Railroad Track photography: Why you SHOULD NOT do it.

Railroad Track photography is a VERY popular method in the Midwest. 

(Being as that is where I am from, that is where I see a majority of it at.) 

I am sure it is popular everywhere, but I digress. I am here to tell you WHY you should NOT be doing this, and why it can land you in hot water with the law.

(Some of the following information was provided by "Operation Lifesaver".)

1. Trains can’t stop quickly to avoid people or vehicles on the tracks.

2. An optical illusion makes it hard to determine a trains distance from you - and its speed. 

3. The average train overhangs the track by at least three feet.

4. Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and rights-of-way are private property.

5. No tracks should be assumed to be abandoned or inactive.

6. People in your community mimic your behavior.

Number six has to be the primary contributor to people assuming it is OK. In Small Town USA, and the rest of the modern world, everyone follows by example. Also, they unwittingly LEAD by example. "If John Boy did it, it must be legal, right?", "I just saw Betty Sues Pics and they didn't prosecute her."

The bottom line is, every picture of you ON the tracks, is a picture of YOU committing a crime. It would be like, breaking into someones house with a friend, taking pics of your friend, putting your initials on it as the photographer, and posting. You both are guilty of trespassing, and NO ignorance to the law doesn't give you a PASS on the law. Every professional "Photographer" should know their limits and boundaries. If they do not, they are putting your life in danger as a client.

"Roughly 1,000 people a year are injured in the U.S. by trains, 300+ a year killed, and a person or car is hit every THREE HOURS, because they don't pay attention at crossings or they walk on tracks or take pictures on tracks." Source: http://oli.org/

Perform a "GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH" for "Railroad Photographs" and you will see some alarming images such as these.

Photo courtesy of: 

http://www.r2rcompany.com/

See that nifty gadget behind the family with the "Green Crank" to the right?

That is an interchange, and people have gotten their legs trapped if they are

triggered by an oncoming train. Your best bet then, lay to the side, lose a leg, 

be prosecuted for being on the tracks, and lesson learned. THIS is scary, because

this photographer just put an ENTIRE family at danger in this photograph.

(Not to mention the whole family just broke the law. Unless written permission was granted by the local Railroad commission.)

Some Random stats about my home state.

In 2013 Alone there were 19 Trespassing DEATHS and 19 Trespassing Injuries. 

(A train injury is almost always SEVERE)

Startling is that these stats are a 50% increase from 2012. 

INDIANA ranks #7 in the US with having the most TRESPASSING deaths and Injuries.

More people are killed due to trespassing than in their vehicles and violating safety signals.

I will attribute this to the popularity of digital photography.

To see more STATS click here.

I am writing this because, well, this is my primary pet peeve as a photographer.

 (IN a long line of other pet peeves, which I will address in other post.)

Be safe, and have respect for your clients. As a "freelance photographer" you are responsible for your clients safety and well being. Don't put that in jeopardy over taking a "Cool shot" or a moment. Want to take these risk? Get a tripod, a camera with a timer, and put yourself into the photograph. Otherwise you're being unprofessional and unfair to your clients.

Remember, don't bite the hand that feeds. You wouldn't want your boss to throw you into traffic every day before work.

For more information on general Train Track Safety, please visit "Operation Life Saver".

http://oli.org/

Amendment: If you want to take pictures on Railroad Tracks, contact your local RR station, and operator. Certain areas can be used for photography, between train schedules. There are towns that use certain tracks for tourist attractions. There is a liability waiver you can sign, and permission can be given between train schedules. For my CONNERSVILLE photographers:

Whitewater Valley Railroad

455 Market St, Connersville, IN 47331 (765) 825-2054

This doesn't make it any less dangerous, and I suggest keeping it all LEGAL and have your forms filled out. Otherwise, you can be prosecuted even if you're injured.