Why,Why,Why?

[willy6]

You spend many hours,day in and day out building your layout,highly detailed,set up the way you want it, and then ,people visit (especially relatives) and they have to TOUCH EVERYTHING................WHY? Can't tell how many times i had to reglue stuff.

[Anonymous]

I guess it's because they think because there family,,,,,they can.

I suppose if someone opens a store, all their family and friends will go to their store and just because they know you, they expect free stuff. Same as a layout I suppose[?][:(!]

[Anonymous]

This has never happened to me and i hope it never does that would really fustrate me.

Benjamin R.[:(!][:(!]

[GDRMCo]

If I had to do that because of relatives I would tell them to get stuffed and not let them come to my house, not even my strp of road.

[Anonymous]

Its human nature.
Either put up a sheild (plexi?) , do not touch signs, or politely tell them not to touch.

[Anonymous]

I have a funny story about this, involving my first layout (N scale), plaster scenery, and a visitor saying "what's this made of then"....basically we'd just finished spreading the plaster over some polystyrene hills (to smooth the edges of the tiles we used), and then "prod"....Took them ages to wa***he plaster off!

[AntonioFP45]

Know what you mean!

Just be cool headed and sincere and tell them: "Glad you want to look, but please don't touch. These break easily and takes me hours to repair!" You'll find that most people are cooperative.

Now, as for visiting young kids (rugrats)? Especially the ones in which the parents don't discipline them: (any of you parents reading this?): Be nice but FIRM about "NO TOUCHING!" Keep them within 2 feet of your grasp! Have a couple of "Junker" cars (old Tycos or Bachmanns) nearby they can hold and can do whatever they want to them.[:D][;)]

[Junctionfan]

Electric fencing will do the trick.

[fec153]

Where's the DOG when you want it?
Flip

[BRAKIE]

willy6,I call that the touchy feelys..They must touch they can not help it it been preprogrammed as soon as they walk into a layout room,club or public display .Sadly Adults is as bad as some kids.For wee kids I let them hold a old car that isn't worth anything.I found this seems to satisfy their curiosity far better then telling them no touching which of course most kids will do anyway as soon as you are not looking.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Know what you mean!
...
Have a couple of "Junker" cars (old Tycos or Bachmanns) nearby they can hold and can do whatever they want to them.[:D][;)]

That's a great idea. Anyone else do this?

[easyaces]

I had that problem a few years back on another layout. I posted a sign above the layout warning about getting a hand slapped if I caught anyone touching items . Needless to say, after a few of those, or not being invited back to see the layout, they finally got the message! I still use that sign ,but at least I have not had to slap any hands!

[rexhea]

It's the same as the "WET PAINT" sign. Is it really wet? Duh!

Is that tree really as delicate as it looks? ...touch...[:(!][}:)]

(I like the electric fence idea [:D] )

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by willy6

You spend many hours,day in and day out building your layout,highly detailed,set up the way you want it, and then ,people visit (especially relatives) and they have to TOUCH EVERYTHING................WHY? Can't tell how many times i had to reglue stuff.

Well, you could always post a sign saying "DANGER!! DO NOT TOUCH!! 12,000 MILLIVOLTS!!!"

'Course if your relatives are electicral engineers, they'll know it ain't dangerous. OTOH, they'll appreciate the humor and not touch.

Andre

[Anonymous]

I know what you mean, Willy. It is VERY frustraing, but it is human nature. Its because you know and understand the hard work that goes into MRing, but imagine if you didn't, the first thing we'd all probably do is fall back to our 3 year old thinking and...touch.

