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Well, on Dec. 15th the commuter network around Frankfurt received the first batch of their new EMUs, which are scheduled to replace the old trainsets currently in operation until 2005. Let me tell you first, IMHO these new trains rock completely ...which is why I was all the more furious when I saw the first cases of graffiti and scratched windows just a few days later .
Ya know, I'm pretty sure that the kids who do this (according to an article I read some time ago, the majority of them are indeed between 15 and 20 years) are as much dependent on the railway as anybody else who has to commute by train...but if that's their way of saying "thank you", well...
As a matter of fact, I just read that the removal of these so-called works of art from just one trainset amounts to more than € 7,500...and that they need to do a full repaint after three graffiti removal procedures, which costs something like € 250,000.
Sometimes...just sometimes I wish that some of those nice folks should have an encounter with an Intercity coming in at 100 mph while crossing the tracks into the yard...
Dominik Mann Visit www.tssf.de - www.bahn.de - http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/ - www.eisenbahnforum.de

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What's your take on railway vandalism? [View All], cjmaclean, 03:39 PM, Jan-12-03, (0) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, ACRHumanResources, Jan-12-03, 05:51 PM, (1) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, jtr1962, Jan-13-03, 06:33 AM, (2) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, Jonatan, Jan-13-03, 06:38 AM, (3) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, darkfyre, Jan-13-03, 12:07 PM, (4) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, ACRHumanResources, Jan-13-03, 12:48 PM, (5) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, cjmaclean, Jan-13-03, 01:14 PM, (6) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, ACRHumanResources, Jan-13-03, 03:58 PM, (10) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, mailer_daemon, Jan-15-03, 04:47 AM, (15) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, highball5, Jan-15-03, 07:25 PM, (17) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, doom262003, Jan-13-03, 02:45 PM, (7) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, CSXALine, Jan-13-03, 03:03 PM, (8) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, CRSD40, Jan-13-03, 03:06 PM, (9) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, CGW409, Jan-13-03, 06:13 PM, (11) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, Media Lint, Jan-13-03, 06:41 PM, (12) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, K36487, Jan-14-03, 09:51 PM, (13) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, TrainFreak, Jan-15-03, 04:07 AM, (14) RE: What's your take on railway vandalism?, CGW409, Jan-15-03, 06:21 PM, (16)

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I hate scratchiti (as we call scratched window 'art' in the US) and graffiti.Here in NY, we're now taking a different approach to that problem. Seats on the brand new R142, 142Alpha and 143's are urethane coated, making scratching them virtually impossible. Windows now have a plastic kind of film, which once scratched, is easily replaceable, and thus is MUCH MUCH cheaper than replacing the entire pane of plexiglass (we do NOT use real glass anymore...too expensive and shatters too easily).As for outside graffiti or even inside, we use specialized paint remover, which is not harmful to the coating on the seats, and won't disturb the paint/permanent wallpaper on the bulkheads, etc. Outside graffiti is removed ASAP at one of three car washes, the biggest one being at NYCT's Coney Island Overhaul Facility.For commuter lines, like MNRR and LIRR, the risk of scratchiti and graffiti is lower, thank god, but still, PM (preventive maintenance) with regards to windows is taken approximately every 90 days. Cars are washed on two week cycles, I believe.Stuart D. Guberman
Chief Operations Officer
Atlantic Coastal Railway
http://www.atlanticrail.com

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I live in NYC also and hate that scratchiti. It seems that by removing graffiti right away that problem has been more or less solved, but has been replaced by scratched windows. Scratchiti wouldn't exist either if the trains still used glass windows, but then the b*stards would probably start smashing windows instead(like they do on the glass bus shelters). In the end, the solution is to catch these people and either make them do public service repairing the mess they make, or cane them in public. Unfortunately, catching them is the hard part since you can't have a police officer in every subway car. Still, a greater effort should be made because I don't believe there are more than a few dozen hard core graffiti artists. Catch them, and you've solved 99% of the problem. If their punishment is swift and severe, others will be discouraged from following in their footsteps. Besides public service cleaning subway cars and caning for repeat offenders, there should also be hefty fines against both the offenders, and their parents(if the offender is under 18). Parents are just as responsible when their kid goes off and destroys public property.

