Threatened while doing the hobby

[45039]

Hi all
Been to liverpool today to clear my 507's (4 was required).
Not been for 15 yr's due to getting mugged going to speke yard all that time ago so plucked up the courage today and got threatened by a druggie in lime street underground .
Told the transport police and they said i should have contacted a member of staff but there was none on the platform (8.45ish).
Got the courage to go back down at 10ish and behold 3 staff on the platform at all times (was there 2hr's) then central for 2hr's and cleared them.YIPPEE
Glad i dont have to go back there (till merseyrail get new units).
Got mugged going to eastfield in the 80's but thats another story.
Any similar situations anyone?.

 

[anthony263]

I have been given abuse & obsene gesters by passengers and people passing by while photographing trains & buses.

 

[Phoenix]

I think there are some parts of the UK where even the bravest of us would not step due to druggies and what not but merseyrail well I caught it once and was scared to death by every aspect of it so Commiserations mate and glad hear ya cleared the class top notch!
I will probably stick to the overground merseyrail stations in nice areas.

 

[Ilove165's]

I have been given abuse & obsene gesters by passengers and people passing by while photographing trains & buses.

Same here, so I'll gladly return the gesture!

 

[GB]

Told the transport police and they said i should have contacted a member of staff

What a load of Ballox! What use is the BTP if you can't report stuff to them?:roll:

 

[45039]

Their excuse was that he would have got on a train already so no chance of finding him!!!.
It took me 10 mins to find the police (had to go on the mainline station) but later on about 11ish there was about 10 on the underground why?
Because the trains to chester were getting full due to a race meeting there.

 

[anthony263]

I did hear somewhere that there was problems with railway enthusiasts having trouble with some locals up near pontlottyn when the class 37s were working up to rhymney.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I had some problems with these type of people before,I tend to get quite angry which makes the situation worse,but in some the situations they start and see what your going to do i tend not to back down (not saying im a hardnut of somesort!)but sometimes if you dont stand up for yourself you do get picked on more.

Anway in this day and age you got to be careful with druggies and there needles and teenagers with guns and knifes.

I was doing some spotting around Grove Park and some Irish teenagers started calling me a geek,gay,and other words i cant say,
and started pinning me against the wall,but they were about 7 of them so i couldnt really do nothing,but a driver im friends with on the Bromley North Branch line pulled me back and they sooned backed off probaly because he was a man.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I had some problems with these type of people before,I tend to get quite angry which makes the situation worse, . . . . .

I guess there isn't any one single best way of dealng with nasty situations, but I tend to agree that if we respond with the same sort of anger or agression that we're confronted with, then the situation is likely to get worse.
When someone behaves agressively towards me I don't always reamain calm enough to think creatively and respond with an appropriate action that will lower the tension, but I have learned to always smile. No matter what the situation. I smile. Sometimes I can laugh in a cheerful way (I did this a while back when a driver got out of his car to threated to punch me - I was on bike - I smiled silently - he went away). It can work in reducing the anger if you don't overdo it, that would look as if you were laughing AT them, which would be as bad as shouting some abuse.

BTW A work colleague of mine was not a particularly careful driver and consequently saw a lot of rude gestures (probably well deserved!) . . . But I was impressed by his response: He'd blow a kiss at the macho driver who'd given him the sign. It seemed to stop the agression.

 

[Spaceflower]

Had two geezers hassling me in Nottingham station once asking if i wanted some heroin. :roll:

 

[Metroland]

I have been given abuse & obsene gesters by passengers and people passing by while photographing trains & buses.

In fairness, the rest of us probably stereotype and have a good giggle about the those sort of people for going on those cheap £9.50 tabliod holidays to the costa del chav and for regular appearances on Jeremy Kyle.

 

[wensley]

Anway in this day and age you got to be careful with druggies and there needles and teenagers with guns and knifes.

We don't all!

 

[Aussie_Rail]

I guess I have been pretty lucky in my travels. The only bad time was with a group of about 15 where they were mostly seated in the middle part of carriage and I was with a friend standing in one of the door ways. Some bogan couple that got nabbed for having no ticket blamed us cos we told on them and singled me out mostly because me and my friend were talking about them and when they got off the bogan woman went to spit at me and it went straight to the floor! Poor shot she was.

