My grandfather put in 52 years, and my father put in 44 years, so don't bother talking down to me. I know all about how crews suffer, because my dad sure did enough of it when they hit or killed somebody.

The last night my dad worked they almost hit a guy on the way in when they were within 2 miles of the yard limits. A few years before he retired, he was the first to get to a drunk trespasser who lost his lower leg (passed out drunk on the tracks). Per my dad's own words, if it had been up to him they wouldn't even have stopped, because he thought that guy was just trash strewn along the right of way.

People make mistakes--even tough guys like you. Your only salvation was that none of your mistakes didn't cause you--or somebody else--to lose their life.

You may have 43 years on the railroad, but I wouldn't call you a railroader for all the gold in Fort Knox. Jerk, arsehole, or d*ckhead come to mind.

You wouldn't have made it for 43 days here with that attitude pal.