Trainspotters Under Fire

Post by **Sloth** » Fri May 30, 2003 8:53 pm

Not Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud... but still a real threat to Western Society...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/netnotes/article/0,6729,967300,00.html

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 31, 2003 7:01 am

I confess I feel sorry for the trainspotters. Long ago, when I was stuck at the Manchester Airport, waiting for money to arrive from home, poor and hungry, it was a trainspotter who was most kind to me and gave me his bottle of pop, which happened to be my favorite of the many varieties available over there. I never forgot his kindness, and that was the first time I'd come across the "trainspotter" phenomenon. He explained to me
that he was using his binoculars to look at trains.
I thought "oh, okay, that's interesting, that's cool".
I was listening the the Northside album on my walkman then.

Anyway, what is this about "trainfanning" that's a terrible word. They should find another way to say it than that. The word "spot" is not totally unkown to U.S. ears anyway. Jeez.

And I still don't recall meeting any U.S. equivalent of a trainspotter though I took Amtrak trains several times in my early 20's.

sean · Post by **sean** » Sat May 31, 2003 6:41 pm

So these trainspotters sit around and watch trains all day? So are most of these people bums or just a little eccentric? Just curious. Kinda reminds me of Keroaucs book Dharma Bums....kinda

Post by **Sloth** » Sat May 31, 2003 11:08 pm

Except Jack and his mates sat around drinking and taking speed and traveling around Mexico fucking little girls... and trainspotters sit around train stations writing down serial numbers from trains.

Besides that yeah they have a lot of similarities!

sean · Post by **sean** » Mon Jun 02, 2003 2:15 pm

I didn't meen that they are really similar in any way, just reminded me of the book a little. I dont really get it though, whats the point of writing down the serial numbers of trains?

Post by **Sloth** » Mon Jun 02, 2003 2:43 pm

Watching trains all day makes you a bum.

Writing down the serial numbers makes you a trainspotter.

If you are looking for a reason or a point well I can't help you there.

Post by **mccutcheon** » Mon Jun 02, 2003 3:39 pm

They write down the numbers because their goal is to see every train in the country. Lot's of people are on the dole.