gardendance Randy Stahl Had it not been for the railroaders that took me under thier wing I'd be a porn star and not a railroader . Are you sure there wasn't some other little thing that kept you out of the porn business?
Randy Stahl Had it not been for the railroaders that took me under thier wing I'd be a porn star and not a railroader .
Had it not been for the railroaders that took me under thier wing I'd be a porn star and not a railroader .
Are you sure there wasn't some other little thing that kept you out of the porn business?
Oh great .. now I need new blinds on my windows ...
If you do change jobs, you could change your name to Stahllion.
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)
see...this only goes to reinforce my arguments that i made mention of the growing tention between railroaders and rail fans.. the one thing in this whole tread that i roll my eyes at is that some people on here are tossing the 3 engineers in question under the bus for giveing cab rides..but yet i am willing to bet that if these same people where given the same chance for a cab ride..they would jump at the chance without wasting a second to think about it... yes it is true the engineer rolled the dice when he/she (didnt read the artical for the details to know the sex of the engineers in question) and got snake eyes on a bad bet of a big mouth that blabed about it... but so is the one that opened his mouth when i know they knew that they wernt suppost to be in the cab in the first place... its bad enough that we railroaders have to deal with the stress of the job and the gistop tactics of managment just to catch us busting work rules (read a rule book from cover to cover and you will find out that to follow it to the letter you will never get out of the office let alone turn a wheel) now like i made mention befor we have to watch our backs with big mouth rail fans and the argment i made in the NS thread about the fan that got bent out of shape over a railroad employee yelling at him about taking pics and getting "offended" becouse he had is feelings hurt... its bad enough that the carriers hold our livelyhoods in there hands..now we have rail fans holding it in there hands to for any number of reasons makes a very stronge arugment for why alot of railroaders dislike railfans.. and the numbers are only likely to grow...
csx engineer
Like many railfans I have also had a few cab rides, but fortunately I had the good sense not to take pictures from the cab, and not to brag about those few rides. Then, they didn't have My Space, You Tube or even computers so as long as I didn't brag about the ride, management didn't see what happened at the time, or nobody got hurt there were no consequences. My guess is the Federal Railroad Administration will get involved in this incident so the engineers, and perhaps the young man, will face further consequences. I don't think this incident will affect railfans too much.
csx engineer,I reported a broken rail to the dispatcher last year which I was promptly thanked not only by the DS but by the track foreman as well when he showed up....
So,we may hold your life in our hands as well.
So,you may do well to remember that fact.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
csxengineer98 see...this only goes to reinforce my arguments that i made mention of the growing tention between railroaders and rail fans.. the one thing in this whole tread that i roll my eyes at is that some people on here are tossing the 3 engineers in question under the bus for giveing cab rides..but yet i am willing to bet that if these same people where given the same chance for a cab ride..they would jump at the chance without wasting a second to think about it... yes it is true the engineer rolled the dice when he/she (didnt read the artical for the details to know the sex of the engineers in question) and got snake eyes on a bad bet of a big mouth that blabed about it... but so is the one that opened his mouth when i know they knew that they wernt suppost to be in the cab in the first place... its bad enough that we railroaders have to deal with the stress of the job and the gistop tactics of managment just to catch us busting work rules (read a rule book from cover to cover and you will find out that to follow it to the letter you will never get out of the office let alone turn a wheel) now like i made mention befor we have to watch our backs with big mouth rail fans and the argment i made in the NS thread about the fan that got bent out of shape over a railroad employee yelling at him about taking pics and getting "offended" becouse he had is feelings hurt... its bad enough that the carriers hold our livelyhoods in there hands..now we have rail fans holding it in there hands to for any number of reasons makes a very stronge arugment for why alot of railroaders dislike railfans.. and the numbers are only likely to grow... csx engineer
CSX engineer, rail fans have always and will always do anything they can to cozy up to an engineer hoping to get a cab ride. Therefore it is up to the engineer -- whose livelihood is at stake and who we'd like to think is far more mature than the railfan -- to make the conscious decision whether to break federal laws. They got caught, and they lose, as they should.
Wana know what a knucklehead the kid is? He claims railfans like him need cab rides to make a decision whether or not to become a railroader and he's moaning that now he won't be able to get hired as a Metra engineer. What a doofus.
