Flailing and horns - what gives?

[MCW]

Just something I was thinking about.

Numerous young uns like me have a youtube channel and all these kids get two tones and stuff by flailing and who knows what but When I do it i get ignored!!! I don't do it that often at all due to the fact I don't want a driver thinking its an emergency and wanging on the brakes...

If you are a driver yourself how do you view flailers and such like, likewise what do other staff make of it? I'm interested to know.

cheers.

 

[Monty]

I would saying giving a friendly toot of the the horn to children or anyone else for that matter greeting the driver with a wave is practically harmless.

The problem lies with the 'YouTube' generation who seem to push the boundaries of safety by making videos of themselves risking their lives standing far too close to the platform edges and flailing around like buffoons while making an assortment of disturbing sounds. Personally I think they need their heads examining.

 

[MCW]

I would saying giving a friendly toot of the the horn to children or anyone else for that matter greeting the driver with a wave is practically harmless.

The problem lies with the 'YouTube' generation who seem to push the boundaries of safety by making videos of themselves risking their lives standing far too close to the platform edges and flailing around like buffoons while making an assortment of disturbing sounds. Personally I think they need their heads examining.

half of them are mental cases....

I tend to prefer waving and even just a smile and a wave back from t' driver makes me feel happy. To an extent, i am starting to wonder if their should be a policy, guideline or something set by ATOC which specifically says no dangerous flailing noises and body manoeveurs close to the platform edge... reallyeveryone should know better than that.

 

[thelongestroad]

Stood at the station once waiting for my train to work with a good 20-30 other pax. It's a bit late due to having to be regulated for a late running XC service, which pulls through doing 100mph or so.

Anyway, stood amongst the passengers is a chap with a camcorder who flails with some quite obvious and dramatic effort for the XC.

It pulls right through with no horn and the 20-30 or so passengers are left wandering what on earth he was doing.

My lords!

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I'll usually give them a toot on the horn. I don't think I've ever seen anything I'd consider to be dangerous either and I must have seen people ask for the horn hundreds of times over the years. I had no idea the gesture was called flailing though!

 

[Temple Meads]

I'll usually give them a toot on the horn. I don't think I've ever seen anything I'd consider to be dangerous either and I must have seen people ask for the horn hundreds of times over the years. I had no idea the gesture was called flailing though!

The horn gesture is moving the arm up and down (and is known as "tone w*****g" in enthusiast circles..), flailing is putting the arm out straight.

My views (as non staff) are that most enthusiasts are fine, just waving, or perhaps giving the horn gesture from a safe distance, but those who stand well over the yellow line to get tones are absolutely stupid, and do better behaved railfans no favours at all when it comes to their reputation with staff and the wider public.

 

[wensley]

As long as there's no safety problems then it shouldn't really matter if people feel the need to make prats of themselves on station platforms I'm sure that some drivers will ignore such gestures just to make them feel like prats...what's wrong with a simple wave?!

 

[Antman]

I'll usually give them a toot on the horn. I don't think I've ever seen anything I'd consider to be dangerous either and I must have seen people ask for the horn hundreds of times over the years. I had no idea the gesture was called flailing though!

I didn't know it was called flailing either.

I've seen a few people moving their arm up and down as if operating an air horn, a two tone obviously sounds good on youtube and most drivers seem to oblige, all seems harmless enough, rather a shame if a few idiots spoil it.

 

[MCW]

I didn't know it was called flailing either.

I've seen a few people moving their arm up and down as if operating an air horn, a two tone obviously sounds good on youtube and most drivers seem to oblige, all seems harmless enough, rather a shame if a few idiots spoil it.

I class it as flailing probably because I have seen the same people do the horns as well.

 

[SGS]

The horn gesture is moving the arm up and down (and is known as "tone w*****g" in enthusiast circles..), flailing is putting the arm out straight.

I've never understood flailing. I can understand the pleasure in looking out of the open window (subject to the usual, you might get your head knocked off by a signal, etc. etc.) but I don't understand the point of flailing. What's good about it!?

 

[FGW_DID]

I always understood 'flailing' to be more of an 'on-train' activity, to refer to those enthusiasts who hang out of every available window (closer to the loco the better!) waving their arms and shouting MyLordz or Hellfire!

Lots of examples on YouTube, especially if its the eighties and a Class 40 is involved!

 

[ChristopherJ]

In my opinion, the whole commentary and wacky sounds that accompany many Youtube vids ruins them to a tee and is purely an incentive by the author to gain attenion.

"66xxx at Tonbridge"
Yes - I can see that from the video footage, you didn't need to tell me.

"66xx on 6M48 Somewhere to Somewhere"
Yes - I can see that in the title, you didn't need to tell me.

"Hellfire"
Dafuq? You worshiping satan?

...I'm against it, unless it's as funny as this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqvwnxgxazY

I must admit, I'd love to see some of these veg that flail go over to Der Reich and make that salute and see how long they last before having their teeth kicked in.

 

[TDK]

I see this on a frequent basis and sorry but when I see someone moving their arm up and down to get a 2 tone I just think tw*t.

Young kids on bridges with their parents get a thrill from hearing the horn or getting a wave from the driver but young adults (and some mature) screaming hellfire and lorrdz I think is pathetic.

The problem is with you tube and social media is they are open channels and all it needs is one complaint from a resident and the driver will be on the coals for un-necessary use of the warning horn.

