Railfan Camera Bug Causes Shinkansen Delay

[gmat]

Bullet train service disrupted by train enthusiast taking photos

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/bullet-train-service-disrupted-by-train-enthusiast-taking-photos

 

Some of the fences are pretty close to the tracks.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Tecchan]

Read the comments.

Try not to laugh/get pissed.

 

[bikkuri bahn]

Read the comments.

Try not to laugh/get pissed.

 

 

Par for the course.  Japan Today is where all the underemployed eikaiwa teachers hang out.

[bikkuri bahn]

The wags over at the sports newspaper "Daily Sports" have given a label for these railfans who stop trains: "tometetsu" (止め鉄 or stopper railfans), a play on the common toritetsu applied to camera-wielding railfans.

[Guest ___]

Read the comments.

Try not to laugh/get pissed.

 

 

Par for the course.  Japan Today is where all the underemployed eikaiwa teachers hang out.

 

So, that's why they're always talking to me.

[Guest ___]

Hey Grant, I defend your honor.

[gmat]

Thanks Shashinka.

BikkuriBahn, actually your comment strikes very close to home in my case.

 

Also, when I was starting out taking photos, I was in an area that I thought was OK and had the train stop for me. It was pure ignorance on my part but I had tried to be careful before that. Don't get too close to the tracks, but you also have to be on the other side of the short concrete fences. They took me to the police box and after filling out the report, the police suggested that I apologize (again) to the station guy and delete all of my photos. No fine unless it happens again. The police said that with a telephoto lens it would be hard to prove that I was too close, or at least that what I thought they were saying.

Lesson learned but it was hard to know the rules if you didn't speak the language nor have local friends.

I was also paranoid for a while after that every time a train slowed down near me.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Guest ___]

I can tell ya this much, trains here, especially CSX coal drags won't so much as flinch if you were within five feet of center of the gauge. Only reason engineers will make any slightest attempt not to strike a trespasser is as not to have to deal with the paperwork.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

combinibento FEB. 16, 2012 - 03:19PM JST

"I never did quite understand train enthusiasts. I mean, it's a train for Chrissake. Big deal. Seen one, seen 'em all."

 

Flog that guy.

[bikkuri bahn]

BikkuriBahn, actually your comment strikes very close to home in my case.

 

My apologies, wasn't intended to refer to you or other good guys who make a living teaching (as I do)- but rather some the idiots who post on that news site, who remind me of the attitude/intellect held by a lot of eikaiwa teachers I have encountered in my many years living here (I did the eikaiwa gig for 3 years myself)- many who have dubious qualifications, display unprofessional behavior, disdain for the host culture, and yet stay and find time to vent at the people and nation that so kindly (or perhaps stupidly) offers a decent living wage to them.  If foreigners spewed some of the stuff they are wont to do, say in the US or Australia, they would likely get their ass kicked up between their shoulders more often than not.  Sorry for the OT rant, but I have little tolerance for a segment of the gaijin population that all too often can be found in the eikaiwa schools. 

[gmat]

BikkuriBahn,

Sorry, it was never intended to be taken as a reproach, it's just by coincidence that I'm an English teacher who has much time on his hands. I should have made it more clear that I was going along with the joke. Nothing that you or anyone else here ever comes across as mean or spiteful here to any other member. I understand where you are coming from.

 

My apologies again. I respect you very much for your expertise and for all the numerous times that you help other members here.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[mamochan]

I can tell ya this much, trains here, especially CSX coal drags won't so much as flinch if you were within five feet of center of the gauge. Only reason engineers will make any slightest attempt not to strike a trespasser is as not to have to deal with the paperwork.

 

Gotta remember though, full coal drags take miles to stop.  So if they are already moving down the rails and there is someone near them they are pretty much going to run them over no mater what they do.

[linkey]

All we need is ten vandals instead of railfans to be on the tracks and let the train go and see if we can get a strike :P Don't like leaving a split in bowling  lol. But surely I hope some railfans should know where they should be (limitation on where to go) when taking photos. If I am taking photos I would make sure I am at least a safe distance away from the rails.

[gmat]

That's what I thought, but the little fence is the boundary even though it may seem to be around a vacant lot. Stopped the line for a short while. Got off with a visit to the nearby police box, a warning, deletion of all shots on my card and a case of paranoia for a while afterwards.

 

Grant