Railfans v.s. Nonrailfans

MEClover Jan 18, 2007

  1. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I think all kids tease what is not mainstream, dictateted by TV or now Internet. I grew up when TV started the 30 min commercials, read shows, for Transformers, GI Joe and Voltron. If you brought the newest Starscream Transformer to school after Christmas, you were cool. I usally built model airplanes and model railroad items, which in the 1980's were not cool. The teasing got worse in high school when I had to go to a private snooty school. Fortunately for a guy who had the name "Hawkeye", I could zing their remarks back at them and have a laugh. By my later years in HS, I was rarely teased about my knowledge of aircraft and railroads. I even had a teacher once say, "Stop playing with all those stupid models, you'll never get anywhere in life with them." Well I'm happy to say, I did, as I know work in the very industry that makes some of the items I built and modeled with as a kid. I have a great job, a nice house and everything I have wanted. Some of the kids that teased me are in far worse places. I even married a girl who is a rail nerd like me, so don't worry you'll do fine.

    Jim Hawkeye:shade:
     
  2. alxmoss0609

    alxmoss0609 TrainBoard Member

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    Ive been made fun of and guess what i dont care if they dont like me for what i am i dont need them
     
    HemiAdda2d likes this.
  3. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    jeeez! I am wondering if that teacher is still teaching!

    My wife is a retired school administrator(principal). I bet she would have
    a "field day" with an evaluation of a teacher of that ilk!

    CT
     
  4. MEClover

    MEClover TrainBoard Member

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    My dad can't even enter my room because every inch of useable carpet is taken up by my trains, except for a 3ft wide path from my bed to the door... lol.... I get yelled at to clean my room.
     
  5. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    Having raised two children, I am quite well acquainted with what a teen's room looks like ! LOL


    CT
     
  6. MEClover

    MEClover TrainBoard Member

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    lol.. well I told my teacher about what has been going on.. the main stream teasing has settled down..... for now anyway..

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  7. MOPMAN

    MOPMAN TrainBoard Member

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    Just keep doing what your doing and you'll do fine. It's tough being a teenager in this day and time. BTW I love the penguin vid.
     
  8. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member

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    For those who understand, no explanation is necessary.
    For those who don't, no explaination is possible.

    Not an original quote from me, but it seems to fit this thread.
     
    HemiAdda2d likes this.
  9. MEClover

    MEClover TrainBoard Member

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    lol. mind if I use that one?

    Colby
     
  10. Geomodelrailroader

    Geomodelrailroader New Member

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    I have no problem being a railfan it is the name calling and the trolls calling for our deaths which is the problem. Every form I been on I heard someone called Foamer, had each of the letters spelled out, or heard someone shout "Death to the Foamers!" or Death to All Railfans" this is not funny I am in the Operation Lifesaver Group and we get this all the time. Suicide by train has gone up all because some railroader does not like us and has turned to trolling to prove a point. The problem with this mentality is we are getting more and more railfan related deaths. We all remember Henderson where a railfan was killed YouTube, Trainorders, Facebook, and Trainweb were buzzing with troll activity hours after the collision. This has got to stop and when train crews hit someone it puts trauma on the crews, it puts trauma on us, and it forces the canceling of excursions and trains. Frontier Days and Railfest got canceled because of this. Please don't call names and please don't tell railfans to do suicide by train it effects us all.
     
    Kurt Moose likes this.
  11. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Old thread resuscitated. I'd not seen this before. For certain there are a number of us here who have had our childhood interest in trains blossom into successful careers in railroading or transportation. A growing number of colleges offer degrees in the careers of transportation, distribution, logistics and supply chain, and these skills are in high demand.
     
    gjslsffan, RailMix and Charlie like this.
  12. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    I was one of those people whose childhood fantasy of being the engineer of a fast. streamlined express train became a reality; except my streamlined express train was a commuter train.

    Charlie
     
  13. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    In 2010, I went to a "train the trainer" type class in which I recieved principles of instruction. The course culminated in each student providing a lesson of their choice, timed, with visual aids, etc. I chose to teach how steam locomotives work; how they take water and burning coal, oil or wood and generate forward motion. It was fun to research and more fun to teach. I had found an animated GIF that showed how the typical valve gear operated in a cutaway view. I thought the lesson went well. I passed, so I guess so!

    "I chase trains for fun and profit" is what I tell folks... :D
     
    gjslsffan and Hardcoaler like this.
  14. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    When I was in junior college I took a speed reading course and I quickly found out that my comprehension was inversely proportional to my reading speed. None of the speed reading techniques worked for me and I was at risk of a low grade. The final exam was worth 50% of our grade and I knew I was doomed.

    The exam reading materials were specially selected to be obscure, so as to assure no student would be familiar with the topics and gain an unfair advantage. I had to stifle my disbelief when I discovered my exam material was titled William McAdoo and the United States Railroad Administration in World War I.

    I covertly entered my answers on the exam without doing any reading, then quickly read the selection to double check my responses. All was well.

    I got an A on the exam and it offset the C I'd earned on the first exam, gaining me a B in the class. Who would have thought knowledge of the USRA would be valuable? :)
     
    BNSF FAN, gjslsffan and Charlie like this.

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