37255 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Should imagine they're wearing high vis purely to feel important... Still, at least it helps spot the pillocks from a distance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Accord Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Was there not a band of particularly boisterous 'spotters' to be seen wearing GBRf orange vests not so long ago on ECML stations? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiDAS Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Hey it could just be me in my motorcycle gear Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 A different world in 1964, see post #26 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/49839-lineside-trespass-ely-28-dec-2011/page__st__25 The dark blob, top right, is the elbow of the person up the ladder of the signal I was wedged against. There were that many people on it I couldn't get onto the ladder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 In the full context of what I originally wrote, I was merely saying that other people in town would not be obliged to wear yellow, only the motorist who had broken down and was obeying a blanket law With you on that one, then. Let's hope that common sense prevails and that we don't subsequently get a law forcing broken down motorists to wear high vis stuff...! I would be happier if they donned an awareness of other pavement and cycle path users plus a BELL! I'd go one further, Larry, and suggest that they actually keep to the road (where one is provided). When I was younger, passers by actually told me off for riding on the pavement! Someone even told me off for pushing my bike along the pavement in the opposite direction to the one-way street adjacent (although to be fair, it was in Guildford...) Got it wrong....I meant a Cleidopus gloriamaris fish Groovy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lankyphil Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 It's not just rail "spotters". It's quite normal to seen the Stobart spotters outside our yard in Hi-vis jackets... The worrying part is when they have Stobart emblazoned ones, you're just waiting for them to try and sneak into the yard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 If you think that's sad, I've been at Crich for various photo charters and on enthusiast days where people put a hi-vis on to stand on a street and photograph trams! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Back in the 60's we wore Low Viz duffel coats when bunking sheds so no-one would see us !!!!!! I remember the time around 1985'ish when I was on standby (British Gas outside gas escapes) when the boss bought ONE hi-viz flourescent green jacket, between six of us - we swapped it around when we finished standby !!! Eventually we all got one each after one lad (on another district) got seriously injured in the dark looking for a gas escape on a road with no hi-viz.. Once I was called out to a gas escape at Arpley signalbox in Warrington, turned up in my green hi-viz and was promptly marched off the premesis, given an orange one, read the riot act re vests and marched back in !!!. I was told to "keep the orange one for railway use". Daft days back then when all hi-viz this poliva was starting !!. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 If you think that's sad, I've been at Crich for various photo charters and on enthusiast days where people put a hi-vis on to stand on a street and photograph trams! Ah, so they also make trams bounce off - we live and learn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 Daft days back then when all hi-viz this poliva was starting !!. Yes, I remember when we had white donkey jackets for working in the tunnels at New Street. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Having once been (partly) responsible for having to herd forty or so eight year olds on a school trip, anything which helps you spot one wandering off or straggling can only be a good thing, even if you're nowhere near a road or railway line. (Gaffer taping their arms together also helps but I believe it is frowned upon). Brightly coloured baseball caps seem quite popular for the same reason, although I suspect vests are cheaper. I have no idea why enthusiasts do it either. In pre Hi-Viz days, one of my then colleagues left one of her class at the British Museum. The parents were quite understanding about it though..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Ah, now I understand - Manchester Criminals now using Hi-Viz clothing to rob stores: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-19658748 Why? Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 Ah, now I understand - Manchester Criminals now using Hi-Viz clothing to rob stores: http://www.bbc.co.uk...hester-19658748 Why? Best, Pete. There are so many people wandering around in Hi-viz these days that not wearing it would make them stand out in the crowd Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Martin Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 There are so many people wandering around in Hi-viz these days that not wearing it would make them stand out in the crowd See this article from the Guardian, back in 2005, for instance: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2005/jan/15/photography (particularly the second half) People tend to view anyone in hi-vis as some sort of street furniture and mentally "edit them out" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 A few years back, me and mrs bus were controlling rail replacement at Northfields. she point blank refuses to wear hiviz on a station forecourt or indeeed at all. when standing chatting with some LU staff,all in regulation hiviz, the passengers would make a beeline for her and ask for information. she wore a black coat and carried a clip board. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 I had exactly the opposite experience when visiting a bus station while wearing (yellow) hi-vis. It seems at that particular place the bus inspectors also wear hi-vis and people are used to asking them where/when the next bus is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted September 21, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2012 ....and going to New Model Army gigs.... That damn Cromwell! Is he making a new push for power? Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
