Oops

Bit of a bad week to be a freelance urban transit enthusiast:

First this - http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23946092-terror-alert-at-77-tube-station-blamed-on-four-urban-explorers.do

Now this - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tunnel_punk_terror_scares_clfEzPGLRb3uHPN3pMj5HI

Good thing I'm retired.

First, for the layperson, a good explanation of the ridiculousness of the Post story is on the LTV blog.

Second, for others so inclined to do this stuff, what's to be taken from this is a very simple lesson. Do not ever get comfortable. It's illegal. It can be legitimately dangerous. People do "see something and say something," especially when things like Royal Weddings are taking place in two days or terrorist masterminds have just been killed. In almost every instance I know of when people have gotten hurt or arrested, there have been two main culprits - bad luck, and a sense of complacency. Just because something went smooth and easy once, doesn't mean it's going to go smooth and easy a second time. Just because you got a couple of people somewhere without a hitch, doesn't mean you can get 30 people there and throw a party.

I am, of course, about the last person who would say "don't do this stuff." Everyone makes their own choices and calculates their own risk-reward ratio. But there is no point in upping the "risk" part with no corresponding increase in the "reward" part. Drag racing at 120 miles an hour might be dumb, sure, but it can also be fun and exhilarating. But doing it without buckling your seatbelt is just dumb.

And, of course, in case you don't know what to do when you've been arrested, this is required watching - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik