That rule became irrelevant when folks would sign for anyone without even knowing them. Folks on this very forum would advertise to meet them at the gate and they'd sign for them. How do you vouch for someone you've never met?
You can't.
I like to think that when I joined the TCA that people still took their sponsorship seriously. A lot of folks on this board seem to think that professing to like trains automatically makes a individual a good person. But it isn't so.
But even with the irresponsible people signing for individuals they didn't know, there were still others who took the responsibility seriously. And some filtration was better than none.
