People Just Dont Understand The Enthusiast

[lm321412]

The worst place for not following the Enthusiast Guidelines has to be London Liverpool Street. The attitude of the dispatchers on the "Modern Platforms" is absolutely disgusting. As a younger enthusiast, they have made me feel extremely intimidated several times and even after complaining about this the staff still have the poor attitude towards enthusiasts.

 

[starrymarkb]

I have far worse hobbies then railways - certainly could make you blush with some of my activities (like my trip to Torture Garden a few years ago!), I also do drag - which does raise eyebrows.

Most of my friends are just as geeky (and kinky) as I am! (including Gamers (computer and card), Birders, hackers*, otaku, dominatrices**, bikers, photographers, etc etc) - you'll find most people have a hobby of some kind!

A recent kink social ended up discussing boats most of the evening!

One of my friends put it best by saying that I am equally at home talking about engineering, gaming, cars or shoes!

*as in re purposing things

**most of which I only found out about after I'd got to know them!

 

[90019]

I have far worse hobbies then railways - certainly could make you blush with some of my activities (like my trip to Torture Garden a few years ago!), I also do drag - which does raise eyebrows.

Torture garden has always intrigued me a little, though it's not really my kinda thing nowadays.


Mind you, I think my user title says plenty about me

 

[richw]

enjoy your interests, ignore the mick takers at school, if everybody had the same interests and hobbies the world would be boring, I'm 22, dont do much normal stuff for a 22 year old, drinking and clubbing bores me thats what most other 22 year olds do, i played rugby since i was 6, wasnt a great player, took up refereeing at the age of 18, now refereeing levels of rugby i'd have no chance of playing at, all my friends took the P*** when i quit playing to referee, now whos laughing when i've made something of it, gone far further with refereeing than any of them lot with playing, and still developing! Every hobby if pursued could get you far in life in something you enjoy, for example A bit of amatuer photography of trains at 13, get good with the camera, become a professional photographer when your older,
break the mould, do things you enjoy and are happy with rather than the stuff you see as boring and you'll be a far happier person being yourself.

 

[Jonfun]

Hey Northern;

I think most of us who've grown up in this sort of era have had to take stick like that from people, it really is a shame that just because its not hugely mainstream like Cars and stuff people think they can take the mick. I used to get it really bad when I was around your age (3 or 4 years back); I found that by persevering and not letting them win meant I was happier in the long term - 17 now and happier than ever with fantastic friends, some of whom I've somehow managed to make into railway people... Not quite sure how, must be an occupational hazard of being friends with me Keep at it, things'll turn out okay in the end.

I've never actually been challenged or owt like that for being around a station, although (being mainly interested in the operations of the system and also photography) you do hear stories of photters confronted and searched and similar; really is sad that that's what society is coming to.

In terms of people to go to stations with, have you thought perhaps of joining a heritage railway (you'd be around like minded people, same interests etc - although your age may be a bit of an issue), even joining forums like this'll help you meet people and get to know em (with the obvious warning about not meeting up with strangers alone etc, but you're old enough to know all that anyway).

Hope all goes well for ya,

Jon

 

[starrymarkb]

Torture garden has always intrigued me a little, though it's not really my kinda thing nowadays.


Mind you, I think my user title says plenty about me

hehe! I think it might

TG was an interesting experience, though spoilt by me falling off my 7" heels and down a spiral staircase! Did get to meet Jewel Marceu and was photographed by the uber tog Martin Perrenaut!

 

[90019]

though spoilt by me falling off my 7" heels and down a spiral staircase!

Smooth moves

I think I'm a bit too self conscious that stuff though.

 

[starrymarkb]

Smooth moves

I think I'm a bit too self conscious that stuff though.

I used to be - think I wore a top, corset long skirt and the infamous heels, though I am a lot more confident now and show off a lot more then I did back then!

 

[90019]

I used to be - think I wore a top, corset long skirt and the infamous heels, though I am a lot more confident now and show off a lot more then I did back then!

