dont do it

[Anonymous]

If your under 18 dont leave home cause your mad and DONT PULL A STUPID STUNT like some kids do some people will agree life only happens once dont give it up STAY IN SCHOOL and OFF DRUGS I lost my best friend yesterday
his family will bury him tommorow if i would have known he was usin drugs i would have kicked his *** for it but i cant help what I cant see
we rode the rails are worked the fairs the only person i could talk to is gone
If I see any one smokin dope crack or any thing you cant smoke legaly your *** is mine stay clean cool and in school itll make you a better person[8D]

[Anonymous]

I agree!
During 16 years of my life, i have never picked up a cigarette, got drunk or used any other illegal drugs. Teens who think that smoking so cool really make me mad. Trust me, laying on the hospital bed hooked up to tubes is not very cool. Think about it: would you like to kiss a guy or girl who's been smoking for a while? I wouldnt. The truth is that SMOKING KILLS. DONT DO IT.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you SLIC!

WE see Alot of various types of people on the commuter trains, Some kids come from troubled backgrounds, and we are asked, If there is a problem, to try and act as a mentor figure to these people, and to try and help them through whatever difficult times they are going through.

Don't get me wrong, for some conductors, just the thought of helping someone out is out of the question, that would mean, heaven forbid, talking to these people, and maybe giving out some persnal information, like a Cell phone number or an E-mail address, But most, Are more then willing to talk to you, remain in contact with you (if the need is there) refer them to special groups.

BUT, i couldn't agree wiht you more, I don't smoke.. I don't believe in buying My death at a local 7 11 or whatever the case is.. you know what your asking for when you buy cigarettes.. I'd like a pack of death please, Or even worse, I'd like a pack of LIGHT death please, Face it- Buying cigarettes is like slowly buying pieces of your coffin, today it was the upper right hand corner.

Why do people have such a fasination with it? I have no clue, and yes, if people smoke on the train, they get off at the next station, no question asked.

Drugs are jsut as bad too, I've never well done anyhting like that..

and to continue on what SLIC said

BE cool, and stay in school!

Thats a rap.

------------------------
P.S this thread has a lot of lookers, but no takers. I wonder why... 60 views and only Two replies?.. thats really odd.. is their a delay or something... throw in your support

[Anonymous]

Sorry about your friend. I'd never do anything like that don't worry!

[AlcoRS11Nut]

Sorry 'bout your friend. I never touched the @#&$, even though half the kids at my High School do. (Stupid Idiots!)

[locomutt]

This is cherokee woman, writing for locomutt, because he is too upset to write.

SLIC, we are both very sorry to hear about your friend. You have our sympathies.
It is really tough losing someone you are close to.

Drugs ARE BAD for everybody. A lot of young people are coerced into drugs by peers,
making them feel "inferior" or dumb if they don't do drugs with them. Sometimes the
pressure from "bad" peers overrides the good peers who try to keep you from going
the wrong path.

Locomutt used to be a volunteer firefighter, and he was an EMT also. It always upsets
him to hear about something like this. He is a very caring person, and when it comes
to kids doing something like drugs and dying, it hits him very hard. He has lost count of
all the kids he has pulled out of accidents and other situations where drugs & alcohol
were involved.

Kevin, as to what you replied: to each his own. People smoke for different reasons.
I started smoking in my late twenties to get me through work when I could not leave
after getting a call that my brother had had a heart attack after a car accident. It calmed
me down. That's why a lot of people smoke, because the cigarettes are cheaper than
nerve pills. But if someone doesn't smoke, and doesn't like the smell of
cigarette smoke, I respect their wishes, and don't smoke around them.

That's what everyone should do. I'm not advocating smoking cigarettes for everyone,
and I respect other people's thoughts on the matter.

BUT both locomutt & I are TOTALLY against anything illegal, and are very outspoken
about it, and everyone has an opinion about everything. But we don't preach our views
onto others because sometimes they feel you're preaching too much and don't bother
to listen.

cherokee woman


locomutt(who REALLY does care!!)

[Anonymous]

Many days Ill see these High school students driving "Cool" fast cars with the windows up, bass vibrating the houses around, and smoking cigarettes in the car with their freinds, while going at around 60 on a 30 MPH road. They think it makes them look good amont their peers, but it'll make them look dead in the end. I agree with you SLIC, drugs arn't the way to go! And I will be keeping you and your friend's family in my prayers tonight, I am very sorry for you all.

