IDM Mailing Archive

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

'Trainspotting' is also the name of a movie -- a very gritty look at working class English life. WHo know when we'll see it in the US, if ever. --------------------------------------------------------------------- "I read Keyboard, but it's like staring at a book with pictures of simple looking but expensive machines." -- Michael Lazarev NEW CD Comp Electronic Music Project http://soli.inav.net/~kent/emp.html Kent Williams kent@inav.net CADSI 2651 Crosspark Road Coralville IA 52241 (319) 338 6053 (home) (319) 626 6700 x 219 (work) (319) 626 3489 (fax)

On Wed, 3 Jul 1996, Kent Williams wrote:

quoted 3 lines 'Trainspotting' is also the name of a movie -- a very gritty look at

> 'Trainspotting' is also the name of a movie -- a very gritty look at > working class English life. WHo know when we'll see it in the US, > if ever.

I think perhaps you mean Scottish. adam

On Wed, 3 Jul 1996, Kent Williams wrote:

quoted 3 lines 'Trainspotting' is also the name of a movie -- a very gritty look at

> 'Trainspotting' is also the name of a movie -- a very gritty look at > working class English life. WHo know when we'll see it in the US, > if ever.

Hmm, actually I just saw it a few weeks ago at the Seattle Film Festival. Good film, half decent soundtrack.. it'll make it out on video here due to its popularity I'm sure. Cid.

Fairclough, Damon said once upon a time:

quoted 7 lines The point being that while this may be a daft but innocent way of

> 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.

Interesting. In the USA, we call these people "Trekkies".

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

Kent Williams <kent@inav.net> said: :'Trainspotting' is also the name of a movie -- a very gritty look at :working class English life. WHo know when we'll see it in the US, :if ever. Um, next week in Detroit, and I think it may already be in NYC. It's picked up a distributor in the States, so I'd expect it to show up in just about any city with an art-film house or two. The film is based on a novel (of the same name) by Irvine Welsh, a Scottish author, who also wrote a fine collection of disturbing short stories called _The Acid House_ [that's your obIDM, by the way ;) ] back on 7-8, don't wreck the place kids, -d.w.

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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | E r i c | [mail] franse@engr.arizona.edu | | F r a n s | [web] http://intermix.engr.arizona.edu/~franse |