To add the latest craze is folks wearing orange HV vests to get their fix

 

[Morden Via CHX]

...I'm against it, unless it's as funny as this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqvwnxgxazY

Hadn't seen that before, absolutely hilarious

 

[Temple Meads]

What's good about it!?

Nothing that I can see, and I'm very much a window veg.

 

[michael769]

J

Numerous young uns like me have a youtube channel and all these kids get two tones and stuff by flailing and who knows what but When I do it i get ignored!!!

Bear in mind that they are not posting videos the 1,000s of times they get ignored. Those videos are probably giving you a rather misleading impression of reality.

 

[Antman]

I see this on a frequent basis and sorry but when I see someone moving their arm up and down to get a 2 tone I just think tw*t.

Young kids on bridges with their parents get a thrill from hearing the horn or getting a wave from the driver but young adults (and some mature) screaming hellfire and lorrdz I think is pathetic.

The problem is with you tube and social media is they are open channels and all it needs is one complaint from a resident and the driver will be on the coals for un-necessary use of the warning horn.

To add the latest craze is folks wearing orange HV vests to get their fix

Bit harsh, I'd rather see kids (usually seems to be teenagers although some are older) doing that than hurling missiles at passing trains and vandalising stations.

I've never seen anybody doing it wearing an orange hi viz.

 

[Yew]

Network rail are not exclusive users of the orange HiVi....

 

[DarloRich]

it is sad, pathetic and stupid. You just look like a total wazzock

As for spotters wearing hivi :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Network rail are not exclusive users of the orange HiVi....

NR, staff and contractors are on the railway. If you aren't legit you shouldn't be wearing it.

For the avoidance of doubt, being a spotter doesn't make you legit. I wear mine so the driver can see me when i am on the track. I take it all off when i leave the track. Why does a spotter need it?

 

[Temple Meads]

Why does a spotter need it?

So the driver can see them asking for a tone

 

[142094]

Some young spotters at Northallerton doing this were kicked off the station a few years back, mainly due to the fact they were standing right on the edge of the platform when trains travelling at high speed were passing through. IIRC one GC HST had to slam on the brakes as it was getting far too dangerous.

 

[Beveridges]

...I'm against it, unless it's as funny as this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqvwnxgxazY

That really is humorous!!

Having said that at least he can get excited about a locomotive. I can't anymore. Since I started working on the railways my enthusiasm for the locos and spotting has gone down so much its unbelievable.

 

[Johnny_w]

my 2p worth - I thought that NR asked people not to wear such clothing as to be mistaken for a member of the railway?

Failing and the like on a platform seems odd too me - out of a window with the salute I can understand to a degree.

Bellowing out of windows is odd, and to the uninitiated might seem unpleasant.

But then we are weird bunch at the best of times!

JW

 

[starrymarkb]

I must admit, I'd love to see some of these veg that flail go over to Der Reich and make that salute and see how long they last before having their teeth kicked in.

And then probably be arrested

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The only time I'd do anything that might distract a drivers attention even for a moment, is thus: If I'm at a station, towards the platform end, and a non-stop service is approaching, I'll give the driver a thumbs-up just to reassure him that I'm not about to jump under his wheels! I guess I feel like I might have a somewhat gloomy demeanour!

 

[sarahj]

Could be worse, as I pulled out of London Bridge last night, of the 4 spotters, two were liying prone on the floor. Bizzare

 

[michael769]

Could be worse, as I pulled out of London Bridge last night, of the 4 spotters, two were liying prone on the floor. Bizzare

Probably overcome with the excitement of seeing a EMU

 

[transmanche]

Could be worse, as I pulled out of London Bridge last night, of the 4 spotters, two were liying prone on the floor. Bizzare

Late adopters of the planking craze?

 

[TDK]

Bit harsh, I'd rather see kids (usually seems to be teenagers although some are older) doing that than hurling missiles at passing trains and vandalising stations.

I've never seen anybody doing it wearing an orange hi viz.

There was a guy photographing today wearing an orange jacket at Warrington Bank Quay
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The only time I'd do anything that might distract a drivers attention even for a moment, is thus: If I'm at a station, towards the platform end, and a non-stop service is approaching, I'll give the driver a thumbs-up just to reassure him that I'm not about to jump under his wheels! I guess I feel like I might have a somewhat gloomy demeanour!

And you really think a driver will take any notice? Every time I see anyone at a platform end away from the normal stopping position I "always" think are they going to jump.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Network rail are not exclusive users of the orange HiVi....

It is railway policy that anyone on or near the line wears an HV vest with their company logo on it - with all the cable theft I feel that anyone not needing to wear a Hi-viz should not wear it.

Come on, a spotter at a foot crossing can save the muscles in their arm as every driver will blow up on approach however if the said person does not correctly acknowledge the driver and I don't mean a thumbs up then they will be reported.

This arm gesturing and spotters wearing HiVi or even viz orange jackets just to get a blow of a train horn really need to get a life. Most railway staff look on them as planks and idiots

 

[Goatboy]

NR, staff and contractors are on the railway. If you aren't legit you shouldn't be wearing it.

Whilst I cannot think of a single item of clothing I would less rather wear than a hi-vis jacket - the prevelance of them in society today outside obviously safety critical areas is bizarre - I don't beleive it's down to you or anyone else to tell somebody what clothing is or isn't allowed to wear.

There is no law against wearing a high vis jacket.