Spotter safety

[anti-pacer]

Now I'm not a spotter but I know a lot of you are, so here's a question for you?

How safe do you feel when you're spotting? I don't mean from passing trains but from passengers, local chavs, or both.

The reason I ask is because I have watching a few YouTube videos of a Scottish lad filming at various locations. In one he was at the sparsely used Carstairs station in the dark, and in another video he was filming at up to midnight in Uddingston.

Given the unfair stigma and stupid p*** taking aimed at spotters by a minority of people, have you had any incidents? Also, having a camera or smartphone visible on a platform at a suburban station late at night could invite unwanted attention from people with the intention of robbing you. Has anyone suffered this?

 

[47802]

I think its fair to say I would probably avoid suburban stations late at night in known dodgy areas. I once had agro trying to photograph from a bridge in Hunslet, Leeds but given that area I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was with somebody who you wouldn't want to argue to much with really who sorted them out.

Then at Crewe once it wasn't exactly abuse but got told by a bunch of teenagers that should be looking for Women to **** rather than taking photo's of trains.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Is Carstairs a crime trouble spot?

 

[anti-pacer]

Is Carstairs a crime trouble spot?

There is a fairly sizeable village there but for train services stopping there outside the peaks, there are few. This lad was there by himself in the dark. I wouldn't have rsisked it.

 

[marks87]

I don't think I'd want to be at Carstairs station in the dark, but that's more to do with the next door neighbours than anything else.

 

[yorkie]

Is Carstairs a crime trouble spot?

Some of the inmates of Carstairs psychiatric hospital are not the sort of person you'd want to meet.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/397884/Carstairs-axe-killer-is-released

McCulloch, 65, killed three people when he broke out of the State Hospital at Carstairs in Lanarkshire along with fellow patient Robert Mone...

https://www.sundaypost.com/inside-t...ng-secrets-of-notorious-psychiatric-hospital/

The Sunday Post can take readers through its gates, revealing for the first time the stories of some of its most notorious patients...

 

[jbqfc]

the only problem i have had was at stratford last year when a lady in a suite came up to me and told me i should get a job and stop wasting my time taking train pictures my reply is unprintable as i work 12 shifts

 

[pdeaves]

the only problem i have had was at stratford last year when a lady in a suite came up to me and told me i should get a job and stop wasting my time taking train pictures my reply is unprintable as i work 12 shifts

Some people can, of course, honestly say without exaggeration, "this is my job"!

 

[Dhassell]

I once got shouted at by a group of young chavs on a nearby station for taking a picture of a 70, saying "Go Jump Under the train" they were flinging there scooters across the platform edge.

The ticket machine on the station was card only so when I went to board the same train as them I asked the guard if I could buy a ticket from him (I only had cash) for that reason, he agreed. For them they tried to pay with a card and therefore a PF was issued to them! or something along the lines of that. It was a while ago. Karma

 

[47403]

I've had a little bit grief at various stations, nothing too bad, the odd **** take, for which I usually either laugh along with or be just as sarcastic back, normally the latter to be fair. I've certainly met some curious characters when out n about.

Had more hassle at Tyne Yard years ago, as folks pass in the car shouting, the usual crap. Years back I heard a cracking story, that I wish I'd witnessed, when a guy in his van was hurtling at a rate of knots down the hill, tooting his car horn and shouting abuse at a few spotters as he went over bridge, unfortunately he was too busy taking the ****, to notice the copper hidden in the road entrance to the Wood Yard, trying to catch cars speeding and witnessed the whole incident, apparently he never seen the copper, till the copper pulled out and put his flashing lights on and promptly pulled him, about 20yards away from the Lamesley end of the bridge, with those now all gathered at that end of the bridge, all now, laughing at him, as he climbed out his van and into the cop car. Apparently afterwards, the same Police car drove to bottom of the road, turned round past those gathered at the end of the bridge, tooted and waved, quite pleased with himself.

 

[palmersears]

As I'm only recording numbers in my book and not photographing I tend to blend in to the surroundings and have yet to experience any real bother, even when out at Crewe or Stafford until all hours. Rather oddly the only time I have is when a member of staff at Finsbury Park asked me to move on as I was 'clogging up the waiting room.' :roll:

 

[Temple Meads]

Interesting topic, to be honest I've never had much hassle taking pictures of either trains or buses, although I often feel quite self conscious doing the latter.

Had some abuse (from more than one separate car!) while on a bridge outside Tyseley station, but nothing else I can think of.