Is it just me or......

[Anonymous]

Greetings and saluatations!

Recently I worked a yard job as an RCO foreman. I was pulling cars down the runner (think of it as a lead), and standing on the lead locomotive to watch a crossing. Anyways there was a piggyback train sitting on the main next to me. The crew was not to go on duty for 30 minutes, so the yardmaster said we could work a track before the crew came on. So, as my switchman finishes with the move here stand the engineer and conductor, both with close to 30yrs. The engineer, who I had gotten along with well before, says to me: "Good job Nathan, way to block the crossing to our train." [:(!] These guys were 20 minutes early and god forbid I keep them from their precious piggyback. I don't know about the rest of you railroaders, but the piggyback crews at my terminal are a bunch of cry babies and think they're entitled to special priviledges and butt kissings. They'll get none from me! I was about to say "%##! You!", but I thought better of that and just smiled and waved as if I heard nothing. I'm respected by the old heads because I'm respectful and I listen to them, but I was pretty close to losing my cool. Then I thought about turning on the brights just to stick it to him, but I thought better of that as well. Am I just a hot headed youth or should I be slinging some mud back??? I think I already know the answer, but I enjoy reading what you folks think. [;)]

Oh, by the way Happy Halloween [}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)] Time for me to go work third shift at Bunge Milling and watch some local miscreants toss a few eggs around!!

[Anonymous]

Without a doubt, just keep cool.... it's way easier to make enemies than it is to make friends, and once they're enemies, it's way tougher to make them your friends.

...what amazes me is that the crew was early.... how did you do at dodging the flying pigs?

[Junctionfan]

If they were early and were that interested in getting to their train, they should have moved their butt to it than. What? Did they expect you to sit around like dummies waiting for them? What A-holes......

[Anonymous]

They were just trying to start something. You did great holding your temper and letting it roll off your back...

LC

[kenneo]

Nathan --- what I suspect they were attempting to do was to get you to make a cut for them to get through and then stand in the middle of the track for as long as the YDM would let them get away with it.

Good job

[Overmod]

Good practice always to be polite when encountering rudeness:

1) It shows your quality, and points up their relative lack of it -- 'noblesse oblige' too
2) By taking it well, you may make them realize they've showed their butts
3) No reason to ruin a day with bad feelings
4) You never win wars that way -- only skirmishes. There's no real long-term satisfaction in giving somebody a real 'zinger'; it may make you feel real good for a while, particularly when 'justified' (as would seem to be the case here), but UNLESS you need to do it to assert your rights... don't.

Sometimes this kind of talk is just 'busting your chops', sometimes it's just irritation. Personally, I find it commendable that they get there early, sign on, and want to take the train out! Remember that you asked permission, and (presumably) either finished or would have finished before the 'scheduled' time of their call. As far as I'm concerned, that puts you in the right -- and in this case, the right needs no defense.

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Overmod

Good practice always to be polite when encountering rudeness:

1) It shows your quality, and points up their relative lack of it -- 'noblesse oblige' too
2) By taking it well, you may make them realize they've showed their butts
3) No reason to ruin a day with bad feelings
4) You never win wars that way -- only skirmishes. There's no real long-term satisfaction in giving somebody a real 'zinger'; it may make you feel real good for a while, particularly when 'justified' (as would seem to be the case here), but UNLESS you need to do it to assert your rights... don't.

Sometimes this kind of talk is just 'busting your chops', sometimes it's just irritation. Personally, I find it commendable that they get there early, sign on, and want to take the train out! Remember that you asked permission, and (presumably) either finished or would have finished before the 'scheduled' time of their call. As far as I'm concerned, that puts you in the right -- and in this case, the right needs no defense.

