Like my subject suggests, someone has successfully managed to ruin it for the rest of us.
As many north New Jersey fans know, CP-5 in Ridgefield Park (along CR's River Line) is a popular gathering spot for some decent rail action that does not require a long drive. Call it "convenience railfanning," if you will. The area involved not only includes the side-by-side lines of CR and the New York, Susquehanna & Western, but also some commercial buildings, one of which has a small parking lot where railfans gather. It seems that one local railfan got the bright idea into his head to feed cheese doodles to the area seagulls (the property is adjacent to a navigable waterway, Overpeck Creek). Well, the owner of the one building whose lot is used by fans has taken to chaining off the lot to discourage people from parking there. In addition, Conrail police will begin ticketing vehicles parked on the ROW (an implicit no-no anyway), and the company will begin erecting "No Trespassing" signs. The bottom line is that because of one individual's actions, we polite railfans now look like irresponsible jackasses, something which we did NOT deserve. Something to consider the next time you're trackside: take only pictures, leave only footprints. Dieter -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs -> Message © SPORRS® 1998 - All Rights Reserved
