I Got Checked Out at Lunch

A dear friend, while just train watching in a small town (Picayune) in Mississippi during the early 90′s got checked out several times. He also got harassed and forced several times to leave railroad property while he was just minding his own business or sometimes talking to the railroaders. Norfold Southern railroaders all knew him as he helped them out with rides form one end of the train to the other sometimes when they disconnected cars to allow traffic to flow thru town. He also commonly attended local meetings with many of the road workers.

Eventually the NS guys found out that he had been forcefully removed one day and some executives actually visited the local Picayune Police Department with a nice friendly lawyer and told them to keep themselves off of NS Property and leave their employees to do their work – including their “voluntary” employees. Very “good ole’ boy” tactics used very well. It also is of note that it seems they had similar problems with the Picayune PD before – overstepping their boundaries.

I hope Vancouver PD don’t get too carried away in this day and age of “terror” at every corner. (“terror” – much sarcasm there)

My dear friend has since stood out in front of his car while watching the trains go by hundreds of times since then. I always sympathize with the paranoia the “law enforcement” can provide.

I’m as always looking forward to the pictures that will follow.