Railroad Forums
Moderator: thebigc
cockerhamsg wrote:Because railroaders like to complain about everything under the sun. It doesn't matter what carrier you work for, the horror stories will be the same.Are YOU a railroader, or a "kibbutzer"?
Lessee..........first there would be the very lifestyle that *might* cause people to complain. It certainly isn't a "9 to 5" job with weekends off. Then there's the Extra Board where a reasonable life, expected by most people, is impossible. Then there's the disciplinary methods of the railroads that tends to be militaristic, archaic, and tends to create resentment rather than to build teams. It is, or its unintended (?) result is, a division between worker and management---an US against THEM mentality, that, IMHO, is actually counterproductive, and does much to create resentment between workers and their bosses. *Some* railroads look for reasons to take employees out of service rather than to truly correct problems, and cause employees to be anxious to do the job right. They treat people like 5 years old who must be "punished" for their errors. IOW, they assume that people are incapable of making correct decisions by their very nature, and they must be punished rather than corrected. To me, creating a positive atmosphere in which the employees are participants in the goals of the company rather than automatic adversaries would/should be top priority. And there are more reasons why the employees complain.
MR77100 wrote:Why does Norfolk Southern have the nickname Nazi Southern? Is it because they treat their employees bad? Is it because they hire the wrong people?So you got your self fired from UP and now you have come to start bashing other class 1 railroads. It sounds like UP is the one hiring the wrong people. People that can't follow the rules. You got you fired point blank. So don't take it out on other railroads.
GE45tonner wrote:I've never heard anyone use this term either. It's not remotely funny. And from what I know the Class One's are all pretty similar. Similar management, operating style, union, etc. Just different colors. The only thing I know NS is unique for is it does not have a guaranteed conductors board.Again, this stuff about not having a guarantee is false as far as it being system wide. My terminal has a guarantee for both the yard conductors and road conductors. It varies from terminal to terminal, maybe even division to division.
matawanaberdeen wrote:I heard this nickname from a passenger engineer I know. It had a lot to do with "bags" that NS used to hand out to train crews because NS refused to supply bathrooms or breaks. Something like that. I heard they handed out buckets and bags before every trip.This toilet crisis was the first time I ever heard the "Nazi" term being used in relation to NS. As you mentioned, the real source of ire were the bags because not only did they have to be signed out before a shift, but had to be RETURNED at the end of shift, FULL or empty. Many felt the poop drop-offs to be humiliating and degrading - but a few considered it a great way to give the RR some ***T back!
the sarge wrote:I'd say that's comes close to Nazi. But that's me.matawanaberdeen wrote:I heard this nickname from a passenger engineer I know. It had a lot to do with "bags" that NS used to hand out to train crews because NS refused to supply bathrooms or breaks. Something like that. I heard they handed out buckets and bags before every trip.This toilet crisis was the first time I ever heard the "Nazi" term being used in relation to NS. As you mentioned, the real source of ire were the bags because not only did they have to be signed out before a shift, but had to be RETURNED at the end of shift, FULL or empty. Many felt the poop drop-offs to be humiliating and degrading - but a few considered it a great way to give the RR some ***T back!
