Charlie The Tuna you out there?

[charlie_the_tuna]

hey nipple, i'm just barely getting by on 7 days salary. the engineer mentioned in the news is the number one guy on our roster. he makes more in 5 than i do in 7.

[nipper]

$239k ain't too shabby, but I bet you guys have to work pretty darned hard under stressful conditions. Sorry my last post had a couple typos. I was trying to compliment you on your first name because it is also my first name.

[charlie_the_tuna]

aaahhhh....... i was wondering what you meant when you said my name was mint. now that i know that, i'll be changing mine.
yeah, life polishing rails can be stressfull and with all the scrutiny we're under right now, it's getting really bad. kinda makes me wish i'd listened to my parents.

[nipper]

As engineer, do you get to make announcements over the public address system on the train? If so, I bet you have had a few doozies when in a particularly surly mood!

[charlie_the_tuna]

actually, thats the conductor. the conductor has general charge of the train and all employees aboard are subject to his instructions.
i'll be going back to being a conductor. since the railroad is laying off both conductors and engineers, my seniority was better as a conductor.
as an engineer, i would feel the ax but as a conductor my seniority is actually pretty good.
as far as announcements go, the railroad is pretty strict regarding what we say. i've made a few good ones in the past but it seems like they're just looking for an excuse to fire people. i have 14 years to go and dont plan to give them an excuse.
as for my mood, i'm always in a sh!tty mood when at work. my co-workers wouldnt recognise me at home.

[lumberslinger178]

I like petty coat junction

[charlie_the_tuna]

hey tom, its going in tomorrows mail.

[Destroyer]

CTT, be happy. One of the dark secrets in my life is that I have always wanted to be an engineer. Not a mechanical one like I am, but a train one. I'd love to do long distance hauls...cross country would be the ultimate job for me... but alas, I'm too old and have no way of realizing that dream. So live large my man.. whether you know it or not, some of us are envious of you.

[charlie_the_tuna]

hey destroyer, its funny. as far as job titles go i cant think of a cooler more manly chick magnet job title than locomotive engineer. the reality of the job is its mundane and non-remarkable in every way. dont get me wrong, it beats the sh!t out of working for a living but basically a chimpanzee can do my job. i'm a horizontal elevator operator/ electric bus driver. please dont be envious, its a job. no more and no less, and i'm counting the days until i dont have to do it anymore. this is not railroading as it once was. its not even the same as it was when i started. the place gets worse every day. fact is, i should have listened to my parents when they told me to finish school.

[step up here]

hi mark
you never mentioned that this boat catches 9 lbs fluke.
what a first trip i had. think i better stop now!
maybe one day you are off work and if conditions permit lets try and catch some fluke


let me know.