calling a toll free 800 number located on the side of a signal or crossing cabinet to report vandalism, climbers, and other idiots. The problem is the majority of people have you know what for brains and won't bother to call.
 
Back
Top