I was in an old ma and pop hobby shop that I frequent awhile back. Its basically run by a retired (70+) teacher who sells model railroad supplies as well as RC cars and planes. In his RR section he has a 4' x 8' layout. Its an oval with sidings and a few small scenics. This guy comes in with his 4 year old kid. This kid was a major terror in that he was repeatedly touching EVERYTHING. His dad told him maybe twice to stop inside of 10 minutes. This kid goes over to the layout and cranks the throttle wide open and then powers it up. I turned when I heard the train start speeding up and saw the train fly around the curve and rear-end some parked cars loaded with coal. Pieces, trains, and cars flew everywhere[:(!]. Those with kids know its hard to be on top of everything your kid is doing but I was angry at the dad and his kid and felt bad for the old man at the same time. It does happen, is frustrating, but is also the natural curious tendancy for those who don't understand the work that goes into layout building to reach out and touch...something.

I have a sign posted on the edge of my layout visible to all who enter that says
Just like at the real railroad, keep your hands off or something may get hurt".
It always causes a chuckle but gets the point across right away. When someone entering my room ususally read it and chuckles, Ill then add in that "It takes so much work so I don't want things broken" and that does the trick.

[Anonymous]

Ever thought about reverse psychology. Put up a sign that says feel free to touch. then maybe they won't feel the need to touch. ummm well It's a dumb idea sorry time to invest in an electric fence. Or what about thoses invsible fences for your dog. make your guests were a collar and ever time they get to close. very shocking topic I would have to say.[(-D]
Andrew

[bpickering]

QUOTE:

QUOTE:
Have a couple of "Junker" cars (old Tycos or Bachmanns) nearby they can hold and can do whatever they want to them.[:D][;)]

That's a great idea. Anyone else do this?

I've gone so far as to buy a couple of extra cheapie engines that my three-year-old can run, as well as a couple of cheap auctions on eBay for old Tyco cars. These will be "his" engines, and hopefully a buffer between El Destructo and the Proto 2000 engines.

Still working on actually getting a layout built (but heck, we've only been in the new house 6 months today...), but he's already enjoying running them around the loop & siding I set up out of 25-year-old sectional track. Yes, I'm trying to hook him early. [:D]

Brian Pickering

[robengland]

Too many people have no respect or common sense and I blame the parents.

My 5 year old son assembles his own trains and runs them unsupervised. (he also uses a power drill if I am there). I trust him and I know he has the common sense to be trusted, because I raised him that way. Sure the occasional car still hits the floor but that is 5-year-old lack of coordination and I accept that as the cost of raising a crewmember ...er... I mean son.

At a recent train show here in NZ one kid about 10 came in and was running around grabbing everything he saw. After he grabbed a handmade 1950s 1:24 scale car and got it tangled in the beautifully made trolley wires, I lost it and told him off, big time. Then I had a go at his dad who was ambling about as if he didn't give a toss. He looked at me with an expression that can only be described as bovine, said nothing and strolled off, still ignoring the kid. the kid now had his hands behind his back and had the decency to blush, but he hadn't calmed down any and i shudder to think what other havoc he wreaked.....

I gave my son Jack a Marklin layout for his fifth birthday, like my Dad did for me. Most of it was second hand but I got a new loco. His cousins burnt it out in the first hour. i turned mny back for a few minutes to sort something else out at the party and one of them held it down while the other tried to drive it away.....

two slightly older kids were playing with him the other day. I checked in on them and they were lining marklin cars up side on a cross the track and crashing into them. Jack looked real sheepish because he knew it was an idiot thing to do but didn't have the seniority to stop it, so he wasn't the one who copped it. Actually i kept my cool pretty well and explained that trains aren't for crashing....

what's so hard about raising kids with a little sense and respect? they don't seem to get any better with age and then they have their own kids.... Ah! suddenly I see the problem

[AntonioFP45]

Robengland,

A hearty salute to you in that you're working hard to raise your son to be a caring decent human being. [swg][tup]

I may get flamed for this by others but I strongly feel that a lot but not all of the "Disrespectful, inconsiderate" kids that you're referring to results from LIBERAL PARENTING!

It sickens me when I run into parents in these situations. They'll just say "Don't do that" while little "Johnny or Jane" continues. They make zero efforts in disciplining their kids.

There are times when I see kids acting up in public and I just have to say something........the parents at least deserve to be acknowledged for the "lousy"----er wonderful job that they're doing in raising future productive citizens with poor manners and ethics.

