TheNewYorkElevated Posted May 20, 2014 Share #1 Posted May 20, 2014 Railfanning. All of us here at the forums take it for granted. Almost everyday, we photograph or video tape a subway train, a bus, or any kind of mass transit in action. It usually goes well. But not all railfanning runs aren't easy. Employees of a certain transportation company or agency have angry reactions to this practice. Some are disturbing; some are just downright wrong. So, I was curious to ask everyone here this question: What is the most disturbing moment you ever had while railfanning? In response, I want you all to share your story. It can be on any bus route, subway line, anywhere. You can even add the aftermath too. I don't care about the transit agency. It can be any transit agency, or other authority. Also mention the car prototype (ex;R30). Lines and bus routes with the most common disturbances are also included. As a suggestion, you can put in the subway car or bus number. Here's my story. So, I was with my uncle with my mother's camera. Both of us were heading to Midtown Comics for a stop over before heading home. It was an R160, operating for the line for Forest Hills. I remember the car number, 8397. So, we were under Chrystie Street when I tried to take a good photo of the Chrystie Street Tunnel. But when I took it, the camera flashed. (It was by accident.) All of the sudden, the train stop, and the female operator was pissed off. And she was like "what do you want, huh? What do you want?" After that, we slowly headed into Broadway-Lafayette, and all of us forgot about the incident. Except for me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeesPwnMets Posted May 20, 2014 Share #2 Posted May 20, 2014 Flash might accidentally blind the operator, and if they go through a red while blinded, they are going to be pisssssssssed. If it ever happens again, just apologize for it and move on. Just be happy the operator didn't make a huge scene out of it and radio for cops or something.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainfan22 Posted May 20, 2014 Share #3 Posted May 20, 2014 Don't think this thread will end well, will end up being a circle jerk bashing "foamers". As for the thread, nothing disturbing ever happened while railfanning. Busfanning is a different story though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttcsubwayfan Posted May 20, 2014 Share #4 Posted May 20, 2014 Don't think this thread will end well, will end up being a circle jerk bashing "foamers". Wouldn't be the first time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union Tpke Posted May 21, 2014 Share #5 Posted May 21, 2014 There was a bad thread on subchat about dangerous and illegal things they had done to railfan; I found it in the archives. They can use those threads to catch them. It was funny though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenSin Posted May 21, 2014 Share #6 Posted May 21, 2014 I take one of two measures to disable flash: cover up the flash with tape buy a camera without flash and never buy flash for it Asides from causing poor results in photos, flash is annoying and disturbs the scene you're taking a picture of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacemak3r Posted May 21, 2014 Share #7 Posted May 21, 2014 I wouldn't consider my incident a railfanning moment but I was heading home once and while walking on the platform, a railfanner, screamed to move out of the way to take a shot. Uh, me being me, I didn't give two shits because hey we paid the same fare and I'm not moving out of MY way for your pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sovetskii52 Posted May 22, 2014 Share #8 Posted May 22, 2014 I've been questioned numerous times but I never had a really bad encounter. Once I was in Framingham, Massachusetts waiting for a CSX train to pass through an intersection. I was standing on the sidewalk almost in front of a house. Like 10-15 minutes went by and suddenly a cop pulls up to me and asks what I'm doing. I tell him about the train and how railfanning is my hobby. He asks for my ID but I forgot it at home. So I had to give him my name. He kindly told me to enjoy my hobby and left. No trouble ever occurred from giving him my name. I decided to just forget about it and started walking towards my car. 1 minute or less later the train passes. I was like "SH*T!". Anyway, I know that the people in that house are the ones who called the police. I just know it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biGC323232 Posted May 22, 2014 Share #9 Posted May 22, 2014 I wouldn't consider my incident a railfanning moment but I was heading home once and while walking on the platform, a railfanner, screamed to move out of the way to take a shot. Uh, me being me, I didn't give two shits because hey we paid the same fare and I'm not moving out of MY way for your pleasure. I know exactly what u mean... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union Tpke Posted May 25, 2014 Share #10 Posted May 25, 2014 Not to weird, but today I was taking a video through two windows in the cab car at the front of an R160 R train, and to make sure the flash wouldn't bother them, I covered the flash and moved the camera away. Then later the operator banged the door and apparently was annoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttcsubwayfan Posted May 25, 2014 Share #11 Posted May 25, 2014 I wasn't railfanning, per se, but in August 2012 my family was riding a Bronx bound train when a homeless guy crossed between cars (good to see the rule against that being enforced ) and sat down across from my dad, brother and sister. I've never encountered a drunk person in my life so the experience kind of freaked me out.He kept his eyes on them as he started ranting and raving in some obscure language. At the next station we, along with some other passengers made for the exit but unluckily he followed. We darted back into the train just as the doors closed but the guy continued to glare vindictively at my dad and make hand gestures as if he would kill him. Who knows what would have happened if the conductor reopened the doors, as they seem to do. It's thanks to this clown that my mom was dead against the idea of me visiting New York again for the longest time. Big shoutout to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarvestmanMan Posted May 28, 2014 Share #12 Posted May 28, 2014 I've never encountered a drunk person in my life And you live in Toronto, of all places. You must not get out much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttcsubwayfan Posted May 28, 2014 Share #13 Posted May 28, 2014 And you live in Toronto, of all places. You must not get out much. I live in the suburbs of Toronto, where someone being drunk would be a very exciting thing indeed! Not that I would actually want to visit a place with drunk people if I did live in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Themikepeng Posted May 31, 2014 Share #14 Posted May 31, 2014 I take one of two measures to disable flash: cover up the flash with tape buy a camera without flash and never buy flash for it Asides from causing poor results in photos, flash is annoying and disturbs the scene you're taking a picture of.Amen to that! I hate it even more when it's too dark without flash but too bright with it, and I have to cover up the flash halfway with my finger lol! The worst thing that happened to me is that there was a whole group of girl scouts on the train for like 10 minutes and the wouldn't shut up! And it was a 35 minute train ride video so I couldn't just redo it or cut it out > Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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