Toy train operating and collecting

Zephyrx:

I hope this thread comes to an end,  It obviously serves no purpose in this forum.  One parting question to some of you who took this post personally:  How do you feel about designated areas for families in restaurants?  And to 3railguy & Buckeye.riveter, I don't mean in Chuck-E-Cheese's.

  Your comments about 3railguy and Buckeye serve no purpose on this forum either, and they were far from the only ones who disagreed with your "IDEA".

This started with charging more money to get children into train shows, and has morphed into secluding families in restaurants.

What bothers you about children and families in public places?

Kurt

Just remember, your kids will eventually decide which retirement home you go to later in life.

Zephyrx:

How do you feel about designated areas for families in restaurants?  And to 3railguy & Buckeye.riveter, I don't mean in Chuck-E-Cheese's.

If we follow the logic, it could all work out........

Similiar to smoking; Initially no rules, just common courtesy, 1) Establish designated smoking areas, 2) Ban smoking in restaurants and bars, 3) Ban smoking in public places, 4) Ban smoking in home, if it part of a multi-family building, 5) Permit local cities and communities to ban smoking in geographical limits, 5) Currently, activist group to ban smoking in the entire state.

Just imagine a state without anyone younger than 21 or 18?  

There oughta be a law !   (we need more)

Zephyrx:

I hope this thread comes to an end,  It obviously serves no purpose in this forum.  One parting question to some of you who took this post personally:  How do you feel about designated areas for families in restaurants?  And to 3railguy & Buckeye.riveter, I don't mean in Chuck-E-Cheese's.

Why not Chuck-E-Cheeses? Both trainshows and Chuckee's involve playthings designed to bond children and adults. Model trains and playground equipment. Unless of course you're into delicate brass or something. Then a private association designated to adults is probably for you.

My recollection is that the courtesy was fairly uncommon back before smoking bans were enacted, not that that has a lot to do with banning children from train shows.

I haven't posted on this forum in awhile but when I saw this thread it really ticked me off and I had to get on my soap box and to paraphrase Dennis Miller,"I don't mean to go on a rant here, but...".

Why don't we charge extra for anyone we can't have a meaningful train discussion with? Is it that hard for you to take a few minutes of your valuable time to talk to a kid about a train even if it's only "How fast will it go?" or "How many cars can it pull?" These are toys, not adult only items and if you think that only people who have "meaningful" discussions about them make up the majority of us you are sadly mistaken my friend! I guess when my 3 year old grandson wants me to go downstairs with him to play with the choo choos that is an inconvenience. No we have fun PLAYING with our trains, we put ping pong balls in the dump cars and blocks in the gondolas and blow the whistle til the tender just about rattles itself apart and sometimes I just sit there while he makes up a story about moving this or that around on the layout, nothing "meaningful" gets said or done but when all is said and done it was meaningful, to him and to me. If you're willing to blow off younger people because they are some sort of bother to you then maybe you need to find a hobby that doesn't require you to have any contact with other people. I truly pity you.

  I could have ALMOST believed this on the MR forum, where they take things like how many rails the tracks have way too seriously. I sure wouldn't have expected it here though.

  To ME, I get as much Satisfaction, and Enjoyment out of the Hobby BECAUSE of the Kids. Here are pics of 3 of my Nephews, those Smiles Pretty much say it All.

Doug

If you don't like children involved with toy trains then you need to read the Editor's Corner by Allan Miller December 2007 OGR magazine !

" Growing A Great Tradition"

Challenger, if those are dinosaurs in those gondolas I think you have hit the little kid trifecta there, trains, dinosaurs and fire trucks!

It's a good chance those are Dinosaurs in the gondolas, and the firetrucks, well lets just say that my Brother-in-Law is a Fireman/Paramedic. Not having had any Sons of my own, "Uncle Doug" does spoil his Nephews, when it comes to trains, they are all definitely HOOKED.

Roger Bielen:

My problem is with strollers, especially doubles.  Hard on the ankles.

Guess you have never been run over by a scooter !!

Sounds like he's almost advocating some type of 'baby sitting service'. For a few extra $$$ you can drop your kid off and go train shopping? If your kid is too young to appreciate and accompany you through the show, best to leave 'em home. How many of us have seen plenty of crying / sobbing 'another happy railroader'  kids at shows. I wouldn't dream of dropping my kids off to a stranger to watch 'em while I walked away.

I took the youngest of my three daughters (8yrs old) to York for the first time last year. She was greeted with smiles and warm comments from everyone who met her. Afterwards, when we went out for dinner, she did call Mom and tell her she was 'sick of trains'. Asked if she'd go with me this year, she quickly said 'yes'.

CJ Meyers

CJ,

I think I saw you and your daughter at York last year!...just a handful of youngsters attended, and me being a newer dad, you tend to look at things like that.  I didn't see any kids acting up while I was there.  Pretty remarkable considering this amount of continuous walking required at York. 

Wes