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Yeah I agree totaly! Graffiti and other ways of damaging rail property is surely the most useless thing you can doo.One day about 2 years back at "Ångans dag" (Steam day) here in Falun, some punk had the day before sprayed a lot of faul language and graffiti over one of the steam engines. Talk about that the engine crew responsible for the engine got pissed when they had to scrub the entire loco and tender clean from grafitti!!! I was so upset when I saw it, it was that loco that was going to pull the excurtion train. Many others did also react negative to this, it was even in the local papers.Now that was a VERY bad thing to doo, and that it was a steam engine make things even worse atleast in my eyes./JonatanSteam rules!

My E-mail jonatan.gronoset@telia.com

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I know a relatively easy and cost-effective solution to this problem.Post signs at regular intervals, that say 'Area Monitored by Closed Circuit TV'


...Runnin' on Soda...

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Believe it or not -- NYC was way ahead of you -- NYCT (responsible for the NYC Subway and Bus systems) initated(sp) a pilot program about 5 years ago to actually have CCTV cameras on selected trains (IRT "Redbirds" mainly).Nothing really came out of it unfortunately, as we don't have each and every single subway car with CCTVs.Stuart D. Guberman
Chief Operations Officer
Atlantic Coastal Railway
http://www.atlanticrail.com

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Actually, some subway networks here in Germany did install camera surveillance on their trains with good effect. Maybe DB should think about that as well.
Well, here's my suggestion for how to punish those f**king vandals ...
1) Have them pull the cars into the workshop with ropes and sheer muscle power while the facility personnel "encourages" them through the use of whips2) Instead of using those nasty harmful chemicals to clean up graffiti, have them l1ck their work off with their tongues...and DON'T let them go until the car looks better than when it left the factory3) Lest I forget it...have them blow into the brake lines if they need to release the brakes for shunting the vehicles around
That good enough?
Dominik Mann Visit www.tssf.de - www.bahn.de - http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/ - www.eisenbahnforum.de

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Ooo...you're BAD.Stuart D. Guberman
Chief Operations Officer
Atlantic Coastal Railway
http://www.atlanticrail.com

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LAST EDITED ON Jan-15-03 AT 04:50 AM (EST)

>Ooo...you're BAD.
>Simple. Should the cops catch any of the vandals, throw them in prison to stay for a few years instead of just fining them. They can vandalise the prison walls for all they want. Period.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/rogorox/

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Quote> S.I.U. officers have active program for arresting taggers vandalizing railcars
Quote> in Arkansas Missouri Railroad yard.
Quote> The S.I.U. team has installed both overt and covert cameras to discourage
Quote> theft, fraud or vandalism. From Arkansas Missouri Railroad....http://www.arkansasmissouri-rr.com/fullstory05.html

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In my city the high schoolers (including myself) must either drive ourselves, get driven, or take the city bus. There aren't any big events around here such as what you said. Maybe some Frankfurt teens are just immature punks.

Tom

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Problem here in the States is that some of the turds have gunsJason Webb
Http://www.scl-aline.com

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Some freight cars are now being painted with spraypaint resistant paint.

-----------------------------

Kyle Norek, Milepost 76 on the NS Buffalo Line
MSN Messenger: crsd40@hotmail.com

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Hi all
In that perfect world where no one sues at the drop of a hat, I'd just let the little darlings run about the yard and hope they had an encounter with our friend Mr. Third rail.
MMMMM.. deep fried vandalGary S

"Some say this country's just out for a fight. After 9/11 man I'd have to say thats right"
"Have You Forgotten"
Darryl Worley

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And here is San Francisco if you're caught vandalizing or making a big mess on a transit vehicle ... You may get a fine but most likely ...YOU GET TO CLEAN IT! And dozens of other cars or buses just like it, too!

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Lately, there's been some vandalism to some vintage CTSRR freightcars.
The Friends of the C&TS got together and repainted them all!I was mad when I heard about this, though.

Future Cumbres & Toltec or Durango & Silverton Engineer (I'm only 14!)Member of the NGVWTo see progress of the NG Route, go to: http://groups.msn.com/MSTSNarrowGauge/narrowgaugerouteformsts.msnw

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Here in Norway we have found the perfect way to stop this phenomenon.
We park the trainsets under live catenary at nite, and so when the lowlifes jump on the roof to start 'decorating' - KZZZZZZZZZAP!!Only problem is it'll probably take a few years to get them all

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Ah a vandal bug zapperGary S

"Some say this country's just out for a fight. After 9/11 man I'd have to say thats right"
"Have You Forgotten"
Darryl Worley

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