Our Hobby

[Charlie Bravo]

Ok, I'm sitting at work, a tad bored, waiting to leave so I can go to a BBQ.

Yesterday was my 25th b'day and I headed off down to LHR with Plama to take a few shots with my trusty S1 IS.

We were sitting in the car park when we overhear a conversation between a few guys about the 737-900. Apparently Boeing have ceased 737-900 production and they were only built for KLM anyway :roll:
Twats.

Then a Citreon 2CV van rolls up, and I mean roll ! An old guy gets out, heads over to a couple of other guys and starts a conversation (they obviously knew each other). However, before he could start to talk he had to hoist his trousers up to the point where it looked like his trousers had had a major arguement with his ankles.
Twat.

Then another guy proceeded to call out every aircraft reg like he was commentating on the event.
Twat.

Plama informed me before we departed LTN, that 3x Emirates 777-300's were due into LHR that were new. As I don't collect reg's that doesn't bother me in the slightest but when the 3rd one arrived one of the above idiots shouted "yeah". Oh please get a grip....
Twat.


I like this hobby but why oh why does it have to be filled by people who:
1/ Don't know what they're talking about
2/ Dress like they got dressed on a dark night wearing a blindfold

Rant over, but not forgotten

[TobyV]

I know what you mean, and if you read half the informative posts made on here, by the likes of myself and take a step back, you do have to ask yourself "whats the point of knowing this and why are we so keen to know ostensibly useless information?".

Why are there always five guys at the end of the platform at Clapham Junction waiting to photograph the 58th Southern Railways Electrostar EMU they've seen that morning (that looks just like the previous 57, maybe slightly grubbier). Why when I was on a rail replacement bus last year did some guy ask the driver to stop so he could get a pic of the bus?

When I went to an RSPB reserve with a friend of mine whos a semi-pro wildlife photographer, some old 'twitcher' in one of the hides whispered in an incredulous voice "we've just seen a plover!".

And lastly and more topically today, how many men will be sitting around tables in pubs today speculating what football players should or should nto be in whatever team, who they would have bought, sold, substituted, what different strategy they would have played etc etc...

My point is, I dont think its any spefically hobby CB, its just in the genome somewhere

[Jetset]

Must be a generation thing.

[speedbird591]

It's a male thing. And you have to fight it! Women use this weakness to their own end. They cultivate it and encourage it because it makes us harmless and then they have the power. Recognise it when it happens and walk away

This is how it ends........ there's an elderly, badge-bedecked freight train spotter at Newport whose wife goes with him and pours tea from a flask and does her knitting while he writes numbers in his notebook :sad:

My brother recently bought an L reg Nissan Micra for his son. You know what - it came with every single receipt for petrol since it was first registered and a notebook recording the mileage whenever it was topped up. He asked me if he should keep doing it. WHAT IS THE POINT? I told him - stop right there - fight it - let it go. But I'll bet he's carried on doing it without telling me. :huf: (and his wife will know and smile to herself).

p.s. Toby - you didn't happen to get the number of that electrostar by any chance?

[VEGAS]

IAnd lastly and more topically today, how many men will be sitting around tables in pubs today speculating what football players should or should nto be in whatever team, who they would have bought, sold, substituted, what different strategy they would have played etc etc...

Guilty. And Bloody proud of it!! COME ON ENGLAND...! :dance:

[Robin]

I think my worst "Anorak time" was spending the week at RIAT with the Canberra. I loved talking to people who were interested and showing them round letting them sit in it etc.

Then you get people talking at you. For ages. Talking crap.

[jonesey2k]

I know what you mean.

[jamesstables]

The spotters who annoy me are the ones who assume that they have some sort of right to be able to see an aircraft regardless of the situation, for example its locked up in deep storage or you happen to be half way through something very important. A friend of mine had some problems with some spotters trying to get into the yard at the back of his house to look at some stuff he has in his garage even though he'd already told them they couldn't look.

[jonesey2k]

What also anoys me is people who post on the "local spotters forum" asking what was the reg of the plane that just flew over his house at xx:xx time. LOL?

[Quixoticish]

The spotters who annoy me are the ones who assume that they have some sort of right to be able to see an aircraft regardless of the situation, for example its locked up in deep storage or you happen to be half way through something very important. A friend of mine had some problems with some spotters trying to get into the yard at the back of his house to look at some stuff he has in his garage even though he'd already told them they couldn't look.

Living in Dundee I quite often pop over to Leuchars with the better half on a nice sunny day. Take a picnic, nice walk to the spot, sit on the beach, enjoy the sun and the aircraft, generally have a nice time. On the way there I've seen more than one over-enthusiastic anorak wearing type climbing trees around the area to get good shots of serial numbers into the base. It completely defies logic.

From my observations it seems most of the spotters would sooner spend a day perched on a fence next to a road taking numbers than have a nice day on the beach and enjoy themselves? Anoraks and badge laden baseball hats in 25 degree heat?! It's no wander there is a vision of the "stereotypical spotter"; a number of spotters seem to perpetuate the stereotype themselves.