Why do many people think train enthusiasts are sad?

[Lampshade]

I'm sure many of you are the same, I just simply like trains

I think that sums it up perfectly

With regard to taking numbers, I'm not a 'number taker' as such - I don't make a note of absolutely everything in sight but I will make a note of it if I see something interesting (e.g. I saw 40145 for the first time last week) or if it's extremely unlikely I'll ever see/travel on a particular class again.

 

[Vulcan]

Its only considered sad because thats how the media protrays it.

As for annoying 'spotter traits, I personally don't like the use of the various (and often very contrived) nicknames given to loco classes. To any 'normal' people listening in, seeing a person get excited and start using words like 'shed', 'tug', 'skip', 'gronk', etc, would seem particularly eccentric.

 

[cuccir]

I'm pretty sure all hobbies have their 'saddos' - the people who take an interest and then obsess with it beyond the norm. Why is it sneered upon: because of suspicions about those who develop knowledge in depth about a topic; and because of a lack of understanding as to why people would go to great lengths to follow a topic that others do not find an interest in. Why become a sad groundhopper when you can listen to Ian Wright and Tim Lovejoy spout inane comments about the premier league? Why gain knowledge about classic cars when you can laugh at Clarkson rant against environmentalists on Top Gear? And why take an interest in trains and transport when you can comfortably ignore how the world around you works? It's the 'vanilliarisation' of our culture, everything in mild conforming doses...

 

[Bittern]

<snip>

Many of those people you're referring to can be selfish idiots. They're the type that see something they don't do as "sad". They're the sad ones for actually going out their way to note that the train spotter is "sad".

The real sad part is letting what other people believe define what you do. If you wanna be a train spotter, be a train spotter. I do it sometimes, I don't go out my way to do it, but I do it if I decide I want to, or if I think there's going to be a good photo, and if anyone around has a problem with it, they can sit down, shut up and let me take my photo before making themselves look like an arse.

In fact, once I was laughed at by a guy who "discovered" that I was a rail enthusiast. When I challenged him by asking what his interest was he sad "Nothing", and then I asked what gives him the right to go around laughing at other peoples interests when he can't even get out of his own arse and get one for himself.

He shut up.

 

[bnm]

I think this article sums up trainspotting particularly well.

http://www.railblue.com/pages/Related Rail Blue Info/an_introduction_to_trainspotting.htm

 

[merlodlliw]

Recall taking a special about 15 years ago,Chester to Carlisle, then back via the old midland line to Preston.

The carriages were open plan with doors also in the middle, several spotters would open the windows hang out with cameras and mikes,they wore goggles, after
a while several(normal) passengers got a bit fed up, and asked to shut the windows or go to the end of the carriage where there was a double door,a few
of these so called train spotters got a bit aggressive, implying the special was for them not sightseers, the guard soon sorted them.

M

 

[Metroland]

Aren't spotters and enthusiasts two different things? Or are the terms interchangeable really?

Yes they are different, there's lots of different types of enthusiasts, with some crossover:

Spotters: Interested in spotting and 'Photting'
Bashers: Interested in mileage and riding behind certain traction
Gamers: Those that like playing rail sims
Modellers: Interested in railway modelling
Supporters: People that like railways, but interest is limited to membership of some sort of group like Rail Future or a preserved railway
Preservationists: Those that are interested in preserved railways and heritage
Bookworms: Those that just buy magazines and books
Photographers: Interested in getting railway videos or photographic content, usually for art based reasons rather than 'photting'
Artists: Painters or railway art, or interested in design/railway architecture.

You also get people who like steam, with no interest in modern railways, and those that like modern and nothing to do with anything pre-1970.

Most people do one of those above, prominently and maybe a few other interests like reading the odd magazine and visiting the odd preserved railway.

Some people will just have something to do with a preserved railway and have nothing whatever to do with modern trains, not even travelling by public transport. I know several people like that.

Others will enjoy spotting and never touch model railways and so on.

We are a very diverse bunch from all walks of life and are certainly not all 'spotters'.

 

[Bittern]

...I fall into so many of those categories it's almost unbelievable.

