13ronin wrote:lol. We actually tend to sit around and tell "war stories." You know; worst/most disgusting cases we saw; funniest thing we ever saw; that kind of thing. I'll share one of my funniest moments so you can have a giggle. We were doing a Jewish funeral (they do things much differently than Christians) and are at the graveside for the commital part of the service. My old man and brother are up near the grave and I'm behind the crowd with another person who worked for us at the time. From the rear of the crowd, and old guy walks away and back a few rows of stones. Me and the the girl who worked for us are the only ones who could see him at this point. After a minute or two this guy stops, and, I * you not, unzips his fly and starts pissing all over someone's stone right in the middle of the service. Now me and the girl are trying very hard to keep from laughing our asses off and my dad and brother who can see us but not the old man are scowling at us cause they think we're just laughing because we said a joke or something. Hardest time I ever had keeping a straight face.
As far as old times go; no we don't reminisce as much as we lament. I really liked doing funerals but with the cremation rate becoming what it is I feel more like a disposal service a lot of times. That's all I'll say about that.
As far as the generational thing goes; I would actually be 3rd generation. My grandad worked as a brakeman for Chessie and retired as a yardmaster; my uncle went in with Chessie as a clerk and retired after the merge into CSX out of Richmond. Kind of fitting I think that things might be coming full circle.
On a related note, we used to haul bodies on the passenger trains (Crescent and, afterwards, Amtrak). One night, I got a wire from the North end that a body was coming to Charlotte. I was working the "graveyard" (pardon the pun) turn as 3rd trick Porter. Nothing unusual about getting bodies on the train...but there was a problem:
THIS woman weighed almost 500 lbs!
She certainly hadn't missed any meals in her life! I thought, "YIPES", I better get some help to get that casket off the train!" So I went into the Yard Office and asked some of the clerks to help me. And there was no one wanting to go out on a dark, foggy night to mess wid no body. One dude was "skeered" of dead people, another said he was "busy", and another used an old familiar retort found often on the railroad: "It ain't MY job". Having no choice in the matter, and knowing I HAD to get that giant person off the baggage car and not delay the train, I went to the Trainmaster. He went into the Yard office and picked out some "volunteers" who, according to him, "Would help the porter get that body off or else!" None of the clerks were happy about it, especially the fellow who was spooked by dead people.
So I lined up one of the old baggage wagons that still sat around the station (normally we used a Suburban to haul baggage and crews), and pulled it up near where the train would spot. At train time, we all trudged out to the landing, & there was some grumbling about having to be out on a damp, misty night like this.
On time, the train and its 6 green & gold Southern engines whooshed into Charlotte, its bell going, "Chink-ker-Chink-ker-Chink", kicking up puddles that had gathered on the tracks. We put our shoulders to the task and grunted and shoved, struggling to get the crate out onto the wagon........."Wait a minute, its...UGH......hung up on something...push it to the left a little.....MMMMMMFFFFFF----THERE it goes............WAIT a minute: I lost my hold-------Now SHOVE it EEEEEEEEEAAAASSSY! OH SH-----Its hung on som'pin again------try and lift it a little..MMMMMMMMMFFFFFFF----WHEW!"
We got the huge crate onto the wagon finally and signed the train ahead to the conductor. Now we had to ease this wagon AND its some 650 lb load (counting the crate and all) DOWN the landing, make one turn to the right and over to the waiting Cadillac hearse. Its about 3-something in the morning, foggy, spooky, a really yucky night. So we started down the slippery ramp.....easing it timidly down, trying to HOLD this thing so it wouldn't get away from us. The guy that was so scared of dead people was near the front of the wagon as 7 of us tried to work this load down the hill while one of us steered the wagon. The mischievous fellow in front of me reached out and "goosed" the scaredy cat and yelled, "BOO"! That boy jumped sky high, yelled something I can't print, screamed bloody murder just before we reached the turn---and we durn near LOST control of that wagon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO!
I mean, we came within a hair of that wagon going OFF the ramp, and turning over!!!!!
It was a sight between the guy that was "goosed" hollering and US yelling, "WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!!!!!!!!!"
By the time we got to the hearse, the rest of us were laughing so hard, we could barely push the thing! Then it was a struggle to get the crate/casket down off the wagon and ease it into the hearse where it just barely fit. When we got it down and gave its final shove that old Cadillac groaned and squatted down, down, AND down some more! I thought he might do a wheelie going out of the lot!!!!! LOL!