stupid question i got for you experienced benchers...

im far from experienced when it comes to trains, i know quite a bit of safety issues and what not, but my question is about benching.

alto of yall bench alot and i would like to start doing it more, but everytime i go i feel so fucking suspect on the tracks.

now when you go to just bench, like grab flicks, do you still stay out of the workers site as much as possible? is it a big deal if they see you or not if you just catching flicks?

ese i know you had your little couch posted up by tha tracks, is it cool to sit off to tha side like that and wait for the trains? and is it cool to walk down the tracks to go and get your flicks? i know better than to run from a worker, specially if all im doing is flickin, but like i said, just aint used to it i guess, and i dont wanna blow a spot.

what should you say if you have to talk with the workers? i dont think it would be the best idea i guess to ay your flicking tha graff, but maybe like grabbing piks of the trains and the art work?

i know its some stupid shit to be asking, but if ya could drop me some knowledge, i might catch some dope shit and be able to post it in tha bench :)

teaser

first, my method of getting flix from layed up trains involves staying out of sight as much as possible. ive had to sacrifice quality to stay out of the eye of yard workers to not heat myself or the layup out. even if its not paintable, you still want to get flix there, right?

actually benching i try to find the chillest place i can. but to bench trains, you dont have to be near any action, just a nice active line (ive got a sweet east and west mainline where i bench, its always hot). drive beside the tracks, go out into the country, or look for places that people are welcome to watch trains (depots, train stations..etc). worst case, i plop down out in the boonies or in a little wooded area and bring some sort of entertainment and some bug spray. wave nicely as the engines go by and enjoy how fucking loud the whole experience is (i drive away from a good few hours of benching and i can still hear trains approaching in my ears).

when i talk with workers, i tell them as little as i have to get away with it. if they ask what youre doing, say "im taking pictures." if they ask what of, say "the trains." dont talk about graffiti, dont try to explain the whole process of what youre doing, just get in and get out. i bargain with them, if they say, "its my ass, you need to leave," tell them to give you five minutes, and if they do, run your ass over, get the flix, and smile as you walk by. but that goes back to being seen. if you dont have to go through that process, dont. im stealth when i get flix.

my biggest worry isnt necessarily workers or being seen, its just the overall security of the yard. i have layups and yards in really shitty parts of shitty towns, and i always watch my ass when im in them. im neither big nor very opposing to ANYBODY, so if i see someone who looks like they have even LESS of a reason to be there than i do, i jet. fuck it, theres always another day.

overall, respect the people and the contents of the yards. thats where people work, and ive always had a policy of leaving them alone (how would you like it if kids were taking pictures where you worked all the time? and i doubt where you work, people can be killed if they happen to be prancing around unknowingly). if they want to talk, be nice, and if they ask you to leave, leave. dont fuck shit up in the yard, and spend the least amount of time as you have to get quality flix and get every single one :) ive done some pretty stupid and dangerous stuff to get flix, because im an addict (jump moving lines to get both sides, i was stuck in between two moving lines a couple times and its one of the scariest experiences of my life), just be safe and realize that its not the end of the world to miss that e2e that just rolled by...that is unless you can catch it again!

it depends on the spot your benching at. like you sed always stay safe thats #1/ if you can try stay far enough away from the trains/trax to get the kind of fliks you want. if you can, try and find a spot where you can get a close view of the trains without being on rr property. where i bench the only workers i see are going by in the engine, and they just wave. every spot is different. just tell people your taking fliks of the trains cause you like trains. if the specifically ask you why you r taking fliks of graffiti....if you think you can take the guy or out run him tell him none of your fuckin business. if it looks official like you could spend the night in the tank then tell him you work for a hip hop magazine called "sweat from ma ballz"and your doing a story on graffiti, but ill leave if its not cool!...im sure ese cracked or kabar can give you a much more serious and concise answer though.

or fr8lover.

say fr8lover, thanks for tha advice man. your to railfan..

cracked, ese, and kabar im still waiting to here some tips from yall to.

or anyone else for that matter..

once again thanks

tease

your best bet is just benching at legal spots. I know plenty of places round here where you can reach out and touch the tracks while still being on public (or atleast non-railroad) property. Everywhere has at least a few spots like this so start looking for them. I love just sitting in the sun on a summer day and watching the lines pass...just give that big shit-eating grin and wave when the engine goes by. If workers go by in a truck or somthing just nod or acknowledge them somehow (dont give them the ice grill) and they will usually smile and wave back. If you look like your around trains 24/7 and dont have a care in the world, it sort of disarms anybody who might be concerned about who you are, or what your up to.

The couch flick was just for fun...it was too smelly to use on the regular....but thats just a few feet from the place I normally bench.

When your gotta tresspass to get flix just get in and get out. dont doddle...and try to stay out of sight from the workers. If you get busted by one dont panic or run, just tell them your getting photos (if your not up on your railfan knowledge, just bullshit about a school project or somthing) and they will probably tell you its private property and to get lost. Some may be chill and not even confront you, but its best to leave anyways, they could be going out of sight to radio the bull or somthing (some workers have an axe to grind with tresspassers...but they are few and far between)

that about covers it. Just use your head and you'll be fine.

hey i know this isnt my thread but i wanted to ask this question and it goes along with this topic. i usally bench inside the yard close to me and havent had no trouble i met a couple workers and shit and they seemed nice and let me stay one even told me about his bitch of a wife and thats why he loves working late nights in the yard. but i dont wanna be a regular around there for the reason that i might were out my welcome, so ive been benching 4 different layups, and i havent been seen but once and they didnt say anything, but i was wondering whats up with layups, to my understanding most is in industrial parks and places like that so are they the lumber and steel factories or are they still the rail roads property and how often is it that you could get aressted for benching a layup cuase its not really tresspassing is it? thanks ahead for the help later. CLUEone.

if your on tracks your tresspassing. Layups are just like really small yards, so its not any different. Some companies will own spur lines that serve their factory, but they are very rare...and it would simply become a charge of tresspassing by another company instead of the railroad.

Bottom line is stay off the tracks and you shouldnt have any problems...

The whole idea of "benching" is about sitting still while the trains go by you. It's the best when you have a busy mainline, a place to sit and chill where nobody will bother you, etc. But when you use the term "benching", it really means watching the trains roll, like back in the day when it was the subways.

It seems you're looking more for advice on flick missions. Fr8lover and ese covered it as far as I'm concerned: stealth as much as is feasible, have no graff shit on you, be cool with workers if you must go where they can see you, and don't heat up your yard or spot just to get some day flicks.

I never just wander around looking for random flicks. If I have a specific train to flick, I make a mission out of it. If I'm rolling around to spots to flick whatever's there, I stick to stuff I can flick from non-RR property. If I then see something further in that I'm dying to flick, I go into stealth mode again. Rarely I'll mix flick-taking with hitting up a few streaks, but only in certain spots where I know what to expect for activity.

My favorite way to bench, though, is the carefree shit where I don't even have a camera, and I'm by a mainline but not near a yard, and I just watch shit roll and maybe write down who I see. This is particularly enjoyable in the company of some knowledgable heads.

aight see ive been using the term benching alittle losely then, cuase i ment when im in a lay up or a yard and see alot of shit i wanna flick ill head back and get rid of all my graff stuff and go back in walking around getting flicks, i mean im in stealth mode its just theres way more workers than just little oh me so sometime they happen to see me, it hasnt heated up any of my spots, but then again ive only been painting trains for a little while and have only been spotted a couple times. i guess ill lay lo wit the flick taking for fear of heating up my spots. well thanks for the help. CLUEone