Terrorists carrying cameras and "train watching guides", which can be had almost anywhere in Europe, especially in England; came out in terrorist training meetings, which I was required to attend by a customer transit agency at the time.

This was a few months after the Spanish passenger trains were blown up a few years back. The investigation of which revealed that those responsible had been seen and questioned several times previous to that, claiming to be "Train Watchers". Since they had the requisite stuff with them, they were presumed at the time to be legitimate train watchers and left alone by the Spanish police.

The success of this terrorist attack then brought on an American "Homeland Security" mandate for "terrorist recognition training", by all transit agencies in the nation. And a whole lot of other crappy things, such as banning photography outright. The agency I was working with at the time - required all its own employees and anyone else working on the property to attend.

And yes, taking pictures of the trains and facilities, was hammered home as an extremely suspicious activity, because the guy behind the camera may not really be a "train watcher" - no really good way of telling the real rail fans from the phonies was given; or it seemed, even known by the homeland security trainers.

Needless to say - that was very sobering to me. It sometimes seems as though every good thing that has ever happened to humanity, can be made to look bad, when the wrong people engage in it. I actually haven't carried a camera since. And I have been very proactive to be sure any railroad employee in the area I am watching knows that I am there, and that I have identified myself to them before they ask or call anyone to ask for them. So far, this has prevented any misunderstandings, and I have been welcomed (One time I was even asked for a job - as the guy wanted out of the U.P.!)


Be Careful out there!

OPB