In all the jobs I;ve ever done, on and off the railway, I'd say 90% of the people employed spent at least 50% of their time moaning about their job.
I don't think it's very unusual. As far as I've seen over the course of my working life, very few people enjoy whatever it is that they do, and even fewer do their job because they love it.
The reality is that people work for the money, to be able to live and buy the things they need and want. There are some good points to every job, and many bad points. From an outsider's perspective, I'd say that one of the good things about train driving is the pay, and I don't object to the salaries drivers receive at all, given the numerous downsides to the job that you've touched on here.
Here you go, below is a list of "my fors and againsts" to train driving:
For!
1. Salary
2. You are your own boss to a certain degree
3. Responsibility
4. 35 hour week
5. 28 days annual leave
6. long weekend every 3 weeks
7. Scope for overtime
8. A lot of rest breaks
9. You get a certain respect from fellow workers.
10. Seeing the scenery that others may not see.
11. Satisfaction from when you do your job right (probably the same as any job)
12. You meet some wonderful and pleasant people working on the railway and also make good friendships (as long as you are on the same RD pattern)
13. You don't need any educational qualifications to land a job
Against:
1. Getting up at silly o'clock
2. If you are late for work it affects more than just you (not that I am ever late)
3. You need your own transport
4. You have to pay to park your car.
5. Mentally tiring
6. Not good for your metabolism or health
7. Sacrifice your social life
8. Your kids ask who you are
9. You are being continually monitored 24/7
10. You have to put up with abusive people.
11. You are on your own most of the day (I quite enjoy that bit)
12. You get aches and pains from continually sitting that you normally wouldn't
13. Night shifts
14. Carrying around a heavy kit bag.
15. Fatalities
16. Listening to 90% of the others moaning about their job.
17. Getting asked why you have lost 2 minutes in leaf fall
18. Having to sleep in the spare room when you are on early shifts
19. High proportion of marriage and relationship break ups.
There are more and of course many jobs have their bad points but any of you wanting this job and will go to extreme measures to get it please take note that the honeymoon period soon diminishes and you may end up doing something you will regret. Okay, there are many who really enjoy the role and many who would do it for nothing but that is only because they are enthusiastic about trains and the railway.
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If it was working on steam, yes.
But on modern boring dmu/emu, even locos, not a chance.
Even shunting in a yard with a steamer is more interesting than 100mph class 1 work.
And I know from experience, not from a computer game
Yes, but that is your hobby and not your job! Hence the reason I would (if I was interested) work for nothing on a heritage railway, I won't because it doesn't interest me.