These are the same parents that blame School Systems for failing their kids and the same ones who years later, after their kids are grown and have no ethics, wonder
"Oh where did I go wrong?". Anyone remember "Columbine"?

I'd love to drop these types of parents, with their kids, off in Sudan, NIgeria, or Nicaragua and have them live there for 12 months!


O.K, I'm finished with my tirade! Those of you that want to hurl spears I understand.

Now, back to trains! [:D][;)]

[railman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Robengland,

A hearty salute to you in that you're working hard to raise your son to be a caring decent human being. [swg][tup]

I may get flamed for this by others but I strongly feel that a lot but not all of the "Disrespectful, inconsiderate" kids that you're referring to results from LIBERAL PARENTING!

It sickens me when I run into parents in these situations. They'll just say "Don't do that" while little "Johnny or Jane" continues. They make zero efforts in disciplining their kids.

There are times when I see kids acting up in public and I just have to say something........the parents at least deserve to be acknowledged for the "lousy"----er wonderful job that they're doing in raising future productive citizens with poor manners and ethics.

These are the same parents that blame School Systems for failing their kids and the same ones who years later, after their kids are grown and have no ethics, wonder
"Oh where did I go wrong?". Anyone remember "Columbine"?

I'd love to drop these types of parents, with their kids, off in Sudan, NIgeria, or Nicaragua and have them live there for 12 months!


O.K, I'm finished with my tirade! Those of you that want to hurl spears I understand.

Now, back to trains! [:D][;)]

I'm not going to flame you, AntonioFP45. I agree with you.

[bcammack]

I cannot begin to sufficiently describe the difficulty I have in keeping my wife from touching layouts when we go to train shows. The diplomacy necessary to preserve domestic tranquility while emphasizing that she should point, but not touch somebody else's layout is challenging in the extreme.

As far as Liberal Parenting goes, would this be in contrast to Conservative Parenting, or Libertarian Parenting? What about Green Parenting? [:)]

I make light because, without definition the term "Liberal Parenting" means little, save to you and it may mean something completely different to someone else when they use it. If you mean lazy, indifferent parenting by people who warehouse their kids in school to persue sufficient income to afford two over-sized, over-priced SUVs and then complain that the schools aren't teaching their children morals while complaining that they are mentioning sex to them, then I can agree with your use of the term. Otherwise, being a politically liberal person, I can't say I understand what you're talking about. [:)]

[Anonymous]

No one touches my layout except myself. However, I build plastic model car kits, people like to touch those. The wheels come off, and finger prints get on the model when they do[:(!] Oh yeah, I get mad.[:(!][xx(]

[AntonioFP45]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack

I cannot begin to sufficiently describe the difficulty I have in keeping my wife from touching layouts when we go to train shows. The diplomacy necessary to preserve domestic tranquility while emphasizing that she should point, but not touch somebody else's layout is challenging in the extreme.

I make light because, without definition the term "Liberal Parenting" means little, save to you and it may mean something completely different to someone else when they use it. If you mean lazy, indifferent parenting by people who warehouse their kids in school to persue sufficient income to afford two over-sized, over-priced SUVs and then complain that the schools aren't teaching their children morals while complaining that they are mentioning sex to them, then I can agree with your use of the term. [:)]

-------------------------------------Yep! You got it! Lazy, teach little or no values, let the t.v raise them, let them watch whatever they want, let them be rude and not correct them, puni***hem by sending them to their room......that is.....the room with the TV, VCR, DVD, CD PLAYER, and computer.

I wasn't perfect by any means but compared to a lot of today's kids, I was in a dictatorship! (And I'm so greatful for it!)

I had to say "please and thank you", shake men's hands, kiss ladies on the cheek, bathe daily, NEVER interrupt adult conversations or else incur "The wrath of mom!" Wash dishes, NEVER touch ANYTHING in the store but to "POINT" to an item that I wanted for my birthday. Don't hit girls!, NEVER touch any item at another person's house without permission, and of course; the ultimate "death penalty rule: NEVER SMART OFF TO THE TEACHER IN SCHOOL OR GIVE HER A HARD TIME! UNTHINKABLE!

