P42 108 wrote: filling up my SUV is not easy
filling up my SUV is not easy
Midnight Railroader wrote: P42 108 wrote: filling up my SUV is not easyIf this is one of your problems, be thankful. Most of us barely had a car at all when we were teens.
I was "post teen" before I had my first car, I would walk or ride my bike wherever I needed to go, and was able to do a lot of railfanning.
Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!
Yeah, but "way back then" when "we" was teens, few people lived where there were no RR tracks within walking distance. The old communities haven't moved, but the tracks have been removed. New communities have not had a need to be built near the once major transportation system, but now advertise, "Easy access to the Interstate."
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
You're probably right, Always Steamin', about the railroads being part of every small community. Now, even the places that have nearby railroads think of them as little different than power lines, and there's no longer the local agent, in most cases, to tie the railroad to the community.
But in the years in which some of today's spoiled teens are whining about not being able to fill up SUVs, I was discovering the limits of my bicycling capabilities when necessary, and cultivating friendships with other hobbyists, my age and above, my town and others (by mail, not by phone). These friendshiops got me to Chicago, and riding trains out of Chicago at a time when that place was 200 miles from home.
And let's not overlook some indulgent parents, who planned parts of family outings that included something for everyone. I think that during my high-school years, that was a far more satisfactory option than having them say, here's a car--have fun! I already had my magazine subscriptions and was not inclined to share, but my parents, to their credit, bought their own issues of Trains at times when they felt they needed to know a little more about what was going on with me.
And most importantly, one must realize that all of this is hindsight for me, and the best railfanning of my life is the result of what I'm doing to aid my cause right now. Complaining doesn't cut it--just go, have fun, and make yourself some nostalgia to look back on.
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)
When you are young, biking is probably the best alternative to driving a gas guzzling SUV (or any gasoline powered vehicle). If I had had a bike as a kid and continued to ride one throughout my adult life, maybe things would be different, but now my knees won't let me do much in the way of riding any distance, and there are "up hills" both directions for me to get to any tracks. Besides, bicycling with a cane looks a bit silly!
I am sure today's teens don't see themselves as being "spoiled", though those of us that grew up making our own toys, see the kid with store bought things as missing so much in the joy of life.
You are right about building memories. And good ones are a whole lot better than bad ones! Remembering when the family went railfanning together is better than remembering when the police came and arrested Dad or brother or yerself for doing something else. And having anything to remember is better than whatever was fun while you were so stoned that you can't remember what it was. You make your own memories, so make 'em good enough to want them to last.
railroadjj wrote:To clerify for everyone especially the person who said dont get any closer than a crossing arm will allow a car. If you are not at a crossing just say out in a field, the railroad owns the land from the center of the tracks out to 50 feet. So if you are as close to the tracks as the crossing arm will allow the cars to get, you are tresspassing. If a railroad employee ask you to wait in the office for the police to show up I would strongly advice you go to the office. Railroad employees are federal employees. If you are 50 feet from any track you are on public property, but if the police show up they can still confiscate your camera or film which ever they choice if the railroad wants it. Granted you should get it back in a day or so if the railroad does not find your photos to be a threat. You have to realize that 911 here in America did a number on every type of transportation industry. Infact there were 2 guys in Chicago that got arrested for taking pictures of a rare locomotive that had to be put back into service by METRA. Just be careful, if you can make sure you wear something that is highly visible so that the trains can see you and not scare the crap out of them when they come around.
I'm really suprised there's been only one comment about this post. JJ wrote that the police can confiscate your camera and film if the railroad wants it when you were shooting from public property? The railroad has ZERO say in this, and the police have to have justifiable cause to search anything of yours. They can ask and you can show them if you want (I have done so when asked and it's always been fine.)
Plus, you didn't tell the whole story. The two guys you are referring to in Chicago received an apology from the police for having bothered them. 9/11 didn't take away the Bill of Rights.
This is a free country. Now, if you're trespassing, then the police have cause to supsect your actions and the rules change... SO DON'T TRESPASS.
a lot of you guys crack me up. "Back when I was your age...." Get over it. I guarantee most of you guys were complaining back in the 1950's about only owning ONE tv. I'm sure those who lived through the Great Depression thought YOU guys were spoiled brats too.
