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Re: Utah
Author: OldPoleBurner
Date: 01-26-2010 - 11:17
I too am sorry for the bad behavior of these individuals towards you. I hope your offense and discouragement are short lived. Know that your efforts have been greatly appreciated - even by many professionals. Whatever you decide for your future, I wish you the best.
But this does sound like standard railfan behavior to me! Indeeed, it is reminiscent of regular personal attacks, put-downs, and self-superior attitudes found everywhere in the railfan community. It is especially similar to vicious personal attacks found regularly on this forum against certain individuals!
And it is especially common from railroaders themselves - almost anywhere - towards railfans. Being a professional railroader, I sadly understand why - railfans are often their own worst enemy. But this is certainly as pathetic an excuse as any, for a professional. Sometimes it's just because the railroader in question feels demoralized and put-upon in his job, and thus doesn't understand anyone with avid interest - still pathetic in my opinion!
As for those quirky reactions in Utah, you should note that rail hobbies are almost non-existent in Utah or the whole "Intermountain West" actually - a very tiny percentage of a very small population. Few people there would even know what a railfan was, let alone understand the rational of your inquiry.
In fact, to my knowledge, there is only one decently stocked (still marginal) model railroad hobby shop in Provo and a very tiny ill stocked store 85 miles to the north in Ogden - nothing else between Las Vegas all the way through Utah and Idaho to Boise; or from Reno to Denver. I was thus always quite surprised that there was a timetable ever produced for that state in the first place - Glad it was though.
As to TMS's references to "bastards", "religious nonsense" and "worst railroaders", this characterization is a prime example of the rampant bad behavior of railfan and railroader alike. I fail to see his point; as I have always been treated with respect by professionals there. Sounds as though he has a personal ax to grind; or maybe it's the "right-to-work" union status of railroaders there; or maybe it's just plain old fashioned religious bigotry (not that he actually knows the religion of any railroader in particular). At any rate, judging from his choice of words, it appears that a look in the mirror might be useful.
OPB
But this does sound like standard railfan behavior to me! Indeeed, it is reminiscent of regular personal attacks, put-downs, and self-superior attitudes found everywhere in the railfan community. It is especially similar to vicious personal attacks found regularly on this forum against certain individuals!
And it is especially common from railroaders themselves - almost anywhere - towards railfans. Being a professional railroader, I sadly understand why - railfans are often their own worst enemy. But this is certainly as pathetic an excuse as any, for a professional. Sometimes it's just because the railroader in question feels demoralized and put-upon in his job, and thus doesn't understand anyone with avid interest - still pathetic in my opinion!
As for those quirky reactions in Utah, you should note that rail hobbies are almost non-existent in Utah or the whole "Intermountain West" actually - a very tiny percentage of a very small population. Few people there would even know what a railfan was, let alone understand the rational of your inquiry.
In fact, to my knowledge, there is only one decently stocked (still marginal) model railroad hobby shop in Provo and a very tiny ill stocked store 85 miles to the north in Ogden - nothing else between Las Vegas all the way through Utah and Idaho to Boise; or from Reno to Denver. I was thus always quite surprised that there was a timetable ever produced for that state in the first place - Glad it was though.
As to TMS's references to "bastards", "religious nonsense" and "worst railroaders", this characterization is a prime example of the rampant bad behavior of railfan and railroader alike. I fail to see his point; as I have always been treated with respect by professionals there. Sounds as though he has a personal ax to grind; or maybe it's the "right-to-work" union status of railroaders there; or maybe it's just plain old fashioned religious bigotry (not that he actually knows the religion of any railroader in particular). At any rate, judging from his choice of words, it appears that a look in the mirror might be useful.
OPB
