Jump to content

Where do you draw the line in railfanning?

Lawrence St

By Lawrence St,
in New York City Subway

Recommended Posts

Deucey

Deucey

Posted
Posted

I never said it wasn't, but your example is a good one. You still need some education with connections in this city, otherwise your options are limited. Most specialized skilled jobs require a good education. As I said before, if education isn't for you, then make a way for yourself so that you can make money. That's what's important. Hobbies are great, but if you're broke, there's only so much enjoying of them that you can do, since most take money to do anyway.

True.

 

I just think that - despite my loathing of the man since the 80s - that what diehard Trump voters' actual economic grievance is truly is that a liberal arts education/BA is the defacto passport needed to have a chance at the American Dream, and even that comes with stupid levels of debt for students and parents while requiring a Byzantine plan to get an actual job that not only pays enough to cover that, but to be able to live without roommates or parents looking over shoulders.

 

Especially here in NYC, since so many jobs my résumé shows I can do ignore me simply because Sac State or ESC didn't give me a BA. It's a shitty situation - but I'm looking at it while being closer to Age 40 than 25.

 

But on topic, like with anything, if you're doing something enough that it's causing problems with focusing on the rest of your life, you change the behavior. If you're a 4.5/4.0 student (dunno if honors or AP classes give extra GPA points here like in California) but the truant officer knows you and your parents well enough that they wait for you at dinner, you need to stop going to 18th St IRT looking around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

Posted
Posted

True.

 

I just think that - despite my loathing of the man since the 80s - that what diehard Trump voters' actual economic grievance is truly is that a liberal arts education/BA is the defacto passport needed to have a chance at the American Dream, and even that comes with stupid levels of debt for students and parents while requiring a Byzantine plan to get an actual job that not only pays enough to cover that, but to be able to live without roommates or parents looking over shoulders.

 

Especially here in NYC, since so many jobs my résumé shows I can do ignore me simply because Sac State or ESC didn't give me a BA. It's a shitty situation - but I'm looking at it while being closer to Age 40 than 25.

 

But on topic, like with anything, if you're doing something enough that it's causing problems with focusing on the rest of your life, you change the behavior. If you're a 4.5/4.0 student (dunno if honors or AP classes give extra GPA points here like in California) but the truant officer knows you and your parents well enough that they wait for you at dinner, you need to stop going to 18th St IRT looking around.

lol@last part! Some folks need some moderation for sure...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
B46 via Utica

B46 via Utica

Posted
Posted

I don't take this hobby as seriously as most transit fans do. I have interest in various different things (sports,anime,etc). So I try to maintain and railfan when it's necessary and for the fans that are skipping school to railfan. Try to at least skip an appropriate amount of days of school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fresh Pond

Fresh Pond

Posted
Posted

I don't take this hobby as seriously as most transit fans do. I have interest in various different things (sports,anime,etc). So I try to maintain and railfan when it's necessary and for the fans that are skipping school to railfan. Try to at least skip an appropriate amount of days of school.

0 is appropriate...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
CDTA

CDTA

Posted
Posted

I'm not advocating skipping, but I want to point out for the record that there's a difference between skipping on a regular basis, and on occasion. To clarify on my earlier post, I do it only a few times a year. If you tell your teacher in advance you're going to be out, you can get the work so that it still gets done. Again, if you're all caught up, missing a singular lesson that's really just a re-cap isn't the end of the world, especially when the work gets done anyways. I miss more days and lessons for things like doctors appointments and sports matches (both of which are considered reason for an excused absence, and thus are condoned by the school), and neither of them have impacted my education.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LTA1992

LTA1992

Posted
Posted

Random thought im surpised that those who skip school don't get swept up by the truant officer

It's not that hard honestly as Truancy isn't everywhere all the time. And they stop looking for truants around noon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
B35 via Church

B35 via Church

Posted
Posted

Random thought im surpised that those who skip school don't get swept up by the truant officer

Truant officers spend more time chillin amongst themselves or with the same schoolkids they're supposed to be keeping safe... No different than these parents out here that have a buddy buddy relationship with their children, instead of a parent-child one.....

 

You mostly see them in action when there's some fight breaks out... And have some people tell it, they still don't do enough when in those situations...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ttcsubwayfan

ttcsubwayfan

Posted
Posted

For me, my limits are in family/social events, or the safety of a place. I'll choose going to a family/social event over going out transit fanning, and, as much as I love the Tatra T3 tram, there's no way in hell I'd visit Ukraine or Russia to see them in operation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
checkmatechamp13

checkmatechamp13

Posted
Posted

Example: A pic I took at 161 on the B and D and the route descriptions hanging over the platform had the (B) for both with a simple comment of "Hmm". Not even 24 hours later, some random posts his own, hyping up the discrepancy like the people who installed it are a couple of bimbos. Like what? Is it really that serious that you had to run from East Jesus Nowhere Queens to The Bronx just to have it? Hypocrisy.

 

How do you know that person didn't happen to work or conduct some sort of business in The Bronx? For that matter, if it's a "random", how do you know they don't live in The Bronx?