[Anonymous]

Well, this month February, is national Non-smoking month. I'm going to pull out my old No smoking shirts, And maybe i'll get some new ones this year (Yes, i do grow, well maybe not...) Things from 6 years ago seem to still fit and be in fasion, anyways i'm getting away from my point

SLIC, i forgot to tell you, i'm sorry man, I really am, and even though Jim doesn't want me to talk about this, I will. I watch Discovery channel, and i have seen documentaries of people who ride Freight trains, And I must say, The person who you ride with, HAS to be your best friend, they watch your back, And when you said that, I just felt awful. Once again, I'm sorry.

My girlfriend, to me, Is attractive, I often call her the Beautiful Blond bombshell,when shes not looking, or the BBB. I told her, not that long ago, That no matter what happened, no matter what she did, I would never dump her without giving her a chance to explain EXCEPT in the case if i see her smoking a cigarette, I would dump her in the next 3 minutes, no explination, pack your bags, see you, have a great life, write to me- actually don't. Aupitoshe, Arivadirchi, too-duh-loo Caribu, Later Gator, Peace G, sionara, and every other way to say goodbye, best of all with no regret. I don't smoke, and i'm an advocate of not smoking. Not that I want to strike down the people who do, But my Girlfirned is fairly... well i don't want to sound like an oink-oink, but shes you know. HOOOOTTT!! Imagine if, she started smoking, ok now get this, I see her face first thing in the morning, and if i'm a lucky guy, I will for the next long time, Now imagibe her smoking, She doesn't realize, but shes making herself Uglier Every day, often unnoticable to our human eyes, but eventually maybe 10 years down the line, i'm going to wake up to... Blah, no thanks. I mena aging is whats going to happen, bUT i have to say.. premature rinkles and premature aging looks BLAH....

I know msot of the oldheads have worked for Railroads all their lives look at this, and sya i've lost my mind, well.. no offence but my post isn't directed at you, my post here is directed at the teenagers who read this site, because in my Expierience old heads are stubborn, because they;ve been doing the same routine for the past XXX amount of years, So.. If your a stubborn old head, and don't like the notion of change, like a routine, and smoking is part of it, God rest your soul.

Btu for the people who I can possibly change or help, this is for you. Don't do It. palin and simple. You want your Gf to look blah in 10 years when she could be looking really Sa-weet? Women, you want your man to look like he was hit by the time machine at the age of 25? Forgetting about looks, Women: do you want a good sex life, but he's smoking.. and therfore.. well you know the consequences! Men and women a like: do you want a healthier Relationship? Smoking increase sudden mood changes, would could lead to a strenuous Relationship. Does anyone want to die of lung cancer? Its the worst way to die, Trust me, Lung Cancer slowly cuts off your breathing day by day, until you die of suffication, until then you cough up black tar and blood, wheeze, Cathch 3 times as many colds as the any other person, and get this, It diminishes reaction time, and In a new study finds that people who smoke are 20 times more likely to be the ones that beat the train to the crossing, rather then a non-smoker.

February is a great month to stop smoking, So do everyone around you a favor, but are too shy to come up to you and tell you, Stop smoking already, and thats putting it politely, the people who are afraid to tell you or are to shy would like it phrased like this

STOP FU**ING SMOKING!

I know some of you are saying:

blah blah he's a teenager.. nothing more then a dumbass.

right?


wrong!


actually your Dead wrong.

[edblysard]

Kevin ask me to put a spin on this for him, so here goes..

First, just to set the record straight, I smoke cigarettes.

I am 45, and started at 11.

I drink, but very rarely, you could put all the booze I drank last year in a single beer pitcher.

Not a prude, just never developed the taste.
Smoked some pot in highschool, gave that up at 18, didnt do a lot for me other than give me the major munchies.

Also, I am one of the lucky ones from my generation, I didnt need to run away from my reality, I had good, understanding parents, who didnt hesitate to answer my questions, or express their opinion on the right or wrong things to do, so I grew up in a very stable home, with clear expectations of how I should behave, what was expected of me, and a code of behaviour that had some leeway for normal kid's screw ups, but not much.

The need to get stoned to "get away from it all" wasnt there, because "there" wasnt a bad place to be.

Both parents smoked, drank socially.

Mother died at 55, from a illness directly related to her 3 pack a day habit.
Dad lived to 81, smoked a pack a day.

My wife dosnt smoke.

