I do not know if it is the area I live in or just common in this type of hobby. I have noticed sometimes when walking into clubs you get this sense of being ignored. Me and a few freinds have noticed this more often in this hobby then any other. Why?
Depends entirely on the culture and on the leadership at the club. I have experienced what you describe in other venues and with different organizations. At other times, I have had immediate eye-contact and a hearty welcome.
it’s possible if you visited a club during a show the members were engrossed in operating the layout and couldn’t attend to visitors or that some people just don’t open up well to strangers. if you were visiting my club as soon as you walked in you would be accosted by a member of the club and shown around and have your questions answered and be introduced to the other members in attendance. we are always looking for some new members so visitors are treated as prospective new members and invited to join or return again.
I’ve had that not only at clubs, but shows and even on some forums. Like they think ‘We’re better than you and don’t have to talk to you.’ I don’t stay at those places long and I don’t join forums that practice that approach. I have better things to do with my time. On the other hand I’ve been to clubs, meets and forums where I’ve been properly welcomed and made one of the group on an equal footing and able to share my knowledge and opinions without being stared at or treated like I just walked off the flying saucer at Area 51. It all depends on whether you come into contact with people who want opinions and advice that’s not their own and wish to share their opinions and advice with you or whether you’ve stumbled into a bunch of jerks, which I have done on occasion.
Sometimes you can be around Modelers and feel alone. It happens with any group of people doing whatever.
Most clubs say hello! Make you welcome and steer you to the trains and show you the good stuff and help introduce you to others. The two in my area that I know of (Arkansas Valley and the Crooked Rails) do this really well.
Now if that person has a throttle in thier hand and are “Locked” on to a train getting converstation out of that person will be the same as trying to elict a response from a boulder. Sometimes the quiet ones who dont want too much human contact hide behind the operating area where the public cannot get to them. These Gophers are generally very effective at keeping the railroad functional. They are just too “Busy” being happy doing what they are doing and not have to deal with you and me.
If you do happen to find yourself in a club that gives you the cold sholder or otherwise reacts to you as one would react to a spider in the kitchen then maybe you want to find another one that will be better for you socially or more open to communciation.
Not everyone will have the ability to walk up to you and say “HELLO!” some folks are shy and others too grumpy and occupied with thier own issues to deal with you.
What I think is worse is showing up at a high-brow club full of expensive technology trying to run that new Tyco. You will either be coldly showed the door or be center of attention.
One clue to me is the noise level. If everyone is being loud and talking to each other alot and things are going on such as a short somewhere or a train is being made up or perhaps a new member is being shown DCC for the first time… it is a great place to be.
Others with silence and bulletproof glass 3 feet from the edge of the railroad are not so good.
I deal with many people at work. And my favorites are those who ask a question that is safety related and recieve a negative response and return a few moments later trying the sa
I’m 17 and I feel cast-out wherever I go.
“clicks” are around in just about everthing…Most are not worth the trouble to try to join…Just enjoy the hobby you’ll find plenty of fine folks…Cox 47
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Fifty years ago our local club just didn’t like kids, period. They were the only club, and they were associated with the biggest local hobby shop (LHS). Needless to say, we kids did business with the other LHS, a garage operation where the man and wife owner were friendly and helpful. But they had no room for a layout in the garage, unfortunately.
People are funny (odd), and sometimes you just can’t figure them out.
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I’m seventeen and the club I go to really likes us youngins. We are handy for stuff like getting under the benchwork, stuff like that.
Add in the vacuum and your in business. [dinner]
-Smoke
I feel your pain. I’m 17 and I feel like I don’t get taken seriously enough. For instance, my friend and I (he also happens to be 17, at least for another month…) have been out railfanning on many occasions when the local police shows up and asks us what we’re doing. Being on public property, we would honestly say “We’re trainwatching!” Usually, the officer looks at us with disbelief and then tells us to “mind ourselves”. With that, he usually takes his leave.
I know he’s just doing his job, though. I mean, what would you think if you saw a couple of teenagers hanging around the tracks? [}:)]
-Brandon
To be blunt, I have noticed more socially inept people in this hobby than in others. Let’s face it, a lot of “weird” people like trains. Considering this demographic, your treatment isn’t too surprising. That doesn’t excuse the behavior, it is just par for the course I guess.
-Mike
At least you were’nt insulted on what scale you were running, The last train show I attended they the club I was observing asked what scale am I running. I told them Ho, then one of the club members laughed and said yeah hughley oversized. I guesse that what you expect from n-scalers at a train show.
I agree. We’re like the computer geeks - we relate more to the technology.
Enjoy
Paul
The correct response is “But I can’t see the Nothing scale”. If they laugh the ice is broken, if they don’t it’s time to walk away.
Enjoy
Paul
Welcome to what adults who have forgotten call “the best years of your life”!
Maybe they/we are attracted to this hobby precisely because–unlike, say, bowling–it does not require interaction with others.
Any hobby that revolves around technology and allows one to be reclusive is going to be a nerdy one. That’s why I try not to take it or myself too seriously, and because the goal is to relax and reduce stress, not pile it on. Becoming disabled brought the effects of excessive stress on our bodies home to me in a big way, which is why I try not to sweat the small stuff anymore. I do what I like, and have little time for people who are obsessed with pointing out what you ought to care about. Yes, I’ve been known to use the "lighten up " mantra, because some people need to. You’ll find a significant number of people in any activity who are enjoying their ego trip more than the activity itself.
Any group of people that responds to a newcomer with indifference or a “circle the wagons” mentality is a sure sign of their insecurity, and that it’s time to move on.
Actually, that happens to people of all ages. I am 70, a church pastor, and have been an active modeler since my teen years. But I have been approached by police at various times and various places and asked “what I am doing”. The funniest time was a couple of years ago when I was parked at a crossing on the ATSF Transcon mainline, 1/2 mile from my church watching trains, and the sheriff patrol stopped to check on me. One came over and started giving me a bad time, suddenly the second officer came running over and told the first to leave me alone, I was his pastor. We had a good laugh, I told the story the next Sunday and all was well.
Just remember, they are doing their job and if so, they will question anyone of any age. Enjoy the hobby, I have.
Bob
I agree with this too, although I don’t think that this hobby is dominated by ‘socially inept’ participants - we just a higher proportion than a typical group.
In my experiences, I think our hobby tends to attract introverts. Introverts generally don’t prefer to socialize and would much rather be doing something on their own. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if ‘lone wolf’ modelers out number those who belong to clubs.
As far as clubs go, it’s always tough to break into an established club. There always seems be a core group who been there forever and tend warm up very slowly to new people. Perhaps because they are waiting to see if a newbie will hang around long enough to learn the ropes and contribute. Maybe they have seen too many new people come in, look around, play a little, and then disappear. I’m not saying that this justifies their cold behavior, but it might explain it.
We ain’t MENSA. With the introduction of WGH, more and more old schooler’s are opening up to younger and new modelers. The pipe smoking, engineer hat wearing prude greasing the gears on a steamer wearing overalls is for the most part gone.