To be blunt, I have noticed more socially inept people in this hobby than in others. Let's face it, a lot of "weird" people like trains. Considering this demographic, your treatment isn't too surprising. That doesn't excuse the behavior, it is just par for the course I guess.
-Mike
bb4884 wrote:I'm 17 and I feel cast-out wherever I go.
I feel your pain. I'm 17 and I feel like I don't get taken seriously enough. For instance, my friend and I (he also happens to be 17, at least for another month...) have been out railfanning on many occasions when the local police shows up and asks us what we're doing. Being on public property, we would honestly say "We're trainwatching!" Usually, the officer looks at us with disbelief and then tells us to "mind ourselves". With that, he usually takes his leave.
I know he's just doing his job, though. I mean, what would you think if you saw a couple of teenagers hanging around the tracks?
-Brandon
I'm seventeen and the club I go to really likes us youngins. We are handy for stuff like getting under the benchwork, stuff like that.
One clue to me is the noise level. If everyone is being loud and talking to each other alot and things are going on such as a short somewhere or a train is being made up or perhaps a new member is being shown DCC for the first time... it is a great place to be.
Add in the vacuum and your in business.
-Smoke
Fifty years ago our local club just didn't like kids, period. They were the only club, and they were associated with the biggest local hobby shop (LHS). Needless to say, we kids did business with the other LHS, a garage operation where the man and wife owner were friendly and helpful. But they had no room for a layout in the garage, unfortunately.
People are funny (odd), and sometimes you just can't figure them out.
Sometimes you can be around Modelers and feel alone. It happens with any group of people doing whatever.
Most clubs say hello! Make you welcome and steer you to the trains and show you the good stuff and help introduce you to others. The two in my area that I know of (Arkansas Valley and the Crooked Rails) do this really well.
Now if that person has a throttle in thier hand and are "Locked" on to a train getting converstation out of that person will be the same as trying to elict a response from a boulder. Sometimes the quiet ones who dont want too much human contact hide behind the operating area where the public cannot get to them. These Gophers are generally very effective at keeping the railroad functional. They are just too "Busy" being happy doing what they are doing and not have to deal with you and me.
If you do happen to find yourself in a club that gives you the cold sholder or otherwise reacts to you as one would react to a spider in the kitchen then maybe you want to find another one that will be better for you socially or more open to communciation.
Not everyone will have the ability to walk up to you and say "HELLO!" some folks are shy and others too grumpy and occupied with thier own issues to deal with you.
What I think is worse is showing up at a high-brow club full of expensive technology trying to run that new Tyco. You will either be coldly showed the door or be center of attention.
Others with silence and bulletproof glass 3 feet from the edge of the railroad are not so good.
I deal with many people at work. And my favorites are those who ask a question that is safety related and recieve a negative response and return a few moments later trying the same problem from another angle. Those are the ones I remember. No is no and yes is yes. LOL.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam