Re: QR and Photographers

["Brendan" <nadnerb_2000@NOSPAM.com.au>]

James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au> wrote in article
<388AE3AC.BC13580E@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.

Thats what platform tickets are for. On CityRail you can get a platform
ticket to meet people off a train or for photography - I do it all the
time. Is that available on QR?

> 
> > 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.
> 

I'm not sure thats the issue. If someone is rude to staff they will get
harassed. I think its the staff who are stepping over the line if they tell
you to push off while you have a ticket to be on that platform.

> > 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 have seen these "teams" of sprayers/photographers operate on the
railways. If it is established that the person is doing wrong, they can be
prosecuted. If not, LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!! Cameras are common and graffiti is
common. Cameras around graffiti do not indicate guilt - being caught red
handed with paint is the only reason a person in this situation should be
harassed.

> 
> > 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.

In the next twenty years, lineside structures, people's fashoins and
behaviour and the stations themselves will change. Quiet areas usually do
not provide the variety of subjects the metropolis offers.

> 
> > 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.

This is a point, there are risks. Crowded platforms can be awkward for
someone with a tripod, a person not watching where they are going could end
up injured. QR still does not have the right to hassle the person though as
long as he acts responsibly.


Brendan



> 
> --
> - James Brook -
> 
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