Current Trainspotters reputation.

[Lampshade]

Even going as far as to suggest they must have Aspergers

They wouldn't be wrong in that respect

 

[Metroland]

The connection between Aspergers and Trains is with Trainspotting. IE collecting pointless information and repetitive tasks that lack imagination and creativity. It is NOT a connection between rail enthusiasm in general, any more than any other interest.

For the doubters take the AQ test, I suspect only a small minority on this site would gain over 32.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

 

[passmore]

The connection between Aspergers and Trains is with Trainspotting. IE collecting pointless information and repetitive tasks that lack imagination and creativity. It is NOT a connection between rail enthusiasm in general, any more than any other interest.

For the doubters take the AQ test, I suspect only a small minority on this site would gain over 32.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Trouble is, most of those types of test are devised by people with virtually no idea of the condition they're trying to measure.

I know someone with Aspergers, a local lad who comes round my house to clean it during the day. He's a nice chap looking for work but happy to be a house cleaner until work arrives. I doubt you would even realise he had Aspergers as outwardly he's friendly and very chatty. I therefore find it impossible that one test can instantly determine whether or not you have the condition.

 

[Metroland]

Even though, there's only a small number of rail enthusiasts with Aspergers, and they would mostly be in the spotting fraternity. All the rest X is better than Y is gibber and interest snobbishness.

In fact this 'hobby snobby' stuff is typical of the British who seem to obsessed with class, where people come from, which school they went to, what job they do and so on.

Countries which value engineering much more highly than the UK (for instance Germany and Japan) do not have this problem.

 

[102 fan]

If a football fan makes fun of my interest in railways I say to them that at least I dont wear a funny wig, paint my face a funny colour and shout at 22 men who kiss when they score a goal!

Or I sometimes go down the road of saying that they dont actually have to do anything, just sit and watch, as I get my overalls on!

 

[passmore]

Even though, there's only a small number of rail enthusiasts with Aspergers, and they would mostly be in the spotting fraternity. All the rest X is better than Y is gibber and interest snobbishness.

In fact this 'hobby snobby' stuff is typical of the British who seem to obsessed with class, where people come from, which school they went to, what job they do and so on.

Countries which value engineering much more highly than the UK (for instance Germany and Japan) do not have this problem.

As I said earlier, none of which should be a hobbyist's problem, yet for rail enthusiasts, they seem more bothered about their image and how it is constantly mocked.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

All the rest X is better than Y is gibber and interest snobbishness. In fact this 'hobby snobby' stuff is typical of the British who seem to obsessed with class, where people come from, which school they went to, what job they do and so on.

Very many years ago, this snobbishness existed in the "select" railway enthusiast societies, who always looked down on the newer society clubs and their members. If you did not have a similar railway knowledge to O.S.Nock or the photographic ability of Bishop Eric Treacy, you were looked down upon with disdain.

 

[AlterEgo]

For the doubters take the AQ test, I suspect only a small minority on this site would gain over 32.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

I scored 37.

I don't think I'm on the autistic spectrum though - I'm just a huge geek.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I scored 8....we should make this into a thread of its own

Does question 4 apply to spending too much time on the forum :roll:

 

[Minilad]

I scored 8....we should make this into a thread of its own

Does question 4 apply to spending too much time on the forum :roll:

17. Apparently I am average !!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I got 10...

 

[newbie babs]

I got 21, no idea what is means though

 

[Mojo]

I got 18.

 

[Metroland]

I got 14
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

As I said earlier, none of which should be a hobbyist's problem, yet for rail enthusiasts, they seem more bothered about their image and how it is constantly mocked.

I agree to a point, but I think we should be bothered about attracting new people into the hobby and many (especially younger) people can be put off.

 

[WestCoast]

17. Apparently I am average !!

I got 17 too!

 

[Schnellzug]

Even though, there's only a small number of rail enthusiasts with Aspergers, and they would mostly be in the spotting fraternity. All the rest X is better than Y is gibber and interest snobbishness.

In fact this 'hobby snobby' stuff is typical of the British who seem to obsessed with class, where people come from, which school they went to, what job they do and so on.

Countries which value engineering much more highly than the UK (for instance Germany and Japan) do not have this problem.

Indeed, a very good point. Germany (and the US) have very active enthusiast populations, and while, in the US, certain members may be ribbed as "foamers", I've never seen anything like the kind of tosh we get in the media on the subject.

 

[WestCoast]

Indeed, a very good point. Germany (and the US) have very active enthusiast populations, and while, in the UK, certain members may be ribbed as "foamers", I've never seen anything like the kind of tosh we get in the media on the subject.

I would second that. The British media (and therefore many people) generally love twittering on about stereotypes regarding rail enthusiasts. Other countries actually see it a 'legitimate' hobby (:roll, because of the engineering aspect.

Not everyone who has even the vaguest of interests is like Cropper (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

I'd agree with stuff about 'class' that Metroland mentions, as it is also relevant. It's the same with supermarkets, "if you shop there you are a certain class". It's a load of rubbish.

 

[Metroland]

Well the media are an absolute disgrace in this country, almost without exception. The BBC being about the best of a bad job.

They are partly responsible for the brainwashing of young people, selling the keen aspiration they can become premiership footballers or get on x factor or at least have a place somewhere in the media - which is a tiny industry, more people are employed on the railways than in the media.

Anything remotely sensible, the things that did propel this country to greatness such as computing science, engineering, are looked down on with far too much disdain (IE boring) and not valued highly enough IMHO by the general population. Which is why we have too many people perusing pointless dreams and not enough folk doing things that will make Britain world leaders, 'cos it's too hard and I want to be famous'.

 

[WestCoast]

They are partly responsible for the brainwashing of young people, selling the keen aspiration they can become premiership footballers or get on x factor or at least have a place somewhere in the media - which is a tiny industry, more people are employed on the railways than in the media..

I get very annoyed at X Factor, the auditionees always have a 'sob story' and then somehow that makes them a talented singer!

Yet, these people get far more recognition from groups in society!

 

[Class172]

17. Apparently I am average !!

I got 24.

 

[gg1]

Bit of an odd scoring system:

How to score: "Definitely agree" or "Slightly agree" responses to questions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 33, 35, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46 score 1 point. "Definitely disagree" or "Slightly disagree" responses to questions 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50 score 1 point.

Why give the option of either definitely or slightly agreeing/disagreeing if the scores are exactly the same?

I scored 36 anyway, which presumably makes me a basket case

 

[Lampshade]

35... is that good? hock:

 

[Greenback]

My score was 8. I am not very impressed with the test itself, or with th elack of information on the scoring.

 

[Class172]

May I politely ask that any more posts relating to the AQ test be posted in this thread.