Why is it that railfans are some of the most intolerant hobbyists out there? Whether it is a kid that gets killed by a train by cutting across the railyard ("Serves him right - shouldn't be trespassing") or some kid that is interested in railfanning and gets flamed ("Boo hoo, you can't fill up your SUV.")
Come on guys - show a little tolerance for your fellow human beings. This kid just had a few simple questions. Way to embrace the future of our hobby by making him feel accepted.
Please feel free to go back to your cynical look at society and remain concealed behind your monitors. I'm sure you'll solve all of the world's problems from your desks. LOL
Green Bay Paddlers wrote: some kid that is interested in railfanning and gets flamed ("Boo hoo, you can't fill up your SUV.")
railroadjj wrote:If you are 50 feet from any track you are on public property, but if the police show up they can still confiscate your camera or film which ever they choice if the railroad wants it.
Paddler, I, for one, am very tolerant of young railfans who show an interest and a willingness to learn. There are a few railroaders like us out there--Ed Blysard is another one (you have only to read his post about his crew and the handicapped young man to realize what he's made of).
P42 has alternatives that a lot of people don't have--he's not lacking in places to go, or trains or roads to take him there. He has some good ideas if he can share them with people. I almost blame his parents for not at least taking an interest in what he would like to do. We have some young people on this Forum who relate their experiences, including the fact that their parents take them to these places. I've met a couple of these people and their parents, and know that the parents aren't always interested in railroads (we allowed one mother to go shopping with my wife while we watched trains), but they do have an interest in their kids. If this SUV isn't P42's own, perhaps his parents are more tolerant than he realizes.
Without knowing distances involved, I'd guess that it's possible, if not feasible, for P42 to get to some of these places--school, museums, the nearest tracks--without using the gas guzzler. A bike trip or a hike might improve health in the bargain.
(And yes, I got through most of the 60s without any television, spent my high-school and college days without a car to call my own, and still use a bicycle as much as possible for the eight-mile trip to work, the six-mile trip to the hobby shop, or the 15-mile trip to another good railfanning location--I'm getting a little old for the 75-mile bike trip to Rochelle. All of these are one-way distances, by the way.)
Blame his parents?? For what??? Not filling the tank so he can go train chasing??? First of all - we know nothing about the situation - so why don't we refrain from second-guessing his parental units?
These are the easiest years in your life, P42... after this it is nothing but work and bills.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Hey, P42... the bills may not come to an end, but the work CAN... save, $ave, $ave and $ave $ome more... and maybe you can retire early and enjoy not having to worry about the bills and can go railfanning a bit more often. I wish I had retired 40 years ago! I wish I had started saving MUCH earlier... like while I was in high school so I COULD have retired 40 years ago!
Save enough and maybe you can buy the railroad!
"These are the easiest years in your life,"
Simply not true - not for teenagers living in today's society. These kids face more pressure than every before. I teach these kids and work with them every day. They certainly don't have it easy, regardless of what is said in these forums.
Don't sell these kids short. They are amazing people.
Mookie wrote:Anyone else notice that the "teenaged railfan" has had no comment on his own posting? Maybe he isn't as passionate about his thoughts as some of the rest of us. Or maybe it is time to set new troll traps.....
Can you blame him? He posted a few innocent questions and a bunch of grumpy old men jumped all over his case.
Green Bay Paddlers wrote: "These are the easiest years in your life,"Simply not true - not for teenagers living in today's society. These kids face more pressure than every before. I teach these kids and work with them every day. They certainly don't have it easy, regardless of what is said in these forums. Don't sell these kids short. They are amazing people.
Come on, those of us growing up in cities faced drugs, guns, gangs, peer pressure, and the rest. It's nothing new.
Green Bay Paddlers wrote: Mookie wrote:Anyone else notice that the "teenaged railfan" has had no comment on his own posting? Maybe he isn't as passionate about his thoughts as some of the rest of us. Or maybe it is time to set new troll traps..... Can you blame him? He posted a few innocent questions and a bunch of grumpy old men jumped all over his case.
To me - the attitude has a whole lot to do with it.
Mook
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
zugmann wrote: Blame his parents?? For what??? Not filling the tank so he can go train chasing???
Blame his parents?? For what??? Not filling the tank so he can go train chasing???
No, of course not.
Pay attention to what Mookie says about another Forum member, and notice his own posts. His parents have done, and are doing, a great job--and so is he.