Well.............amazing how things have really changed since I was a kid! Anyone still wonder why some kids over 8 will try to destroy your layout when they come over and visit their parent(s)?

I'm so glad that as a teacher (with a wacko sense of humor) I often talk to my students about these values that are not being taught, especially by many young teenage mothers who are struggling to grow up themselves. I find that with the right approach, some do listen!! It does make a difference.

As for political conservative or liberal views. I'm not sure how this always fits as I've met both Conservative and Liberals that are great parents and lousy parents.

As for kids in my train room, a give them a BIG SMILE and tell them "Hey, glad you like my trains. Here's a couple you can play with. Touch these over here.......and I'll bite you harder than a Mad Dog!" Amazingly I get cooperation.

[Anonymous]

That's one thing I've never understood, the destructive urges of some kids. I was never like that, my younger brother wasn't either - yet we both had endless trouble explaining to visiting friends that our trains were not a minature cra***est base. I just don't get why people like to break and or cra***hings - there's enough destruction in the world already! The really scary part is, most of those kids who asked if the trains can be made to crash will have driving licenses in a few years....

I guess it might have something to do with upbringing, and what they're exposed to. I don't think any one thing is entirely to blame (TV and other media are usually attacked - easy targets?). I think it's more a case of people having kids and then being unprepared to devote time to bringing them up, talking to them, etc - basically showing them by example how to function in society. Just my thoughts, and I apologise if anyone is offended by them, as I certainly don't intend to have this effect.

[railman]

it's like people just go into destructo-mode when it isn't there stuff. We have the same trouble with people that snowmobile across our farmland...we give them a trail, but a few always feel compelled to drive around the signs and tear up hayfield.
These are the same people that would throw a fit if you somuch as stepped on their lawns, but if they see a field (Or in our case a expansive RR set) they automatically think it's theirs.

[dragenrider]

I don't show my layout, period. If relatives ask, I simply say, "I'm sorry, but it's not running right now" which isn't a lie-it's not running if I'm not there!

I simply refuse to have children in my layout room. It's earned some harsh looks and puzzled expressions, but I can live with that. I found out early that kids smash and adults trash layouts through touching, prodding, grabbing, trying to run trains, etc. I put too much love, effort, and money into my hobby to be run over about it. [soapbox]

So, I'll just lock the door and apologize. If someone takes offense--TO BAD! [:-,]

[Anonymous]

No-one is allowed to see or visit your layout!?[:O] Even adults?[:(][V]

[AntonioFP45]

QUOTE: Originally posted by modelrailroader71

No-one is allowed to see or visit your layout!?[:O] Even adults?[:(][V]

71,

More than likely he'll probably make a judgement call like many of us would. If the person seems "decent and respectful" he might get to take a peek.. I do understand where he's coming from. Model railroad equipment today has gotten so expensive that while you should share it with others, you still have to take care of it.

Five or Ten unmanaged fingers can be the scale equivelant of a Kansas tornado!

[krump]

perimeter electric fencing might work[C):-)]
a viewing observation room - separate and apart from your layout
put it on video camera for video / DVD presentation

people don't understand the pride, time and effort taken to make your masterpiece. They touch... but they'd never consider leaving the China Doll collection (or whatever the interest) on the coffee table - no, those puppies can only be observed behind glass [:o)][:o)][:o)][banghead][banghead][banghead]... then carry on.

[Fergmiester]

Dragenrider: What a shame! I can understand where you're coming from but. I've had Cubs and other kids in to see my layout and for the most part they sit back and look in awe. That or would rather play on my sons Game Cube. The only trashing I have had to endure is verbal and from relatives.

If you are concerned with trashing set ground rules and set up a perimeter and let hem play with the throttle. Just make sure you have a Deadmans's Switch handy!
Fergie