Some sudden thoughts and second thoughts:
Oh WAH, WAH, WAH!! Such angst, such unbridled passion! Just think, if we put all this energy into building layouts, OGR would have 350 pages each issue!
It must be close to York Meet time for this to come up.... again. Now that we can't whine about the two signature rule, the cell phone restrictions are next.... probably followed by the camera restrictions all the way down to the arrows on the floor.
But to think we need cell phones "to build the hobby", well, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. Maybe MTH, Lionel, Atlas O, Bachman, 3rd Rail, Weaver and all the others should just put a cell phone in every locomotive box! Are not the trains themselves suppose to be the attraction?
But seriously, I have no issue with anyone using a phone when they need to. Not joining the TCA because one single division meet only restricts phone use inside a hall doesn't make sense to me. I do realize there are some people who don't like to follow any rules of any kind.
I haven't read the article yet, but from the comments made here, I just wonder what Mr. Palumbo would think if say, 5 or 6 people were crowding around his table in the Orange Hall chatting on their phones preventing other buyers from purchasing items.
Actually I think any perceived problems of using cell phones would be minimal. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of the meet whatsoever. All we have to do is get the issue to be put up for vote by the Eastern Division membership. Let the members decide what they want for their party. And whatever that decision is, we can then decide if we want to attend and enjoy the Meet, see old friends, make new ones and enjoy the oodles of trains on display for sale.
It's not a TCA rule, it's a rule established by the Eastern Division of the TCA. (I had to repeat that since some can't seem to distinguish the two.)
Have fun at the meet everybody!!
