Here in Galesburg during railroad days, many people from all over the U.S. come
to take photographs. I understand why. However, living here all of my life, I
hear the people I know talk about the railfans. They think photographing
trains is ridiculous. Of course 98% of Galesburg residents begin to cuss and
swear when they see the crossing gates go down. They see the trains a big
inconvenience. They think the railfan is odd. Most people do not understand
our hobby.
I noticed that the original post indicated that the police in question were
driving a Brookfield City Police car. I'm sure the METRA and other railroad
police are familiar with railfans. The city police probably don't understand
the hobby. You have to put yourself in the non-railfan's mind. I suppose a
couple of guys with cameras taking pictures, of all things, trains is odd. I'm
guessing the police thought so too and decided to check them out. What is not
to say a citizen seen the railfans and thought they were suspicious and called
the police. What were the police supposed to do, not check on them? I also
didn't read anything about intimidation or confiscation of film.
I wasn't there. I do believe that calling the police names under the cloak of
this list is out of line. I guess you should've said it to the police
officer's face. Again, I wasn't there so I don't know all of the facts. It is
human nature that, especially adults, do not like to be told what to do.
People also don't like to be corrected. I do know that trespassing on railroad
property is crime. I also know that the railroad has many signs posted
indicating no trespassing. So maybe an arrest was possible.
In this day and age, we as railfans are going to have to be conscious of our
activity. Enough of my thoughts. I hope that the railfans involved in this
incident were able to get some good photographs that day. Don't give up
railfanning. Its too good of a hobby to leave over something like that. Thank
you.
R.W. Brown, Jr.
Galesburg, IL
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