RAILROAD HUMOR

[Paul]

Two 3rd trick machinists were talking. "I think I'll take some time off from work." The other machinist said, "How do you think you'll do that?" He proceeded by climbing up to the rafters, and hanging upside down. The boss walked in, saw the machinist hanging from the ceiling, and asked him what on earth he was doing? "I'm a light bulb" answered the machinist. "I think you need some time off," said the boss. So, the man jumped down and walked out of the diesel shop. The other machinist began walking out too. The boss asked him where did he think he was going? He answered, "Home, I can't work in the dark".

[Paul]

The above story is not true. A Machinist would never climb up to the rafters to act like a light bulb. That is the work of electricians.

[Dave Keller]

My father was an electrician with the LIRR back in the mid-1920s.

They sent him on a train from Jamaica out to Mattituck to change a burned-out light bulb on the station platform.

He suggested it would be cheaper to send a bulb out with the next train and have the agent change the bulb.

They told him "no can do" because the agent did not belong to the Electrician's Union and didn't have the authority to change the bulb.

So he spent the entire day to change the bulb. Took his first family with him and they made a day of it: A train ride for the wife and kids and a picnic while waiting for the return train back to Jamaica.

Kind of railroad black-humor.

Dave Keller

[RRChef]

It seems as though those sort of things happen in all unions. Years ago, I was doing a culinary intership at a 5 star NYC hotel. The executive chef told me to saute an item on the menu quickly as a mistake was made. Not seeing a clean saute pan, I ran to the potwashing room, grabbed a dirty pan, washed it and ran back. The next thing I know, there's yelling and screaming and some very unhappy managers coming my way. As it turns out the entire dishwashing staff walked out because I washed 1 pot!. The union was called and no one went back to work until the union rep got there.I was told in no uncertain terms never to wash a pot again and to ask someone in the pot room it I needed something done.
Nothing to do with railroading, just thought it would be a laugh.

P.S. Union dishwashers in NYC make up to $20 an hour