So the deal is, how do I, as a parent, convince my kids not to smoke, without sounding like a hypocrite?
It isnt easy, but I explain it to them like this.
The only difference between smoking cigarettes and habitual drinking,
and doing cocaine, and other narcoticts is,
smoking and drinking currently is legal.

Not going to preach too much about the evils of smoking, any reasonable intelligent person already knows its bad for your health.
But, like cherokee woman pointed out, it is a personal choice, and if you chose to smoke, I cant very well complain.
But if you chose not to smoke, you have my whole hearted support.

I chose to smoke, and expect the people around me to understand that I, as an adult, know the risks I am taking and understand the conquences that follow.

That said, here the little bit of preaching.

Dont let anyone kid you, nicotine is a drug, and as habit forming as coke.
Booze is just as bad.
Both are currently legal.
Cocaine, coke, pot, meth, all that jazz is currently illegal, which does have a small deterent factor, and all of these are socially unacceptable.

I tell my kids all the problems smoking has caused me, and, with the help of the anti smoking programs in the schools, so far, it has worked.

I dont lie to them, and call smoking a "habit".
It isnt, its a addiction, and I make sure they know that, and explain to them its is just as deadly as any drug habit, more so, because its still socially acceptable.
No one is going to call the cops if I sit out front in the yard and smoke a Pall Mall, but if I fired up a big old bomber joint, I'd be looking a blue and white real fast.
But, in reality, there is no real difference between the two.

I think SLIC just came to that conclusion.
Like he said, he cant change something he didnt know about.
It sounds to me Slic partys hardy, but is smart enough to stay away from the hard stuff.
Thats his choice, and there is no soap box for me to preach from.
Kinda like "he who is without sin cast the first stone" type thing.

But his buddy went a little farther than he should, and the monster called addiction bit him, hard.
In the end, he paid for it with his life, and Slic sounds like he just realized the fact that, just like his friend, he isnt bullet proof anymore.

And it hurts real bad to learn that lesson when the price paid is the life of a friend.

If were are lucky, the next generation of kids will see drugs, all of them, the legal ones and the others, for what they are, and leave them alone, or at least use them in moderation.
If we are really really lucky, my grandchildren will live in a smoke and dope free society.
If not, hope we have more folks like Slic and Kevin to yell the message out loud
to their generation, it aint cool to do.
Like the old PSA said,"they call it dope for a reason"

Carl, sorry about your friend, it is hard to lose the only person you can be totally open with, my best friend has end stage MS, and hasnt been able to speak for two years, he is fed through a tube, and only has very limited use of his left hand.
Three years ago, we went horseback riding every day, now, combing his hair by himself in the morning is a big accomplishment.
Its tough to watch, and I feel so helpless, nothing I can do will change a thing.

Hope you can find a way to work through the death of your friend.
If you need to, my e-mail is in my profile, write me if you feel like you need a easy ear...

Ed

[Anonymous]

And for you teenagers out there, remember this too: A relative of mine was a teenager in WWII. He started smoking with his buddies during the war. He is, and for years has been on an oxygen machine for probably about 15 hours a day now (thats a guess, I just know its a lot)because of it. He can't leave the house for long periods of time (without taking the machine with him), and he caughs a lot. IF YOU DON"T WANT TO RISK BEING STUCK LIKE THIS LATER ON, DON'T EVEN TRY a cigarrette, a cigar, a 6 pack of beer, cocane, Marajuana, etc. For some of you it may be asier to befcome addicted than others!

[Anonymous]

Dear SLIC,
I'm very sorry about your friend. You know what LOL means. Right now I'm COL (I think you know what C stands for). I am sure your friend has gone to a better place.

I am not sure what people see in smoking, but I am fairly certain it's not Milwaukee Road Skytop Observation advertisements (see Ending on a High Note, Classic Trains-Dream Trains). Somebody says it's "cool," but remember this: just 60 milligrams of nicotine can kill a person. But it is national Non Smoking month (I guess international if Kevin's in on this too). And say, many railroads carry tobacco products. We're not social activists, but we are railfans and railroaders: maybe we should start the Railway Anti-Tobacco Coalition or something. Just a thought.

My deepest sympathies,
Daniel

[Anonymous]

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend, SLIC. I also couldn't agree more with what everyone has already said! I'm only 17 myself, but I've never tried smoking or drugs or boozing, nor do I intend to. The cons far outweight the pros! It angers me to see so many young people, the ones who should know better, getting into this stuff. And if the health risks aren't enough to make people want to quit smoking, the cost ought to be. Drugs are expensive and there are far better things to spend your money on. I'm a train collector and model trains aren't cheap. I could buy a lot of nice trains for what many young people spend on drugs. I recently saw this guy on TV with a live-steam railroad on his property and he said that his budget for building it was the same as a pack of cigarettes a day and never more.

