I do remember reading that discussion about the guy and his camera a couple of months ago, actually.KBCraig wrote:It is a curious beast, but Amtrak and its employees are not federal employees. Like all rail companies, Amtrak has its own "railroad police", who are also curious, legally speaking. The authority of RR police is often confused and obscure and varies from state to state, but the guns and handcuffs are real. If they deposit you in the local county jail, the jailers aren't inclined to listen to constitutional arguments. Their response will be, "Talk to the people who arrested you!" (And good luck on that!)NcongruNt wrote:I've wanted to take Amtrak as a mode of leisurely travel for quite some time. From what I can tell, Amtrak is a corporation, but is owned and controlled by the federal government. Does this inherently preclude someone from carrying on Amtrak?
If you found discussions that involved srothstein and myself in a police forum, then you probably read the case of a railfan who was arrested for taking pictures while waiting for his connecting train. While he was absolutely in the right, he still spent some time in the New Orleans jail until things could be sorted out.
Here's the bottom line: if you purchase an Amtrak ticket, you agree to the terms of carriage. Check out the jurisdiction for dispute resolution:
Governing Law
All travel on, and transactions with, Amtrak is governed by the laws of the District of Columbia, United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any State or Federal court located in the District of Columbia, United States of America, and waive any jurisdictional, venue or inconvenient forum objections to such courts.
And eww. DC laws? My desire to travel Amtrak just dropped several notches. The novelty of rail travel just lost its appeal when weighed against the prospect of dealing with the laws of the District of Columbia. I'd sooner drive.
What I don't understand is how the only rail travel option for folks in the US is a federally-funded money sinkhole, while the rest of the world enjoys efficient cost-effective rail travel with much nicer accommodations and tracks in much better condition (and hence a smoother ride). Anyone I've spoken to who's traveled by train in Europe or Asia tells me how much the trains here suck.