Poppa_Zit csxengineer98 see...this only goes to reinforce my arguments that i made mention of the growing tention between railroaders and rail fans.. the one thing in this whole tread that i roll my eyes at is that some people on here are tossing the 3 engineers in question under the bus for giveing cab rides..but yet i am willing to bet that if these same people where given the same chance for a cab ride..they would jump at the chance without wasting a second to think about it... yes it is true the engineer rolled the dice when he/she (didnt read the artical for the details to know the sex of the engineers in question) and got snake eyes on a bad bet of a big mouth that blabed about it... but so is the one that opened his mouth when i know they knew that they wernt suppost to be in the cab in the first place... its bad enough that we railroaders have to deal with the stress of the job and the gistop tactics of managment just to catch us busting work rules (read a rule book from cover to cover and you will find out that to follow it to the letter you will never get out of the office let alone turn a wheel) now like i made mention befor we have to watch our backs with big mouth rail fans and the argment i made in the NS thread about the fan that got bent out of shape over a railroad employee yelling at him about taking pics and getting "offended" becouse he had is feelings hurt... its bad enough that the carriers hold our livelyhoods in there hands..now we have rail fans holding it in there hands to for any number of reasons makes a very stronge arugment for why alot of railroaders dislike railfans.. and the numbers are only likely to grow... csx engineer CSX engineer, rail fans have always and will always do anything they can to cozy up to an engineer hoping to get a cab ride. Therefore it is up to the engineer -- whose livelihood is at stake and who we'd like to think is far more mature than the railfan -- to make the conscious decision whether to break federal laws. They got caught, and they lose, as they should. Wana know what a knucklehead the kid is? He claims railfans like him need cab rides to make a decision whether or not to become a railroader and he's moaning that now he won't be able to get hired as a Metra engineer. What a doofus.
Needless to say, the word of incidents such as this kid getting his ride and posting the evidence get around the railroad rank and file very quick. The kid claims he won't be the last to get such a ride. Maybe so, but I can guarantee you that anyone wanting a ride is going to have to look long and hard to find an engineer willing to risk his job to accomidate such a request. Maybe one in the tens of thousands? Good luck.
I mean, who could blame an engineer for telling a "railfan" to get the blank outa here. Filpping burgers at Mickey D's pays a lot less than than T&E service.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
This idiot kid won't affect my railfanning, but he does personify the lack of discretion that seems to be the norm among younger people these days. His attempt to justify what he did sounds like any teenager trying to weasel out of the punishment he's about to receive for his latest boneheaded stunt, except that he's telling it in public instead of only to his father. There also seems to be a desire among the younger set to claim their Warholian 15 minutes of fame.
CSSHEGEWISCHThere also seems to be a desire among the younger set to claim their Warholian 15 minutes of fame.
Which is now so easy to do, thanks to YouTube, etc.
I caught a cab ride a while back - even took a picture or two of the train for the engineer, using his camera. Didn't expect it, didn't ask for it, thanked all profusely (and was even given a ride back to my vehicle). There might have been a touch of "professional courtesy" involved - those involved knew I volunteer on a railroad. But that still doesn't make it right in light of the rules.
Kids like this don't seem to understand that actions can have consequences. As most of us know all too well, even a 'good' action can end up having undesireable results.
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...
Traded a cockpit ride many years ago with a cab ride. Will never tell who, where, or when even though pictures take of both.
We should all remember that Big Brother is watching...the days of cab rides are over...with no more descretion for young people/interested parties. You know..one bad apple spoils the bunch. Now go back to your computer son/daughter.. or your x box or whatever you call it...
CSSHEGEWISCHHis attempt to justify what he did sounds like any teenager trying to weasel out of the punishment he's about to receive for his latest boneheaded stunt, except that he's telling it in public instead of only to his father.
My ethics say: The kid is 18 and as painful as it sounds, an adult. And therefore if the Chicago Tribune is going to give him a such forum as the second story to express his views, it should identify him.
"The teen, who asked not to be named..."
What about "the engineers, who asked the teen not to publicize his rides..."?
I've also heard talk about a class action lawsuit -- passengers v. Metra -- for reckless endangerment. I can't image how I'd feel riding in a Metra car and hearing some 17-year-old kid was at the controls. Egad!
As I said in response to the earlier thread in which someone was complaining about cab videos being removed from U-boob. This was bound to happen sooner or later. I feel for the engineers who were trying to be nice and will now lose their jobs over this and will face an uphill battle trying to be employed elsewhere as they know the rules. As to the FRN involved and others who think likewise, be prepared for FRA to institute additional regulations to address this and expect to see both the METRA Engineers and the FRN involved face civil penalties from FRA (to the extent it has jurisdiction) and perhaps even criminal charges. Railroads will also be much more restrictive about cab privileges and railfan friendly events, so all will lose.