But I guess there must be different public perceptions towards enthusiasts here than there, but I guess I'll only truly know when and if I visit.

But here is some advice.

Stay safe, travel with a friend if possible.

Notify someone of your travel plans.

Carry a mobile phone with plenty of battery charge.

Keep to open or well lit places don't go anywhere you are not meant to go.

Keep to your self, don't make attention to your self and avoid people or groups that might be a threat to your safety.

If approached by a group or someone don't provoke them, be polite and avoid conflict if possible.

If your being robbed its best to just deliver, your phone or ipod can be replaced, you cannot. Report the crime as soon as possible and make sure you get a good look at your attacker and record any vital details that might help, description, cars used, direction they came/went etc.

Hope that helps and keep safe.

AR

 

[Bighat]

I had some problems with these type of people before,I tend to get quite angry which makes the situation worse,but in some the situations they start and see what your going to do i tend not to back down (not saying im a hardnut of somesort!)but sometimes if you dont stand up for yourself you do get picked on more.

Anway in this day and age you got to be careful with druggies and there needles and teenagers with guns and knifes.

I was doing some spotting around Grove Park and some Irish teenagers started calling me a geek,gay,and other words i cant say,
and started pinning me against the wall,but they were about 7 of them so i couldnt really do nothing,but a driver im friends with on the Bromley North Branch line pulled me back and they sooned backed off probaly because he was a man.

There is little you can do when the odds are so highly against you.

However, try not to get too engrosed in what you are doing, and keep a careful eye on what is generally going on around your periphery.

Had you noticed these louts earlier, perhaps you could have moved to a more crowded area locally, where they would have been less likely to pick on you.

Not always possible, but worth bearing in mind!

 

[43021HST]

I havnt been spotting at any major city station so I havnt had any bother apart from a few odd looks.

 

[berwickspotter]

Their excuse was that he would have got on a train already so no chance of finding him!!!.

What about cctv ? i've been at berwick spotting many a time and the police have been there waiting for there person to step off the train and straight into handcuffs

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I guess I have been pretty lucky in my travels. The only bad time was with a group of about 15 where they were mostly seated in the middle part of carriage and I was with a friend standing in one of the door ways. Some bogan couple that got nabbed for having no ticket blamed us cos we told on them and singled me out mostly because me and my friend were talking about them and when they got off the bogan woman went to spit at me and it went straight to the floor! Poor shot she was.

But I guess there must be different public perceptions towards enthusiasts here than there, but I guess I'll only truly know when and if I visit.

But here is some advice.

Stay safe, travel with a friend if possible.

Notify someone of your travel plans.

Carry a mobile phone with plenty of battery charge.

Keep to open or well lit places don't go anywhere you are not meant to go.

Keep to your self, don't make attention to your self and avoid people or groups that might be a threat to your safety.

If approached by a group or someone don't provoke them, be polite and avoid conflict if possible.

If your being robbed its best to just deliver, your phone or ipod can be replaced, you cannot. Report the crime as soon as possible and make sure you get a good look at your attacker and record any vital details that might help, description, cars used, direction they came/went etc.

Hope that helps and keep safe.

AR

I dont mean this In a nasty way but If you carry a mobile and your being harrased by a chav,they will likely try and steal that along with your other possetions.
Regards

 

[Aussie_Rail]

I dont mean this In a nasty way but If you carry a mobile and your being harrased by a chav,they will likely try and steal that along with your other possetions.
Regards

Generally, and especially from what I hear its often better to simply be robbed of things like that, rather than put up a struggle and risk being stabbed, where you could be seriously injured or killed.

Obviously if you have been confronted and someone is standing in front of you giving you a hard time then you're not going to get your phone out and call the Police.

If you see a group of people or an individual that looks threatening, don't go near them, go some place where there are more people about and don't do anything that will attract attention to yourself.

If you are at a station or something, go into the ticket office or stand where other people are standing etc.

By doing that you have a better chance of not being robbed or physically hurt.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I agree 100% with you there mate,a mobiles not worth as much as your life.
Regards