The inspection sounds silly and I wouldn't be surprised if next month you are warned by a supervisor for not having proper safety equipment in your car.

This headline from 3 days ago might have motivated the most recent inspection: "Union Pacific Railroad Co. has agreed to pay $102 million for a huge California wildfire sparked by its workers...."

Here is the full story:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-07-22-railroad-lawsuit_N.htm?csp=34