I've never had a problem at LAUPT. The procedure Steven described is totally foreign to me, I'm not sure which security office he's talking about. Also, I've never heard of those release forms. I'm not saying Steven's advice is bad, I just wonder if it's really necessary. The times I've taken photos I always put the camera away when I'm done and move on. Unless you're planning to set up a tripod or hang out in one location for hours and hours, I wouldn't worry about anything. That's just my opinion, based on the experiences I've had...

One thing you might enjoy is riding the MTA light rail. With a valid Metrolink ticket, you can ride MTA for free for the rest of the day. The MTA Red/Purple Line (subway) runs to LAUPT as does the MTA Gold Line. MTA is very safe...you don't have to worry about getting mugged, there are cops all over the place.

You could also ride Metrolink from LAUPT to Lancaster or San Bernardino. The route to Lancaster (Antelope Valley Line) is probably the most scenic aside from the Orange County Line following the coast. You might see some UP trains running to/from Tehachapi. Lancaster is about a 4-hour round trip from LAUPT. San Bernardino is about a 3-hour round trip. At San Bernardino, there's a lot of BNSF/UP freight traffic. On Saturdays from 10am-2pm there is a new museum open in the depot.

I mentioned Lancaster and San Bernardino because of their weekend service (and cheaper fares) but there are lots of other options during the week. Here are the prices I looked up:

Fullerton to Los Angeles, round trip: $9.25 Sat/Sun, $12.25 weekdays
Fullerton to San Bernardino, round trip: $13.50 Sat/Sun, $18.00 weekdays
Fullerton to Lancaster, round trip: $19.00 Sat/Sun, $25.25 weekdays