Well it appears that some of the "wave" posters are carrying this over to the cyber diner forum...and are now making comments about some of the posters here.
I don't find that to be at all appropriate.
So...perhaps it best that this "waving thread" shivel and die on the vine...preferably by being locked once and for all.
Why? What do they do for me besides staying off the property?
Think of you and your employer favorably - sometimes an important thing when RR vs the public disputes arise.
Do you all expect a wave from the pilot of a 737?
Sure - if he's at the gate and sees me (or rather my kids, who will appreciate it far more than me)
From an ambulance driver?
I get them all the time. In fact, if they recognize my vehicle, they wave first. I know a lot of the crews around here.
From a bloody truck driver?
Come on! You have never stood by the side of the road and "pulled the rope" for a truck driver to honk for you?
From a surgeon?
I don't spend much time in hospital operating theaters - but if I see a doc I know, of course I do!
- whether it's in your job description or not. You are the face of the railroad. That is why we have so many PR people in Omaha. I am paid to make sure my fellow employees go home at night the same way they walked in that morning. Anything that effects their safety, is my concern. That is why they put me in this position.
- whether it's in your job description or not. You are the face of the railroad.
Try something for me/us. Next time your train is going across a highway crossing, make careful note of any pedestrians, as well as ensuring that the drivers at the gates aren't going to try to beat you across, and as you pass them, raise your hand off the armrest. Then put it down. Keep track of the pedestrians, vehicles, and the track ahead, just as you would if you didn't raise your arm. Now, did that hurt? And you just made a friend in that community.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Murray wrote: So...perhaps it best that this "waving thread" shrivel and die on the vine...preferably by being locked once and for all.
I agree. As Willy pointed out, it always turns into the same thing.
...wow.
All of this because I thought it was interesting that a Class 1 included waving in a job description. I'm sorry I opened this topic.
However...fear not! I won't be repeating this mistake (or even posting) much here any longer.
Dan
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
RRKen wrote:I don't even wave in Eau Claire.
ok...? good for you, I guess....
I don't get it. Why does everyone care so much? Wave or don't. Most of us understand if you choose not to. At least I do. Why act so offended when the subject comes up?
I go trackside to watch trains and take pictures. I do my best to ensure I stay out of the crew's way at all times. And I've been waved to several times. Hell, I even get cheerful greetings from conductors when they walk past me to get to the head end of the departing MBUVP. Maybe everyone around here is more laid back about their job? Maybe it's because I'm being polite? I don't know.
But if you don't want to wave, THEN DON'T! It won't hurt us or anything. No need to fuss about it.
phew. I need some pasta. All this ranting made me hungry.
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
Murphy Siding wrote: Just consider that zugmann,murray and KrabbyKen don't like anybody, and go from there. I could always trade you them for my arch-nemesis MichaelSol.
I like my Cat...
I like my Jeep...
I get along really well with the wife...even after 20 years...
I'm going to the B&O Museum next month for the dedication of the refurbished Chessie unit.
So how could you possibly know what I like or not like?
Murray wrote: Murphy Siding wrote: Just consider that zugmann,murray and KrabbyKen don't like anybody, and go from there. I could always trade you them for my arch-nemesis MichaelSol.I like my Cat...I like my Jeep...I get along really well with the wife...even after 20 years...I'm going to the B&O Museum next month for the dedication of the refurbished Chessie unit.So how could you possibly know what I like or not like?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding wrote: Murray wrote: Murphy Siding wrote: Just consider that zugmann,murray and KrabbyKen don't like anybody, and go from there. I could always trade you them for my arch-nemesis MichaelSol.I like my Cat...I like my Jeep...I get along really well with the wife...even after 20 years...I'm going to the B&O Museum next month for the dedication of the refurbished Chessie unit.So how could you possibly know what I like or not like? You caught me at my stupidest! I thought I was sending a PM, not posting on the forum. For that, I apologize. We can only judge people by the persona they put forth on the forum. I'll take you at your word, that I'm misreading you.
No worries...its all good!
I like lots of people... and believe it or not, some people like me. I also go through dozens of grade crossings every day. Am I going to wave at every car at every one of them? Nah. And if I didn't like anyone - why would I post on here? I like to share my opinions and thoughts.
I think we have a failure to communicate here. It is one thing to say that it is a nice thing to wave - it is another thing to say we aren't capable railroaders because we don't wave at eery tom, dick and harry waiting impatiently at the gates. Or wave to those happy railfans out at 6am sunday morning when all we want to do is go home and go to bed....
