BLS53 schlimm Speaking professionally, I am certain many "foamers" are not on the spectrum. Additionally, I believe the condition is badly overdiagnosed. I agree with it being overdiagnosed. My daughter's a Special Ed teacher, and her classes keep increasing in size. Asperger's Syndrome appears to be the "trendy" one.
schlimm Speaking professionally, I am certain many "foamers" are not on the spectrum. Additionally, I believe the condition is badly overdiagnosed.
Speaking professionally, I am certain many "foamers" are not on the spectrum. Additionally, I believe the condition is badly overdiagnosed.
I agree with it being overdiagnosed. My daughter's a Special Ed teacher, and her classes keep increasing in size. Asperger's Syndrome appears to be the "trendy" one.
Speaking for personal experience here, being one who has grown up with Asperger's, having a sibling with it, and knowing several others with it as well, some of whom are also into railroading. Allow me to make a few points.
First the "overdiagnosis" debate is hard to quantify. That is, because science and society still aren't quite sure how to treat "mental disorders". The finicky thing is each case is vastly different from person to person. For many, the "disorder" is really just an abnormality, while for others, it is dibilitating. So the question of this is nearly impossible to resolve while this is unsettled. Many are "overdiagnosed", but at the same time the definitions are somewhat loose, and the symptoms of the issue are really over-treatment than the diagnosis (as in the special ed example above). At the end of the day, the steps taken post-diagnosis are the most important. Many end up taking medications for things such as improved focus. Like the "disorder" itself, sometimes it helps, other times people search for years and years, even when there isn't a huge issue. That's just bad parenting and medical care. None of this is to say that there aren't any bad diagnostic cases - but the majority are onto something, generally speaking.
Second is the interesting point about Asperger's in particular. Remember here, I've been diagnosed with it for a decade, have grown up through school with it, and it is really the driving force behind my interest in this industry, and is already leading me into the industry as a clear career path. The thing about Asperger's is that it is a spectrum, and really appears, more than probably anything else in the "autsim spectrum" to be more of a different way of thinking than something mentally "wrong". A good way to describe it is being "wired differently" up top, as far as a metaphor for it goes.
This sort of thing, as a medical diagnosis, no doubt annoys some because it again isn't like polio or cancer where the diagnosis is "yup, x y and z are the issue, here is how it is fixed or isn't". Truth be told, it is nebulous and the "solution" could be just about anything, on a case-by-case basis.
So long story short, Asperger's generally impacts two things: social skills, and acedemic/mental capability. The spectrum starts with increased mental "skill" as far as things such as studying or picking up skills, and comes with some social skill holes, which make these people, especially in school/adolescent years, seem "odd" or "different". But, there are a LOT of very smart people in this part of the spectrum. In fact, many experts believe that many of the "big names" in the STEM fields in particular had Asperger's, with the hallmarks of social weakness yet brilliant minds (think Archimedes, Da Vinci, Edison etc). Essentially, these people generally spend much more time interested or focused on one particualar topic in life (enter trains here), and generally do very well in school or picking up new skills. Farther down the spectrum, this increased acedemic capability trails off as the social issues get worse. This is where it becomes debilitating.
Third: So we know it is a real "thing". Again, huge amounts of debate as to whether it is a real "disorder" or is just "different", or where on the spectrum the boundary lies. In either way, many benefit from the use of medication of various forms. And for Asperger's particularly, railroads are often the "one big topic" people pickup on which guides much of what they do from a personal standpoint. It can help them to focus on one particular area of interest.
Fourth, for example: Now maybe this is too much information about myself, but for the sake of the discussion, here we go:
As I said, I have Asperger's. I'm on the part of the spectrum where I do really really well in school/acedemic settings - many would consider me part of the "gifted student" crowd - a label which is misplaced in many contexts. Great GPA, 99th percentile in most subjects, the ACT, etc. On the flipside I tend to struggle in social settings, most noteably those with unfamiliarity. Generally speaking, once familiar with the people, myself and others like me tend to do alright, but can be very uncertain in new places with new people. For me, the two balance each other out, by and large.
So, looping all of this back to why we're here: trains. My "one big topic" is railroads. Since as early as I can remember, it is been a burning interest. Many people are able to turn this "disorder's" burning interest into a career, providied they have the skills and ambition match. That is why currently, I'm studying Civil Engineering, minoring in Railroad Transportation, and this summer I'm working an internship at a railroad engineering firm, out of my freshman year in college. For others, they might become auto engineers/mechanics/custom designers for example, following an interest in that industry. Yes, people generally gravitate towards things that move, that's just how it is, nobody seems to really know why.