One thing that I'm upset about now is the Canadian government wanting to decriminalize pot. As a result of this it more young people are now smoking pot because they face much lower penalties if caught doing it. That certainly isn't a wise decision coming from a government that's trying to discourage smoking by raising the price on cigarettes and passing many laws about smoking in public places.

And also here's an interesting story about how my great uncle quite smoking. Back in the late 60's he belonged to a barber shop singing group. One day (he remembers the exact date) in 1968 him and the other members were having a drink somewhere. He had been smoking and put his cigarette in an ashtray and was left it there for a while and forgot about it. He then lit up another one and one of the other guys there said, "so, you're smoking two cigarettes at once now." He got mad and put both cigarettes out and stormed out of the building. He never smoked again in is life. He was so proud of himself that the next week he bought a brand new car.

[Anonymous]

This is a pretty haeartfelt Thread, and it saddens me that there isn't more participation, Just viewers.

i'm not sure what too Add that Kevin hasn't already said, I think he covered it all. I went to high school in a relitively small high school of about 500 people, Not that many poeple and everyone knew each other, Kind of like one big family, Don't get me wrong, i'm probobly making this sound like a Cleaver high school, but not everyone was friendly, I didn't get along with the ditsy girls, nor the cheerleaders etc...
However when i was in grade eight.. or nine now.. I can't remember, there was this grade 11 girl, I never did get to know her that well, i knew her face and name that was about all, she had it all, A very attractive Boyfriend, nice parents, she tutorred everyone in school. Everyon knew thig girl for her generosity, Kevin saw her once on the train. one problem, she smoked like a Freight train hauling a full load up a hill. 2 maybe 3 packs a day, and by the time she was 18, it was already showing.

She died a few months ago from *** cancer, she was 22.

Like i said, I never did get to know her, I really wish i did now, I went to the funeral, Kevin took a day off to go to the funeral, there were loads of people that were there, each one remembered her for her thoughts, her brilliance, hr ability to give back to the community But everyone knew, if she hadn't smoked, she would still be alive today, rather in that wooden box.

I'm not going to preech about not cmoking, it's up to you, and I agree with Ed, we all know it kills But if we all know it kills, we why people do it is still beyond me.

[jeaton]

Carl,

I'm sorry about the loss of your best bud. I know it is hard to keep going, especially when it happens at a young age. I hope, in addition to the support here, you have people, family, friends, neighbors or church that understand and will share your loss.

Some years back, I'd frequently go Jackson on business and met many good people. I hope you will find some help among those folks.

Jay

[Anonymous]

[:)] tHANKS EVERY BODY FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND SYMPATHY!!!!

over 350 carnies showed up since jackson has a winter base for two carnivals WADE & FARROW shows his family thanks evreyone even just viewers im glad I quit smokin before Christmas I asked my 9 yr old niece what she wanted for Christmas her reply I want you to quit smoking
thats all well she got more than that I broke down and said no more
i destroyed 17 cigarettes when i threw them in a creek that $3.00 a day
went to a brand new Bicycle for her & her 4yr old brother best money I ever spent have had craving and nic fits but those two are the only ANTI SMOKING
stuff I need my dad quit drinking (who could get drunk off red dog) siisy beer
but since my friend died I thought no one would care I WAS WRONG
thanks to everybody and everyone[8D]

[Anonymous]

SLIC you are A true friend and A great uncle to those kids sorry I couldnt
stay long well get together later on An do something [8D]
By the way when are you gonna come back to Louisiana[8D]

[Anonymous]

Quiting is hard, but rewards are great. More and more teenagers realize the dangers of smoking. In Anchorage alone, the number of teens caught smoking on or around school grounds has dropped 40% since 2000.

[Anonymous]

I can't beleave people are so stupid to use drugs! I hope they make smoking illegal too!

[Anonymous]

Good point Dougal,

However, after recievng a flood of E-mails, I realized there is an incosistancy in what I typed way up there.. so let me add this

Even though i don't like smoking, If you or your friends Smoke, I personally, won't think any less of you as a person, If your my friend, You will always be my friend, I think i may have said somehting above that may make it sound like the opposite, But i'm friends with people that smoke, I won't think any less of them, I wouldn't be mena or degress anyone, Just because you don't like someones behavior, dowsn't mean you don't like them as an individual.

