Ztex wrote:
AND P51...don't get me started on the railroad police...I have had more that one run in with the UP Black Fords...grrr
I hear ya there, pal.
Funny you'd mention this.
About six years ago, I was coming back from a rifle range with a buddy of mine. Both of us were railfans, avid shooters, and active duty US Army at that time. I won't name the place or RR involved, but it was on the East Coast. We were stopped at a bridge over a RR track, cameras in hand, waiting for a frieght we saw a long way off when crossing the birdge. We'd stopped, jumped out with cameras (guns in the car, unloaded and in their cases, by the way) and were standing on a sidewalk just shy of the bridge itself. We could then see the freight was in the hole. So, I took advantage of the pause to go use the "green latrine." Nobody could see me well off the roadway. I was down there for a minute or so when I heard yelling and scuffling going on at the bridge. I ran up the embankment around the front of my car to see two guys in street clothes pushing my buddy around yelling at him, talking about, "giving him a good thumping." I had no cell phone to call the law, so I jumped into my SUV, pulled out my M-1 Garand rifle and quickly loaded a clip and jumped back out (I made very little noise for that reason).
I ran around the back of my car and leveled the rifle at one of them, and said on colorful language to back off or I'd shoot. You've never seen people jump back so fast! Their hands went up, their eyes got as big as pie plates, and overall I (literally) scared the poop out of one of them.
Turns out, they were plain clothes (and unarmed) RR cops. As soon as they ID'd themselves, they launched into this whole thing about how they'd throw us under the jail for this, that I'd be convicted of a felony for attempted murder on a cop, etc.
Jim, my buddy, told them they were full of crap (keep in mind, I'm still holding the rifle at this point but no longer pointing it at them) and if they were lucky, they'd still have a job by the end of the day. He pointed out that they had started pushing him around, threatening to beat him up, and never ID'ing themselves until I'd pulled the rifle out on them.
Then, Jim pulled out his MP badge.
Never have two men changed tact
so fast. Once they realized that they were in the wrong, it was suddenly apollogies and the word "sir" got used a lot all of a sudden!
Jim got their employee #s and did have a long discussion with the local cops and the RR over that. We both got formal apology letters from the RR. I often wonder if they lost their jobs over that...
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