I fail that test !!!!
Randy

[wabash1]

ROFLMAO

Here you come looking for somebody to say you are right. and out of the few post i have read of yours like i did it i am a remote operator and now people are mad at me boo hoo . how do i get them to like me . and then this one oh and should i say probley more? then the answers you get are from other conductors or from buffs and none of them have a idea what they are talking about. Here is the scoop ( or the poop in your case) We the railroaders ( engineers and most conductors all union brothers and sisters) dont want remotes then someone like you comes along bragging about it then wonder why people go from liking you to ill screw you over as soon as i can. or worse in some places hurt you. Its like this you did it to your self you can try and justify it anyway you choose but you done screwed to many people and railroaders dont forget. you are a scab in the eyes of most and will be a scab for some time. Now you can cry to the people on this forum who dont understand things like taking union jobs the same guys who help you get paid and represent you are the hands you are bitting. these people wont understand why we dont want to say anything nice to you why you took another jobaway from a senior man. but in reality you took a job from your self cause when our jobs go we bump you and your back on the street with no income, and then crying that the union did not fight for you. oh whats the use you will back stab someone else for a daytime job tomorrow , and with that kind of thinking your railroad days are numbered

[Anonymous]

wabash,

Isn't everyone in the railroad for the money?? And as far as "screwing" my fellow railroaders; I was sold out before I even started!!! Many benefits and claims of mine no longer exist because they were alll signed away. I didn't come to the railroad to make friends, I came to make a living and support my family. If you see me as a scab, tough because it sure doesn't bother me. I just get frustrated by how poor people's attitudes can be and how quickly they would turn the other cheek. A lot of railroaders don't know how good they have it. Go work at a fast food joint or try to work three part-time jobs just to get by. RCO traning is granted by seniority; there's nothing stopping you. So you hate it, but it's here to stay, so either go along or get left behind.

[ValleyX]

Wabash, what he says is true and you know it. Calling him a scab when he isn't a scab isn't very proper and if you think I'm a remote fan, well, then you're in need of some education but I think your response is harsh. Someone is going to run those remotes, his COMPANY union has negotiated that contract.
Now, as far as the crew goes, lets blame the person who needs to be blamed, the yardmaster who, like yardmasters everywhere, has led you astray. I can't believe the crew was early and I certainly don't believe that they showed up ahead of their on-duty time, I think they were messing with him. Not only that, how long had the train been setting, where's the inbound crew? Why all this additional delay on a HOT intermodal train?

[Anonymous]

It all came down to a bad call, which is pretty common. The inbound Evansivlle crew parked at the roundhouse and the northbound crew was not on duty for another half hour. So, the yardmaster simply instructed me to wait for the inbound crew to get off and then keep working because of the half hour. How was i to know these guys were going to show up that early?? Most people at my terminal show up ten minutes early at most. And if Wabash is so hot about the remotes; I just heard that the BLE is trying to negotiate one man crews for many over the road trains. See, it never ends. Instead of working together people have to bring up the past and keep the war going. I'm new to the railroad, I'm just trying to survive the best way I know how. I'm not here to honor all these hidden gentleman's agreements. I sold out no one, if I did not choose RCO I would have been forced to it anyways. Soon, you won't have to worry about a crew because there will be only one person on each train who is duely qualified as engineer and RCO, making your own pick ups and set outs.

[railman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Nathan: Do your job, do your job right, do your job safely, do your job honestly. That's it. You'll earn the respect of those whom are worth having it from. The rest of them aren't worth worrying about. I got a lot of hazing when I hired out, but after while the people that were hazing me either quit, came around, or left me the hell alone. Nothing succeeds like success.

Great advice.

[jrw249]

Mark,
Well said.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by n_stephenson

It all came down to a bad call, which is pretty common. The inbound Evansivlle crew parked at the roundhouse and the northbound crew was not on duty for another half hour. So, the yardmaster simply instructed me to wait for the inbound crew to get off and then keep working because of the half hour. How was i to know these guys were going to show up that early?? Most people at my terminal show up ten minutes early at most. And if Wabash is so hot about the remotes; I just heard that the BLE is trying to negotiate one man crews for many over the road trains. See, it never ends. Instead of working together people have to bring up the past and keep the war going. I'm new to the railroad, I'm just trying to survive the best way I know how. I'm not here to honor all these hidden gentleman's agreements. I sold out no one, if I did not choose RCO I would have been forced to it anyways. Soon, you won't have to worry about a crew because there will be only one person on each train who is duely qualified as engineer and RCO, making your own pick ups and set outs.

One man crews?
Why on EARTH would they try and do that. [B)]

[Anonymous]

One word, Money. Labor is still the most expensive component of any business.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by n_stephenson

One word, Money. Labor is still the most expensive component of any business.

I know that, but why would the BLE try and negotiate it?
--the way you explained it, it sounds like they initiated?

I can see why the company would want them.

----I suppose it really just is a matter of time.

