Carlin and Evan 3: No Hugging, No Kissing till You Make Me Your Wife

[Lurky]

I'm really surprised by Fundy train track pictures, but I'm in the UK which is a much more compact and densely populated country than the USA, with what seems like a lot more public transport and rail freight used.  I think everyone I know can talk about the public safety films we were shown as kids about not playing on railway lines, and there are adverts about eg using level crossings correctly, so I'm wondering - are trains more rare in rural USA?  Or is it that they go more slowly than I'm used to?  It seems so dangerous - my local station only has trains stopping at the station every half hour, but there are mainline passenger services and freight services passing all the time.

I guess I'd understand it if they were on a long, straight section of track where you could see the trains coming from a long way away, but they're on a blind bend there, so if a train came hurtling round the corner like they do here, there'd be a real chance of an accident. 

(Of course people still mess around on train lines, but just last month 3 young men died after being hit by a train in London when they were out graffiti-ing.  I might stop and take a photo of train lines on a open level crossing, but no way would I have a staged photo shoot, especially not barefoot)

[Illmarryyoujana]

6 hours ago, Lurky said:

I'm really surprised by Fundy train track pictures, but I'm in the UK which is a much more compact and densely populated country than the USA, with what seems like a lot more public transport and rail freight used.  I think everyone I know can talk about the public safety films we were shown as kids about not playing on railway lines, and there are adverts about eg using level crossings correctly, so I'm wondering - are trains more rare in rural USA?  Or is it that they go more slowly than I'm used to?  It seems so dangerous - my local station only has trains stopping at the station every half hour, but there are mainline passenger services and freight services passing all the time.

I guess I'd understand it if they were on a long, straight section of track where you could see the trains coming from a long way away, but they're on a blind bend there, so if a train came hurtling round the corner like they do here, there'd be a real chance of an accident. 

(Of course people still mess around on train lines, but just last month 3 young men died after being hit by a train in London when they were out graffiti-ing.  I might stop and take a photo of train lines on a open level crossing, but no way would I have a staged photo shoot, especially not barefoot)

Train tracks are a very popular spot for photos in the States, or at least in the south. You normally know when trains will be coming through. 

[Bethella]

9 hours ago, Lurky said:

I'm really surprised by Fundy train track pictures, but I'm in the UK which is a much more compact and densely populated country than the USA, with what seems like a lot more public transport and rail freight used.  I think everyone I know can talk about the public safety films we were shown as kids about not playing on railway lines, and there are adverts about eg using level crossings correctly, so I'm wondering - are trains more rare in rural USA?  Or is it that they go more slowly than I'm used to?  It seems so dangerous - my local station only has trains stopping at the station every half hour, but there are mainline passenger services and freight services passing all the time.

I guess I'd understand it if they were on a long, straight section of track where you could see the trains coming from a long way away, but they're on a blind bend there, so if a train came hurtling round the corner like they do here, there'd be a real chance of an accident. 

(Of course people still mess around on train lines, but just last month 3 young men died after being hit by a train in London when they were out graffiti-ing.  I might stop and take a photo of train lines on a open level crossing, but no way would I have a staged photo shoot, especially not barefoot)

I think it really depends on where you are. I'm in a rural area and we only have 3 or 4 freight trains go through a day, no passenger service. They take iron ore from the mine to the dock in Marquette (on Lake Superior). But we do still have issues with people on the tracks. There's a high railroad bridge and just a week or two ago some kids got caught in the middle of it with a train coming. Luckily they made it to the little platform on the side but my understanding is that it was a close call. You can see pictures of it (the Dead River Bridge) in this link http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=29504&p=302104 I should also point out that at least in the state of Michigan it's illegal to walk on the tracks unless you have permission from the railroad. 

[Seculardaisy]

On 8/26/2018 at 11:52 PM, Bethella said:

I think it really depends on where you are. I'm in a rural area and we only have 3 or 4 freight trains go through a day, no passenger service. They take iron ore from the mine to the dock in Marquette (on Lake Superior). But we do still have issues with people on the tracks. There's a high railroad bridge and just a week or two ago some kids got caught in the middle of it with a train coming. Luckily they made it to the little platform on the side but my understanding is that it was a close call. You can see pictures of it (the Dead River Bridge) in this link http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=29504&p=302104 I should also point out that at least in the state of Michigan it's illegal to walk on the tracks unless you have permission from the railroad. 

