This is a bit delayed 'cos a server crash chewed it up first time round,
but here goes...
Eric Frans <franse@bigdog.engr.arizona.edu> writes:
>As I understand 'trainspotting' it means to keep a very detailed eye on
>what's going on.
'Trainspotting' eh? Listen, if you'd gone to the same school as me, you'd
know all about the dark side of 'trainspotting'. You see, it's a
seemingly innocent pastime that's popular amongst repressed middle class
males in Britain (I've never heard of a foreign equivalent) which
involves standing on railway station platforms all day long, writing
down the 'serial number' (I guess that's what they are) of every train
that comes past. You then cross these numbers off in a little reference
book - I suppose the aim is to see all your favourite types of train,
see some rare trains, see a particularly old train before it's taken out
of service etc.
The point being that while this may be a daft but innocent way of
spending time for a young boy (there are NO female trainspotters
anywhere in the world - probable fact), in our anally retentive British
society the hobby frequently continues into middle age and beyond. Thus,
the sight of grown men standing on the platform, foaming at the mouth
with excitement as a particularly 'dope' (I think you Americans would
say) train goes past is very common.
Over time, the phrase has come to mean anyone who is so anally
retentively obsessive about anything (soccer, cars, seventies TV themes
etc) that they lose all contact with reality, lose friends, become
unable to carry on normal relationships etc. At my school, there used to
fights (yes, real violence) over which diesel engine was the best.
So it's true, 'trainspotting' does have largely negative connotations
over here.
But don't let that put you off! I've never jotted down train numbers,
but I've certainly gone to great lengths to track down the purple vinyl
edition of "Xxxxxngggth" by Phenk-2 on the Gibbon label. (Well, you get
my meaning...)
Be proud of what you are! It's society's crime, not ours! Stand up and
scream your defiance to the world - "I SPOT TRAINS! SO CHUFFIN' WHAT?"
Thank you, and good night,
Damon.
Damon.Fairclough@psygnosis.co.uk
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