I may not like smoking, and i may support a non-smoking program, But i'm not KKK against smoking, and i'm NOT going to come to your house and burn it down...

Thanks for all those e-mails pointing that out.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kevinstheRRman

Good point Dougal,

However, after recievng a flood of E-mails, I realized there is an incosistancy in what I typed way up there.. so let me add this

Even though i don't like smoking, If you or your friends Smoke, I personally, won't think any less of you as a person, If your my friend, You will always be my friend, I think i may have said somehting above that may make it sound like the opposite, But i'm friends with people that smoke, I won't think any less of them, I wouldn't be mena or degress anyone, Just because you don't like someones behavior, dowsn't mean you don't like them as an individual.

I may not like smoking, and i may support a non-smoking program, But i'm not KKK against smoking, and i'm going to come to your house and burn it down...

Thanks for all those e-mails pointing that out.

AMEN BRO

Id rearrange that last part your not KKK against smoking and NOT going to burn there house some smokers do that them selves its like candles & Christmas trees dont mixem
[8D]

[Anonymous]

I meant to mention this earlier: It is very depressing the age that some of these kids start smoking. The trip I made to Ontario this summer, I stopped at an Arcade/sports arena/ Restaurant in a shopping center, and saw two boys, both looed like they could have been 8 or 9, pull out a pack of cigarrettes and start smoking while sitting on a park bench. Are there any laws against that in CA, like there are in the US? (No affence to all of you Canadian citizens reading this, Canada is an excelent place to visit.) I saw these boys start smoking, and wanted to walk over, take the pack from them and step on it while lecturing them, But as a vacationer from the states, that wouldn't have gone too well, especially in an open public place.

[Anonymous]

I've seen 12-13 year old smokers hear in the US. I wish smoking wasn't invented. The only smoker in my family (grandfather) quit last year[:)]! The other smoker (other grandfather)died of lung cancer.[:(]

[Anonymous]

Well in Alberta, no one can smoke under the age of 18

Makes me think, that since it's illegal to buy cigarettes under the age of 18, It should eb illegal to smoke them under the age of 18.

Oh and thanks Carl, I changed that previous post, I won't come to anyones house, jsut for the record, and burn it down, thats WON'T.

[sooblue]

Hi SLIC,
I just got back and logged on to see this.[:(]
Sorry to read this news. I know what its like to loose someone that close.
In '73 I lost two cousins and a friend in a hunting accident. Stupid and preventable are the two worst ways to go. Of course the ones who are left do the suffering. There isn't much that can be said except that your not alone and by what I've read so far your not without friends who care. Hang in there, the greatest crusades are the ones motivated by death.
Take care,
Sooblue

[vsmith]

To Slic, loosing a friend is never easy. A few years ago I found out my best firend from high school passed away from a seizure, I wasnt told until a day before the funeral so I know how rough the sudden loss can be. especially when its so sudden. Lost a close family friend to smoking related cancer a few years before that. 5 years ago my Father died from smoking related cancer. Watched him slowely deteriorate and die in pain. ANYONE who says smoking isnt so bad needs to go through a few cancer deaths to see how EVIL tobacco companies truely are. My brother has smoking related problems as does my sister, my mom and me were the olny ones who didnt smoke. I'll NEVER pick up a burning weed and inhale it, that goes for cigars, joints, I wont ever smoke or feel sorry when $billlion dollar settlements are leveed against big tobacco.

LIVE, STOP SMOKING

[sooblue]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SLIC

Originally posted by sooblue

Hi SLIC,

[/quote THANKS By the way if you dont mind me asking who was holdin the gun
[8D]

Well I'll tell ya SLIC that's quite an ironic story.
Here's three guys who have made up their minds that if they are called up in the draft
(vietnam) they are going to head to Canada to dodge it. They tried to convince me to go with them but there is no way I would dodge even if Vietnam was a screwed up mess.

They never had to go to Vietnam because in a moment of stupidity the three of them got into an overloaded shallow draft duck boat and tried to motor out to an island four miles away from shore in rough open water.
The boat sank half mile out and even though they were all licensed scuba divers they didn't have a chance in 32 degree water. All it took was 20 mins. and it was over.

After 30+ years its not so hard to talk about it but it still makes me scrach my head in wonderment.

Sooblue

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