Do You Get Made Fun Of?

It happens, My nick name is choo choo boy, but its accepted. I have other intrests and I dont constantly rave about trains. Im also the president of a Fire Explorer post. I get picked on for being a firefighter too. I just think of how their feelings might change if their house burns. Girls tend to find it interesting and most think my fire uniform is hot. I dont give in to anything.

I also love when people tell me how easy it is to operate a train. I've heard multipul people say "theres just a button to go and a button to stop." I explain to them that i have done it and thats not all there is. I also ask them what they would do if they came to a signal with a green on top, and two reds below it. Most say they would stop. I then inform them that they are out of commission for 30 days. That shuts em up.

i know what the aspects are but they are baffled by the complexity

I took a lot of crap in grade school and middle school. Same as what's been mentioned before - people thinking I'm into "choo-choos" and the like, with the usual questions as to why (like it's something bad). So for a while I layed low and didn't really let anyone know I was into trains, up until my senior year of high school. By then everyone else grew up and they didn't see it as being bad at all. They were even asking me questions ("What time does the Orange Line stop running?" "Why are some engines backwards when you see them on a train?"). It was pretty hilarious, actually. Having a lot of knowledge about trains/railroading in general is never a bad thing (unless you're that crazy guy in NYC who has a nasty habit of posing as an MTA employee and driving trains around). So, if people are giving you crap, don't give it a second thought, you'll have plenty of time to think of a comeback when you see them five years after graduation working at Taco Bell.

Just tell people you'll be on your way to be makin 60-80 K's when they're on their way to a degree.

When they realize how serious it is they wont be laughing at you. You have the knowledge to "shut down" the "cool" kids!!!

I kept it reletively low until my junior year. I wasn't a closet buff but I didn't make a scene about my interest. Now I'm very open about it, which girls tend to like.

So to any HS Freshmen or lower, Be open. Just know what to say when kids start bothering you. "When one of the ditch lights fail enroute, what is the neccesary proceedure to ensure the train is safe for you, the average commoner, and how soon does the problem need to be fixed." (Answer: if its just one light, the train can continue normally, and the light is to be fixed the next time its at a terminal where it can be.)

Disclaimer: Dont word it quite so strongly if the kid is 2 or 3 times your size. I am not responsible for anyone who gets "beat up" for saying these things. LOL

My girlfriend teases me about it a little bit (she says I'm obsessed which is true) and my other friends make fun of me but I don't really care. I am careful of what I say to other people though......because you never know what they'll do.

All through high school I took crap fom everyone, except my darfting teacher. He let me draw a GG1 plan (my favorite engine ever) and let me draw all the PRSL track diagrams he had that I could reference to. Now that I am a freshman in college, it's a littl bit different, but still get teased about my railfanning SEPTA.

Pete

In middle school, I got played out just a little, the kids chilled out after a while. In high school, not at all, but we joked around a little. In college, people understand me. Of course, I always try not to keep talking about the same topic over and over. Also, in general, there is always a right place and a right time for it just like anything. This is just like someone who likes to burp every second.

People have gotton use to my hobby over never gotton tease.

AmtrakFan

Two of my teachers are actually big railfans themselves. I actually saw my english teacher at the Richmond Amtrak Station YEsterday.

I don't really get made fun of when I explain about Horse Power and Stuff. PEople don't really care at my school.

At my school I usally don't get picked on for being a Railfan. Some even find it intresting. Last year in 9th grade I kept it in the closet and only telling one or two people. This year though in 10th, I just let it go. At my school we have to take Public Speaking Class, I figured I would get it out of the way this year. One of the first things we had to do was do a speach about ourselves. I figured it might be hard to do one with out talking about my intrest of Railroading. So I did it, but I also broght in a copy of the article I had published this past summer in TRAINS Magazine they thot it was pretty cool to be published. Needless to say I've never been picked on for that.

-Justin Franz

i pretty much keep myself in the closet. the only people who know about my hobby are my parents and a cousin, that's pretty much it.

ah you should let people know! thats how you recruit others!

It sounds like CRail gets beat up a lot! j/k

I'm tellin ya. The key is to lay low. If you're not one of the cool kids, you'll know all about it. Trust me. No reason to give them more ammo.

Now of course, I am one of the cool kids and I make fun of the nerds. Go figure.

-otto-
Head Dork[/code]

I barely get made fun of these days. I guess that just comes with maturity. Sure ill get razzed about it now and then but its more of a joke now. And when i tell some of the girls about the chases they ask if they can come along sometime so i guess thats good.

In high school I got it bad, I went to a private Catholic High School in New Rochelle, and well, I didnt fit the criteria, couldn't afford, nevermind being handed a BMW like these kids were, and chose to get around by train. I do agree alot of people think its the "toys" that we are into, not the historical or even artistic half of it, and you can't explain it to them. I just took it with a grain of salt, and by senior year, it was pretty much a dead issue. They realized it didn't bother me and they could harrass me all they want, and it wouldn't change it at all. What did they think, I was going to drop the hobby completely, and do exactly what they were going to do. Turns out a lot of teachers knew I was into railfanning, and my math teacher was a huge Amtrak fan!

Anyways I graduated, went into college (John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City) and no one bothered me with it there. In fact a majority of the students took the train, either Metro-North, LIRR, NJT, PATH or the Subway, and it was more widely accepted, and if anyone had a question, they would ask me, and I would gladly answer. I think if anyone would make fun of what I like, I think the target would be my car.