I've been around here since June 1999, when I first joined the site with dial-up.
I served as the sole Moderator of the Amtrak Forum for two defined terms after Mike and Otto bought the site. No question whatever I was "tough" because I wanted to set a standard which I think still prevails with forum moderation here today. It seemed as if most criticism of my terms was leveled at me at other sites "he's just a tool to kill Amtrak"; "it's his job to promote Amtrak, not detract it".
I wanted to do my part to formulate a site from which constructive discussion could move forth and from which Amtrak management could review and perhaps find some ideas to enhance their stewardship of the property. Of course, Social Media was in its infancy at that time, and its standards of conduct had hardly set in upon the entire internet as such has today. On that note, I was "first kid on the block" with a mobile phone, having a permanently mounted "car phone" since '85.
I joined the site largely because I had eleven years holding non-Agreement positions ('70-'81) with a Class I and I thought I had first hand industry knowledge, without breaching privity, that I could share. Today, such is hardly the case, as after leaving the industry end of 1981, I started my third career (first was military service) in private practice as a CPA. I last did compensated work March 2017.
But coming up on 83yo, there is only one way - the wrong way - my health is now going. This has greatly curtailed my desire and capacity to travel about. But I'm still here (and the site will know it when I'm not) and I wish the owners the best.
