Cables

The current rate of cable theft means we cannot really allow much more detail than what you've already posted.

lj2:

The information is out there, possibly even in the depths of this forum somewhere, probably in an LT publication aswell.

A general comment, if I may.
By and large once liberties are taken away they rarely come back. Great example on the tube being litter bins on the tube and the IRA. Therefore, if an increasing amount of information is to be reclassified as 'sensitive', it would prove wise to put such information in a members only board (the members on here being safely vetted and so, one assumes, not likely to have malicious intentions). The alternative, as has been seen more and more over the years is not only a shift in tone of the forum, but the alienation of people who have such information, and the ceasation of more and more of their general output, until they eventually leave, taking with them other hoards of enthusiasts who suddenly find less and less to enthuse over.

Knowledge can at times be dangerous, but fear of knowledge is far worse the crime.

Whilst information is indeed out there somewhere, that doesn't mean we should then automatically allow something on here.

A brilliant current example is the result of a FOI request that has been shared online. Within the information that was released by LU/TfL are all the door codes for an LU line giving access to driver book on points, messrooms, signal cabins and depots and all other manner of private and restricted areas. As its already online (has been since August), and as LU/TfL released the information themselves, I suppose we ought to put up a link on the forum?

I think not, and common sense ought to suggest why. If you cannot see the issue with that sort of information being freely available........

I suspect you've seen LU staff posting less here and have put two and two together.........if you have, the answer isn't four.

LU staff are more cautious because questions are being asked by members of the London Assembly off the back of information they've gained from LU staff posts on this forum.

Ever seen "insider" LU or TfL staff quoted in the papers? That's another way of saying we pulled that quote straight off Dave's forum.

Then there's management getting twitchy. I know of LU staff that have been instructed to tone down the information they post on here.

We have also had contact from British Transport Police with regard to things like S stock delivery movements. It is them that are concerned with graffiti attacks - indeed it is interesting that a report of an attack was made on this forum almost in tandem with the time the crime was committed. Co-incidence? maybe....or maybe not.

Now we all accept that S stock delivery paths are probably posted elsewhere, and are probably easy to work out based on previous paths, but we don't have to allow that information just because its already posted elsewhere. British Transport Police asked us not to allow it in the hope of preventing graffiti, trespass and possibly even death. Again common sense ought to suggest why we agreed to the BTP request...........and if you can get the information elsewhere anyway, well whats the problem?

Really? You might want to tell the FOI people cos they give out timetables (and other far more sensitive information like door access codes) like confetti at a wedding.

I suppose that fact they've got "Private - for staff use only" printed on the front of them is a printing error then? And what about employee safety? The ability to track a given drivers movements, for example, isn't something I support TBH. Did you know you can get current drivers duty books via a FOI request? Yeah, 10 out 10 for employee safety LU!!

So taking this specific thread, you don't see cable theft as a valid reason to sit on your fingers?

You think its perfectly acceptable to detail which colour cables are useless fiber optics, and which are the more valuable copper ones? You think its ok to guide thieves on which particular shelf of the cable run contains the stuff they're after? Again BTP have concerns over trespass, criminal damage and the potential for death from high voltages and moving trains. You could adopt the stance that the criminal deserves the consequences of their actions, but what about the disruption to the railway?

Sorry but all of those concerns outweigh the wants of the enthusiast.

Pedantic or common sense?

Trouble is times have changed - 9/11 and 7/7 happened. Much like Kings Cross in your day.

"if one knows what one is looking at" - exactly. If they don't know what they're looking, there's no problem is there?!!

Much like another recent subject - if a door says "Private", well sorry but its private.