We were railfanning. A pretty intense chase had ensued in pursuit of a brace of widecab bunsniffers (BNSF Railroad units, to you civilians
) on Conrail's Allegheny Division. These guys were hauling butt big time, and it was all I could do to keep up with them. The plan was to intercept them at Cassandra (see
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=56858&nseq=0 for sample photo of this location). Well, I was already past the legal speed limit on the main road. To beat the train to Cassandra required tearing through a little community of locals living right near the overpass we would shoot off of. We got there the same time as the train, and needless to say we didn't get the shot well enough. It wasn't worth it. A lesson I had already learned before, but you can get caught up in the thrill of the hunt. Unfortunately for me, Cassandra is at the end of a dead end street. One of the locals saw me fly by, and drove down to get my license plate and tell me he was ratting me out. I was kinda dumbfounded, and started thinking about it. I could see he was very much in the right to do it. I felt bad about terrorizing his neighborhood and knew that I wouldn't do it again. I drove down to his house and explained to him that if the roles were reversed I would do the same. I told him my biggest concern was not for me, but for the other railfans who go there. I didn't want to spoil the location for them, because this is the kind of thing that if left unchecked would result in the access road being gated, and the opportunity for others to photograph trains in peace would be ruined. The last thing I said to him was this... "I understand your position completely. I am a Christian though, and ask that if you are also that you might consider extending me mercy and grace, for the sake of everyone who comes here. I've learned my lesson, and will never trouble you again." and with that I drove off. Nothing happened after that.
And to be honest, I haven't revisited that location since.