So when it all comes back to railfan versus foamer, you're going to find a significantly increased amount of "autism" in this hobby. No doubt, many people are "normal", who just happen to have an interest. But you're also going to find the type who probably has some social handicap but an interest beyond even their comprehension. Some of these people are going to fit right in, others will be driven to do bad things in their prusuit, or be "annoying" to many. This can be frustrating to those who are "normal" and don't understand how the thought process works for somebody with Asperger's in particular.
As always in life, the best solution is just to be respectful at all times, even in the face of disrespect. We're all here because we enjoy the hobby. For some it just is, for others it is a product of different mental continuity. That shouldn't change how we treat other people.
So now I'll alight my soap box. If you don't like what I said, if you think Autism and Asperger's is a total sham, then you're probably going to have ongoing issues with members of the hobby, who mean no harm, and just think differently than you!
There's a half dozen or so other credible links that come up through a Google search.
BLS53 Don't shoot the messenger. https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2014/09/12/what-it-about-autism-and-trains
Don't shoot the messenger.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2014/09/12/what-it-about-autism-and-trains
Certainly a far more reasoned explanation than was advanced here. And certainly one I'll buy into.
It's funny that the writer mentions spinning objects, given the current fad of fidget spinners (which is not to say that they don't have value as a theraputic device, only that they've gone beyond that and into fad territory).
A ham radio site had a picture of a morse code key, calling it the original fidget spinner...
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...
geomodelrailroader wrote:
Hot Water does not like the term at all his real name is Doyle McCormick and you know who Doyle McCormack is he is the preservation manager at the Oregon Railroad Museum in Portland.
Okay, I need to set this part straight, right here and now, Hot Water is NOT Doyle McCormack(Please at least spell Doyle's last name right).
Hot Water's real name is Jack Wheelihan(I think I got that one right) Jack is a very well known member on the OGR(ogaugerr.com) forum. Jack is very involved with the 4449, and has fired for Doyle many times, and has been involved with the 844 program in the past as well.
Now I don't know what geomodelrailroader's real story is, but he is definitely WRONG about Hot Water's real name, I don't believe a word of his rambling about the word FOAMER being an insult towards those with Autism, I don't know if he really IS Autistic, but I am starting to suspect that he is nothing more than a TROLL.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
RMENumerous sites do NOT like, or approve of, the practice of 'hotlinking'...
And more than a few block the practice entirely.
tree68I would argue that as long the original creator of the content (print or image) is appropriately credited, all is good. Whether the fact that we must link to the image constitutes due credit might be a gray area.
There are exceptions. Much of the information in the T1 Trust repository is understood not to be 'for republication' and, in fact, some of the items placed there are under copyright which has not been waived. Simply because an image has been posted on an Internet-accessible source does not put it in the public domain where simple naming of the photographer makes publication OK.
For many years, and I strongly suspect to this day, there are many images that are 'traded' as prints between railfans which have never been published, posted or shared outside that community. Some of these, like the original GE cab unit demonstrators, eventually see print; many more, like the front-end coal firing arrangements in a question on the Classic Trains forum, may remain hidden indefinitely ... until you have something of equivalent perceived value to trade. If you think that scanning and uploading one of these images to a Web site and then linking to it will be "OK" as long as you credit the original photo trader ... you may have another 'think' coming.
Numerous sites do NOT like, or approve of, the practice of 'hotlinking' (instead of copying and uploading, aka 'stealing', a physical image) as it involves what used to be considerable bandwidth each time the hotlinked image is used. No amount of crediting the original source will make a proscribed hotlink somehow more acceptable. In those cases it might be argued that securing posting permission from the original source is in fact 'better'... but I would not think that mere attribution would substitute for permission in many, perhaps most, of such cases.
P-LineSooThat is not to say that everyone else is bad, but it's not terribly difficult to just snap pictures of locomotives, and most of what I see is just that.
"Historic Records" and roster shots notwithstanding (Gee, I wish we'd gotten a picture of....), your run-of-the-mill 3/4 wedge shot is rarely anything extraordinary, as noted. Far better are the images in which the train/locomotive is but an element in the overall composition.
