And another thing…

Tom,

Thank you. A most sensible EDM that I can happily support you on.

Although I cannot claim to be a train-spotter, the right of people to go about their everyday business without interference is something that we should all defend and applaud.

Well done, and good luck with it.

Hopefully more than a handful of MPs will support this EDM as it is about time that our harmless past-time is no longer subjected to interference by “jobsworths”. With so much CCTV around these days our activities can be monitored and the vast majority of enthusiasts spend quite some time on a station, whereas a terrorist is likely to be in and out in a matter of minutes, having taken his photos on a mobile phone, unlike the majority of enthusiasts who will be using a digital camera, of varying specifications. It would appear that railway enthusiasts are a “soft” target for these “jobsworths” to flex their muscles on. Where are they when the drunks appear on the stations?

Really delighted to see this. Nice one Tom!

Anything that promotes a person’s right to take photo’s in public gets a massive thumbs up from me.

Very nicely done!

Tom this is for the freedom of the people in the most traditional way.

You had a cup of tea with Frank Field. Perhaps you should have one with David Davies.

My Brother Dr Rod, composer/lecturer/jazz musician was a trainspotter, so is my colleague Chris, pro trombonist. Even Antonin Dvorak, Czech Composer (the one who wrote the Hovis tune) was a trainspotter. Pretty respectable bunch I would say.

Good stuff. Another pointless idea from Network Rail.

I work in the rail industry and am embarrassed when we lose the support of the public in our day-to-day activities.

I have emailed my MP (Lindsay Hoyle) to sign your EDM.
Rgards,
Simon

“I have emailed my MP (Lindsay Hoyle) to sign your EDM.”

He already did.

Tom

Congratulations on the move, however, the key thing is to get Ms Smith in the Home Office to make sure that the ‘photography in public places and of public buildings, trains planes and automobiles’ message gets to the policeman/woman or CSPO on the beat, and also to the members of the extended police family. At the moment, far too many police, CSPOs and security staff think photography is banned.

However, if in 12 months time something has been achieved and there is a SUBSTANTIAL decline in the reported number of incidents of photographer hassle, then I’ll bare my backside in Selfridges window.

“… then I’ll bare my backside in Selfridges window.” – photographers welcome??

Good for you. As John, above, says: “Anything that promotes a person’s right to take photo’s in public gets a massive thumbs up from me.”

I have been looking through the EDMs for this month and it’s fairly interesting.

Take this one: “That this House unreservedly condemns the murders at the Massereene Barracks in Antrim of two soldiers and the wounding of four other people including two civilians by the Real IRA and sends its condolences to the families and friends of the victims; welcomes the overwhelming condemnation of this cowardly act by public opinion in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland; further welcomes the decision of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, with various civil society groups, to organise lunchtime rallies on 11 March 2009 across Northern Ireland to enable people to express their grief and anger at these murders; and recognises that this is in the best traditions of the non-sectarian trade union movement in Northern Ireland.”

Number of signatures: 84 – just 16 more than this:

“That this House shares the RSPCA’s deep concern at the recent introduction of elephants into a circus in Nottinghamshire; hopes that the public will boycott the circus in protest; believes that the Government should intervene in this case and state categorically that it opposes the use of wild species in circuses; and urges the Government to bring forward proposals to ban the use of wild animals in circuses without further delay.”

The concern about the welfare of Christians in the Holy Land attracted a whopping 28 votes.

If I am understanding correctly, in UK politics, the welfare of a few elephants is more than twice as important as many thousands of Christians and almost as worthy of support as peace in Ulster.

A few members have signed over 600 EDMs, yet some haven’t signed a single one; others just 1 or 2. What’s going on?

This might be helpful, Stewart. Or maybe not.

Thanks for the link, Tom. I remember that post (now). It was helpful. Maybe a better system is required for we, the people, to have more influence.

Could you explain one more thing please – Jim Baxter’s comment on that thread?

@Stewart Cowan,

I’m disappointed in you. You of all people should be able to explain that.

Every EDM I’ve ever read would have been massively improved if EDMs were limited to 140 characters. Perhaps you could propose this, Tom?

Tom,

Being from Macclesfield, it was predictable that I was going to write something about this:
http://darrylbeckford.blogspot.com/2009/03/trainspotting.html

But it’s worth looking at the comments – seems that TOC’s may not have a legal basis for outlawing activities that they don’t like on public land.

@ Jim Baxter

It just shows you, Jim. You must be a genius on and off the pitch.

Tom,

Full support from me on this one too.. Delighted that this problem is getting some recognition.

Fantastic. I work in the industry, and have many colleagues and friends who are ‘rail enthusiasts’. They are not criminals, but as has been recently reported in the press, many have been scapegoated for innocently carrying out their hobby. It’s about they were appreciated for being ‘extra eyes and ears’, not suspects. Well Done.

Nice one Tom, although its a pity that your EDM, while making reference to station and train staff, makes no mention of harassment by the police and PCSOs.

I’ve taken the liberty of copying your post verbatim on Behind The Water Tower and asking readers to write to their own MPs asking them to sign your EDM.

Thanks very much for raising this Tom. I’ve been in contact with my local AM and MP about this issue for months and they have also been supportive of photography on the railways, not only as a hobby, but also, as a deterrent of terrorism, in which we, as rail photographers, have been mocked and humiliated by staff, due to us being regarded as a terror threat. Thanks very much!

Tom – very many thanks.

Am now working on how we can get you back into the industry.

Presume in the current climate Directorships are out of the question .

Does the TSC have any vacancies and are we allowed to lobby the Whips to get you appointed?

PS There should have been a grin after the Directorships comment (your blog read it as html so doesn’t show it)!

Well done Tom. As you know, I’ve been banging on about this in RAIL for ages now and have got major chunks of the industry on side. To their credit. NR, the BTP and many TOCs now openly support hobbyist interest. SWT has even placed posters making life easier for enthusiast visitors. But some TOCs resist and too many jobsworths at ground level take it upon themselves to make some people’s lives miserable. Management must take responsibility for the actions of these uniformed nasties. Whilst there has been some progress in our campaign it’s been a long, hard internal slog. So, support like yours is like gold dust – so thankyou for the EDM and I’m sure it will have a great effect on attitudes, even if it takes a while to filter through. TFC has a good point, you need to be back in the industry somewhere……hmmm…..non-exec of NR perhaps?! Maybe involved in their new governance arrangements, when they appear…?! Anyway – thanks again.

Many thanks for this – Tom.Terrorism is always defeated by determination and not hysteria.