"Get a life"

[eolafan]

To all interested parties, I am going to tell you a story here that will no doubt make you shake your head in disgust. Yesterday a bunch of us were watching BNSF trains at an undisclosed location in the Chicago suburbs when a local BNSF employee in a company vehicle drove by (he does so regularly) and yelled "GET A LIFE" to those of us railfans watching his company at work. After this uncalled for insult, he proceeded to the close by crossing and then the crossing gates came down for an approaching freight. This idiot (now remember, he is a BNSF local yard employee) proceeded to blow by the lowered gates and enter company property on the other side of the crossing. About five minutes later we saw him come out of the BNSF building and get into his personal vehicle and take off. No doubt in my mind that he was getting off of work and perhaps had a "hot date" so he was in a hurry and did not want to wait until the freight passed, so he violated one of the strictest rules of railroading and one for which we would get a $500 fine if caught! Oh, by the way, to that idiot to told us to "GET A LIFE", we were doing what we like to do on a warm Saturday afternoon, and it is obvoius you were not...and oh, by the way, it was not us who got stuck working on Saturday!

[David3]

To reply I would like to ask was this at eola yard? If it is there was a BNSF employee that said something like that to me one day, and he sped under the gates when they went down,so I'm thinking it is the same guy. It is pretty sad.

[eolafan]

Maybe Eola yard, maybe not. If you and I are frequent visitors to this secret spot and BNSF employee in question is taken to task due to this exchange of messages, we could possibly be in for a hard time, so let's keep my reply a secret. YES IT WAS EOLA YARD!

[croteaudd]

Employees often reflect the attitude of corporate management. If higher-ups believe 2+2=4, then employees will too. However, if management shows by their actions that they lien toward 2+2=5, employees will often do weird, strange things.

It sound like the person in question is totally goal oriented. To kill time vs. kill himself to get home.

[BRAKIE]

James,Thanks for the chuckle...What type of big dummy that works on the railroad would take undue risks like that?? He sounded more like a pizza delivery boy instead of a railroad employee that knows what can happen if one drives around gates..I sure glad he's not a engineer!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Sorry about the bad experience! Most of us can care less what you do on your time. I don't give foamers any grief.....that is unless when speaking to them, they get that know-it-all attitude. Just stay off of the property and all is well with me. From our side, some of us find it hard to understand why somebody would have such an interest in choo choos. Remember, we eat, sleep (or lack there of), drink and live the RR. We get called all hours and miss life with loved ones for this job. Most of us love and hate this job at the same time. Kinda weird. All of our life plans are dependant on the RR and its schedule. As far as the crossing deal, I don't know all of the circumstances around it. I have went around the gates while I was in a jeep, but, I was protecting the shove and was in control of the movement. It was necessary for me to make sure that the crossing was protected before I proceeded on. I too say get a life to you. And if you want to watch trains with your time in your life, then it sounds like you have gotten a life that you want! Have fun and stay off of the property, for your safety and mine. Enjoy!
Ken

[eolafan]

Ken, thanks for the reply. It's not unusual for many of us to both love and hate our professions at the same time as most have both great and lousy sides at the same time, including what I do for a living and that's why many of us go trackside and watch trains, it provides us with "decompression time", and we love it. The BNSF employee in question was NOT protecting a move of any sort, but rather he hurried across the five tracks, went into the offices (I assume to sign off duty)and was out and driving away in his own vehicle in less than five minutes. We all get jerks to work with along with great guys, but that's life, isn't it? We all will stay off of the property and NEVER do anything to endanger trains, their crews or the general public, NEVER! If we ever see anything out of the ordinary or that may cause injury or an unsafe condition of any sort, we will report it to RR personnel (those who would care only) or the Police department.

[JoeKoh]

I've heard that reply from other people.This is a very inexpensive hobby if you take pictures and leave footprints.I can take my son to a couple of area parks pack a lunch for us and enjoy watching trains all at once.Most railroad employees understand but as in life there are always one or two rotten apples.
have a great day
Joe and Matt

[Anonymous]

James, maybe he's right, you should "Get a Life". Instead of watching trains maybe you should starte going to Bars and Tavern's and spend your money across a bar for a couple of hours every night. That sounds like a fun "Life". Or go home and stare at the TV for the rest of the day. Thats a good "Life".
Fact is, when I have a bad day at work I stop at Villa Park on the UP main out of Chicago and watch trains for about an hour. It relaxes me and gets my mind off the bad day I just had. That way I do not bring it home and take it out on my wife or kids.
TIM A

[csxengineer98]

You all need to GET A LIFE!!!!
HEHEHEHEHEHEH

[Anonymous]

"Gumshoes", can't live with 'em, cant shoot 'em. What to do?....

