Western Railroad Discussion > Caption this: scene of stupidity!

In the roughly 30 minutes I was part of the otherwise well-behaved crowd waiting on the 4014 this one character seemed to think he owned the joint, constantly wandering all over the tracks. At one point he was set up to shoot pictures while standing within the gauge on main #1. He had to move when an eastbound stacker passed through the scene. When finally admonished by several crowd members, he haughtily supplied this thread's 1st caption: “That’s OK, I’m cool, I’m cool…”

1. Looking east at the E 1600 R crossing on the east side of Lawrence, KS. UP crossover control point known as Turkey Creek in the background. Way back in the right hand background is the approaching 4014 + train. That would be our self-proud “hero” Dufus McNerd showing off his mental acumen for the admiring throng of steam engine observers on November 19, 2019.

It takes all kinds…



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 02:44 by santafe199.

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Future recipient of an F-knuckle sandwich. 

Always respect the 25 foot rule !
I saw a Facebook post where 2 people were standing between a relay box at a crossing and the track ! Just a few feet of clearance. 4014 engineer opened a valve and hosed the photographers !!! BRAVO !!

Posted from Android

Photo line comment:  "Let's put this ballast pile to good use"

While looking to the West because Joe Blow said to, the Darwin family became Hood Ornaments for the Train coming up behind them

Left to Right Donald T Darwin in his safety Vest , Dennis T Darwin , Emmy Lou Darwin, I A Darwin and their leader W W Darwin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 08:47 by miralomarail.

Well at least he knows that he's cool!

Wish I could say the same...

Andy

Cool, the signals are red so there is noone coming behind me.
Besides I have my safety vest on so nothing can hit me.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

And we wonder why railroaders often have such a negative opinion of railfans . . .

I happen to be a railfan who has also worked in the railroad industry.  I can say that there is a substantial and, sadly, growing percentage of railfans who think that they know everything about railroads and railroad safety, but, in reality, know next to nothing.They can "rivet count" all day long, but constantly do stupid crap like the vest-adorned idiot in this photo.  It's also pretty clear why a lot of railroad managers thinks that a railfan and general public-attracting steam locomotive is something that they don't want to have around their railroad.

My caption, as a railroader, "Well, there's another railfan idiot."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 07:15 by WW.

And of course not a single person on this site has ever stepped up on the track structure outside of a public crossing. If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones. 

I also think it's really funny how people will post nose-on shots and that's OK, nobody says anything. Kind of a double standard don't you think? (There was a post just within the last few days of straight on nose shots.)



 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 07:42 by Railbaron.

As I see it you're trying to make a mountain out of a ballast hill.

Last night I saw a video from Virtual Railfan of 4014 leaving from a service stop. You can clearly see an idiot at the next crossing in the middle of the guage crouched down do a head on video. He finally moved when 4014 was about 100 feet away. 

Seems like there's always one knucklehead in the crowd that needs a leash to yank him back to safe area.

Larry

Foamer—- entitled, emboldened and plain ole stuck on stupid.

Posted from iPhone

Easily cured by a train in the opposite direction with some bulkheads with loose straps, used to be a major
thing to watch out for during the heavy SP lumber days. As has been said many times, "common sense isn't
common".

Out

Railbaron Wrote:
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> I also think it's really funny how people will
> post nose-on shots and that's OK, nobody says
> anything. Kind of a double standard don't you
> think? (There was a post just within the last few
> days of straight on nose shots.)

Glad you posted this. I don't knock on people who do nose on shots, but I don't understand the obsession, when other angles reveal more about the train. There are safe ways to get nose-on shots (zoom lens + curve, overpass angle, etc.) without being reckless.

Don't forget that "if you don't having nice thing to say, shut up!" crowd who discourage people from being critical, so I'd be easy on people who choose stay quiet.

The-late-EMD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Foamer—- entitled, emboldened and plain ole
> stuck on stupid.

I'm glad some railheads don't generalize me that way. Many of them realize when I try to be safe. I get lots of friendly "highball the foamer" and I've posted many video proofs of that here on TO.

UP 4014 really brings the morons out of the woodwork. The UP Police had their hands full when 4014 came through Arizona last month. It was quite the spectacle. 

WW Wrote:
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> And we wonder why railroaders often have such a
> negative opinion of railfans . . .

Unfortunately, you're exactly right. The sad thing is most of the bad behavior is done by 'fair weather foamers', the kind that only go trackside when they hear about something special coming through, and the general public, just coming out to see Big Boy. Other railfans, like the ones on here, are guilty of this too, but usually not as often. 
 

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> Cool, the signals are red so there is noone coming
> behind me.
> Besides I have my safety vest on so nothing can
> hit me.

"My lawyer can reincarnate me." :-)

The red signal thing is especially true of an intermediate (wink-wink) because no train passes a red signal.
Beyond the obvious lunacy there's the ultimate one that standing that close you're going to get a crap picture.

Out

arizonaBNSF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> UP 4014 really brings the morons out of the
> woodwork. The UP Police had their hands full when
> 4014 came through Arizona last month. It was quite
> the spectacle. 
>
> WW Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And we wonder why railroaders often have such a
> > negative opinion of railfans . . .
>
> Unfortunately, you're exactly right. The sad thing
> is most of the bad behavior is done by 'fair
> weather foamers', the kind that only go trackside
> when they hear about something special coming
> through, and the general public, just coming out
> to see Big Boy. Other railfans, like the ones on
> here, are guilty of this too, but usually not as
> often. 
 
Sorry, but without the general public, there's no Big Boy, 844, etc.