On a lighter note, has this ever happened to you?


2002p51

2002p51

Well-Known Member
Late last week we were having some trouble with our cable TV service. So the cable guy comes out (It wasn't Larry.) and he needs to go in the basement to check the connections to the modem, etc. So, he sees the layout down there and says; "Nice train set."

What? Train set? Does this look like a mere "train set"?

newlayout152.jpg


I ignored the inference and just said thanks and we moved on to the cable problem.

So has that ever happened to you? Has someone seen your layout and just didn't get it? How did you handle it?

Let's see some stories.

:)
 
Several years ago we changed Cable/TV /Internet providers and the service tech who came out said he was the area service supervisor and he would do the necessary connections for our new service. I showed him the basement, which is 80% finished and where the cable entered the basement and where the splitters were located and the general locations of the coaxial cables. We have seven televisions wired to a IPS and the computer room.

The tech manager said no problem and he would let us know if there were any problems. He saw a section of my CM&N railroad, but made no comment. He worked maybe a hour so so and then came up to test operate the televisions. When he finished he spent the next hour talking to us and we signed off on the service ticket and off he went.

The tech seemed to be very professional and after all he was a supervisor.

Several days later I when down to basement and where the splitters were located is within a foot or so of my layout's interchange. The tech used the layout a place to discarded sections of cable, screws and cable ends. In another area of the basement he tried to go over ceiling tile which was installed directly on hvac duct work and some of the tile edges damaged from forcing them up. It was a job to reinstall the ceiling tiles. Where the cable came into the basement, which is over my workshop, he removed all of ceiling tiles and grid over the eight foot workbench and just left them laying on the workbench or on the floor.

A power booster from the old system was left plugged into a 120 outlet.

He left all the old cable so now I need to trace the cable to determine if it is active or not. He never changed out some cheap hardware store cabling. He left us a mess.

I called the cable company and they said I signed off on the work and the Work Order was completed and closed. Never again will I leave any service tech from any company alone working in my home.

I guess the total disrespect for the layout and the finished basement area was beyond belief.

Never again.

Greg
 
For those who know, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't know, no explanation is possible! The gentleman was trying to pay you a complement, but didn't understand the difference between a "toy train set", which is probably as far as he got, if that far, to a model railroad layout. I actually haven't had anyone say that about my layout, but if I had, I would have said something like, "Thanks, creating a layout like this takes a lot of work, but it's fun."
 
I wholeheartedly agree with Trailrider. The cable guy is one of millions who know nothing about real trains, model, toy, or fine scale MRRing..They call them sets because that's the only nomenclature they ever learned. I too think it was a compliment and not derogatory or sarcastic in any way....
If it were me, I'd have asked him if he'd like to hear a little about the hobby. He likely would have said " Sure, I have a few minutes."
trailrider said:
For those who know, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't know, no explanation is possible! The gentleman was trying to pay you a complement, but didn't understand the difference between a "toy train set", which is probably as far as he got, if that far, to a model railroad layout. I actually haven't had anyone say that about my layout, but if I had, I would have said something like, "Thanks, creating a layout like this takes a lot of work, but it's fun."[/QUOTE
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iNTERESTING THREAD! I never let others ignorance bother me - I answer the "nice set" with : "Yeah, I never liked to fish", or most of the time I just say "thanks", or maybe even ... "would you like to see it operate?"
The Spousal Unit and I both made the mistake of NOT keeping tabs on workers in the home. We both - on separate occasions - have had jewelry and money stolen - so we now make sure that one of us is within sight of the worker especially in a room where there might be things of value.
 
Thinking about this, I think the problem is that most younger people have never ridden on a passenger train, unlike those of us who grew up (chronologically...some of us never have ;) ) in the 1940's and '50's. travel by train over distances much over 100 miles, was the way to go, even after the interstate highway system began to be built. In my case, going to visit my grandparents by train was an adventure. Although they and my parents are gone, I can still relive dinner in the diner, being awakened in the middle of the night by the jarring of our Pullman being switched out in Burlington, Iowa. Obviously, this won't apply to many model railroaders, and they/you will have other motivations and relationships to the prototype. But somewhere you got attracted to trains. :cool:
Happy New Year!
 
Actually quite often as several people have to go into the basement. They usually say "Wow nice train set!" I just say thank you and take care of business. Its a lot easier to handle that than it is other model railroadres who want to impart some words of wisdom to me.
Mike
 
Yeah, that's one of those trigger things for me. Usually take em by the throat and slam em against the wall and get real close to em so they can smell my foul breath and tell em, "trains sets are for kiddies", "this is a model railroad, got it?" then a quick knee to the gut and let em slink to the floor.
 
I'm not sure why anyone gets bent out of shape about "train set" when that's really the only term that anyone outside of the hobby would ever be familiar with. They just wouldn't have anything else to call it and aren't expected to know any of the terms we make up for ourselves within the hobby.

Obviously no slight is intended by anyone.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Yeah, that's one of those trigger things for me. Usually take em by the throat and slam em against the wall and get real close to em so they can smell my foul breath and tell em, "trains sets are for kiddies", "this is a model railroad, got it?" then a quick knee to the gut and let em slink to the floor.
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Excellent Reply! I like it!
 
One thing I forgot to mention what bugs me a lot are visitors to the layout that need to touch and feel the scenery and layout. Common questions followed by touching are..."Is this water real"... "That tree looks so soft" ... "How heavy is that locomotive?" and "Pretty little people!"

Greg
 
CGW121 said:
Actually quite often as several people have to go into the basement. They usually say "Wow nice train set!" I just say thank you and take care of business. Its a lot easier to handle that than it is other model railroadres who want to impart some words of wisdom to me.
Mike
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Mike, do you only set up the trains during Christmas?

Greg
 
Back in the 80's, when I had my first HO and a friend from work stopped to visit. We were in the basement and I lead him over towards my layout to find a gun reloading book. He noticed the layout and said "nice toy trains". I said thanks and for him that was the end of it. But, he had his 5 years old boy with him and not being tall enough, he keep saying " let me see, let me see". I moved the stool over for him and ran my GP-50 with some cars around the layout. My friend told him just watch and don't touch and we went back to BSing. A few laps later, the boy grabbed the GP-50. We quickly got it out of his hands and no damage was done other than a few broken stanchions. At least it didn't end up on the concrete floor. :rolleyes:
 
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