What's wrong with our hobby?

[TheTeenageFoamer]

Not sure if this is the proper place for this (not that there really is one on the forum). But what exactly is wrong with our hobby? By that I mean, why do other people look down upon it so much? Generally don't bring up railroading stuff while I'm in public with other people, because of me not wanting to get teased, and made fun of, which I am sometimes when I do talk about it. But not to the point that i'd cause physical damage to myself or anything like that.

I try my best not to nerd out whether a certain locomotive is leading a train because people look at me like I'm crazy, but in my eyes it's no different than liking cars, planes, trucks, or tractors, but some people just won't see me eye to eye on this subject.

I don't know, I just needed a place to kind of open up, I've been sleeping on it for a while now.

[katyusha454]

Because our society tends to have a limited list of things that people are "allowed" to like, and if you like anything outside of that list it automatically makes you "weird", which is apparently a bad thing for some reason.

[artimrj]

I'd have to say you need new friends. Stability is in my mind, I associate with my kind.

[ET44C4]

When I'm in public, I mouth off as many facts as I can to someone. Anyhow, who cares what one may think.

[JOHNtheREDNECK]

Its because most people assume we are those crazy YouTube foamers or are very depressed people. Not many of them realize we are just fascinated by some of the most powerful machines man has ever come up with. I mean, how many other machines on planet earth have we made that can literally move a mountain?

[buzz456]

I find anyone who has a passion for anything interesting and people who make fun of other people's passion very ignorant. I'm mostly with Bob. Find some folks with like interest. Immature people love to make fun of things they don't understand. Just walk away. There are a lot of people in the world and always remember "Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, and large minds talk about ideas."

[gtrtroger]

Also, you might try to figure out a way to help those folks understand your passion....some way to explain it to them in ways they might understand... that will go a long way in helping everyone.

[ex-railwayman]

Because our society tends to have a limited list of things that people are "allowed" to like, and if you like anything outside of that list it automatically makes you "weird", which is apparently a bad thing for some reason.

Yes, I would agree with that comment to a degree, it is also the same over here in Britain. However, if folks interrogate me why I am such a train fan I always state because I worked across 4 different decades on Britain's railway keeping the country moving and the lights switched on, after generations of fellow family members who've also worked on our railway, since 1848, so, it's in my blood, they soon shut up then.......

Cheerz. ex-railwayman. (Steve).

[ZekTheKid]

My friends (to an extent) accept who I am and my hobby of trains. However, I can take a slight joke about it, until it get really repetitive and then someone pushes my button. Everyone else is "Hey, I know you" type thing but just ignore me.

And then there's those people I had to deal with about how trains are for little kids. Sure, it's amuses the younger generation, but it doesn't mean the older folks can't like it.

[TheTeenageFoamer]

My friends (to an extent) accept who I am and my hobby of trains. However, I can take a slight joke about it, until it get really repetitive and then someone pushes my button. Everyone else is "Hey, I know you" type thing but just ignore me.

And then there's those people I had to deal with about how trains are for little kids. Sure, it's amuses the younger generation, but it doesn't mean the older folks can't like it.

I relate exactly. I can take getting teased and made fun of, but it's the repetitiveness that annoys me so much. I do have some friends who are not railfans, but listen to my endless rambling about trains, and they are the ones I prefer to be around.

[OldProf]

"Illigitimi non carborundum"

--Mock-Latin for "Don't let the bastards grind you down".

[cnwfan]

When I was younger, the ribbing would get to me (that whole playing with trains thing). Don't they understand I'm a fine scale modeler practicing my art in the physical and virtual world? Alias, they don't and they won't. Now that I'm older and somewhat wiser... I just don't care what non-family, non-friends, or other non-like minded folks think of me or my hobby. It's my hobby... my enjoyment... my relaxation.

[tg626]

I know what you mean - but I can add Aircraft, Spacecraft (as in Apollo, Soyuz, Shuttle, etc.) and Submarines to the list.

It's been... interesting however watching my love of Comic heros and Star Trek / Wars become "acceptable" within limits in the main stream - we are very judgmental and fickle beings by in large.

[ET44C4]

Sometimes our "friends" are the ones that hurt us the most.

[GERUNIMO625]

Howdy,

I think some of it is cultural as well. In the UK (home of the steam engine), it seems being a "Rail Fan" is much more mainstream. They even have a nicer term for it, not "Foamer" or "FRN"
I remember watching a PBS show about great train journeys where a older man aboard the Flying Scotsman was asked about his love of trains, to which he said: "There was a brief period where I became interested in girls, then I was married, and went back to trains."


In the US cars and sports are much more mainstream. Talk to some 'gear head' or a guy who really loves football and he/she will sound no different then any rail fan.

"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, and large minds talk about ideas."

That needs to be a T-Shirt!

Enjoy your hobby, and enjoy those who share the same passion.

Take care!