I was just reading this railroad track debate thinking how in my state people mostly, collectively agree to stay off the tracks but then I read your post and yeah... I guess it’s because I’m in Michigan.

Some people do take train track photos but it seems a bit dated in my area. Generally I think it’s a very poor choice to take photos on a track train.

[stardust]

Apparently Carlin's been ring shopping. Yikes. 

I just can't see them getting married anytime too soon. I know Carlin's anxious because Josie's wedding date is coming up and she craves the attention, but I highly doubt Gil will let Evan take headship without proper income. He's still in electrician school, how is he going to be able to afford a ring, a house in Nashville, and a baby nine months later? IMO Gil will be too scared that he'll have to fork over money to feed Carlin, Evan, and baby Stewart if/when the time comes. Plus Kelly still needs Carlin to homeschool the younger Bates kids. 

[Rik_Bik]

Does anyone know where Evan is taking his classes? If he’s through his local union he probably is getting paid during training and paid pretty well (my local union started at $18/hr for first year apprentices which was $2 more than I made at my job that required a degree...). If he’s going that route he may actually be able to support a family on an apprentice salary. 

[eveandadam]

Same here, a lot of electricians, carpenters, plumbers etc. are earning more than people who have Master's degrees (even in MINT fields), no joke. I often wonder why so many people go to college and university when it doesn't pay nearly as well as it did in the past.

At my first job after completing my Master's degree in engineering I earned less per hour than the cleaning staff at our office (part of it because I did so many extra hours which were never paid or compensated for with free time). After I quit, I actually considered becoming a maid or cleaner for a private household because the working considitions are much better in most cases. Now I have a new job in my field of study which pays better and has better conditions but I'm still considering becoming a maid because pay and conditions are still better. When I told my parents they were really angry about it and couldn't understand. They would be embarassed if I actually went through with it.

[llucie]

32 minutes ago, Rik_Bik said:

Does anyone know where Evan is taking his classes? If he’s through his local union he probably is getting paid during training and paid pretty well (my local union started at $18/hr for first year apprentices which was $2 more than I made at my job that required a degree...). If he’s going that route he may actually be able to support a family on an apprentice salary. 

No idea where, but Carlin did say he was already working on top of the classes, yes. I didnt know apprentices got pay that well (its not like that at all in my country sadly). If thats its the case, more reasons to think of the winter wedding.

[haroldtheyrefundies]

IIRC, Carlin has mentioned that he's already in his third semester of school so it sounds like he only has a semester left and she has two semesters left at Liberty Online. Maybe their wedding is coming quicker than we think/want. 

[just_ordinary]

12 hours ago, eveandadam said:

Same here, a lot of electricians, carpenters, plumbers etc. are earning more than people who have Master's degrees (even in MINT fields), no joke. I often wonder why so many people go to college and university when it doesn't pay nearly as well as it did in the past.

At my first job after completing my Master's degree in engineering I earned less per hour than the cleaning staff at our office (part of it because I did so many extra hours which were never paid or compensated for with free time). After I quit, I actually considered becoming a maid or cleaner for a private household because the working considitions are much better in most cases. Now I have a new job in my field of study which pays better and has better conditions but I'm still considering becoming a maid because pay and conditions are still better. When I told my parents they were really angry about it and couldn't understand. They would be embarassed if I actually went through with it.

I think it isn’t about the money. Most people know that you can earn a good salary with jobs like that. But they don’t have as much reputation (not sure why but people on my country are really hot for academic titles- we are probably all a little bit too narcissistic) and people have literally thousand of choices and especially my generation grew up with a „you can be/do everything you want” credo. With that many options and the illusion that all our jobs would pay a decent salary there just not many people left who are (1) find their passion for plumbing (for example) and (2) who are willing not to fulfill their dreams but make the reasonable choice. Especially the idea to just work a decent paying job but not liking it (just being in it for the money) is highly unpopular because it is associated with not reaching your “full potential”.

