Trainspotters: do you wave at trains?

[W&C]

I don’t mean like six year old mad, but do you just casually wave at passing trains, without them doing a tone or anything.

 

[rcsn319]

I don’t mean like six year old mad, but do you just casually wave at passing trains, without them doing a tone or anything.

Occasionally I do once I’ve taken a photo, and the trains not fully past me yet.

 

[StephenHunter]

No.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

No, and it's distracting for the drivers. If f driver nods at me, I'll nod back but that's about it. the only time one should wave really is if there's something obviously very wrong going on further down the train and then it's a case of both hands high in the air to make it clear that an immediate stop is needed...

 

[mmh]

I don’t mean like six year old mad, but do you just casually wave at passing trains, without them doing a tone or anything.

No. I do always wave thank you to the guard when I alight at request stops, though, and almost invariably they wave back. That's just politeness though I suppose, rather than anything to do with being a trainspotter / enthusiast. Hmm, or is it?

 

[greyman42]

No, and it's distracting for the drivers. If f driver nods at me, I'll nod back but that's about it.

I would hope that drivers are not that easily distracted!

 

[mmh]

I would hope that drivers are not that easily distracted!

One man's distracted is another man's observant. If it wasn't, you wouldn't get things like drivers making young children's day by replying to them with the horn. And long may that continue!

 

[Gloster]

Never. As Peter Mugridge commented there is always a risk, albeit small, that a driver may think it is a warning of something wrong and stop the train, possibly making an emergency stop. If there is a reason for an emergency stop, then I will raise my arms. For a similar (or inverted) reason I never waved at drivers when they passed my box: a tiny chance that it might be interpreted as authorisation to pass the starter. (And yes, it did happen at least once, although not to me.)

 

[mmh]

Never. As Peter Mugridge commented there is always a risk, albeit small, that a driver may think it is a warning of something wrong and stop the train, possibly making an emergency stop. If there is a reason for an emergency stop, then I will raise my arms. For a similar (or inverted) reason I never waved at drivers when they passed my box: a tiny chance that it might be interpreted as authorisation to pass the starter. (And yes, it did happen at least once, although not to me.)

I suspect Peter has never travelled on the North Wales coast line and seen just how common it is for a driver to acknowledge children waving from the coastal path around Towyn and Abergele.

 

[Gloster]

I suspect Peter has never travelled on the North Wales coast line and seen just how common it is for a driver to acknowledge children waving from the coastal path around Towyn and Abergele.

A child waving is one thing, an adult is another.

 

[birchesgreen]

I did wave at the driver of one at Sandbach on Saturday as she was looking at me while i was taking a pic of the train. She probably thought i was a [rude word].

 

[75A]

If I ever saw a adult raise their arm I expected a rock to come towards me!

 

[james60059]

If I'm by a foot crossing, I'll raise my arm to acknowledge that "I see you".

Back in my youth at Tile Hill on the outskirts of Coventry, I used to wave to EVERY train though (early/mid 1990's)

 

[172007]

I have no problem with people, be it kids, adults and pensioners wavimg at me, I wave back, it brightens up the day. If your a professional driver you know when you can't wave due to distraction. If you do the old whistle pulling action don't expect a blast on the horn with housing nearby or at a silly time of the day as I work silly hours I sleep silly hours and understand the concept of noise polution.

 

[davetheguard]

Never on the Waterloo & City.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wave at the driver of an approaching train from the platform of a rural request stop and you'll quite possibly have the train stop for you.

 

[prod_pep]

In a word, no.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Never. As Peter Mugridge commented there is always a risk, albeit small, that a driver may think it is a warning of something wrong and stop the train, possibly making an emergency stop.

Then they're not fit to be drivers. I find adults waving at trains very odd but to claim it is a safety hazard is ridiculous.

 

[75A]

Have you ever driven a train?

When you're doing 90mph and someone at the side of the track puts their hand up as you approach, you think the worst.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Anybody who is so panicky they consider slamming the brakes on if someone gives them a friendly wave shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a train. Not even as a passenger.

 

[75A]

Anybody who is so panicky they consider slamming the brakes on if someone gives them a friendly wave shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a train. Even as a passenger.

it's not a case of being panicky or slamming on the brakes, I never did either, it's called reality.

Seeing someone with a camera, or next to a foot crossing is one thing, someone standing on a bridge over the track is different.

 

[Trackman]

I wouldn't and didn't do when I was younger.
God forbid is something happened and I distracted the driver, OK it's a small chance but one all the same.

Have you ever driven a train?

When you're doing 90mph and someone at the side of the track puts their hand up as you approach, you think the worst.

Especially both hands in a certain position.

 

[Iskra]

Then they're not fit to be drivers. I find adults waving at trains very odd but to claim it is a safety hazard is ridiculous.

Totally agree- you see loads of trains toot at people in orange Hi-Viz, who in return usually acknowledge by casually waving or raising an arm ...the trains never screech to halt when this happens.

 

[HST274]

Yes, but not some crazy both hands over head thing which is risky.

 

[mmh]

Feels like an interesting conversation.

"Why did you emergency brake?"

"Because someone on a bridge was waving"

I don't think someone saying that more than once would be a driver for very much longer.

 

[mmh]

Have you ever driven a train?

When you're doing 90mph and someone at the side of the track puts their hand up as you approach, you think the worst.

I haven't, but this is surely nonsense. As a passenger who uses request stops a lot, I've seen countless people put their hand up to hail a train that's a non-stopping service. None have ever done anything but continue normally. Why wouldn't they?

 

[bramling]

Then they're not fit to be drivers. I find adults waving at trains very odd but to claim it is a safety hazard is ridiculous.

It is a potential distraction, and one which would certainly fit in the “unnecessary distraction” box.

 

[75A]

I haven't, but this is surely nonsense. As a passenger who uses request stops a lot, I've seen countless people put their hand up to hail a train that's a non-stopping service. None have ever done anything but continue normally. Why wouldn't they?

Different world I think, no request stops on the BML, hence different reactions.

 

[greyman42]

Seeing someone with a camera, or next to a foot crossing is one thing, someone standing on a bridge over the track is different.

What's wrong with that? People use bridges that cross tracks all the time.

 

[greyman42]

It is a potential distraction, and one which would certainly fit in the “unnecessary distraction” box.

Well if that is a distraction there must be a whole multitude of sins that fit in the "unnecessary distraction " box.