Will PM you to avoid taking the thread more off topic

 

[starrymarkb]

Good idea - we might be scaring the nillas

 

[90019]

Good idea - we might be scaring the nillas

You never know

You have a PM

 

[Chapeltom]

I think the first train journey I did was by myself in 2004 when I was 11, bit of an escapade as it were. I went 20 miles and came back, knew what I was doing and I don't regret it, parents went mad I didn't care at the time.

Someone said on the first page about autistic, I'm not, but I do unfortunately suffer from Asperger Syndrome, my hobbies are Football, Ground-hopping (watching football on different grounds at all levels), Real Ale (now 18 ) and travelling, I obviously have a huge interest in the railways, all the lines, stations, fascinate me. I never try and let it get in my way although I don't have many friends, few lads I go drinking with at the pub. Life is too short for someone like me to give a f**k what people think of me, I enjoy what I do.

 

[RPM]

Life is too short for someone like me to give a f**k what people think of me, I enjoy what I do.

That's the attitude! Enjoy your hobby and balls to what the ****-takers think.

It's really good to see that there are still plenty of young people with a healthy interest in railways

 

[TomJ93]

My uncle is a spotter and he is in his late 40s, he often gets asked and quizzed by officers, especially in euston, i'm a lot younger and i've never been bothered atall, even got let inside a 91

 

[87031]

I was 13 when i started bashing 87s and nothing else interested me at the time apart from golf which took a back seat. There was just a huge buzz in bashing meeting all the fellow 87 bashers swapping gen and just generally doin something different to the crowd. I got the mick taken a bit a school but didnt care....my last 2 years at school where just in the way of bashing....i was out 7 days on North West rovers and would manage to get to Crewe-Oxenholme and back most nights. My education suffered as a result but looking back i wouldnt change it. I stopped bashing when i started working at 18 and got into the usual stuff Drink/Girls/Clubbing etc but over the last couple of years got my interest back in Railways i suppose its just in the blood.

The only thing i regret is not finding time to fit Bashing in somewhere as well but theres so many other factors that get in the way money etc. i logged all my moves and took pictures and have them all to hand to remind of the great times had bashing 87s in the late eighties and i still got that buzz on the recent 87002 tours. So to everyone out there if you enjoy the Railways just continue too, its better to be different than to conform to what the majority of people do.

 

[alexdodds]

The worst place for not following the Enthusiast Guidelines has to be London Liverpool Street. The attitude of the dispatchers on the "Modern Platforms" is absolutely disgusting. As a younger enthusiast, they have made me feel extremely intimidated several times and even after complaining about this the staff still have the poor attitude towards enthusiasts.

I'm not surprised. Liverpool Street is a haven for jobsworths.

 

[LE Greys]

People may not understand the enthusiast, but I often don't understand "normals". A few hours in a crowded HST trailer will inform you. What do they all talk about? Football, clubs, where they went on holiday, each other, music and television programmes. To me, that's utterly boring, because there's nothing different or exceptional about it. Sometimes I find people with an unusual interest, or an interesting past. Mostly, I just wish they'd all go away.

In terms of interest, take football and cricket. Cricket is fascinating because of all the complications, how the game can unfold with all the twists and turns, how you never know what is coming next. The reason this happens is that the two teams are trying to do different things. Football, both teams are trying to do the same thing, and the game is basically predictable with only a few different possibilities. Why do you think I follow the interesting one?

Railways are complicated, yet they are simple. A world in a chip of ballast, eternity in a half-minute.

 

[Oswyntail]

.... A world in a chip of ballast, eternity in a half-minute.

I'm not sure Blake would appreciate being used to glorify the Industrial Age. Though he sure as hell would agree with the "be yourself" messages on this thread!

 

[moonrakerz]

The worst place for not following the Enthusiast Guidelines

What must not be overlooked is that is that there is NO need for "Enthusiasts Guidlines".

The DfT/SRA Rules say that anyone with a legitimate reason has to be allowed access - even to areas which are deemed to be "Compulsory Ticket Areas" in a PF scheme.
These rules specifically include "railway enthusiasts".

 

[Metroland]

We've had a dumbed down society for years driven by the tabloid media, where anything other than drinking, shopping and football is 'boring', so what do you expect? All of which is designed sell as much crap as possible to the mass market. Anything else is mocked, because a significant minority perceive it to be different, and some people fear difference or makes them feel better, as they have low self esteme, highlighting other people's differences.