Most of us were teenagers ourselves at one time, and some of us have successfully raised our own kids. We encouraged our daughter in her interests, and took her to activities, classes, cxoncerts, etc. She's now married and pursuing her musical career on the west coast--but in return for sharing her ideals with her, I was rewarded with the most willing, interested, and knowledgeable train-chasing companion ever (sorry, Pat--she was better!)
My hometown was not far from where our young railfan lives, and after the demise of the New Haven railroad I didn't have anyplace to hang out and watch trains. The local NH employees all disappeared. So did the sidings and the interlocking tower....
But what I did do was become a member of a museum. (I was an Associate Member of the Branford Electric Railway Association at age 13.) There were a lot of railroad employees that hung around there (and appreciated the fact that a 13 year old could hit places with a handful of grease they couldn't hit.) I'm 51 now, and the gas prices are pretty rough on me, too. But I do still belong to a few museums, and the railroad employees are still there. The people are what make the railroad run- and I have made a few connections with folks through museums that enable me to make productive railfan trips with camera in hand.
When they are on the job, the guys I know are very concerned about safety issues, and they should be. Once they believe that I understand about things like trespassing, job rules, and things like that, they have been pretty good about letting me nose around. I'm never going to do anything to endanger their jobs, or my sorry hide. But I got my start on railfanning by becoming a museum member.
My folks were not real railfans, either, but they were a lot more amenable to my spending a Saturday at the trolley museum than hanging around the Shoreline division of the NHRR. (Actually, my mother was less enthused about my new hobby after a day of greasing trolley trucks... she had to wash the clothes!).
That's just a suggestion for you. A museum might not be cutting edge technology, but you at least get a chance for hands on working with 1:1 scale stuff.
Erik
Mookie wrote: Green Bay Paddlers wrote: Mookie wrote:Anyone else notice that the "teenaged railfan" has had no comment on his own posting? Maybe he isn't as passionate about his thoughts as some of the rest of us. Or maybe it is time to set new troll traps..... Can you blame him? He posted a few innocent questions and a bunch of grumpy old men jumped all over his case. Excuse me? I will have you know I am a grumpy old woman! I still think he came at this the wrong way. Our own Willy2 is a young man and he finds ways to train watch and also plan for his future so that he may someday just own a railroad. He doesn't complain about his SUV needing gas and all the hassle. He is a gentlman at all times and doubt he has ever been chased away from a track site. To me - the attitude has a whole lot to do with it. Mook
Thank you for the kind words, Mookie.
Just a few weeks ago my grandma gave me her old Toyota Camry. That car certainly doesn't guzzle gas. It's 15 years old, but that's fine with me. It's a good car that can get me where I need to go and that's what counts. I honestly don't know what I'd even do with an SUV. One thing I know for sure is that I don't need one. There are more economical ways to get around than in an SUV.
And as Carl said before, my mom doesn't really like trains all that much, but she is still more than happy to take me to the tracks once or twice every two weeks. She knows that I'm interested in trains and doesn't want to discourage that interest.
So, I really would have to place at least part of the blame on the parents of this fellow that has caused such an uproar here. I don't think they need to be their kids' own personal chauffeur, but they should at least support their kid in what he enjoys - as long as it's not something bad, of course. On the other hand, part of the blame goes on the kid too. If the kid drives an SUV, then he should also get a job which will supply him with money to pay for the gas that the SUV needs.
Willy
CShaveRR wrote: Most of us were teenagers ourselves at one time,
Most of us were teenagers ourselves at one time,
"Most of us"?
My advice is simple, do what I did:
Step one: find a good college to go to, all teenagers should do that.
Step two: when you go to said good college, find an appartment within walking (or bike or public transport) distance of a great train line.
Step three: relax and enjoy the trains.
Growing up I wasn't fortuate enough to have a car of my own when I was a teenager, now that I'm actually buying my first car at a fairly un-teenage age of twentysomething, I'm sure I'm going to feel the fuel pinch too but I'm going out of my way to buy a car with good milage. as opposed to an SUV.
As for the issues with teenage railfans and the athourities, well I remember that too, just be pleasant, don't to anything remotely illegal and they can't touch you legally. Nowadays I've actually got a lot of friends who are cops (including my future father-in-law) and the majority of them really don't have anything against teenagers.
