by steamer69
3rd Rail my friend,
I think your experiance was dependednt on your brakeman. They do ask for tips, and it used to be incorporated in the "summit" speach. Now, I agree with you that some of the brakemen were bad about it. I remember when I was training as a brakeman, one day I listened to a guy finish up his summit speach (after explaining how the brakes work by hand) and saying "just remember, your lives are in our hands and our tips are in yours!" I always rememberd the look on the passengers faces and decided that would not be the case with me. I always joked around with the croud on the way up the hill and used that time to "gauge" how the crowd was doing. If I had a good feeling I would incorporate my request for tax deductable donations to the "feed the traincrew fund" (***DISCLAIMER*** There is no such thing as the "Feed the Traincrew fund". It was a Joke I used to get people laughing). I would also make sure to stress that it was in no way obligitory and we would understand either way. I would keep the people happy coming down the hill as well, and never got mad or upset with them if I didn't get anything.
The reason for the brakeman standing right at the door is because that was procedure both at the base and at the summit. We were there to catch people "just in case" and help them on and off the coach. I can totally simpathise with your thoughts, but speaking from experiance, I had groups who would request me every year because of the way I conducted my trains. I made sure to take care of my passengers and my crew. To this day (as far as I know) I still hold the tip record on the mountain, and would go braking or firing again in a heartbeat......if the railroad hadn't a been ruined.....not I'm not talking about the switches, I'm talking about the infernal cumbustion taking over.
Don't be mad at all of the crew there, some of us did it in a way that supported us, and didn't leave our passengers feeling fleeced. Sometime if you want to hear my whole "speach" I still remember it.....7 seasons on the hill will do that for ya......
P.S. I never had one complaint or "bad taste" note the entire time I was there
I think your experiance was dependednt on your brakeman. They do ask for tips, and it used to be incorporated in the "summit" speach. Now, I agree with you that some of the brakemen were bad about it. I remember when I was training as a brakeman, one day I listened to a guy finish up his summit speach (after explaining how the brakes work by hand) and saying "just remember, your lives are in our hands and our tips are in yours!" I always rememberd the look on the passengers faces and decided that would not be the case with me. I always joked around with the croud on the way up the hill and used that time to "gauge" how the crowd was doing. If I had a good feeling I would incorporate my request for tax deductable donations to the "feed the traincrew fund" (***DISCLAIMER*** There is no such thing as the "Feed the Traincrew fund". It was a Joke I used to get people laughing). I would also make sure to stress that it was in no way obligitory and we would understand either way. I would keep the people happy coming down the hill as well, and never got mad or upset with them if I didn't get anything.
The reason for the brakeman standing right at the door is because that was procedure both at the base and at the summit. We were there to catch people "just in case" and help them on and off the coach. I can totally simpathise with your thoughts, but speaking from experiance, I had groups who would request me every year because of the way I conducted my trains. I made sure to take care of my passengers and my crew. To this day (as far as I know) I still hold the tip record on the mountain, and would go braking or firing again in a heartbeat......if the railroad hadn't a been ruined.....not I'm not talking about the switches, I'm talking about the infernal cumbustion taking over.
Don't be mad at all of the crew there, some of us did it in a way that supported us, and didn't leave our passengers feeling fleeced. Sometime if you want to hear my whole "speach" I still remember it.....7 seasons on the hill will do that for ya......
P.S. I never had one complaint or "bad taste" note the entire time I was there
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. JC Watts
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to include tomato in a fruit salid.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to include tomato in a fruit salid.