I kind of fell into this trap too. Thankfully I had a fantastic student job and sort of stumbled over the job I do now. I graduated in Philosophy and History but work now a job that entails lots of IT. I wouldn’t say my studies were a massive waste of time though (and we normally don’t go into debt for studying or at least not ridiculous huge). It formed and opened my mind, they way I work on things (schematic thinking and analysing), the way I see the world and I explored my intellectual interests. The degree has nothing to do with my job but helped in getting it. Bachelor is still often seen as a more general qualification and in many fields you definitely need the master to really do the job (teaching for example) or the PhD do get really successful (natural sciences, journalists for the big newspapers). We changed the degree system a few years ago and there just wasn’t a middle step like the Bachelor. (If you would be mean it is like a degree for dropping out in the middle.)

 In a perfect world everyone had the chance to do some courses just to find out what the field they are interested in is really like (spoiler often it is not what you imagined- the tools you learn and have to use) and then decide to study or start work training. Or decide straight away if they want of course.

[Hisey]

The big downside to blue collar jobs is that they are hard on your body. Carpenters, plumbers and electricians often work on construction sites. They go into crawl spaces or have to climb into attics. They can injure their back or their knees, develop arthritis, etc. A back injury just put Kelly Crawford's husband out of work for several months, for example.

Young men like Evan and Kelton can make good money at 25. But it may be a different story at 45 when their bodies start to tire and old injuries flare up. And if you get a new injury, it can take longer to recover. Younger men, with their greater flexibility and strength, may be able to do a job faster. Do you really think Gil Bates could be in the tree business right now, if he didn't have sons to do the hard work? (actually, I don't think he is really in the tree business anymore, anyway.)

OTOH, if you climb the ladder of a white collar career, you only have to worry about sedentary-lifestyle related diseases, which are usually avoidable. Plus, your salary may go up with time as you climb the ladder (though this can also be true in blue collar fields).

I'm not an advocate for either type of work! These are just my observations.

[llg1234]

2 hours ago, Hisey said:

 Do you really think Gil Bates could be in the tree business right now, if he didn't have sons to do the hard work? (actually, I don't think he is really in the tree business anymore, anyway.)

/snipped

Gil is still in the tree business, it was shown in a recent BuB episode. The main focus of the episode was teaching the younger boys some of the basics, since (like you said) Gil can't do a lot of the more physical stuff anymore and the older sons are doing their own thing. He'd probably have to hire outside help if he didn't have them around.

[Hisey]

10 hours ago, llg1234 said:

Gil is still in the tree business, it was shown in a recent BuB episode. The main focus of the episode was teaching the younger boys some of the basics, since (like you said) Gil can't do a lot of the more physical stuff anymore and the older sons are doing their own thing. He'd probably have to hire outside help if he didn't have them around.

Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Seems like he was *pretending* to run a business for the sake of the show. Most likely it was all staged.

Look up their facebook page ("Bates Tree Services"). It was last updated in 2013!!! Their twitter was last updated in 2013. And here's a review from six months ago.

Quote

Gave them a call about taking down a large Bradford Pear in my backyard. Was asked to text my info to them and they would get back to me. Heard nothing for a couple days. Sent them a text after three of four days to ask if anyone had come out to look at the tree and give an estimate. Crickets!!! Never heard a thing. Finally called Menzer Tree Service and they came out the same day and gave me an estimate. Tree was removed two days later. Don't understand why a company would not respond to request for service. Will never consider them again for any tree work. If I could give them a zero rating I would.

I think they spend more time pretending to work on tv, than they do actually working. I think they got out of the tree business fast as they could. It is extremely dangerous.

[theotherelise]

I live in Missouri and most of our train tracks are abandoned according to my non-scientific observations. I've seen tons of wedding and engagement and Big Event moments captured around train tracks in my social circles.

idk, I've always just lumped it in with the burlap and lace and last-initial-on-everything crowd. 

Now that I think about it, my husband and I actually took some engagement pictures near an amtrak station because it was a cute old building near the state capitol (where we met and took most of the pics). I remember the photographer asking if we wanted to go on some of the abandoned lines to take some shots and we said no, it's not our style.