Above all stay safe, that's something that I don't believe most teenage railfans are told enough. More of us who've been watching trains for years should step up on that. Things that seem common sense to us may not occur to younger people, like the fact that puting a quarter on the tracks can result in a broken window on your grandma's house ;)
Actually you know here's an idea for a clinic: How to railfan safely for teenagers. Any ideas on that?
Cheers!
~METRO
METRO wrote: My advice is simple, do what I did:Step one: find a good college to go to, all teenagers should do that.Step two: when you go to said good college, find an appartment within walking (or bike or public transport) distance of a great train line. Step three: relax and enjoy the trains. Growing up I wasn't fortuate enough to have a car of my own when I was a teenager, now that I'm actually buying my first car at a fairly un-teenage age of twentysomething, I'm sure I'm going to feel the fuel pinch too but I'm going out of my way to buy a car with good milage. as opposed to an SUV. As for the issues with teenage railfans and the athourities, well I remember that too, just be pleasant, don't to anything remotely illegal and they can't touch you legally. Nowadays I've actually got a lot of friends who are cops (including my future father-in-law) and the majority of them really don't have anything against teenagers.Above all stay safe, that's something that I don't believe most teenage railfans are told enough. More of us who've been watching trains for years should step up on that. Things that seem common sense to us may not occur to younger people, like the fact that puting a quarter on the tracks can result in a broken window on your grandma's house ;)Actually you know here's an idea for a clinic: How to railfan safely for teenagers. Any ideas on that? Cheers!~METRO
I think that point about college is especially important. You don't want to be the burger flipper at McDonald's for the rest of your life. A person should strive to achieve something a bit better than that. Of course, the cash from that better job can go to paying for the gasoline that a person's gas guzzling monster (aka: SUV) needs. See, it all works out in the end, so there's no need to despair and complain.
Don't worry. I graduate this week. I am the Valedictorian of my senior class! I was accepted at a state university, so I will be heading right to college this fall. Thanks for the advice however.
P42 108 wrote:And by the way, I happen to love my gas guzzling monster (a.k.a. SUV). The purpose of my original posting was not to "dispair and complain" Willie, but to highlight some of the problems I face in my neck of the woods and give other railfans the opportunity to share some of their concerns. Some got the message, including those who shared their stories and offered their advice...advice which I appreciate.
Well handled P42. Well done.
Just so that everyone knows: I wasn't trying to stir up trouble in here. Evidently, calling SUVs "gas guzzling monsters" is against the rules in the forums. I'll take note of that so that I don't make the mistake again.
As for despair and complaining: I never said specifically that you were, P42: That was just directed at anyone who might be doing so over their current railfan opportunities.
Hopefully this clears some things up before anything gets too heated.
P42 108 wrote:And by the way, I happen to love my gas guzzling monster (a.k.a. SUV).
Okay. Kind of a big paperweight, though.
P42 108 wrote:Midnight Railroader, please learn to read. I never said I could'nt afford to fill it up. I said it was not easy...and that I always find a way to fill it by saving money. And besides...I don't owe you or anyone else for that matter an answer as to what I drive, which seems to be the only issue on your mind, as opposed to the real topic of this particular forum.
Don't whine if you don't want to hear the responses.
When you complain that it's too expensive to fill up your SUV, the response is either (a) "Yeah, those oil companies shouldn't charge so much," which won't fix the problem, or (b) "Drive something more economical," which will fix the problem.
P42 and Willy - I personally know Willy, so I can speak with some authority. I don't know P42, so I may get skunked on a troll again, but taking him at face value - I like what he is posting about school. I agree, there are some not so good places to watch trains. I am one of the fortunate ones that lives close to a main yard and can watch 6 tracks of trains anytime day or nite. They are all always busy.
P42 - Go for the education, go for a job you love and then take the time to go find a good train watching spot for your vacations, commute to or from work or whatever is going on where you are. If you grow to be a very old person, you still have many years to indulge your "hobby".
Willy - SUV's are gas guzzlers, but if you can afford to purchase one, pay the insurance on them, pay the taxes, pay for the repairs - then a little expensive gas shouldn't be a problem. I still don't understand a city the size of ours - 200+K and the people that need Hummers....I am still scratching my head over that one!
P42 - if you are truly a teenager, then welcome to the forum. There is a lot of valuable information here and we really do embrace our teen fans. But if you turn out to be something other - then shame.
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