 

[theblackwatch]

People may not understand the enthusiast, but I often don't understand "normals". A few hours in a crowded HST trailer will inform you. What do they all talk about? Football, clubs, where they went on holiday, each other, music and television programmes. To me, that's utterly boring, because there's nothing different or exceptional about it. Sometimes I find people with an unusual interest, or an interesting past. Mostly, I just wish they'd all go away.

In terms of interest, take football and cricket. Cricket is fascinating because of all the complications, how the game can unfold with all the twists and turns, how you never know what is coming next. The reason this happens is that the two teams are trying to do different things. Football, both teams are trying to do the same thing, and the game is basically predictable with only a few different possibilities. Why do you think I follow the interesting one?

Railways are complicated, yet they are simple. A world in a chip of ballast, eternity in a half-minute.

Mentioning 'understanding' is interesting - I've often thought the problem for a lot of people is that they don't understand the hobby, and in many cases, don't want to. They see it as spotting numbers and don't want to see any more, whereas in a way it is more a community.

One thing I notice with a lot of people at work etc is that most of their lives tend to be local - their friends mainly live within a few mile radius and they go out locally for a drink. Obviously nothing wrong with that, but for me it's different - this evening I'm going 50 miles to Doncaster for a few drinks with there will be people there from the likes of Peterborough, Northampton and Darlington. These are people I often see at least once a month and to anyone whose life revolves around their home town I think this sort of thing must be very difficult to grasp.

An interesting comment from a work colleague once though which I think is very true - he said he didn't socialise with people at work as the only thing they had in common was working in the same place. He'd rather spend it with family or friends who shared interests. Incidentally he was into motorbikes. Obviously as you get older, it's much easier to choose who you hang about with than when you are 13 and still at school.

 

[GB]

Personally I do not see the fascination in watching 22 grown men prance around kicking a ball and then crying at the slightest tap. Personally I do not see the appeal of sitting by a lake all day with a fishing rod, neither do I see the appeal of golf but everyone is different and everyone has their own hobbies.

I like photography and I like the railways so for me, to combine the two seems pretty perfect....even if my photography skills are far from it!

 

[Geezertronic]

People may not understand the enthusiast, but I often don't understand "normals". A few hours in a crowded HST trailer will inform you. What do they all talk about? Football, clubs, where they went on holiday, each other, music and television programmes. To me, that's utterly boring, because there's nothing different or exceptional about it. Sometimes I find people with an unusual interest, or an interesting past. Mostly, I just wish they'd all go away.

That's why I always try and travel in the Quiet coach but even then you get the odd couple who always seem to frown when you point out they are in the Quiet coach

 

[trainosaurus]

Personally I do not see the fascination in watching 22 grown men prance around kicking a ball and then crying at the slightest tap. Personally I do not see the appeal of sitting by a lake all day with a fishing rod, neither do I see the appeal of golf but everyone is different and everyone has their own hobbies.

I like photography and I like the railways so for me, to combine the two seems pretty perfect....even if my photography skills are far from it!

I manage to combine railways, photography and football. Travelling around the country by rail to get to 'away' games means I get to travel by rail far more than I would if I didn't like football.

It's somewhat ironic that in a thread of this nature people are slating others who like football. Like you say, each to their own.

 

[Greenback]

An interesting comment from a work colleague once though which I think is very true - he said he didn't socialise with people at work as the only thing they had in common was working in the same place. He'd rather spend it with family or friends who shared interests. Incidentally he was into motorbikes. Obviously as you get older, it's much easier to choose who you hang about with than when you are 13 and still at school.

I think your colleague had a point. I never really liked socialising with work mates. They were really just a random colelction of people I happened to share an office with. Some of them I got on really well with, others less so, but I had issues witht he idea that we must all socialise together as a group just because we worked together. I like to choose when and where I go, and who I go with!

Personally I do not see the fascination in watching 22 grown men prance around kicking a ball and then crying at the slightest tap. Personally I do not see the appeal of sitting by a lake all day with a fishing rod, neither do I see the appeal of golf but everyone is different and everyone has their own hobbies.