northendboy Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 It is a County Council rule around here now that primary school children on outside activities now have to wear hi-vis vests!! Did rather take me by surprise a few months back pulling into Arundel to see forty orange hi-vis vests on the platform and then realise that the average age of the wearers was about seven!! My first thought was that Network Rail's apprentice scheme was recruiting them a tad early... When I was at primary school we were issued with them. known as 'Diddy Jackets' they were mandatory clothing on the walk to/from school. don't suppose you need one now whilst clambering out of a 4x4 at the school gate... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2012 See this article from the Guardian, back in 2005, for instance: http://www.guardian..../15/photography (particularly the second half) People tend to view anyone in hi-vis as some sort of street furniture and mentally "edit them out" That's the odd thing about hv vests and clothing - once upon a time it was intended to make the wearer conspicuous, now it seems to have become just another sort of uniform. The railway perhaps tells us a telling tale in that respect - we started off with plain vests and gradually they improved and not only didn't fade when washed but gained a few reflective bits and became pretty conspicuous in most weather and light conditions. But now it's head to foot orange with not only reflective bits but other accoutrements such as helmets etc - both trying still to make the wearer conspicuous but also often provide him/her with protection they don't need (e.g. hard hats on sites with no overhead risk) and to make them look different from other wearers of hv kit. It's become a sort of dayglo clothing arms race. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWJ Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 These idiots who don't work on the railway but think it's fashionable to wear PPE should be sent for an 'image makeover' with Trinny and Suzannah or Gok Wan. An exception is heritage lines, where visitors with a lineside photo permit may be required to wear PPE. Incidentally, I do know that a lot of NR and contractor staff are being encouraged to treat as suspicious anyone they see on the railway with incorrect PPE or inconsistent company logos (e.g. NR hard hat and DB Schenker vest). More to do with cable theft than safety, in this case. We railway staff are sometimes irritating too. The worst case of 'lets-ruin-their-photographs-by-standing-here-unnecessarily-in-our-orange-vests' was on a steam special in Ireland. Why a group of RPSI volunteers felt the need to stand on the platform in bright orange vests at a time when twenty-odd paying passengers wanted to take photographs is beyond me. I think they wanted to feel important by standing next to the loco. Where's Gok when you need him? Ironically, on another RPSI tour (which are highly recommended, by the way) stopped at a country station where the passengers were positively encouraged to walk down onto the track to take photos. I think it may have been a single line so we were protected by the presence of our own train, but it felt odd in this day and age! There is no wonder this topic is controversial; it seems people wear PPE when they don't need to, but don't wear it when they should! I walked along three miles of the Midland Main Line yesterday wearing a hard hat, despite the fact that no work was being done at the time and there was nothing above my head but blue sky... Cheers, Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekEm8 Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 That's the odd thing about hv vests and clothing -<snip> - both trying still to make the wearer conspicuous but also often provide him/her with protection they don't need (e.g. hard hats on sites with no overhead risk) and to make them look different from other wearers of hv kit. It's become a sort of dayglo clothing arms race. Mike, It amuses me every time I see a shot of workers on skyscrapers walking calmly along girders hundreds of feet(metres) up - no harness but the mandatory Hi-Viz and Hard Hats. What do they do if they do slip - make sure they go down head first ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2012 But now it's head to foot orange It may be apocryphal, but I was given to understand that the reason for the introduction of orange trousers on NR was due to some PW worker being involved in an 'incident', where despite wearing a HV jacket, he was bending down and presenting his rear end to an on-coming train, which allegedly didn't see him until the last minute, due to his not having a HV posterior.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 ...and I believe the hard hat requirement comes from the risk of small objects being picked up by, shed from or thrown from trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted September 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2012 ...and I believe the hard hat requirement comes from the risk of small objects being picked up by, shed from or thrown from trains. Yes, with the significant decrease in slam door stock and openable windows, I can really see the high risk that this now presents.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 ...he was bending down and presenting his rear end to an on-coming train, which allegedly didn't see him until the last minute, due to his not having a HV posterior.... He could have dropped his trolleys..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.