The issue of stealing images/calling them your own is an issue. I've heard of people cropping an image to remove the watermark placed there by the original photographer. That's pretty bad... Yet some seem to persist. Generally speaking, once it's discovered what's going on, the users of whatever forum/photo site the thief is posting on usually come together and go after him (it's usually a him).
The "fair use" doctrine probably applies to the use of images here, inasmuch as this forum is hardly a commercial enterprise (ie, the posters are not trying to sell a product or the image). I would argue that as long the original creator of the content (print or image) is appropriately credited, all is good. Whether the fact that we must link to the image constitutes due credit might be a gray area.
P-LineSoo On a somewhat related note, I've noted that those of whatever faction they'd fall into that photograph trains all seem to think that they're Ansel Adams and get their undies bundled about the photo rights as if it were a bloody Picasso. There are very few really good rail photographers. That is not to say that everyone else is bad, but it's not terribly difficult to just snap pictures of locomotives, and most of what I see is just that.
On a somewhat related note, I've noted that those of whatever faction they'd fall into that photograph trains all seem to think that they're Ansel Adams and get their undies bundled about the photo rights as if it were a bloody Picasso. There are very few really good rail photographers. That is not to say that everyone else is bad, but it's not terribly difficult to just snap pictures of locomotives, and most of what I see is just that.
While I hear what you are saying, and agree that the majority of rail photos are essentially average rather than valuable works of art, the fact remains that the rights to that image remain entirely with the photographer. Where they get annoyed is when somebody else feels it is valuable enough to steal and use without crediting the owner. I have seen somebody granting permission to a third party to repost one of my pictures that was on his own website. In fact he had grabbed it off the web and was now claiming it to be one he owned. Is it any wonder that those who care about their better images get p***d off and become careful about how they share.
John
It is just like some occupations that get bandied about here...
90% of all railfans give the other 10% a bad name!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
schlimmAdditionally, I believe the condition is badly overdiagnosed.
Agreed. The degree of excitement varies considerably between individuals.
Norm
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
@RME:
Been a railfan since I was a kid. Old enough to remember the sometimes lonesome wail of a steam whistle and could recognize the signature of engineers who played them well almost making them a welcome tune. I lived just a few miles from the nearest crossing (could hear him blow for three or four crossings, and DAMN, those sounds were sweet) I laid awake some nights hoping to hear the sound that only a well tuned steam whistle, properly played, could generate. Yes, it's a trip back into my childhood to hear one of them today. They dominated the years of my childhood, and although I was excited when Diesels hit the rails, somehow the "BLAT" of their horns held no comparison to the sweet sound of the steam whistle well played by an experienced engineer.
It was sad to see the behemoths of the rails disappear in favor of efficency. Those engines were magnificent beasts, and the sheer size of some of them was something to behold. Technological progress takes no prisoners, and sadly, steam was inefficient enough it lost the battle for survival.
I can't help but wonder what progress will bring to the rails in the future. Will the younger generation even realize steam existed without visiting a museum? Doubtful in my mind.
In the Sixties I was working a fire station near a crossing. One of the last steam engines to use the road blew for crossings in late evening while he and I were playing Cribbage. I and the guy I was working with commented on the sound, the engineer's skill with the whistle, and the realization it would likely be the last time we heard that performance. Sadly, it was not to be heard again.
Times change: memories remain.
Railfan? Always. Foamer? Never. Always respectful of those doing the job.
I could call someone brilliant, or Brilliant, or "brilliant", or BRILLIANT.
The first one probably means the dictionary definition of being intelligent, or shiny, or witty, or distinguished, or possibly the way some diamonds are faceted.
The second one, because the first letter is capitalized, might be a person's name or the name of a commercial product.
The third one, because it is enclosed in quotes, might mean that I am calling into question a person's intelligence or intent. As in, ‘That posting was "brilliant"!’
The fourth one, because it is all capitalized, might mean I am shouting it, which may or may not mean that I am praising some action or complaining about it, you would have to infer the real meaning by the context it is in... it also might mean it is an acronym, but without context, one would probably have no idea what it means...
Let's see what I can do as I write this:
Brainy Rigorous Intelligent Locally Literate Innovative And Novel Teacher
Boneheaded Rascally Illiterate Little Louse In A Nutty Tiff
Take yer CHOISE!