[Anonymous]

James, I am reminded when I was a police officer, all it takes is one to give us a bad name. As for the yard employee, I wish you would have video taped him, then contacted a few news stations. I bet he wouldn't be doing it anymore, if he still had a job.

[Anonymous]

I just dont understand how a RR employee would yell "GET A LIFE". "Most" people get into their jobs because they have an intrest in what they do. If this was the case then you would not have met this Idiot. Yea I guess there is a few people that dont understand us. Lucky I usualy get a grin & a wave. Kinda like the the custom car guys give each other!

This guy will become either-
A: A speed bump in memory
OR
B: A speed bump that gets hit by a train and lands on the Tribune's front page

Keep you heads up & enjoy the hobby!
-Wink n Grin- ;]
Icemanmike2-Milwaukee

[eolafan]

Tim, thanks for helping me make my point.

[dknelson]

I was once railfanning at Eola (hardly a secret location -- there was a crowd of regulars there -- and we heard on the scanner a cell phone call by a railroader trying to arrange a hooker for the evening. He was very specific about what he wanted and how much he was willing to pay. That gives a whole new meaning to "get a life"
Dave Nelson

[Mookie]

Some day a big old engine is gonna eat his tiny little butt!

Jen

[Modelcar]

...I am noway near the location in discussion but that doesn't matter...Railfaning is done nationwide and if that is what I chose to do at a given time and I stay off railroad property...I or we don't owe any explanation to anyone.

QM

[therailnut]

when I am usually railfanning it is john Q public that is hurassing me. I have stood at many a railroad crossings and had people from there vehicles call me names and god knows what else. I ignore them. Then I proceed to tell them there is another train coming and they would not like to get stopped to go around the detour(we have a underpass the next block down to use to avoid the train) as they are going to be setting for awhile.
They tell me how do I know I tell I have a scanner and here the train communications. They usually say something stupid and set there for the train to end only to see the locomotive on the other train pulling out of the yard. I then proceed to laugh at them when they turn around and use the detour anyway. I tell now who is the stupid one. And then point and laugh a them when turn around.

I have never had a railroad employee belittle me about railfanning. I have had them ask Why I railfan? but that is about the extent.

[Anonymous]

Less than tasteful, I agree. But, that is his business and happens in the ranks of other working professionals too.....

[Anonymous]

Dave, You didn't happen to get that number, did you??

[csxengineer98]

what where you doing with a scanner that can pick up cell phone calles.... i think the FCC would want to have a talk with you.... and besides.... if your sitting around listenting to trains..and cell phone calls...
you realy....NEED TO GET A LIFE!

[Anonymous]

Not to sound like a wise guy:
I used to work at 2 different electronics store an sell scanners and cordless phones. Most 900Mhz Scanners when set on SCAN mode will pick up EVERTHING within 5 miles....LEAGALY! For less then $400. I heard some intresting things & disturbing things..from where God only knows but Ill say one thing some people in this world have some issues!

Icemanmike2-Milwaukee

[eolafan]

I believe the reference to cell phone calls was incorrect and they were rather referring to radio telephone calls, which many scanners will pick up without modification, including my Radio Shack model.

[dknelson]

Just to reply to some earlier postings;
I am quite confident that what I heard at Eola (the BN crew guy calling for a hooker in Aurora) was, just as a prior poster speculated, using the railroad's telephone that could be picked up on the scanner. I had the scanner on the railroad channels and none other. I was not intercepting cell phone calls.
And no I did not get the hooker's phone number, so sorry guys -- I guess there are some people who hear the beeps and know what the numbers are but not me. But now I do have a sense for going prices in the Aurora area -- man I thought HO brass was expensive -- a 'ho without the brass ain't cheap either!
Dave Nelson

[Modelcar]

....I've had several Radio Shack scanners and the one I presently use is a Pro-51 and just by leaving it on scan and let it run through 800 and 900 Mhz I believe one DOES hear cell phone activity.

QM

[Anonymous]

What you heard that conversation over was the railroads Auto-Patch. It is a card (circuit) in the railroads base station radio. It is a interface between the radio and telephone line. It is activated by entering in a correct DTMF code from a radio's keypad. (It can also be used to activate remote swiches.) It is nomally activated with a four digit code. When activated it turns the radio into a phone handset. This person had to be a foreman or superviser for they limit access to the code to limited employee's.
TIM A

[Anonymous]

Ok ya guessed 1 of the 2 stores I used to work at!
Icemanmike2-Milwaukee