[Anonymous]

Well, for all I know it's just UTU propaganda against the BLE. There's so much of it that goes both ways these days I don't know what to believe anymore!

[wabash1]

It is UTU bull. But the way he wants to present it made you guys hate the blet and we are the only union fighting for conductors rights. but regardless remote controlls would not be here ir it wasnt for the utu. This is a fact. then you make the statement that you cant believe that these guys turned on you because you was running a remote. ( as they should) Oh cry a river now. here you say I am not here on the railroad to make friends but then cry when the others show you hatred in your choice to run a remote. and try to hide by saying they would have forced it on me anyways. this was forgivable signing up is not.

Being sold out before you even started . How could that be? if you had nothing and then hired on, how could you be sold out? You start where you come in. there was no force in remotes? yes it is senority order and in a past post you said you signed up so you wouldnt get layed off. thinking of yourself. ( not a bad thing) but remeber there is always a reaction to your action. and at the cost of others means they will have no pitty on you. then you try and make me feel sorry for you in that you say try working several part time jobs making ends meet. before i got married and during the first year of marrage i worked 2 full time jobs 80 hrs a week. and had no benifits.

The thing is you made a choice now you see how people are going to treat you. truth is no matter what these rail buffs or mark tells you the trainmaster and yardmaster dont care if you did the work in record time or you do it safely as long as you get it done they wont bother you screw up one time and see how fast thier attitudes change ( if you think your fellow trainmen are bad) dont any of the fellow trainmen care what you can do with that remote . do a good job will only make you feel better, but someday those friends you say you dont need or didnt want to make well guess what you will need them and they wont be there for you. as far as being against remotes well we dont have them here nomore we defeated them.

[Anonymous]

Wabash,

Obviously the reality of the remote situation is a little different where you work. I'm not trying to whine, I"m only making the point that due to my seniority I would have more than likely been forced to train for the remote anyway. Trust me, I know that it would be better not to have the remotes because that puts an engineer back in his/her rightful place. I'd rather work with an engineer any day, read some of my other posts that say just that. Without remotes engineers would gain five more jobs, which would mean the company would promote five more conductors to engineer. And of course it all rolls down hill, meaning that there would be more opportunities for conductors like myself. I'm no fool, I realize what the company is trying to do by having remotes, but I'd rather just save my energy to fight when I have a chance to win. I don't like the fact that the youngest in seniority are forced to remote when no one else wants it. It makes for a real bad situation when you have brand new railroaders trying to switch cars and control locomotives as well. One of my coworkers wanted to shove back down the main after we had cleared an absolute signal, we could not see the rear end or the signal and knew we were close. If I had let him do it, we both would have been on the street. I agree with you that remotes are bad, but for me it's a neccessary evil. I have a child on the way very soon, and by working remote I get to stay at home in the yard. So, you know what, I admit it! I care more about my family than I do about my coworkers. I'd bet you my life that everyone feels the same way. People can point the finger and say I'm a "scab' or whatnot, but I know in my heart I'm doing the right thing.
As for getting other people's reactions to situations I have faced; maybe I do want a pity party. Until people on this forum tell me to can it, I'm going to continue to get opinions of other people. IF you think I'm always just trying to earn sympathy or a shoulder to cry on, that's your opinion and you have the right to express it. In fact, I'm glad that you're honest with me because at least I know where you stand and I do in fact think about what you say.
Wabash, I guess we can agree to disagree, and that's fine by me. Hope to read your next post soon. [:-^]

[Anonymous]

Remote or no remote, the old heads would have probably given you some crap. Thats like one of the God given rights of being an old head. Hate to say it, but this is a part of railroading that will never die, so suck it up and quit whining.

Give it a few years and you'll find yourself in their shoes, giving the young guys **it just because you can.

[Anonymous]

Wabash, rgemd,

You both have a good point. I must have been in a bad mood that night or something because usually that stuff rolls right off my back. Instead i let it get to me and decided to uleash my frustration in a post here. Must be my hot headed youthfulness or something. The old heads can toss a little ***t here and there. I'm sure there's things that I do that I don't realize that just make their heads want to pop off, right Wabash? Anywho, I was whining, and I realize there's no point in doing so. I'm honestly just happy to have a job and I feel lucky that furlough doesn't seem to be knocking at my door this winter.