why do young people hate trains

[thenudehamster]

Has nobody noticed that these teenagers never look when crossing roads, and drive dangerously, causing the bulk of traffic accidents - they are just irresponsable throughout life. I think that somehow we've got to the stage where people have no common sense - it doesn't even classify as thrill seeking; even the teenagers I see trespassing on the railways look plain bored.

It's the classic 'growing up' thing we've always had with teenagers; they find out a little bit about something and think they invented it, sex being the classic example - forgetting of course that we oldies were there first - and it's a good thing for them we were, otherwise they'd not be there to be such PITAs to us now.
They also think they're invulnerable; that oldies know nothing; that they can react faster than the speed of light; and that NOTHING can touch them - except it can, and they only find out the hard way.
Teenagers, as we are all well aware, are so totally in touch with everything. They have a saying in the US - 'Hire a teenager now, while he still knows everything' - and it applies in all walks of life. They know so much that nothing can hold their interest any more - but they need something to interest them and hold their attention, so they invent things - and if it inconveniences somebody else, well, so what?

[60017]

In many schools, kids see two things, like or hate. For example, there are people who are neutral about trains, or something else, and two sides attempt to force them to pick.

For example, someone finds a train enthusiasts, and makes absolute sure that they lead a horrible life. That's hating. When they just go blank when the train enthusiasts starts ranting about 1968 or whatever, that's neutral.

There will always be horrible people in this world. Fact of life. People who buy super rare trains on e-bay and make a video on YouTube about destroying them have simply wasted thier money. That is stupity.

I'm not old enough to remember the steam era, but I have read that a lot of them broke in to get numbers. Just because train fans did it does not make it better then vandilism Breaking and Entering.

However, when you do something plain stupid, like spraypaint the front of a coach, there's always the chance that while you make your getaway, a HST, 225, Pendilino or even a shunting engine might just come along and... Splat!

[rich20166]

now i can offer to hope to young train enthusiasts but being Welsh, thats just something your gonna have to live with unfortunatley..........

....just kidding!!

I love Wales, some of my best memories are there, 37s to Aberystwyth, 37s & 50s to Rhymney, Days gricing on Newport & Cardiff, Holidays at Devils bridge including rides on the VOR (best narrow guage railway in the world), 47s to Holyhead, railtours to Onwyn, great nameplates that you try & prenounce to make yourself look good and end up sounding like a pratt & watching Birmingham City win the playoff final at Cardiff! (though not strictley to do with trains, & we're back in the championship now!)

Wales thouroughly endorsed!

[thenudehamster]

I'm not old enough to remember the steam era, but I have read that a lot of them broke in to get numbers. Just because train fans did it does not make it better then vandilism Breaking and Entering.

I am old enough, and I think what you've been reading may be a tad less than totally accurate, from my experience, anyway. Most shed, depots, engine storage tracks, and the like were only locked in as far as the gate was locked - sometimes. Many places were staffed 24/7; you just had to be careful not to get caught. You can't lock a steam engine the way you can a diesel or electric. We climbed over the fence to get into Goodmayes marshalling yard to see the 'new' 0-6-0 diesel shunter they had doing the hump, and get close enough to see one of the new Brush type 2s or an EE type 4 on a Norwich run - but closer still to see a Britannia or a Bongo; However, we didn't go around damaging carriages or goods vans, spraypainting graffiti or any of the other mindless vandalism that happens these days. We had a respect for what might happen if we did - not just to the trains, the passengers or the lines, but to US - and that could be VERY painful indeed.

However, when you do something plain stupid, like spraypaint the front of a coach, there's always the chance that while you make your getaway, a HST, 225, Pendilino or even a shunting engine might just come along and... Splat!

One can but hope....

[MuzTrem]

I'm not old enough to remember the steam era, but I have read that a lot of them broke in to get numbers. Just because train fans did it does not make it better then vandilism Breaking and Entering.

At least when trainspotters go into an engine shed they know that they should look both ways before crossing the rails, and that if they get in the way of a moving loco or wagon it won't be able to stop instantly or swerve out of their way. (It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that trains have steering wheels! )
If a vandal were to break into an engine shed and get flattened, I can't say I'd have much sympathy for them...

[chuxn2005]

I'm 15 years old, the only railway enthusiast in my school of 1200, and in the four years I've been there I think I've worked out the reason that young people don't like railways: because it is seen as an old man's hobby.
It's certainly true that the fact that chavs can't find anything to do with their lives is part of the problem, but not all young people are chavs. Most of them do find constructive things to do in their free time. The problem is that they seem to think that for something to be interesting, it has to be fast-paced and exciting, e.g. sport or computer games. Anything involving books is instantly dismissed as boring. (You won't find many young people interested in history today for the same reason.) The tabloid "anorak" sterotypes do not help either.

Muz I agree and disagree.
People my our age do think its an old mans hobbie, when it is far from.
But i think it all comes down to Boredom in the end.. I dont think many people have anything constuctive in their livies unless they have a hobbie...I know many people who are like this, but this doesn't mean they are vandals they just spend a lot of time chilling and smoking etc on green's and park bench etc. Some on the other hand do vandalise things and this incldues trains....everything gets vadalised In my opinon

[3406767]

2: schools in History don't teach anything about the history of the Railway's and How important they are,

we got .........wait for it ........a hole half lesson delicated to the steam engine

teacher asked the class to explain the average boilor , got told that it was in dumb terms for the other kids but i knew what i was on about . so yea it does help being intrested in things apart from this rap shi....stuff

[allypally]

At least when trainspotters go into an engine shed they know that they should look both ways before crossing the rails, and that if they get in the way of a moving loco or wagon it won't be able to stop instantly or swerve out of their way. (It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that trains have steering wheels! )
If a vandal were to break into an engine shed and get flattened, I can't say I'd have much sympathy for them...

You'd think so, but no, they don't seem to have much more sense than anyone else.

[arabiandisco]

At least when trainspotters go into an engine shed they know that they should look both ways before crossing the rails, and that if they get in the way of a moving loco or wagon it won't be able to stop instantly or swerve out of their way. (It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that trains have steering wheels! )
If a vandal were to break into an engine shed and get flattened, I can't say I'd have much sympathy for them...

You'd think so, but no, they don't seem to have much more sense than anyone else.

Remember that "trespassers" thread a while back? Enthusiasts have no more sense than vandals when it comes to respecting the dangers of railways. There was a kettle-ex a while back which was severely delayed (and the rest of the real service suffered badly too) because some spotter had set his tripod and camera up in the four foot, and had to be forcibly ejected by the BTP. And you see that kind of lunacy by the lineside at preserved lines all over the country.

You could make the argument that as vandals tend to break in and spray in the night, when there's nothing moving (I would assume they keep a pretty good lookout as they wouldn't want to get caught), they have a better self preservation instinct than spotters. Not saying that is the case, but an argument could be made - the fact is that it doesn't matter why anyone trespasses, they should know better...

[allypally]

We have people who 'should know better' doing things like climbing up signalling equipment on the great central railway.