 

But yeah, I do agree overhyping it is annoying.

 

I will say that all of the people that cut school to railfan... Hopefully those people get it together sooner rather than later.  Life is all about sacrificing and prioritizing.  Sacrifice now for the gains later.  I sure as hell sacrificed in high school and college and have no regrets. The people that didn't are the ones suffering with much lower incomes and dead end jobs, and in this city, you can't get far without a good paying job.  I salute Union Tpk for his dedication to his grades.  He understands the correlation between education and being successful.  That isn't to say that getting an education means automatic success, but it's been proven that those with a higher education tend to earn considerably more than their counterparts, so while you do have successful people with low education levels, that's generally the exception and not the norm.  Those that are extremely dedicated to this hobby, find a way to make money out of it.  Be an engineer or do something that is going to PAY money (and pay WELL), otherwise it's just a nice hobby, but you'll be broke. lol

 

You're assuming the school is actually teaching them new things. I cut class in high school and slept in class and still graduated third from the top (and I'm doing decently in college, especially considering how competitive engineering is). 

 

As far as I'm concerned, when any type of hobby starts consuming your life and negatively impacting other aspects of it, then it becomes a problem. You want to skip a day of class (or cut out of school early) when you're an A+ student and understand all the material? Sure, go ahead. You want to take a day off from work to go fanning? As far as I'm concerned, it's no different than taking off days to go on vacation. (If you can save a couple of hundred dollars on airfare by skipping a day of school or work, and there's no problems, why not?)

 

It's when you're doing it so often that your grades start to suffer or your boss is ready to fire you (or anything heading down that general direction) when it becomes a problem.

 

Now, would I/have I ever gone fanning on a day when I took off from school? No, usually it was leaving school early to get to work early (or calling out of my lower-paying job to work an extra shift at my higher-paying job). But I'm not going to judge anybody who does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Via Garibaldi 8

Via Garibaldi 8

Posted
Posted

How do you know that person didn't happen to work or conduct some sort of business in The Bronx? For that matter, if it's a "random", how do you know they don't live in The Bronx?

 

But yeah, I do agree overhyping it is annoying.

 

 

You're assuming the school is actually teaching them new things. I cut class in high school and slept in class and still graduated third from the top (and I'm doing decently in college, especially considering how competitive engineering is). 

 

As far as I'm concerned, when any type of hobby starts consuming your life and negatively impacting other aspects of it, then it becomes a problem. You want to skip a day of class (or cut out of school early) when you're an A+ student and understand all the material? Sure, go ahead. You want to take a day off from work to go fanning? As far as I'm concerned, it's no different than taking off days to go on vacation. (If you can save a couple of hundred dollars on airfare by skipping a day of school or work, and there's no problems, why not?)

 

It's when you're doing it so often that your grades start to suffer or your boss is ready to fire you (or anything heading down that general direction) when it becomes a problem.

 

Now, would I/have I ever gone fanning on a day when I took off from school? No, usually it was leaving school early to get to work early (or calling out of my lower-paying job to work an extra shift at my higher-paying job). But I'm not going to judge anybody who does.

We all have our standards. See what Union Too said above this post. That's pretty much what I have to say on the subject since I was the same way. It's more than just understanding the material. Not that long ago, kids that were going to college were some of the few doing so in their families compared to today. College wasn't a given either, so it was a different situation. Nevertheless, it is still competitive today to get an education and ultimately to get a good paying job.

 

I just remember my parents' stance, which was we've supported you as parents financially and now you have to support yourself if you want to go to college. I paid my way most of the way through college, with my parents helping along the way as needed. We were middle class, but it was instilled in me from an early age the importance of hard work and prioritizing education, and more importantly responsibility and being independent, so it's about more than just skipping class. I imagine a lot more of these kids living at home with no job and no sense of responsibility and being independent well into their 30s, which is what you see today, and it's rather pathetic. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daniel The Cool

Daniel The Cool

Posted
Posted

Cutting is irresponsible and I would NEVER do it. I pride myself for obeying the rules, doing what is asked of me, for helping teachers and by working diligently. It sets a bad precedent.

The only times I have usually cut was on my birthday which was actually a tradition. Other than that usually not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lawrence St

Lawrence St

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I will be honest, after spring break I would 9 straight weeks of school with only one day off. After sophomore year I couldn't deal with the stress so I chose a day where my whole schedule had only study halls for the whole day, and went to go railfan. That's the only time I do it to relieve stress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ttcsubwayfan

ttcsubwayfan

Posted
Posted

The only time to cut school is to get laid. Railfanning isn't worth cutting unless its a very special occasion.

 

Or maybe... the only time to cut school is whenever someone perceives the need to do so. I myself have stayed home from school to go transit fanning, to go to family events, and even to go on vacation. At no point have my grades ever suffered because of this because I stayed on top of my work, even when away for several weeks. I haven't done it in about a year and a half but I would do it again if an opportunity presented itself, without a hint of regret.

 

Some of you folks really need to start worrying about yourselves more...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept