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Those train guys

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Posted by Mookie on Friday, June 13, 2014 9:07 PM

dehusman

Mookie

Gentlemen:  You are giving me a headache!  So let's ask a different question.  Female, which I know there are a few, has a job as say - an op as opposed to a non-op.  I have seen both thru here.  She is a good worker and knows her duties.  How much guff will she have to work with from her co-workers and also from the foamers- young and old!  Dare I ask how Mrs. Railroader will react?  Or in her case, Mr. Railroader?    

 
It varies with the railroad, location and how seriously management and the crafts view harassment.  It also depends on her thresholds of what she finds objectionable.  The places I've worked over the last couple decades have had a pretty low tolerance for harassment.  I personally know of 5 people who have been demoted or discharged for harassment of various types (not to mention the cases just involving formal apologies).  These have ranged all the way from switchmen to superintendents.

Probably something like we are hearing about in the military. I have mixed feelings about this.  I would hope that all cases of harassment were judged fairly for both parties.  And I also hope for a bag of gold under my bed. 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Convicted One on Friday, June 13, 2014 9:02 PM

Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

've received several complaints from forum users about this thread. 

Ang

Tell them, that if they quit clicking on this thread, it won't bother them, anymore.

I've never understood the complainer mentality in an environment  such as this where they can simply ignore a thread they don't find useful. Why allow them to ruin it for the rest of us?

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Posted by Mookie on Friday, June 13, 2014 9:01 PM

zugmann

 Mookie:  most of the women I've met out here working are 10x more gruff than the worst guys.

Really!  I am surprised.  But then, I guess times have changed.  I am not quite sure what to make of that. I am speechless and that is funny!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:56 PM

Convicted One
I would, but I don't see much profit in it, so ferget it!

Yeah, few can afford my awesomeness.

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

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Posted by Convicted One on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:51 PM

edblysard
If so, wanting to have control of this forum should be an indication of someone or some group having very little life outside of their laptop.

Your post count was about ten times what mine was, the last time I could see them, so I'll defer to your expertise in that area.Mischief

edblysard
Oh, and by the way, pick zugman, he knows the answer

I would, but I don't see much profit in it, so ferget it!

I would like to say that I do think that they finally have got the moderation right here.  I doubt that any group of prior moderators we've had in the past would have the steel to unlock a thread that had already been locked, to allow the discussion to continue. Having employees handle the duty would seem to encourage objectivity over the subjectivity that I have loathed in the past. Thumbs Up 

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:35 PM

 Mookie:  most of the women I've met out here working are 10x more gruff than the worst guys.

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

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Posted by dehusman on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:34 PM

Mookie

Gentlemen:  You are giving me a headache!  So let's ask a different question.  Female, which I know there are a few, has a job as say - an op as opposed to a non-op.  I have seen both thru here.  She is a good worker and knows her duties.  How much guff will she have to work with from her co-workers and also from the foamers- young and old!  Dare I ask how Mrs. Railroader will react?  Or in her case, Mr. Railroader?    

 
It varies with the railroad, location and how seriously management and the crafts view harassment.  It also depends on her thresholds of what she finds objectionable.  The places I've worked over the last couple decades have had a pretty low tolerance for harassment.  I personally know of 5 people who have been demoted or discharged for harassment of various types (not to mention the cases just involving formal apologies).  These have ranged all the way from switchmen to superintendents.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:24 PM

Randy Stahl

Euclid

With her doing a rollby, the sound of it probably left her unware of the other engines approaching. 

 

Precisely correct. I was working in the engine house about 1/4 mile from the incident so I was there within seconds of the incident. The engineer on the SW1200s was shattered. It was horrible. She was grateful for her job and was the sole provider for her family of 4 children. Her husband lost his job the year before.

Wow....its a good thing you were close by there Randy.

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:13 PM

Euclid

With her doing a rollby, the sound of it probably left her unware of the other engines approaching. 

 

Precisely correct. I was working in the engine house about 1/4 mile from the incident so I was there within seconds of the incident. The engineer on the SW1200s was shattered. It was horrible. She was grateful for her job and was the sole provider for her family of 4 children. Her husband lost his job the year before.

