Re: Today's Pet Peeve - Use of Tables at Train Shows

[John Eagle <jheagle@texas.net>]

Bill Lohman wrote:
> As a relatively new member of the club, I didn't think there would be 
> anything wrong with bringing my own much smaller white foldable 
> table.  It cost me an extra two way 100 yards trip during setup and 
> teardown to do so. 
>  
> This table is about a third the of size of those that are usually 
> provided.  I brought it for my personal use so I could more 
> efficiently and safely unpack, run and repack my trains.  I planned to 
> use it only if there was clearly room for it  - which there was.  And 
> I took care to place it in a manner that didn't interfere with 
> others.  This effectively freed up space for others on the 
> Convention-provided tables.
>  
>  It's easy to see in retrospect that other club members might not have 
> realized this was my own table -- and that is was indirectly 
> benefitting everyone by providing extra tabletop space on 
> the convention provided tables and in a non-interfering manner.
>  
> I guess I could have taken the extra step and repacked and unpacked my 
> trains and let others use my table. But, I don't have commercial boxes 
> for my passenger cars and so unpacking and repacking is a real lengthy 
> process that can and has led to damage   I have a lot of trains with 
> small, fragile details.  That's why I brought the table.
>  
> I'd appreciate feedback from the Board as to whether or not it is 
> acceptable for me and other members to bring a small table to future 
> events for our personal use, -- as long as there's room inside the 
> layout and as long as it doesn't interfere with other club members's 
> activities. 
>  
> My apologies to anyone who didn't understand what I was doing and 
> therefore took offense.  In the final analysis I feel I took up zero 
> common space on the provided tables and did so in a non-interfering 
> manner.  Talk about a great benefit for my fellow club members l!!!
>  
> Thanks,
> Bill
>  
>  
>  
>
>
>  
> On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 3:55 PM, Ira Schneider 
> <ira_schneider@iname.com <mailto:ira_schneider@iname.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hi,
>
>     For those of you who have been around for a while, you know I
>     occasionally sound off
>     about my latest pet peeve.  It has been a while, so here is
>     today's rant and rave.
>
>     We generally have a few tables inside our layout at a train show.
>      These tables
>     are for all members to share.  We normally use them to stage
>     trains on and off
>     the layout.  Members will unpack their trains on the table so they
>     can put them
>     onto a track.  When a member is finished running a train, he will
>     take his
>     trains of fthe layout and put them on a table while he is packing
>     them up for
>     storage.  This normally only takes a few minutes.  Members usually
>     store their
>     trains under the layout or under the tables, out of the way of the
>     other members.
>
>     In my opinion, it is rather unfair for a member to monopolize one
>     or more tables
>     all day to store his trains.  At the show this past weekend, one
>     member had
>     one table entirely full of train cars and a second table half full
>     of boxed trains
>     for a portion of Saturday and all day on Sunday.  I feel this is
>     inconsiderate
>     behavior.  We have to share these tables.  Trains should be stored
>     under
>     the tables or the layout, not on top of the tables.
>
>     Also, even though it didn't happen at this show, members sometimes
>     leave
>     trains on the tracks (especially on the sidings) over night,
>     intending to use
>     them early the next morning.  Again, if the member doesn't get to
>     the show
>     bright and early the next morning, we have a track (or a siding) which
>     contains trains which the members who are there have to remove to be
>     able to use these tracks.  In my opinion, this is also behavior
>     which we
>     should discourrage.
>
>     We have limited resources (i.e. tracks, table space, etc.) and we
>     have to
>     share them among all of the members.
>
>     Please keep this in mind for future shows.  (The opinions stated
>     above are my
>     personal opinions, not club policy.)
>
>     Thanks for listening to my rantings.
>
>
>     Ira
>
>
>     ------
>     TTAT members reflector.
>
>
Bill, I think your use of a personal table was perfectly acceptable and 
that Ira should have talked personally with those who he felt were 
abusing tables, rather than writing a note to all members. Best Wishes  
-  John