Re: QR and Photographers

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

pdwyer wrote:

> In article <388AD71D.EA91D320@ozemail.com.au>, James Brook
> <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
> > To put it simply, platforms are open to the public and as long as
> > you are obeying the rules and you aren't disturbing others, the
> >railway companies shouldn't harass you.
>
> I think you'll find the Revenue Protection Officers might disagree with
> you about that point. Try getting past one onto Bowen Hills platform
> when one is around if you're not going to buy a ticket.

But if you have a ticket and you are just getting a few photos before you travel
on a Citytrain service, there shouldn't be a problem unless you are disturbing
others.

> The point is that there are perfectly good ways and means for people to
> take advantage of photographic opportunities without getting in the way
> of QR staff. Being courteous, polite and obedient if they tell you to
> push off, will probably go a long way to being able to get what you
> want.

I agree that you should always be courteous and polite to employees of any rail
operator, you are the one on their property! But if you are standing at the end
of a platform, even in peak period you are hardly a disturbance to the general
public.

> The original poster was unfortunately young enough & it seems, too near
> the wrong type of train (a vandalised one) :-) As a result, an entirely
> wrong attitude about his activities was reached and he was harrassed
> about it.
>
> People do deface trains & seek to profit from it. QR doesn't like that.
> You shouldn't like that, it's costing taxpayers money.

I don't like to see anything vandalised but if someone came up to me and
harassed me about a vandalised train I photographed, I wouldn't be too happy
about it.

> I think if a railfan chose a quieter place to take their photo, they'd
> have a better chance of success, and probably have enough room for a
> better shot.

But sometimes a busy station can lead to some really good photos of the general
scene. Sometimes the station, the trains and everything else add up to a really
good shot. As long as you aren't doing anything to annoy anyone or you aren't
endagering yourself, there shouldn't be a problem.

> Yes I know it has freight trains. What I was originally going to say is
> that because Kuranda is primarily a tourist operation, you might find
> that freight operations are staggered around to reduce risk, but I
> couldn't verify it :-)

I was up there in July and freight trains were running any time during the
daylight hours. It seemed to be busier than some of Victoria's freight lines!

> Kuranda's running frequency and passenger load is much lower than
> Suburban Brisbane, reducing the risk.

You have a point, but if you aren't being an idiot there aren't any risks at
Roma Street or Bowen Hills.

--
- James Brook -

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