I said I wasn't going to say any more. I lied.
I thought, regardless of the sarcasm employed in my previous posting, that it was a neat thing for CN to include in the "duty" list. They're right--it's good PR, and the employees in the cab are the railroaders who are most likely to come face to face with the public. No, you don't have to wave at everybody, but it's downright uncivil of a person to refuse to acknowledge somebody who thinks you are worth waving at. If it's a trespasser who waves, wave back and turn him in later.
Willy, I'm not the only one who recognizes the shared trait of sensitivity--and that isn't a bad thing. When some of these guys are licking the wounds from their third or fourth divorce, you'll still be making wife No. 1 very happy. And you folks who picked on such a sensitive--and sensible--young man should be ashamed of yourselves. Particularly when the most offensive part of his opinion was apologized for.
(I'll bet nobody any more goes as far as one engineer I knew while growing up--he regularly tossed out wrapped pieces of candy to throngs of adoring young friends. Good old Mac--eyes on the rail, one hand on the horn cord, and the other tossing out the goodies; and never a bad thing said about him by anyone! Perhaps the "retrievers" were trespassing, but he did have a good pitching arm, so they might not have been.)
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Yeah Willy's cool. He gave me some smart advice in one of my older topics before. No reason to jab him.
I'm waving at the screen now too. HERRO EVERYONE!
http://www.youtube.com/user/pavabo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulvbox
CShaveRR wrote:I said I wasn't going to say any more. I lied.I thought, regardless of the sarcasm employed in my previous posting, that it was a neat thing for CN to include in the "duty" list. They're right--it's good PR, and the employees in the cab are the railroaders who are most likely to come face to face with the public. No, you don't have to wave at everybody, but it's downright uncivil of a person to refuse to acknowledge somebody who thinks you are worth waving at. If it's a trespasser who waves, wave back and turn him in later.Willy, I'm not the only one who recognizes the shared trait of sensitivity--and that isn't a bad thing. When some of these guys are licking the wounds from their third or fourth divorce, you'll still be making wife No. 1 very happy. And you folks who picked on such a sensitive--and sensible--young man should be ashamed of yourselves. Particularly when the most offensive part of his opinion was apologized for.(I'll bet nobody any more goes as far as one engineer I knew while growing up--he regularly tossed out wrapped pieces of candy to throngs of adoring young friends. Good old Mac--eyes on the rail, one hand on the horn cord, and the other tossing out the goodies; and never a bad thing said about him by anyone! Perhaps the "retrievers" were trespassing, but he did have a good pitching arm, so they might not have been.)
Soo 6604 wrote: wabash1 wrote: FTGT725 wrote:This thread makes me wonder, if all you professional railroaders are too busy to wave (safety issues), maybe if the foamers here just flipped you off, do you think you'd be too busy to repond? I'll bet not. We/I get fliped off every trip I laugh any more it makes them madder. remeber i dont lower myself to their weak minded standerd . its amazing that you can laugh at them and make them madder and they stand dumb founded with out anything to come back at you with. the public should understand we are not thin skinned on the railroad.Where would one find the time to input all the information that the "foamer" got "madder" and stood dumfounded without a comeback. Would one actually have to turn and look backwards to see the reaction of the "foamer"? I bet there would be some conversation between the engineer and conductor and some chuckles.In my opinion, truck driving is far more stressfull than running a train when it comes to paying attention to your surroundings. With the railroad, your on a fixed route (tracks), you know where your going. Trucks, you have many options. you have to mentally drive many more vehicles around you, you have to mentally think for many more people and what they are going to do around you, ect... The thing is, when you drive towards a trucker, lift a couple of fingers off the steering wheel (kinda like a peace sign) to acknowledge them, and most of the time, they are aware enough that you did that and will do the same back. Not to start a major arguement here but traversing the nations highways need more "paying attention" than riding the rails.
wabash1 wrote: FTGT725 wrote:This thread makes me wonder, if all you professional railroaders are too busy to wave (safety issues), maybe if the foamers here just flipped you off, do you think you'd be too busy to repond? I'll bet not. We/I get fliped off every trip I laugh any more it makes them madder. remeber i dont lower myself to their weak minded standerd . its amazing that you can laugh at them and make them madder and they stand dumb founded with out anything to come back at you with. the public should understand we are not thin skinned on the railroad.
FTGT725 wrote:This thread makes me wonder, if all you professional railroaders are too busy to wave (safety issues), maybe if the foamers here just flipped you off, do you think you'd be too busy to repond? I'll bet not.
