Confronted and harassed for filming on the Washington D.C. Metrorail

*****ALL RUDE MEAN VULGAR AWFUL AND HATEFUL COMMENTS WILL BE REMOVED AND YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE BLOCKED AND REPORTED!!!!!*****

As we where riding on the Washington D.C. Metrorail train to Smithsonian Station one of the workers in the cab comes out to confront me about filming on the train. At that point I had turned the camera off (I wish I had left it on) to speak with him for a moment. While my camera was off he kept asking me questions about why I was filming. He also asked me why was I filming tracks? I told him that I was a huge train enthusiast and I was just filming out the front as we move because I liked the trains and that I was on vacation. Even though I told him this he tells me that he didn't care that I was a train enthusiast and that terrorist like to bomb subway systems and that he was not going to let me film on the train. He then threatens to call security and police to have my camera confiscated and to have me detained for suspicious behaviour. At this point my dad steps in to defend me and shortly after I turned my camera back on. My dad then explains to him that I was not doing anything wrong and not to yell, gesture, and try to investigate me. My dad then tells him that I was a train enthusiast. The worker then lies and said that I did not tell him that I was a train enthusiast! I told him clearly that I was a train enthusiast. Thats why I wish I had left the camera on the whole time! After me and my dad are done talking with him he returns back to the cab with the driver. Even though he yelled at me for filming I KEPT FILMING! I did not do anything wrong and this is protected by The First Amendment.

If you want to know what was said while the camera was off read below.

Worker: "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR CAMERA?"

Me: "I was just filming out the front of the train as we where moving"

Worker: "Why?"

Me: "Because I am a huge train enthusiast and I like trains."

Worker: "Why are you filming tracks?"

Me: "I wasn't filming just the tracks. I was filming out the front as we move. I just told you I am a huge train enthusiast and I am on vacation here."

Worker: "THERE IS NOTHING INTERESTING ABOUT THE TRACKS OR TRAINS!"

Me: "Sir it is my hobby."

Worker: (looks at me wierd) "Well you know what! Terrorists like to bomb subway systems and I am telling you now that you are not allowed to film and I AM NOT GOING TO LET YOU FILM! I will call security and police, they will consficate your camera and will have you detained for suspicious behavior."

Me: "What!? I am not doing anything wrong sir."

(My dad steps in)

My Dad: "Sir is something wrong? Why are you yelling at my son!"

Worker: "He was filming the tracks from the train."

My Dad: "Is that wrong? There is nothing that says you cannot film. My son is not in the way of anything and I see you are gesturing to him and threating to have him detained and his camera consficated!"

Worker: "I was just telling him the facts."

My Dad: "There is no law that states that my son cannot film on the subway. What are you investigating him?"

Worker: "No sir! I am not trying to investigate him!"

(I turn camera back on)

My Dad: "He is a train enthusiast!"

Worker: "Oh a train enthusiast he did not tell me that."

Me: "Yeah I told you its not like I was filming just the tracks."

Worker: "Oh ok."

My Dad: "It dosen't go beyond that."

Worker: "Ok but you know think safety."

My Dad: "I understand that but I see you gesturing to him and pointing at him!"

Worker: "Ok but sir he didn't tell me that he was a train enthusiast."

Me: "I told you I was a train enthusiast! I told you I was a train enthusiast and I was just filming as we where moving."

Worker: "THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAID!"

Me: "THAT IS WHAT I SAID!"

Worker: "But um I see him filming, he has to be careful. He has got to pay attention to whats going on."

My Dad: "I UNDERSTAND THAT! I UNDERSTAND THAT! IN TODAY'S WORLD I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT I DON'T THINK HE WAS STEPPING OUT OF HIS ZONE IN TERMS OF WHAT HE IS DOING!"

Worker: "Right ok right I did not say that but I want to know you know what im saying?"

(I turn my camera back off)

My Dad: "Well as long as he is not in the way of anything or tresspassing he is not doing anything wrong!"

Worker: "Ok sir. Just tell your son to be careful."

He then walks away and goes back in the cab with the driver.

I then turn back to film again and thats it.

While filming I could hear through the crack in the door the worker was talking with the driver. The mic on the camera could not pick up the conversation but he was saying that there is nothing interesting about trains and that I was wasting my time and that I need to find a real hobby. The man was basicly calling me a LOSER!!!!! I think that my interests have nothing to do with him and he should mind his own business and do his job!

Comment and let me know what you think.
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Category:

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Tags:

• Washington
• D.C.
• Metrorail
• Subway
• train
• track
• worker
• confronts
• me
• for
• filming
• taking
• pictures
• yelling
• abusive
• mean
• confrontation
• railfan
• window
• no
• photography
• allowed
• speech
• photos
• threatons
• detain
• security
• police
• calling
• call
• rail
• railroad
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• unnecessary
• not
• needed
• profiling
• rude
• people
• guards
• hurtful
• situation
• problem
• enthusiast
• wrong

[THEATREofPAIN270]

OK So the guy was a jerk. I have family that work for NJT rails, One is an engineer and the other rear brake. They see rail fans all the time. They tell me they never try to stop any filming or photographing. It does not bother them at all. Keep on filming. You are NOT doing a damn thing wrong. Then again I understand the guys concern but he should have used better judgement.

[NJTAmtrakGuy]

@THEATREofPAIN270 Thank you! You're absolutely right.

[ACLTony]

I agree that real terrorists would not be obvious, but instead blend in with the crowd.  That's what happened with the "4/11" train attacks in Spain. Basically there's nothing wrong with questioning someone filming, but that worker was out of line in acting like a jerk about it.

[NJTAmtrakGuy]

@ACLTony Exactly!

[FECRWY]

hahaha i find it funny that he works with the subway system and yet YOU need to find a new hobby...

what a jackass

[NJTAmtrakGuy]

@FECRWY He should find a new job.

[NJTAmtrakGuy]

@tazamack12 Yeah, this guy was very rude. It's too bad I didn't get his information because I sure would have reported him! The worker that harassed me in the beginning leaves the train later then when me and my father leave the train the motorman shouts to me "You Have Fun!"

[ironmaidenftw908]

i agree with FECRWY that guy was a jackass

[taylorveldman3832]

I live in Chicago, so I'm all used to this kind of behavior by crews. First of all, you're entitled to your constitutional rights, and should of used the 5th in this case. You're not obligated to answer anything authority asks you, you may also disregard consent to search. I would of gotten his information, reported him for making false accusations on your behalf, and I would of showed this to HQ. Homeland Security has all the railroads tied up in this mess, you're not doing anything wrong...

[cc10266]

Woah Woah Woah!!!! Railfanning is a real hobby. that man needs to keep his mouth shut if he's gonna say such thing.

[NJTAmtrakGuy]

@Jacobsdad1234 If he was pushed around in school then that is his problem. He is there to do his job not to be my mentor. In school many people knew that I am a railfan and they didn't have a problem with it. You should tell whoever is messing with you that it is your hobby and they can't change that. Don't let other peers tear you down. In this case I think that this worker is just terrorist paranoid.

[platformone]

Police (especially) security are not allowed to consficate your camera.