However, you cannot know my meaning because there is no context to apply here. You cannot see if I am smiling, or in a snit, or ... ???
You can call me a foamer if you wish, and I will only be insulted by the way you say it. Say it in a friendly manner and I will smile, hang my head and admit that I do get excited by the visual of a Steam Locomotive moving fast. Say it in an unfriendly manner and I will probably respond in kind... but I will try to refrain from repeating your hand gestures.
Well, when he gets a little older and more mature I'm sure he'll realize he should save that over-the-top enthusiasm for big steam!
Although that BL-2, the "Basset Hound of locomotives" is pretty cool in it's own right.
To paraphrase General Robert E. Lee, "It's glorious to see such enthusiasm in one so young!"
RME Watch this one first (I don't know enough to edit the URL so Kalmbach will display it inline in a post here)
Watch this one first (I don't know enough to edit the URL so Kalmbach will display it inline in a post here)
Here is how I do it: Click right into the running video. Click left on copy video-url. Copy into post. https://youtu.be/RhYXNwvcl6A Regards, Volker (germany)
As noted in the other 'foamer' thread: watch the videos in the right order to get the full effect. I think it is 'telling' that most of the mundanes involved in the 'viral' spread of that "train spotter video" had no idea it was in fact a parody.
tree68I think most folk's concept of a foamer is summed up in a video posted several years ago.
Watch this one first (the problem with the URL was that it was some image- browsing scam 'utility' SEO-optimized to appear early in searches as if it were the actual video - now I know to watch for that stuff...)
and then watch the 'famous' one
Now you know why the over-the-top tropes are so funny.
geomodelrailroaderAnd find the word FOAMER offensive nearly all of them have autism like I do.
The word "foamer" predates the current knowledge of autism. As far as I'm concerned, a foamer is is simply someone with an exceedingly overenthusiastic interest in railroading.
I think most folk's concept of a foamer is summed up in a video posted several years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqvwnxgxazY
Foamer derived from the word fomite which is used in the 1940s and early 1930s to describe railfans. As everyone knows these were the years that people were doing drug therapy shock therapy and the lobotomy executions on people with autism. The m in the acronym foamer refers to mentally retarded people with Autism who are railfans find this offensive. It was changed recently to describe one who foams at the mouth when they see a train the back in World War II it had a different meaning and it came mostly from Eastern train crews and European train crews to describe railfans today East Coast crews and those in Canada have shortened it to FMR and that is offensive. I have seen this used a couple times on train orders all those guys do is boast about it and even make rude jokes about it. I and the other railfans found it offensive I am one of four people in the Idaho Railfans group who have autism the other ones are Geebmechine, Grand Tetons, AJV, and myself Geomodelrailroader. We are always picked on by members of our group and sometimes the administrator of the group have kicked us out. I don't take pretty well to people from train orders inside other railfan community groups although most of us lack the knowledge like myself every single time I confront somebody from train orders they call me a foamer, use FMR, or say each word that is in the acronym. I have gotten into fights with Realist, Mikado 1555, Hotwater, and Spikes and the source of all the foamer insults is the guy who originally created them Jeff Frost also known as Mikado 1555 he works for Strasburg Railroad he and his co-workers used the word foamer as a company joke and the original post can be found on train orders. They don't find the word foamer offensive but out west were all of the excursion railroads are owned by the railroad companies or preservation groups we find it pretty offensive Hot Water does not like the term at all his real name is Doyle McCormick and you know who Doyle McCormack is he is the preservation manager at the Oregon Railroad Museum in Portland. Ed Dickens and Steve Lee at the Union Pacific they don't like it either and neither does Wasatch Contractors these guys rely on railfans to operate. Out west the excursions are thriving because of donations from the railfans while back east they are declining because back East they have a lot of excursion railroads. Excursion railroads are not money makers instead of making money they lose money because they are very mean to railfan especially those with mental disabilities like autism. This has got to stop and I even called out the guys who are doing it on train orders before they kicked me out of their groups. My voice will be heard one day we need to stop using the word foamer offensively because train crews and railroad police don't like being called a bull or shack because mostly everyone has read The Road or watched the movie Emperor of the North. Jack London was very offensive to railfans and hobos when his book was published in 1942 since then foamer and fomite have been used to refer to the railfans and shack and bull have been used to refer to the train crews and the railroad police. As you know if you read the book The Road or watched Emperor of the North Shack was a bully and a murderer who threw hammers at hobos, railfans, and even his own crew. He even brutalized​ them resulting in some of them dying or worse being ran over by his train as he highballed. The name calling has got to stop they don't like us calling them names and we don't like them calling us names.