LC
Poppa_Zit CSSHEGEWISCHHis attempt to justify what he did sounds like any teenager trying to weasel out of the punishment he's about to receive for his latest boneheaded stunt, except that he's telling it in public instead of only to his father. My ethics say: The kid is 18 and as painful as it sounds, an adult. And therefore if the Chicago Tribune is going to give him a such forum as the second story to express his views, it should identify him. "The teen, who asked not to be named..." What about "the engineers, who asked the teen not to publicize his rides..."? I've also heard talk about a class action lawsuit -- passengers v. Metra -- for reckless endangerment. I can't image how I'd feel riding in a Metra car and hearing some 17-year-old kid was at the controls. Egad!
A class action is very unlikely to survive a dismissal as the riders have suffered no damage a necessary element in a negligence lawsuit. Reckless endangerment is not likely to be a viable claim as there is no showing of ratification by METRA of the conduct of the train crew.
Limitedclear A class action is very unlikely to survive a dismissal as the riders have suffered no damage a necessary element in a negligence lawsuit. Reckless endangerment is not likely to be a viable claim as there is no showing of ratification by METRA of the conduct of the train crew. LC
Thanks. I heard it last night on a radio talk show.
Honestly, I don't think getting cab rides were the issue, I think the issue was a 18 year old operating a train that had passengers on it, risking his life, the engineer's life and hundreds of other lives on the train. Commuter railroads will probably be more strict to prevent a similar situation to what happened in Chatsworth, and this incident is probably being talked about so much on the news because of the Metrolink crash.
Overall, if anyone were to be more strict to railfans it would probably be the commuter railroads like Metra and Metrolink. I doubt freight railroads will be affected too much by this. I've railfanned BNSF and EJ&E several times. The crews still wave, give me extra honks and flash their ditchlights when the see me just like always.
EJE818 Honestly, I don't think getting cab rides were the issue, I think the issue was a 18 year old operating a train that had passengers on it, risking his life, the engineer's life and hundreds of other lives on the train. Commuter railroads will probably be more strict to prevent a similar situation to what happened in Chatsworth, and this incident is probably being talked about so much on the news because of the Metrolink crash. Overall, if anyone were to be more strict to railfans it would probably be the commuter railroads like Metra and Metrolink. I doubt freight railroads will be affected too much by this. I've railfanned BNSF and EJ&E several times. The crews still wave, give me extra honks and flash their ditchlights when the see me just like always.
Actually the whole issue is an issue: railfan side and employee side. In the cab, outside the cab, operating the train, taking pictures all no-no's. Then the fan blabbing it all over the universe, a worse no-no. No, the engineers, legally, had no right to allow him in thier cabs nor let him operate the train. But the fan betrayed the railroaders and the railfan community by his behavior. The ignorant, yellow journaistic media mavens are gonna have a field day. Then will come the lawyers......
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
henry6Actually the whole issue is an issue: railfan side and employee side. In the cab, outside the cab, operating the train, taking pictures all no-no's. Then the fan blabbing it all over the universe, a worse no-no. No, the engineers, legally, had no right to allow him in thier cabs nor let him operate the train. But the fan betrayed the railroaders and the railfan community by his behavior. The ignorant, yellow journaistic media mavens are gonna have a field day.
Actually the whole issue has only ONE side -- the employee side. Don't blame the infantile mind of the kid. Blame the employees who broke federal laws by bringing him into the cab. If they had not chosen to break the law, the videos wouldn't exist. Only a moron would expect a 17-year-old to keep his mouth shut, so stop making the kid an equal part of this because he was a "rat".
The fan didn't betray me or the railfan community. Not in any way. There's no secret pact of Omerta between railroaders and railfans concerning breaking federal laws.
And hitting the media with a wide brush calling it "ignorant, yellow" journalists shows your understanding of the business. Find me one newspaper where this story was sensationalized.
Poppa_Zit The fan didn't betray me or the railfan community. Not in any way. There's no secret pact of Omerta between railroaders and railfans concerning breaking federal laws. And hitting the media with a wide brush calling it "ignorant, yellow" journalists shows your understanding of the business. Find me one newspaper where this story was sensationalized.
First, I am a 45 year veteran of the newsmedia and I feel that my description of them is accurate in how they act, grab onto things, run with them, without investigating. As long as they can make it more sensational than it is, they will...its a lot easier than researching and intverviewing.