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 13, 2014 8:09 PM

schlimm

Randy Stahl

If you act like a doormat on the railroad that's exactly how you will be treated. Any and all weakness is exploited. Never let them see your "buttons" cause they will push all of them. It was like this when I hired out and it hasn't changed.

As several others have said, this is a public forum, not a club for whining railroaders of a certain type.    If you want a private club, go there.

 

You're free to go at any time Schlimm.

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Posted by Euclid on Friday, June 13, 2014 7:18 PM

With her doing a rollby, the sound of it probably left her unware of the other engines approaching. 

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Posted by Mookie on Friday, June 13, 2014 7:05 PM

Randy Stahl

Mookie, the last gal I worked with was on the WC in North Fond Du Lac. She was training to be a conductor switchman when on one  hot June night she was doing a rollby on a departing train, took a few steps backwards directly into the path of a pair of SW1200s. She got both legs, an arm and a hand amputated.

Oh Wow!  That is tragic!  I do know just from train watching here in warm weather - they can't use their whistle at the crossing and if it wasn't for my # hearing (I can hear the motors from a long way off and...I am listening for them) and then the use of the bell, you would never hear those big guys roll up on you. 

Well, so much for that question. 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Norm48327 on Friday, June 13, 2014 6:37 PM

OK. Big Smile

Norm


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Posted by Overmod on Friday, June 13, 2014 6:34 PM

No -- not intended as such.  (At least not by me.)

It was just too good a straight line to pass up!

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Posted by Norm48327 on Friday, June 13, 2014 6:33 PM

That was a personal attack? Question

Norm


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Posted by Overmod on Friday, June 13, 2014 6:17 PM

Norm48327

schlimm

As several others have said, this is a public forum, not a club for whining railroaders of a certain type.    If you want a private club, go there.

And if you can't stand the heat, why are you hanging around the kitchen?

Just because there are a few on here who like playing with matches doesn't mean that others aren't interested in actually cooking something or learning about cuisine.

My personal opinion, for what little it's worth, is that the personal insults and ad hominem attacks are the things that ought to be communicated EXCLUSIVELY through the private messaging system -- as they are inherently private communications between the participants.  I have no particular interest in learning merely what people think about other people, let alone how nasty they can demonstrate themselves to be while doing so, in threads that supposedly are addressing real topics.  As a moderator (in other groups/fora, not this one) I believe strongly in free speech, and even in thread drift (if it is evolutionary and not just hijacking) -- but I draw the line, as I believe does Kalmbach, at purely personal attack and lambasting in public.

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Friday, June 13, 2014 6:08 PM

Mookie, the last gal I worked with was on the WC in North Fond Du Lac. She was training to be a conductor switchman when on one  hot June night she was doing a rollby on a departing train, took a few steps backwards directly into the path of a pair of SW1200s. She got both legs, an arm and a hand amputated.

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Posted by Mookie on Friday, June 13, 2014 5:56 PM

Gentlemen:  You are giving me a headache!  So let's ask a different question.  Female, which I know there are a few, has a job as say - an op as opposed to a non-op.  I have seen both thru here.  She is a good worker and knows her duties.  How much guff will she have to work with from her co-workers and also from the foamers- young and old!  Dare I ask how Mrs. Railroader will react?  Or in her case, Mr. Railroader?    

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Friday, June 13, 2014 5:55 PM

So all of us pushed your buttons?

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Posted by schlimm on Friday, June 13, 2014 5:51 PM

Au contraire.   You guys (Norm, R. Stahl, Murray, and now apparently BaltAcd, who always seemed more sophisticated) want a private club with your own juvenile code of misbehavior.  You all whine and play narcissistic kids games to get the threads locked when anyone brings up a topic you can't handle with reason and logic.  No wonder some of the other railroaders (dehusman) on here also object to this nonsense.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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Posted by Norm48327 on Friday, June 13, 2014 5:26 PM

schlimm

As several others have said, this is a public forum, not a club for whining railroaders of a certain type.    If you want a private club, go there.

And if you can't stand the heat, why are you hanging around the kitchen?