And find the word FOAMER offensive nearly all of them have autism like I do. And I did not coin the insults people on the website train orders did one of them being Danny Lawson who goes under the train orders handle Realist along with a couple other people on that form read the train orders form for 2012 and you will see the insulting words right there. They are also in the word fomite with predates the word foamer. I support most of the people in the autism community and we are trying to find a cure along with several other railfans who have my condition find the word foamer offensive because most people like those on train orders use it grudgingly and they use it as an acronym. I don't need to say the acronym ever again because you seen it and it is very very bad this was first used on website train orders and most of the people on there are retired railroaders or other railfans who hate the younger generation and those with autism. The only letters and the word foamer that have changed over the years and each time they have been insulting are the F and the M in foamer everyone knows what the f stands for and I don't need to say it because it is an expletive. When autism people joined the railfan community we found the M and foamer offensive also. M stands for mentally retarded this dates back all the way to war war 2 and the Great Depression where they control people with Autism with drugs shock therapy and even killed them by doing lobotomies by drilling into their skulls. Here is the big disclaimer don't use the word foamer around people with autism we find it offensive especially when people use it as an acronym. I'm a railfan and nothing more.
I had to use a vacation day before the end of the year or lose it. So I get up at 5:30 this morning and make the hour drive to Hamlet, NC getting there before sunrise. I fan from Hamlet down to Pembroke and from there to Fayetteville, NC where I'm typing this after 9:00 PM now. I don't think it got much above freezing all day. I'm one of the few people that doesn't care that much about the locomotives. They all look alike to me anyway. *gasps* l'm a CSX fan and I try to photograph them whenever possible. I think Pine Junction, Indiana is railfan heaven. A manifest train is my favorite train and I really get excited to see a rare or fallen flag boxcar. I love fanning the Pokey even if it is Norfolk Southern. ; ) I love photographing/videoing trains at night. I started making spreadsheets of the trains I saw as well as sheets for locations. I enjoy following the tracks on Google maps and finding abandoned buildings to explore and photograph as a bonus. Photography is what got me into trains and there's nothing like that sweet feeling when you look at your pics and think to yourself... Oh yeah I nailed that shot! Trackide time is my happy time... : )
samfp1943 geomodelrailroader [posted dec6,2016 @0239am] A railfan is someone who likes trains and photographs them also has a collection of memorabilia books and models. Foamer is an acronymic insult used by those in the industry and other railfan to hate young railfan to start a fight. Foamer stands for (expletive) Overreactive Arrogant Mentally Retarded Eccentric Railfans and both words are extremely bad it should never be said and should never be used in any vocabulary. "Posted by geomodelrailroader on Tuesday, December 06, 2016 2:34 AM The word Foamer is an insult to people who have Autism. F stands for an expletive we can not say, O stands for Overreactive, A stands for Arrogant, M is for Mentally Retarded, E is for Eccentric, and R is for Railfans. It is a bad word and it should not be in anyone's vocabulary. The acronym is as bad as the word and nobody should say it ever. I noticed the above two post on this Thread on the afternoon of Dec 7. I had read them and decided that the poster was was probably suffering from a case of over-sensitivity caused by insomnia.. I had decided not to to add anything, but after some thought I could not let it go without a comment. Autism (ASDA spectrum disorder ) is a very problematic condition, with many manifestations and diagnoses; it is not to be made light of. It is one of those conditions that has gained more and more publicity, over the last few years. If interested here's a link to start with@ http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm I would question as to motivation, why someone would go back to a thread that has content from May of2009 to current. Then try and start a confrontation on a subject of 'Foaming' that has its roots going back a number of years in this railfan hobby. Anyone monitoring thses Forums and Magazine content since 2011 would have a pretty good idea as to the implied meanings, as well as, the definitions of the term 'foamer'. Go back and re-read this Thread and its posts. Your question is answered pretty well all the way back to the original post. The if you want to set up a strawman and troll. I would advise that you go for it, and look for some psychological counciling for yourself as well.
geomodelrailroader [posted dec6,2016 @0239am] A railfan is someone who likes trains and photographs them also has a collection of memorabilia books and models. Foamer is an acronymic insult used by those in the industry and other railfan to hate young railfan to start a fight. Foamer stands for (expletive) Overreactive Arrogant Mentally Retarded Eccentric Railfans and both words are extremely bad it should never be said and should never be used in any vocabulary.
