Annoying Policy with Tripods

[KmH]

Here's a return question. How many passengers did consumer tripods maim and kill before Amtrak decided they NEEDED to ban them?

The policy is likely preemptive rather than reactive, and about liability.

It is smart business to have policies that mitigate the possibility of having to spend mega dollars on attorneys because some idiot tripped over a tripod and sustained some real or perceived injury.

You can bet somewhere back in time some commercial entity did in fact get sued, thus setting a precedent.

Other commercial entities then learn from that precedent setting legal action and add a policy prohibiting tripods.

Myself I use a monopod, on the platform and on the train, to make video.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Here's a return question. How many passengers did consumer tripods maim and kill before Amtrak decided they NEEDED to ban them?

The policy is likely preemptive rather than reactive, and about liability. It is smart business to have policies that mitigate the possibility of having to spend mega dollars on attorneys because some idiot tripped over a tripod and sustained some real or perceived injury. You can bet somewhere back in time some commercial entity did in fact get sued, thus setting a precedent. Other commercial entities then learn from that precedent setting legal action and add a policy prohibiting tripods. Myself I use a monopod, on the platform and on the train, to make video.

I might be willing to take that bet. How much do you want to wager that you can find and produce a successful precedent setting civil judgement against a US based common carrier arising from an event occurring during active regularly scheduled services, either uncontested or upheld upon final appeal, based entirely or primarily on physical harm from a consumer tripod deployed as intended and designed on an active passenger platform?

 

[TylerP42]

To save someone getting in trouble, I won't say where... But I know a few train stations that don't really care if you set up a tripod on the platform (or at least, don't say anything to me personally)

 

[fredevad]

I wonder if it also may be an issue with Amtrak or the station owner's insurance policy that doesn't allow tripods.

 

[fixj]

KMH reports he uses a MonoPod. Have you had any problems with that? I think it would qualify as a hand held device since you are only resting it on the one leg and still have to hand hold it.Any thoughts on a MonoPod?

 

[willem]

I have a monopod (or monopodos, with accent on the antepenultimate syllable) that is primarily a walking stick. I have used it for steadying both a camera and binoculars and I recommend it. A drawback is that it is not quite tall enough, since its main function is as a walking stick. Also, I would not want to leave a camera on the walking stick while I used it as a walking stick because that would subject the camera to jarring, as well as making it top heavy.

Museum guards have told me that I may not use it as a steadying device for a camera, so evidently they did not consider it a hand held device.

 

[railiner]

They latest iphones (6S+), have 'image stabilization' feature that improve the hand-held video's to where for the most part, tripods aren't needed...sort of a poor mans Steadicam....

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Any thoughts on a MonoPod?

Doesn't help enough for a proper video.

They latest iphones (6S+), have 'image stabilization' feature that improve the hand-held video's to where for the most part, tripods aren't needed.

The result still looks odd in my view. I prefer videos where the focus is on the action in front of the camera rather than the movement of the camera itself.