I like photography and I like the railways so for me, to combine the two seems pretty perfect....even if my photography skills are far from it!

I have a wide range of hobbies and interest, ranging from acting to playing darts! I never feel embarrassed about any of them. Mind you, I think it's easier when you are older, children like to ridicule those that are different in some way, whether it be appearance or hobbies.

 

[NXEA!]

Im 15 and I'm in the same position as NSE :L I have a close friend who enjoys railway modelling and railways and so naturally we always talk about that. I do have a large group of friends at school who know about my hobby and they don't laugh at all, they just see it as a hobby of mine which I'm really grateful for. However there are some friends of mine who I wouldn't tell because they're the sort that'll make you feel bad for it. People will probably not consider me a true enthusiast, but yes, I do love shopping, Facebook, my Blackberry and a good game of football and I like to wear nice clothes (not saying anyone on here doesn't ) and thats something else I enjoy doing. But, railways have always come first hobbywise for me because my grandad introduced me to them at the age of 3, sitting at Clapham watching slammers clatter by or going to Paddington and having the living s*** scared out of me because of a Valenta-engined HST and these are my first memories and it's all I've ever known. Also it's increased my independance because I can travel the railway network and not worry about where the train is going or where it stops or how to get from one place to another, and being 12/13 and doing Southend-Barnstaple monthly for just over a year has made me confident in my knowledge and my ability to travel around, whereas many teenagers my age wouldn't dream of travelling one stop on their own. So all in all, I'm proud of my hobby and I enjoy it immensely and it's also a good way to extend your public transport knowledge.

 

[Oswyntail]

...It's somewhat ironic that in a thread of this nature people are slating others who like football. Like you say, each to their own.

I don't think we are slating those who genuinely like football (of which I am not one) Rather that "liking football" has become almost a social requirement in this country, so that politicians have to "support" a team, "who do you support" is a standard ice-breaker, etc etc. [And the consequence of that that football gets more coverage and finance, at the expense of other interests....but that's for another thread!]
I am surprised that the OP had that reaction at Doncaster, where I have never encountered anything other than support for enthusiasts from all levels. Perhaps, though, I can understand where it is coming from. We often forget that the railway environment is inherently dangerous, and, in the current social climate, an unaccompanied 13-year old might be considered at risk. Legislation, and the risk of litigation, have (wrongly or rightly....but that's for another thread) changed the landscape since the carefree days of my youth.

 

[Greenback]

We often forget that the railway environment is inherently dangerous, and, in the current social climate, an unaccompanied 13-year old might be considered at risk. Legislation, and the risk of litigation, have (wrongly or rightly....but that's for another thread) changed the landscape since the carefree days of my youth.

You are correct. At the age of 14 I went on my first aolo train ride from Swansea to Milford Haven! It was a 37 plus 4 MkI compartment coaches! The guard sat in the compartment for a large part of the journey, asking me where Iw as from, where I was going and why! He wasn't nasty or interrogative, he was just very chatty and friendly, but I think he was concerned I might be a runaway or soemthing!

Once I confessed to being a railway enthusiast we had a long chat about the line and the trains that used to run! I was lucky in that he had about forty years service and had worked on the steam trains in the days before Beeching!

 

[cuccir]

In terms of interest, take football and cricket. Cricket is fascinating because of all the complications, how the game can unfold with all the twists and turns, how you never know what is coming next. The reason this happens is that the two teams are trying to do different things. Football, both teams are trying to do the same thing, and the game is basically predictable with only a few different possibilities. Why do you think I follow the interesting one?
.

Without wanting to hijack the thread: read this website and then tell me that football teams are trying to just do the same thing. It's just that football has a lot of mainstream bland analysis that gets in the way...

 

[trentside]

Like many others have said, because railways aren't considered "mainstream" interests people think of it as weird or geeky. I occasionally had my leg pulled about my interest at school, but it was never mean spirited. Now I'm older I generally find that people are quite keen to use my knowledge of railways and other modes of transport to their advantage, to get the best websites for cheap fares or to discover train times!

As for the "who do you support?" question that seems to have become the common ice breaker in conversations, why do people always look so surprised when I say I don't support anyone? Other than that, I'm happy to talk about most subjects.