[R-390] Cosmos Dis-assembly

[William J. Neill]

Having spent 35 yrs in the railroad business (have been retired for  
ten years), we have a large quantity of operating rules that either  
mandate or prohibit certain actions in the conduct of the operation  
of trains and engines.

As an example, one rule requires that the trainman on the engine of a  
train in a siding be on the ground to inspect any passing trains, the  
position of that trainman to be on the opposite side of the track  
from the switchstand that operates the switch.  Guess why the  
opposite side of the track?

During my 35 years, I can think of at least three occasions where the  
trainman on the ground was standing adjacent to the switchstand and  
actually lined that switch for movement into the siding in front of  
an approaching train.  And the men involved in these events were not  
new guys but instead having anywhere from ten to thirty years of  
service.  After the fact, none of them could explain why they lined  
the switch,

Another rule requires that when crossing tracks on foot, an employee  
must be at least twenty feet from any standing car or engine.  Such  
equipment may move at any time and the twenty feet gives a "cushion"  
of sorts.  However, some employees have chosen to cut a corner and  
cross directly next to a car or engine and have been dissected by  
steel wheels on steel rails.

With the railroad as my sole example in this instance, "Don't eat the  
dessicant" should seem to be common sense and yet in my experience,  
common sense is not always an attribute shared by all citizens.  In  
my later years in the business, I was assistant manager for operating  
policies and practices for an 18,000-mile long Western US carrier and  
at times, I actually taught common sense as an adjunct to teaching  
operating rules.  In many instances, it was an exceptionally  
frustrating endeavor.

To close, someday I'll tell you about the experience of my wife, a  
pharmacist, with a customer who complained about rectal itching and  
bleeding after three days of using suppositories twice a day.

Bill Neill
Conroe, Texas


On Apr 18, 2010, at 10:07 AM, rbethman wrote:

Those quart size containers we put in engine canisters didn't have any
"Do Not Eat" labeling.

Then again, we weren't wearing helmets to skate, ride a bike, and other
such.

That's like the dumb lawsuit when a guy tried to take a J-3 off on a
CLOSED runway.  They even had a fuel truck broadside in the middle of
the runway.

His wife sued Piper for not having a seatbelt.

Look, all us "old coots" are here today.  This is by definition that you
are on the list.  Since they "started" over the last 10 to 15 years to
include some sort of a desiccant to pills and some foods like packages
of Beef Jerky, we are now getting bombarded with idiot warnings.

When I decide to work on my R-390A or the SP-600, I *ALREADY* know that
there are voltages that could kill.

Good grief!  The 120VAC wall socket can kill you!  Just had the carpets
cleaned.  We've been through this one before.  The carpet STAYS wet for
hours.  (Yeah - Even Chem Dry!)  So the wife is standing on wet carpet,
bare-footed, and starts to plug things back in.  I saw ONE finger on a
SINGLE prong.  I didn't bother to check which one.  I stopped her.

It's part of life as time goes by.

Let's keep these old gals going!  (The R-390(X)s, the SP-600s, and yes,
our wives!  Those of us still married are very comfortable and happy.

< Sure hope this doesn't start a FLAME over marriage/divorce!!! >

[ He whom makes homemade Kielbasa and bakes desiccant.  Even makes
homemade Pierogi - AND FLIES still!  Just smaller acft ]

Bob - N0DGN

On 4/18/2010 7:53 AM, Ray Cote wrote:
> What is means is that the warning was generated because someone  
> actually did
> eat one!!!
>
> Like the warning on Preparation-H.  "Do not eat"  That means someone
> actually tried to administer that orally instead an analy!
> Geeez