You can't make this stuff up - eh?

Then how/why did you?

Metrolink Official Photography Policy

I would suggest carrying copies) of that and similar documents with you - just in case someone needs an education.



That of course is the policy now. But begging Bob 2's pardon, it wasn't always so. And indeed, I have been harassed numerous times in the past; though not recently. And only once was it ever by railroad police (in 1973) while standing camera in hand, on the edge of the city pavement at 5th & King streets (or was it 6th & King).

More recently, Not even UP cops hassled me, not even while hiking on the r.o.w. (well away from the tracks) - just exchanged pleasantries and about their business they went. Virtually all the harassment came while on public roads or public parks near the tracks; from county mounties and regional park police, many of whom indeed are uneducated jack booted thugs. Even that didn't happen often, oddly enough, unless a camera was visible - go figure.


Fact is, that most of these new policies came about not due to any credible terrorist threat, but precisely because so many uninformed police and security people were harassing photographers; resulting in false arrests and lawsuits that these agencies lost. To be fair, we must remember that prior to 9/11, who'd o' thunk, that in America, this would have ever become an issue; that police would take it upon themselves to enforce nonexistent laws - hence no policy about it. But when it did become an issue, enough photographers stood their ground, even in court, and forced legal recognition of photography rights. The policies are there to clarify the matter and educate police and employee alike, helping them avoid lawsuits.

That is not to say of course, that there aren't still uneducated thugs getting hired as policemen or security agents, who then run amok and need correction by a court. And then again, there are those common-senseless idiots (and some thugs) running the TSA & NSA, that still need their chains yanked - hard.

"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom"