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National Train Driver Day

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Intermodal

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14 April is National Train Driver Day when we celebrate the contribution train drivers make to our communities.

This year we're highlighting the importance of rail to tackling the climate crisis.

Thank your train driver today!
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ASLEF appear to have made up a “National Train Driver Day” and appointed it as the 14 April. Quite strange behaviour to be honest - I think most of the public would find the idea that train drivers need praise for doing their basic job to be fairly untenable, especially at the moment.

An interesting choice to have such a day on a Sunday also, when there are much less train drivers around to thank, as a lot of them aren’t required to work on a Sunday…
 
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12LDA28C

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Intermodal said:
I think most of the public would find the idea that train drivers need praise for doing their basic job to be fairly untenable, especially at the moment.
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Nice way to turn this into a train driver / Union-bashing debate. I'm sure praise for train drivers 'doing their basic job' is about as welcome as bashing pans together for nurses, in the absence of any pay rise for five years...
 
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Dieseldriver

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Intermodal said:

ASLEF appear to have made up a “National Train Driver Day” and appointed it as the 14 April. Quite strange behaviour to be honest - I think most of the public would find the idea that train drivers need praise for doing their basic job to be fairly untenable, especially at the moment.

An interesting choice to have such a day on a Sunday also, when there are much less train drivers around to thank, as a lot of them aren’t required to work on a Sunday…
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As a Train Driver I find this ‘National Train Driver Day’ embarrassing as I’m sure most others do too. Good if you to use it as an excuse to bash us though, sincerely, a Train Driver who is currently at work on this Sunday night.
 
Intermodal

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Dieseldriver said:
As a Train Driver I find this ‘National Train Driver Day’ embarrassing as I’m sure most others do too. Good if you to use it as an excuse to bash us though, sincerely, a Train Driver who is currently at work on this Sunday night.
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Just for the record, I am a qualified train driver also.

12LDA28C said:
Nice way to turn this into a train driver / Union-bashing debate. I'm sure praise for train drivers 'doing their basic job' is about as welcome as bashing pans together for nurses, in the absence of any pay rise for five years...
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It’s not really a fair comparison is it? The working conditions and pay of the average train driver vastly exceed that of the average nurse. And arguably the nurses have a much harder job.
 
12LDA28C

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Intermodal said:
Just for the record, I am a qualified train driver also.


It’s not really a fair comparison is it? The working conditions and pay of the average train driver vastly exceed that of the average nurse. And arguably the nurses have a much harder job.
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And at no point was I comparing the two jobs, beyond stating that drivers don't want a 'National Train Driver Day' any more than nurses wanted people bashing pans together for them on their front doorsteps.

Oh, although FYI my missus is an agency nurse and her hourly rate often compares favourably with a train driver's...
 
12LDA28C

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Intermodal said:
Presumably agency nurses don’t have anywhere near comparable working conditions to a train driver, though?
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Why do people always compare everything to being a nurse? It's utterly irrelevant what their pay and conditions are, in relation to the train driver's dispute, and indeed to the subject of this thread. Unless you're a tabloid 'journalist' of course.
 
TT-ONR-NRN

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I find it odd/a bit embarrassing, not because I don’t think drivers don’t deserve commendation, but because it was drivers themselves (ASLEF) that decided it, which is a bit cringe. It’s like if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex declared a Harry and Meghan Day, or Ariana Grande declared Ariana Grande Day. Sort of awkward and self patting on the back. It’d be different if the DfT or someone had decided it.
 
Samzino

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Nurses and Doctors do not have the responsibility of hundreds if not thousands of patients / individuals at any one time for one.

The debate of comparing drivers and nurses is such an apples and oranges comparison that it doesn't make much sense. Can understand the relation to a degree however of a Bus Driver, tram driver and even Pilot well Pilots!
 
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Dieseldriver

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TT-ONR-NRN said:
I find it odd/a bit embarrassing, not because I don’t think drivers don’t deserve commendation, but because it was drivers themselves (ASLEF) that decided it, which is a bit cringe.
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So as a result of ASLEF declaring that the 14th April shall hereby be known as ‘National Train Drivers Day’ you believe that us Drivers wanted it? I can’t remember receiving that ballot paper…

Intermodal said:
Just for the record, I am a qualified train driver also.
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Just for the record, I was replying to your comment about working Sundays. As a Driver yourself, were you consulted about National Train Driver Day? Because I wasn’t so I don’t really understand why you’re on this forum making inflammatory comments about your colleagues over something that has absolutely nothing to do with them.
 
Intermodal

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Dieseldriver said:
So as a result of ASLEF declaring that the 14th April shall hereby be known as ‘National Train Drivers Day’ you believe that us Drivers wanted it? I can’t remember receiving that ballot paper…


Just for the record, I was replying to your comment about working Sundays. As a Driver yourself, were you consulted about National Train Driver Day? Because I wasn’t so I don’t really understand why you’re on this forum making inflammatory comments about your colleagues over something that has absolutely nothing to do with them.
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Just for the record, I made two points:

1. There is likely to be limited public sympathy for such a day.
2. It is an odd choice to hold it on a Sunday.

Both are clearly down to ASLEF, I made no mention of individual train drivers - I’m not sure why you think I did.

I realise Sundays are inside at a lot of TOCs, but they’re also outside at many also. It seems like satire to hold such a day on a Sunday considering how easy it is to associate Sunday with train drivers in a negative way.
 
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WAB

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I look forward to the RMT creating a national Guard/Train Manager/Conductor day, and TSSA creating an entire week of celebration for booking office workers... :lol:

The reality of the matter is that drivers do end up being a bit lionised on the railway. In the grand scheme of things, their job is no more important than a whole host of jobs which keep this country running. Most of them will never be recognised in the same way, and will also have worse conditions. I don't dislike drivers; I just don't see why people should care that drivers are doing their job.
 
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On the point about ASLEF being the ones creating this day, that is how 99% of the various days that get press coverage are created.

They come via trade groups, companies or organisations, so ASLEF are doing nothing out of kilter in terms of creating such a day.

Will leave the rest of the debate about the rights / wrongs / public perception etc to everyone else.
 
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Samzino said:
Nurses and Doctors do not have the responsibility of hundreds if not thousands of patients / individuals at any one time for one.

The debate of comparing drivers and nurses is such an apples and oranges comparison that it doesn't make much sense. Can understand the relation to a degree however of a Bus Driver, tram driver and even Pilot well Pilots!
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All of these sort of comparisons are generally completely worthless, but it does highlight the obvious response that can be expected from the public and media.

www.thetimes.co.uk

Why are the UK’s bus drivers paid so much less than train drivers?

Drivers at the wheel face abuse, harassment and uncomfortable conditions on £750 a week. The pay doesn’t seem to match what they can go through, as their railway counterparts — on higher salaries — go on strike
www.thetimes.co.uk www.thetimes.co.uk

Above is a link an article entitled “Why are the UK’s bus drivers paid so much less than train drivers”, which was published in The Times on April 15th and was based around the current Aslef strike action. This is precisely, and really rather blindingly obviously, the sort of the response that can be expected to any attempt to encourage national praise for train drivers in the current climate. Assuming it isn’t a joke, whoever came up with this is a bit of a muppet, IMHO.
 
CaptainHaddock

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RAPC said:
On the point about ASLEF being the ones creating this day, that is how 99% of the various days that get press coverage are created.

They come via trade groups, companies or organisations, so ASLEF are doing nothing out of kilter in terms of creating such a day.

Will leave the rest of the debate about the rights / wrongs / public perception etc to everyone else.
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In that case I'd like to declare April 17th as Captain Haddock Day, on which everyone else on this forum and the wider world will be encouraged to tell me how great I am and how much you all appreciate my posts. ;)
 
AlterEgo

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Insufferable cringe from ASLEF, further evidence of our decline into a mawkish and coddled society policing kindness and endless awareness.
 
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Would rather Aslef spent their energy in keeping us updated about the dispute and what they are doing their end to try and resolve. We never hear anything unless its a text to say we are going on strike.
 
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DMckduck97

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WAB said:
I look forward to the RMT creating a national Guard/Train Manager/Conductor day, and TSSA creating an entire week of celebration for booking office workers... :lol:

The reality of the matter is that drivers do end up being a bit lionised on the railway. In the grand scheme of things, their job is no more important than a whole host of jobs which keep this country running. Most of them will never be recognised in the same way, and will also have worse conditions. I don't dislike drivers; I just don't see why people should care that drivers are doing their job.
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All cogs on the railway wheel mate, all jobs as important as each other.

Take 1 cog out and nothing runs anyway
 
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Ashley Hill said:
First I’ve heard of it. Clearly it has made a massive impact (not).
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There are 365 days in the (average) year and from now on I expect, as part of the curriculum, all school children to learn by heart what each day represents/celebrates/remembers.
CaptainHaddock said:
In that case I'd like to declare April 17th as Captain Haddock Day, on which everyone else on this forum and the wider world will be encouraged to tell me how great I am and how much you all appreciate my posts. ;)
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Gerrof, that's my day. You can have February 30th.


May I suggest a day to celebrate all those who have nothing special about them (job, ability, disability or gender *).

* = Apologies if I have omitted a minority group that someone is not a member of.
 
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What about retired train drivers, do we get our own day, share the whole day with current drivers or just get a couple of hours?
 
Horizon22

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If you go onto Wikipedia, you can normally find every day has about 2-3 things attributed to it now. It is also apparently "World Laughter Day", "National Dolphin Day (USA)" on the 14th.

ASLEF appear to have done this themselves and frankly almost nobody will care one bit.
 
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