Weirdos on station platforms

Weirdos on station platforms

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Discussion

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Am currently on the Chiltern line into London and there are beardy weirdys at each station we're calling at with camcorders on tripods. I've only seen one at each station, so I assume it's not some special locomotive passing through.

Any ideas?

BoRED S2upid

19,643 posts

239 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Nice day bank holiday why wouldn't you take pics of the same crap trains that went past yesterday or the day before or the day before ...

HTP99

22,443 posts

139 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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I do find spotters odd; back in the day all trains were different now they are all the same non descript metal tube with the only difference being a set of numbers.

What is the fun and interest in that and they are all a bit odd too; years ago we went to Gatwick's (I think) public plane centre thing, it is were you can go to learn a bit more about what to expect when flying, my two hadn't flown before so we were showing them what to expect as we were flying to New York in a few months time, anyway there were absloutely loads of spotters about and they are all a bit on the odd side; wonky eyes, socks and sandals, bum bags, trousers too short and too high waisted, weird kids; you know the sort.

Edited by HTP99 on Friday 18th April 09:12


Edited by HTP99 on Friday 18th April 09:12

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
If people find amusement and fun from a hobby - why denigrate them?

I really find it quite upsetting that people who don't participate in a particular past time see fit to insult those who do.

Each to their own, I say.

PS - I am not and never have been a "train spotter" although in my youth (many years ago) I could be found hanging around my local airport with binoculars and note book smile

strummerville

1,014 posts

126 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Back in the day you could go on top of the terminal building at Manchester airport for some plane spotting. I remember the Air France Concorde came in virtually over the house so I got on my bike (I'm not Norman Tebbit's Dad) with my camera and cycled 6 miles to photograph it.

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
If people find amusement and fun from a hobby - why denigrate them?

I really find it quite upsetting that people who don't participate in a particular past time see fit to insult those who do.

Each to their own, I say.

PS - I am not and never have been a "train spotter" although in my youth (many years ago) I could be found hanging around my local airport with binoculars and note book smile
I'm not denigrating anyone. I'm curious as to what is happening that's special as I've never seen them before.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Your use of the word "weirdos" in the thread title obviously misled me.

Maybe there IS something passing through today that has brought in a bigger crowd than normal?

I have seen posts right here on PH letting train enthusiasts know that something interesting is coming through a certain set of stations on a certain day.

I think it is completely understandable, if you like trains.

marshalla

15,902 posts

200 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
The Moose said:
I'm not denigrating anyone. I'm curious as to what is happening that's special as I've never seen them before.
Ever noticed that you don't realise how many of a certain type of car are on the road until you own one yourself ? It's a bit like that. You don't notice them until you become one.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
"Invasion of the Spotters" smile

I noticed that phenomenon when I bought a motorhome.

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Your use of the word "weirdos" in the thread title obviously misled me.

Maybe there IS something passing through today that has brought in a bigger crowd than normal?

I have seen posts right here on PH letting train enthusiasts know that something interesting is coming through a certain set of stations on a certain day.

I think it is completely understandable, if you like trains.
Not weird as in socks and sandals weird. Weird as I'm standing on a train platform with a camcorder mounted on a tripod. Not exactly normal behaviour regardless of who you are!

Countdown

39,690 posts

195 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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The Moose said:
I'm not denigrating anyone. I'm curious as to what is happening that's special as I've never seen them before.
The same could be said for any hobby. I'm sure there are people who wonder why F1 fans pay hundreds of pounds to watch cars going in a circle. smile

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Countdown said:
The Moose said:
I'm not denigrating anyone. I'm curious as to what is happening that's special as I've never seen them before.
The same could be said for any hobby. I'm sure there are people who wonder why F1 fans pay hundreds of pounds to watch cars going in a circle. smile
People do it for a variety of reasons, such as it being one hell of a spectacle - something you can't see every day.

That's what I'm trying to work out - what is going on today that's so special!

Countdown

39,690 posts

195 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
The Moose said:
People do it for a variety of reasons, such as it being one hell of a spectacle - something you can't see every day.

That's what I'm trying to work out - what is going on today that's so special!
Maybe because more of them are off work today?

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
That is indeed also odd!!

So, there's nothing special happening this morning then. That's all I wanted to know!

Are you, you know, one of them? wink

Wacky Racer

38,099 posts

246 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
If people find amusement and fun from a hobby - why denigrate them?

I really find it quite upsetting that people who don't participate in a particular past time see fit to insult those who do.

Each to their own, I say.

PS - I am not and never have been a "train spotter" although in my youth (many years ago) I could be found hanging around my local airport with binoculars and note book smile
http://www.pylons.org/

Edited by Wacky Racer on Sunday 20th April 00:03

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
The Moose said:
Not weird as in socks and sandals weird. Weird as I'm standing on a train platform with a camcorder mounted on a tripod. Not exactly normal behaviour regardless of who you are!
Are you so certain of what "normal" is?

Is "normal" defined by what YOU like, know and understand?

I would never be so judgmental or so sure of my own "normality" to assume that people who are not like me are somehow "abnormal".

As far as I am concerned, as long as people are engaging in an activity that does no harm to others, it is an OK activity.

W124Bob

1,744 posts

174 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
It's coming up to a bank holiday spotters are out and about every where(Stafford busy), the Royal Train was out yesterday (don't know the route?) DRS moving brand new locos from Garston to Crewe and I assume a few steam specials as well. This link give steam loco movements http://www.uksteam.info/tours/lem14.htm, note LNER A4 Bittern runs from Crewe to Grosmont on Tuesday.

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
The Moose said:
Not weird as in socks and sandals weird. Weird as I'm standing on a train platform with a camcorder mounted on a tripod. Not exactly normal behaviour regardless of who you are!
Are you so certain of what "normal" is?

Is "normal" defined by what YOU like, know and understand?

I would never be so judgmental or so sure of my own "normality" to assume that people who are not like me are somehow "abnormal".

As far as I am concerned, as long as people are engaging in an activity that does no harm to others, it is an OK activity.
rolleyes get off your high horse (and don't break that hip on the way down old man wink ).

You're looking for an argument when there's not one there to be had. I'm not saying this is a bad thing for them to do. As I've asked on this thread several times, I'm genuinely interested as to what's happening on the Chiltern line this morning that's worthy of standing there with a camcorder. As you rightly said - in this very sub forum, people have been alerted to interesting locomotives passing through - there's a huge wealth of knowledge within these pages of PistonHeads spreading across almost all walks of life and hobbies/interests. Hence why I was asking.

I've travelled that line on a regular basis in the past, on hot days, cold days, weekend, weekdays, bank holidays etc etc etc. not once have I seen someone with a camcorder on a tripod, yet today I see 3 - one at each station the train stopped at.

Surely you can see why that might be considered unusual. That's why I was asking. To find out what unusual happening was going on in my area.

Which bit of that do you take offence by?

Isn't normal defined as 'conforming to a standard; usual, typical or expected'? In my experience, camcorders + tripods on a station platform with no special occasion is not normal (hence weird).

Or maybe they were all coming to see me? wink

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Why the "weirdo" comment then?

The Moose

Original Poster:

22,821 posts

208 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Why the "weirdo" comment then?
Because the phrase abnormalo isn't generally used, and "People on the station platforms of the Chiltern Railway Line with camcorders on tripods - what are they filming" probably would be too long to fit.

On a completely unrelated topic, just passed under the M25 on the trip down to Brighton out of Victoria. It's an amazing contrast either side of the tunnel. Beautiful countryside now. On the downside, my 4G signal to my iPad has long gone and 3G is slowly declining....