A railfan is someone who likes trains and photographs them also has a collection of memorabilia books and models. Foamer is an acronymic insult used by those in the industry and other railfan to hate young railfan to start a fight. Foamer stands for (expletive) Overreactive Arrogant Mentally Retarded Eccentric Railfans and both words are extremely bad it should never be said and should never be used in any vocabulary.
"Posted by geomodelrailroader on Tuesday, December 06, 2016 2:34 AM
The word Foamer is an insult to people who have Autism. F stands for an expletive we can not say, O stands for Overreactive, A stands for Arrogant, M is for Mentally Retarded, E is for Eccentric, and R is for Railfans. It is a bad word and it should not be in anyone's vocabulary. The acronym is as bad as the word and nobody should say it ever.
I noticed the above two post on this Thread on the afternoon of Dec 7. I had read them and decided that the poster was was probably suffering from a case of over-sensitivity caused by insomnia.. I had decided not to to add anything, but after some thought I could not let it go without a comment.
Autism (ASDA spectrum disorder ) is a very problematic condition, with many manifestations and diagnoses; it is not to be made light of. It is one of those conditions that has gained more and more publicity, over the last few years. If interested here's a link to start with@ http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
I would question as to motivation, why someone would go back to a thread that has content from May of2009 to current. Then try and start a confrontation on a subject of 'Foaming' that has its roots going back a number of years in this railfan hobby. Anyone monitoring thses Forums and Magazine content since 2011 would have a pretty good idea as to the implied meanings, as well as, the definitions of the term 'foamer'.
Go back and re-read this Thread and its posts. Your question is answered pretty well all the way back to the original post. The if you want to set up a strawman and troll. I would advise that you go for it, and look for some psychological counciling for yourself as well.
1. Not an acronyml derived from "foaming at the mouth" as in a rabid railfan.
2. Professionally speaking, the term has no relation to any of the spectrum disorders.
Railfan = One who like trains, and will watch and/or photograph/video record them from public property, obeying all laws and rules needed.
Foamer = One obsessed with trains, who will do anything needed to get his/her "shot" and will trespass, break any/all laws needed. Esp. One who will trespass on railroad property, and get angry when informed to leave, thinking they have "the right" to be there.
Acronym of Foamer = Something someone dreamed up to take or cause offense, needlessly...
Coming from a railfan/rail buff, who has seen a Foamer or two in his time....
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
samfp1943Anyone who has railfanned around has seen the architypical FOAMER. They are hard to miss, generally obnoxious and somewhat insanely present at a lot of venues. They are the 'picture in one's mind' when the term Foamer is mentioned. Anyone that has any doubts of what a Foamer can mean is welcome to go to YouTube.com @https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=railroad+foamer There you should be a whole list of these insane nutjobs preforming for the cameras; while making themselves look like a mule's behind.
geomodelrailroader The word Foamer is an insult to people who have Autism. F stands for an expletive we can not say, O stands for Overreactive, A stands for Arrogant, M is for Mentally Retarded, E is for Eccentric, and R is for Railfans. It is a bad word and it should not be in anyone's vocabulary. The acronym is as bad as the word and nobody should say it ever.
23 17 46 11
The S&NC skit was staged, but certainly fits the bill! (That's the RR's GM's voice, as I understand it...)
Posted by S. Connor on Monday, December 12, 2016 12:34 PM [In part copied from his post] "...We've all seen the kind of people I've described above around various places, and I (rightfully) have a disdain for them. They should know better, but they still go out and do this kind of stuff. If you're widely considered a "foamer" or "one of those guys" by other people, you've really done something wrong to earn that title..."
The final part of S.Conor's statement is so true. Anyone who has railfanned around has seen the architypical FOAMER. They are hard to miss, generally obnoxious and somewhat insanely present at a lot of venues. They are the 'picture in one's mind' when the term Foamer is mentioned. Anyone that has any doubts of what a Foamer can mean is welcome to go to YouTube.com
@https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=railroad+foamer
There you should be a whole list of these insane nutjobs preforming for the cameras; while making themselves look like a mule's behind.
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