Re: QR and Photographers

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au>]

Kevin Green <kgreen@powerup.com.au> wrote in message
38845b64@grissom">news:38845b64@grissom...
> Hello,
>
> Today at Bowen Hills I was confronted by a member of the Railway Squad and
> asked what I was doing on the station, I said I was taking pictures of
> trains (which was what I was doing), he then said he THOUGHT I was taking
> pictures of the graffiti on the trains, I said I wasn't and he then
proceded
> to search my bad for Spray Paint and then asked if I had a ticket. So I
> showed him my pass and he said that I'd better leave the station now and
go
> home before I got myself into any more trouble.
>
> Is taking pictures of trains at a railway station now illegal in
Queensland
> or something????
>
>
> Reagrds
> Matthew Green
> kgreen@powerup.com.au
> ICQ 51630312
>

I don't see it being illegal to take pictures of trains, whether or not they
have graffiti on them, even in Queensland.  More disturbing is the bag
search, I doubt whether the Railway Squad would have the right to do this
without calling the police.  Even if they found a spray can in your bag, so
what?  You could have been taking it home to paint something.  Too bad what
the Railway Squad (are these employees or Contractors in Qld?) THOUGHT, he
should have had reasonable grounds to suspect you of being up to no good.

I think this instance (and previous ones reported in this newsgroup) of a
railfan being intimidated in Queensland by officials needs to be taken
further - it is more akin to what used to go on in Eastern Europe under
repressive regimes than in a free democracy.  If this sort of treatment
happened to me I would stand my ground, and if security took it further they
would be on the receiving end of charges for assault and/or wrongful arrest.

I detest graffitists and vandals, but harrassment of people photographing
trains is an utter waste of time by the "Railway Squad".

Regards

David Bennetts
Canberra