We/I get fliped off every trip I laugh any more it makes them madder. remeber i dont lower myself to their weak minded standerd . its amazing that you can laugh at them and make them madder and they stand dumb founded with out anything to come back at you with. the public should understand we are not thin skinned on the railroad.
Where would one find the time to input all the information that the "foamer" got "madder" and stood dumfounded without a comeback. Would one actually have to turn and look backwards to see the reaction of the "foamer"? I bet there would be some conversation between the engineer and conductor and some chuckles.
In my opinion, truck driving is far more stressfull than running a train when it comes to paying attention to your surroundings. With the railroad, your on a fixed route (tracks), you know where your going. Trucks, you have many options. you have to mentally drive many more vehicles around you, you have to mentally think for many more people and what they are going to do around you, ect... The thing is, when you drive towards a trucker, lift a couple of fingers off the steering wheel (kinda like a peace sign) to acknowledge them, and most of the time, they are aware enough that you did that and will do the same back. Not to start a major arguement here but traversing the nations highways need more "paying attention" than riding the rails.
ROFLMAO....... Geez give it a break.....that is all you guys cry about is how stressful truck driving is and how much more attention it requires how brave and bad you are driving ...... in all conditions making america move.... all the while you have the cb mic in your hand cussing up a storm with a reverb and echo turn so high you cant understand anything half what your saying then you want someone to take you serious.....
RRKen wrote: n012944 wrote: Sounds to me like walking and chewing gum is a challenge for you..... No where did I say that waving is more important than what I do, but I am capable of doing more than one thing. One would hope that you would be looking at ANYONE who is even close to the track. If your are mentaly incapable of putting your hand in the air while still looking down the tracks, please make sure that the car radio is off the next time you drive your car. Make sure that you are sitting down the next time your cell phone rings. I am sure that the cab of your locomotive is a "steril" enviorment like a commercial airliner below 10000 feet and there are no conversations that don't have to do with the task at hand. At work, my cell phone is off. If someone needs me, I have a radio. Even tho we use bay windows, I mount my own mirror so I can keep track of behind me, as well as ahead of me. Thus is the nature of yard work. Don't assume anything about me, or my performance. I leave what ever idle chatter for after work. Waving at strangers is a waste of time.
n012944 wrote: Sounds to me like walking and chewing gum is a challenge for you..... No where did I say that waving is more important than what I do, but I am capable of doing more than one thing. One would hope that you would be looking at ANYONE who is even close to the track. If your are mentaly incapable of putting your hand in the air while still looking down the tracks, please make sure that the car radio is off the next time you drive your car. Make sure that you are sitting down the next time your cell phone rings. I am sure that the cab of your locomotive is a "steril" enviorment like a commercial airliner below 10000 feet and there are no conversations that don't have to do with the task at hand.
Sounds to me like walking and chewing gum is a challenge for you..... No where did I say that waving is more important than what I do, but I am capable of doing more than one thing. One would hope that you would be looking at ANYONE who is even close to the track. If your are mentaly incapable of putting your hand in the air while still looking down the tracks, please make sure that the car radio is off the next time you drive your car. Make sure that you are sitting down the next time your cell phone rings. I am sure that the cab of your locomotive is a "steril" enviorment like a commercial airliner below 10000 feet and there are no conversations that don't have to do with the task at hand.
At work, my cell phone is off. If someone needs me, I have a radio.
Even tho we use bay windows, I mount my own mirror so I can keep track of behind me, as well as ahead of me. Thus is the nature of yard work.
Don't assume anything about me, or my performance. I leave what ever idle chatter for after work. Waving at strangers is a waste of time.
Their are 2 types of railoraders, those that have made a mistake and those that will make a mistake. No matter what you say, at some point in time you will forget something and you to will be one of another long line of people, that said, it can't happen to me I'm too safe. You don't take safety anymore serious than anyone else, you just think your the only safe person.
Where has RRKen ever said it won't happen to him? He in fact is more aware it may happen to him.
Trust me - RRKen takes his safety seriously (as do I). It may take me a few more minutes to make a move than other people - but I can always get another job. Can't say the same about another life. Yes I know something bad can still happen to me - it can happen to all of us. But we can try to minimize the risks we have DIRECT control of. To do anything less is reckless and dangerous. Have to remember - I am the new generation of RRer. I have only been brought up to do things the safe way.
And I still may not feel like waving - too bad, so sad.
Ok, folkses...time to get on with other things. It's not happenin' here 'pparently.
-Crandell
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