Norm


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Posted by Randy Stahl on Friday, June 13, 2014 5:21 PM

Awww.. your just saying that cause I push your buttons.

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Posted by schlimm on Friday, June 13, 2014 5:07 PM

Randy Stahl

If you act like a doormat on the railroad that's exactly how you will be treated. Any and all weakness is exploited. Never let them see your "buttons" cause they will push all of them. It was like this when I hired out and it hasn't changed.

As several others have said, this is a public forum, not a club for whining railroaders of a certain type.    If you want a private club, go there.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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Posted by Randy Stahl on Friday, June 13, 2014 4:48 PM

If you act like a doormat on the railroad that's exactly how you will be treated. Any and all weakness is exploited. Never let them see your "buttons" cause they will push all of them. It was like this when I hired out and it hasn't changed.

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, June 13, 2014 4:29 PM

To quote Jack Nicholson in 'A Few Good Men' - 'You can't handle the truth!'

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by dehusman on Friday, June 13, 2014 4:05 PM

BaltACD
Railroading and those who are involved in it at the field level are not big believers in 'big heap of politeness and humanity' - they are big believers in simple direct and sometimes very caustic communications - their lives can be endangered by those that don't communicate their reality in a emphatic and clear manner.

 
I am a railroader and I disagree with your comments.  The more modern railroads and railroaders believe in treating people with respect.  The old line ranting and raving of 30 years ago is no longer looked upon as a positive trait.  Screamers aren't valued by management or employees.
 
There still are screamers, there are still people who curse a blue streak.  But they are in the minority on the better run railroads.
 

Railroading is a rugged industry and the slightest lapse in attention or judgment can be fatal in a heartbeat.  If one is easily offended, other employment needs to be secured.

 
This is not a railroad, its a magazine forum.  There will be no lives threatened by these posts.  No lapse of attention or judgement in any post will have fatal consequences.  This is not "employment", its hobby discussion board.  Nobody is trying to secure employment on these boards.
 
This is not "on the property".  It is very much in the public.  Most of the rule books with which I am familiar admonish employees of a railroad to have courteous deportment in their dealings with the public.  I will be the first to admit I have had my crusty moments, but working for a railroad is not carte blanche to be rude and abusive.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, June 13, 2014 3:06 PM

jcburns

BaltACD, the idea here is NOT to re-create a crew room, it's to have a place where people can discuss ideas intelligently and politely and safely. There's a growing awareness out there about how hostile forums can be to all kinds of people.

I'm a late-fifties white guy and I'll take my discussions with a big heap of politeness and humanity, thanks.

Railroading and those who are involved in it at the field level are not big believers in 'big heap of politeness and humanity' - they are big believers in simple direct and sometimes very caustic communications - their lives can be endangered by those that don't communicate their reality in a emphatic and clear manner.

Politeness and humanity may be needed at the Board Room level (although I have overheard Board Room discussions that would make the crew room discussions seem tame).

Railroading is a rugged industry and the slightest lapse in attention or judgment can be fatal in a heartbeat.  If one is easily offended, other employment needs to be secured.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Norm48327 on Friday, June 13, 2014 1:51 PM

Agreed Gardendance.

Based on the number of views, almost 7,000, and 200 posts, I'd say people are very interested in what we're discussing. No need to close it down.

Norm


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Posted by gardendance on Friday, June 13, 2014 1:26 PM

Angela, are you sure the complaints have been about this thread and not about certain specific people's posts in this thread?

Why can't you punish the offenders, for example suspend their accounts, instead of punishing all of us who want to read and participate?

This "I'm going to take away everybody's toys" action is one of the reasons why I left my prior otherwise beloved railroad website. Please don't make me pack up and try to find another one, or even worse have to eat crow and return to that old site, to everyone's great loss and detriment.

Patrick Boylan

Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message

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Posted by jcburns on Friday, June 13, 2014 12:40 PM

BaltACD, the idea here is NOT to re-create a crew room, it's to have a place where people can discuss ideas intelligently and politely and safely. There's a growing awareness out there about how hostile forums can be to all kinds of people.

I'm a late-fifties white guy and I'll take my discussions with a big heap of politeness and humanity, thanks.

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