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Although this video has already been posted on the OGR Forum, it has since been "discovered" that the whole thing was a fake. The guy taking the video is actually the General Manager of that short line railroad and was smart enough to know, that "producing" a video like that, for YouTube, would eventually cause a LOT of responses. Obviously it did, and was even picked up and discussed on more than one national TV news network's morning show. Eventually the truth has come out, but the bottom line is; THAT video has brought tremendous, FREE, publicity and world wide notoriety to his small short line RR!

 

Look at all the "professional railfans" that were suckered by it.

Originally Posted by Gandalf97:

I don't know any railfans that call *themselves* "foamers".

No self-resepecting railfan would call himself a foamer.  That is a somewhat derogatory term used by those who are not particularly enamored with the rather clown-like and/or over-the-top actions of some railfans.

 

It's really not something to be particularly proud of when referring to one's self.

Originally Posted by Allan Miller:
No self-resepecting railfan would call himself a foamer.  That is a somewhat derogatory term used by those who are not particularly enamored with the rather clown-like and/or over-the-top actions of some railfans.

 

It's really not something to be particularly proud of when referring to one's self.

Thank You!  I definitely don't want to be called a foamer.  It is a derogatory term.

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Sessa:

All railfans are foamers...

No, they are not!  Many railfans enjoy the activity without making fools of themselves or causing problems or potential problems for railroad employees.  Sadly, though, the ones who draw attention are most often those who appear to practically wet themselves every time a train approaches.

 

That General Manager may have garnered a good bit of undeserved publicity for his stunt, but he did a great disservice to the legitimate railfan community.

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Sessa:

All railfans are foamers, I think most are just in denial. In fact, the people who denounce it the most usually end up being the biggest perpetrators of foam!

 

I've literally witnessed groups of fans playing the "I'm not a foamer like such and such". It just oozes with irony.

Are you trying to be offensive or is it just an accident?  Allan (and others) explain that it is a derogatory term and then you insist on applying it.  Why would you do that?

Originally Posted by Allan Miller:
Originally Posted by Jeffrey Sessa:

All railfans are foamers...

No, they are not!  Many railfans enjoy the activity without making fools of themselves or causing problems or potential problems for railroad employees.  Sadly, though, the ones who draw attention are most often those who appear to practically wet themselves every time a train approaches.

 

That General Manager may have garnered a good bit of undeserved publicity for his stunt, but he did a great disservice to the legitimate railfan community.

You could look at it as him knowingly showing contempt for the very railfans that support his railroad.

Originally Posted by Allan Miller:
Originally Posted by Gandalf97:

I don't know any railfans that call *themselves* "foamers".

No self-resepecting railfan would call himself a foamer.  That is a somewhat derogatory term used by those who are not particularly enamored with the rather clown-like and/or over-the-top actions of some railfans.

 

It's really not something to be particularly proud of when referring to one's self.

I call myself a foamer all the time.

 

When you take the derogatory term and use it yourself, the onus of the word goes away. 

 

Hippies in the 60's were called "Freaks." So they called each other freaks and the insult dissolved.

 

Today's black kids use the n-word to each other whereas their parents and grand parents are shocked. 

 

I think the kids, by taking that awful word and making it their own, they take the power of it to hurt away from the people who first used it. 

 

And that's a good thing.

As information, the term "foamer" is a long used quick way of saying "FOMITE".

 

The term "FOMITE" was developed way back in the late 1960s, concerning a railfan named Davy Levine. It was/is an acronym for:

 

F   =  Far

O   =  Out

M   =  Mentally

I    =  Incompetent 

T    =  Train

E    =  Enthusiast 

 

During the tour of the American Freedom Train, at least three crew members of the 4449 were from the eastern US, thus the term "FOMITE" began to spread around the whole country during 1975/1976 tour. It eventually changed over the years to simply "foamer", which is MUCH easier to say.

 

So now, you all have the rest of the story, and are fully aware of what railroaders mean when the call you "a foamer"!

@ChooChooDennis...

I understand your point.  You are free to apply whatever demeaning and insulting terms to yourself that you want to and that will "lessen" the impact of the words.  Except it only works when you're a member of "the group" and use it on yourself or another member.  To follow your logic, it should be "OK" to use the "n-word" freely by now because people have been calling themselves that for decades.  Clearly, that isn't the case.  I'd say people are more sensitive to it than ever.

 

Making a joke out of insulting or demeaning behavior just encourages it.

Originally Posted by DominicMazoch:

People who get rabies have foam coming out of the mouth.  Rabid=Madness!  That is the history of the word "foamer" I heard in the Houston area

 

You heard correctly.  Despite other definitions of the term's evolution that may come up via the Internet and other sources, the currently accepted heritage/usage of the term (dating back at least 30-or-so years when I first heard it) relates to a rabid dog's foaming at the mouth.

Having been around some overly enthusiastic railfans I can understand how easily they can be dubbed foamers.  Some I've met do give the rest of us a bad name.  I can't get excited about getting pictures of every possible engine variation or the whole roster of a given railroad.  I avoid those who want to show me hundreds of pictures taken at the same location.  When the non-railroader witnesses or hears some of these guys they might think we're all crazy!

 

Professional railroaders in many instances abhor railfans for their behavior around what is a heavy duty industry and who could be potentially hurt.  I personally know some professionals in the industry who have had to eject people from the property.  They also have a lot of laughs at the "foamers" during the performance of their jobs.

 

I'm currently doing research and consulting work with a shortline railroad.  The president has laid out some strict conditions about railfans anywhere near the property and giving out any company information for people to post on forums.  This isn't anyone's big toy.  It's a business like any other.

 

 

  

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