 

[leewoods60019]

I'm sad! muhahaahah I've had a woman say to me why don't you go home, you've been here all day. lol I was there when she got on the train in the morning and also when she came back lol I'm proud when people take the mick out of my hobby least i'm not sad taking the mick about anyone elses

 

[4SRKT]

I'm always having people saying that I'm 'sad' (whatever that may mean) because I like railways and because I can remember huge amounts of structured information. When I worked for TNT I memorised most airport codes and the whole TNT air linehaul schedule. In my current job I can remember the town that just about every postcode district (there are about 3,000) refers to. I have always had a knack of remembering railway and other timetables well. I have also taught myself to speak two foreign languages, all as a result of having this ability to absorb and retain huge amounts of structure.

Does all this mean I have 'Asperger's'? Is 'Asperger's' just current code to mean somebody who has an interest in something (anything), used sneeringly by people who actually have no interest in anything beyond the three socially acceptable interests of football, cars and shopping? All I know is that I've made a very successful career out of it and get paid loads of ching because I have a very singular skill that is very useful in the field in which I work. I'm not sure just how 'sad' that makes me.

 

[ainsworth74]

Does all this mean I have 'Asperger's'? Is 'Asperger's' just current code to mean somebody who has an interest in something (anything)

I wouldn't have said so, Asperger's is a recognised medical condition. What you have is the extremely enviable ability to remember vast amounts of information, something I wish I was better at! :roll:

 

[Lampshade]

I wouldn't have said so, Asperger's is a recognised medical condition. What you have is the extremely enviable ability to remember vast amounts of information, something I wish I was better at! :roll:

There's nothing 'enviable' about it because it means you fall short in other abilities - and get a load of "How the hell can you know that?" from your mates

 

[krus_aragon]

Yes they are different, there's lots of different types of enthusiasts, with some crossover:

I don't know what term you'd use for them, but there's also those interested in railway history (e.g. the history of a line or company) and aspects of infrastructure (signaling, timetabling...)

 

[4SRKT]

I wouldn't have said so, Asperger's is a recognised medical condition. What you have is the extremely enviable ability to remember vast amounts of information, something I wish I was better at! :roll:

No, I know what you mean, but a lot of people use 'Asperger's' as a put down. A bit like people did with the word 'spastic' when I was a child. Nice to see that the world has moved on in terms of its attitude to mental health!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's nothing 'enviable' about it because it means you fall short in other abilities -

Well, nobody can be good at everything!

 

[Dreadnought]

Personally I don't worry about it anymore. The way I look at it is I enjoy what I do and if people think it is "sad" then that is there problem not mine.

I would rather be enjoying the railways on a Saturday (if not at a football match!) than trudging round a shopping centre week after week with no real intention of buying anything just because it is supposed to be "cool".

 

[90019]

There's nothing 'enviable' about it because it means you fall short in other abilities - and get a load of "How the hell can you know that?" from your mates

Tbh, I'd much prefer that to forgetting most things

 

[ainsworth74]

No, I know what you mean, but a lot of people use 'Asperger's' as a put down. A bit like people did with the word 'spastic' when I was a child. Nice to see that the world has moved on in terms of its attitude to mental health!

Ahh fair enough perhaps I should have turned off pedant mode before posting Yeah attitudes to mental health do leave alot to be desired however I didn't leave school all that long ago and 'spastic' was still the favoured put down.

 

[Metroland]

I certainly don't take the opinions of anyone that goes round calling things sad seriously. Seems to me to be the height of bad manners that only things they are interested in or the media tells us all we should be interested in (it's usually connected to money making at some level) are okay, and anyone else is sub-normal.

Potentially any subject can be boring. I certainly find a few boring, I won't repeat what I think they are, because that would make me just as bloody ignorant.

That said, I never have had anyone say it's sad, it's usually other enthusiasts paranoid about being called sad, because some middle-aged hormonal tart in a woman's magazine has written something between the weight loss and saggy tits section.

 

[4SRKT]

Ahh fair enough perhaps I should have turned off pedant mode before posting Yeah attitudes to mental health do leave alot to be desired however I didn't leave school all that long ago and 'spastic' was still the favoured put down.

Those of us of a certain age (late 30s, early 40s) will remember (fondly?) the Blue Peter Joey Deacon debacle which brought the inappropriate use of the word 'spastic' by schoolkids to national attention.

