You may very well be right in this instance, Roger. However, put yourself in the mindset of someone, who perhaps doesn't know beans from apple butter about this situation, or trains in general, stumbling across this pix. What kind of dangerous impression could it implant into a person's mind?
In my opinion there is absolutely no excuse for even thinking about walking (or running for that matter) in the center of the track.
Let me illustrate by a personal example. Way back when, during the Scenic Railways era, I had the occasion to go on an inspection trip of the C&TS in MWO2. We came around a curve near Sublette and found ourselves face to face with a small group of motorbikers riding the center of the track.
We got stopped in time, fortunately. But there were bikes scattered all over, one on its side just a very few feet from the front of MWO2. Fortunately no one was hurt, and the only casualties were some bruised egos and skinned up bikes.
I asked the one idiot who came closest to getting hit why they were there. His answer:
"We didn't think that trains ran on this anymore".
'Nuff said.
CJ