As for this kid betraying me, and all other railfans: he certainly did. If I told...at the time...of all the cab rides, free rides, tower visits (even a whole third trick), station attics, caboose rides, etc, I had from the time I was probably 10 through even today, many railroaders would have been in deep trouble. Today there are few railroaders who fans can come in contact with to learn. My first real contact was when I was abut 10 in Penn Sta. NY with my father and a few friends. A trainman jumped up from between a GG1 and a baggage car and asked me if I liked trains...I of course resonded in the affirmative...he told me to stay where a was, went up on the GG1, came back to me and handed me a genuine, kerosene, PRR clear globed lantern! It hooked me. But thanks to this clown no railroader can be that freindly, that supportive, that inspiring. This kid is not the excepetion, but the norm that has creeped across our society and into our hobby causing even greater chasms between techonology and human learning. Yes, those three METRA engineers were wrong. But they did what all railroaders have done over the last 180 years, proudly showing off their profession to an interested youth. Unfortunately, this kid wasn't grown up enough to understand respect and descretion. If it hadn''t gotten to the media, the three engineers could have gotten a good repremand and learned thier lesson without jeopardizing the what has been a wonderful 180 years of awe and respect.
Randy Stahl gardendance Randy Stahl Had it not been for the railroaders that took me under thier wing I'd be a porn star and not a railroader . Are you sure there wasn't some other little thing that kept you out of the porn business? Oh great .. now I need new blinds on my windows ...
Given today's FBI roundup of several child and adult prostitution rings I'd think that porn might not be a great career choice just now.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The FBI says more than 600 people have been arrested and 47 children rescued in a three-day roundup targeting people who force children into prostitution.
The arrests by federal, state and local law enforcement took place in 29 cities as part of Operation Cross Country II.
At a news conference Monday, FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said the arrests were made possible by intelligence gathered during a similar series of raids in June.
The 47 rescued children ranged in age from 13 to 17. A total of 642 people were arrested. The FBI says they include 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes. The bureau said that it also dismantled a dozen large-scale prostitution operations that were run through call services, truck stops, casinos and Web sites.
As this incident has followed so closely on the tragedy in Chatsworth, CA, and both FRA Emergency Order #26 (cellphone prohibition) and the passage of the Rail Safety Bill (providing a large expansion in the powers and reach of FRA), it is likely that FRA will take action whether by example or by regulation, or both.
Realistically, one should expect that railroads will tighten restrictions and their own rules on non-employees on the property and particularly in and around locomotives. I know of several railroads that have already reacted with more expected to follow.
henry6First, I am a 45 year veteran of the newsmedia and I feel that my description of them is accurate in how they act, grab onto things, run with them, without investigating. As long as they can make it more sensational than it is, they will...its a lot easier than researching and intverviewing.
OK, you entered this information into the discussion as a way of "qualifying" your "insider's knowledge" of the media. So tell us which media you've worked for for 45 years, now that you brought it up.
Now I'm curious. If the media is as bad as you say, why did you stay in the profession for 45 years? And I'm still waiting for you to show me one newspaper where this story was sensationalized, as you claimed above. Just one.
henry6If it hadn''t gotten to the media, the three engineers could have gotten a good repremand and learned thier lesson without jeopardizing the what has been a wonderful 180 years of awe and respect.
Your thinking is totally flawed. One of the jobs of the news media is to keep an watchful eye on governmental operations (i.e., Metra). If you had ever worked in news, you would have known that.
Here's where you're wrong: the media only reported the story after -- AFTER -- Metra announced the suspensions and why. So stop blaming the media unfairly.
Here's the ironic part: you're guilty of doing exactly what you accuse the media. Apparently you have lost your skill of investigating before reporting, because the Chicago media was given the story per protocol. Metra just followed the news playbook used by all entities supported by taxpayer dollars.
You're 'way too quick on the trigger to lump all media into one category and rip on them, man. A little residual bitterness, perhaps?
Ya got me...I have done radio, TV, newspaper, and magazine writing and reporting...now semi retired from sales angle (better pay, not controlled by decreasing budgets and a performance attitude of "good enough is good enough or maybe too much".) Also am in the semi rural East rather than in Chicago or any larger metropolitan area...so, no, I haven't followed through on anything nor have seen a Chicago newspaper...My perspective is from being in a media situtation where only news releases faxed, phoned, or via emails or snail mail are used as stories and there is no investigative reporting; police stores are picked up only if a reporter or editor is lucky enough to hear a police radio as there are rarely routine calls to police agencies. I'm not kidding. This is the state of newsmedia in many smaller cities and towns outside of major metropolitan areas. Even in the 70's we did more news, more production, better quality programming in all respects, than what big media conglamorate stations require of their staffs. We used to have to rewrite a story every hour or edition and not use the same one over and over for two or three days!
But these posts are about railroading.....
Do you think this guy is focusing?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=257334&nseq=0
Has anyone on the forum actually seen the video showing the railfan actually operating the moving locomotive?
Nowhere in the articles does it say there was video. The pictures show the kid in the cab but not driving the train.
James
That BNSF guy is having a well detailed job briefing.
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