 

[87031]

A lot of it is this stereotype people have, as mentioned with the recording of unit numbers etc..
I think it's because its something different, and 'unusual' which people then think ohhhhhhh your so sad. If all their mates did it (like football for example) then it would be a completely different matter.

But personally, I couldn't care less as to what some mankey inbred scrote or immature teenager has to say about my hobby. I'm interested in something your not...now DO ONE.

-Adam

Well said who cares what people think, much better than having a hobby of taking drugs or being an alchoholic they are truly sad people

 

[4SRKT]

Well said who cares what people think, much better than having a hobby of taking drugs or being an alchoholic they are truly sad people

One of the most interesting people I've ever met was a guy in a hardcore punk band (they were pretty good actually), who was also a railway enthusiast. He drank tons (as did I then) and took loads of drugs, yet this same character was also a member of the RPSI and could be found at their meetings having earnest discussions with men twice his age and more about (for example) old films of GNR trains between Belfast and Derry when not acting like a header. He simply wasn't ashamed at all. He even got his bandmates to name the band after one of the big four railway companies, without the others apparently realising why! They even got their picture in the NME once! Now that's what I call cool!

 

[WL113]

Lets not forget that one of the masters of the music industry is also a Rail Industry professional...

 

[merlodlliw]

A tit thread may attract a great deal of interest from those not necessarily into railways...I mean birdwatchers of course!

On my visits to Cardiff Bay, I note a lot of tits present Tuesday to Thursday
when certain wag members attend their three day working week, however back to basics the real flyers are at Sugar Loaf.

 

[TDK]

Take a camera with you, name and shame them

Wouldn't be a safe method of working taking photo's whilst on the move, saw 3 today, 2 of them doing the hand gesture and the 3rd on the end of a platform wearing an HV vest so he got the driver's blowing up.

 

[37401]

Wouldn't be a safe method of working taking photo's whilst on the move, saw 3 today, 2 of them doing the hand gesture and the 3rd on the end of a platform wearing an HV vest so he got the driver's blowing up.

True you might get into a spot of bother taking photos on the move, hope the Hi Vis kid got a bollocking from staff theres no need for it, yesterday was a idot free day amazingly noone out doing the arm signals on all the 4 runs I did, there was lineside fire but thats about it doubt enthusiasts were invloved in that

 

[starrymarkb]

Lets not forget that one of the masters of the music industry is also a Rail Industry professional...

and not very good at either :P

 

[Drsatan]

As someone studying at University I haven't had a problem with making friends yet still retaining my interest in railways. When I've made friends at University I haven't immediately mentioned to them that I like trains: instead, I get to know them and when having a conversation with them state (when we're talking about something relevant) that I happen to be interested in railways. If I met someone and immediately told them 'Oh i think 57s are hellfire, don't you?' he or she would think I'm slightly strange. But by not over-emphasising my interest in railways, I've still been able to make lasting friendships. At university people tend to be more tolerant and open so it doesn't matter whether you are interested in railways or not. For me, there's nothing thematically different between going to Goodwood Festival of Speed or going to a steam gala on a preserved line - you're going to an event that suits your interests.

Some of my friends have found my knowledge of the British railway network quite invaluable since I've been able to give out advice on how to save money when traveling by train! Such advice is useful for students on limited budgets. I've already told one lucky friend how to save quite a bit of money when traveling from Exeter to Sutton Coldfield!

 

[asylumxl]

there was lineside fire but thats about it doubt enthusiasts were invloved in that

You'd be surprised.A tribute to the "hellfire" train gods?

 

[4SRKT]

If I met someone and immediately told them 'Oh i think 57s are hellfire, don't you?' he or she would think I'm slightly strange.

Well, I'm a full-blown crank and have been for 25 years, and TBH if you said that to me about 'snatchers, I'd think you were slightly strange

 

[theblackwatch]

Those of us of a certain age (late 30s, early 40s) will remember (fondly?) the Blue Peter Joey Deacon debacle which brought the inappropriate use of the word 'spastic' by schoolkids to national attention.

Having read your previous post mentioning the word 'spastic' only seconds before I read the above, the name Joey Deacon came to mind! I don't think there was a child in the country who didn't know who he was back then. Although we all laughed at the time, I do think that it made our generation much more aware of mental health issues.