[WiseGirl]

Just an anecdote, there are a lot of "blue collar" workers are in my yoga class these days. They say it helps with the flexibility and strength. Not that I expect any of these guys to take the class because modesty. Anyway in the U.S. there is a great need for plumbers, electricians, etc. People going into these fields will be making very nice salaries without college debt.

[Hisey]

5 hours ago, WiseGirl said:

Just an anecdote, there are a lot of "blue collar" workers are in my yoga class these days. They say it helps with the flexibility and strength. Not that I expect any of these guys to take the class because modesty. Anyway in the U.S. there is a great need for plumbers, electricians, etc. People going into these fields will be making very nice salaries without college debt.

Sure, for a while they'll make good money, but as I said, it is hard to be 60 years old and climbing into a crawl space under a house to fix a plumbing line. 

It's true there is no college debt, but plumbers go to school for a long time, if they want to reach the highest level (Master Plumber). This is especially true if they want to do commercial or industrial work. They do have to pay for that schooling. I have a friend who is a plumber and it took him about a decade of work and night school to reach the level he wanted.

 

[ariel9]

I smell proposal on this “girls trip” to NYC. Perhaps I’m wrong but it’s just a feeling.

[grandmadugger]

On 9/4/2018 at 9:41 PM, Hisey said:

Sure, for a while they'll make good money, but as I said, it is hard to be 60 years old and climbing into a crawl space under a house to fix a plumbing line. 

It's true there is no college debt, but plumbers go to school for a long time, if they want to reach the highest level (Master Plumber). This is especially true if they want to do commercial or industrial work. They do have to pay for that schooling. I have a friend who is a plumber and it took him about a decade of work and night school to reach the level he wanted.

 

If your friend is a master why is he still doing grunt work?  Most of the time once you have hit master level you either own the business or you are training/teaching. 

[llg1234]

45 minutes ago, grandmadugger said:

If your friend is a master why is he still doing grunt work?  Most of the time once you have hit master level you either own the business or you are training/teaching. 

Not the OP, but owning your own business isn't just about being a master of your profession. You need to not only have an understanding of your state's labor laws and general economics, but also know how to treat/pay any one who works under you (which, is a other level stress that many workers do not want to deal with). As for teaching, you may know a lot, but if you don't have certain technical certifications then you can't mentor future technicians. Things are always changing, so a lot technical professions require regular re-certification.

There is nothing wrong with doing "grunt work." Everyone has their area of expertise and we all deserve to earn a livable wage from that. Whether Evan and Calrlin agree with my viewpoint is another matter.  I hope he joins/is a part of a union, but... (again) that is a different matter.

[nastyhobbitses]

I really want to do an engagement photo shoot that starts out with posing on train tracks and just escalates from there. Next shot would be us feeding hot dogs to a grizzly bear, then us frolicking in a minefield...

[grandmadugger]

20 hours ago, llg1234 said:

Not the OP, but owning your own business isn't just about being a master of your profession. You need to not only have an understanding of your state's labor laws and general economics, but also know how to treat/pay any one who works under you (which, is a other level stress that many workers do not want to deal with). As for teaching, you may know a lot, but if you don't have certain technical certifications then you can't mentor future technicians. Things are always changing, so a lot technical professions require regular re-certification.

There is nothing wrong with doing "grunt work." Everyone has their area of expertise and we all deserve to earn a livable wage from that. Whether Evan and Calrlin agree with my viewpoint is another matter.  I hope he joins/is a part of a union, but... (again) that is a different matter.

If you have your masters you can teach. Masters are the ones who check the work of the apprentice and journeyman. That’s why it takes years to earn it in the trades. You have to have so much time in at the lower levels before you are even eligible to take the test. That’s why I was shocked that anyone with a masters license would still be doing physical labor. By that point you have put in your time doing the grunt work that you just make sure the young ones are doing it right. 

[Hisey]

On 9/6/2018 at 8:33 PM, grandmadugger said:

If your friend is a master why is he still doing grunt work?  Most of the time once you have hit master level you either own the business or you are training/teaching. 

Well, he owns his own plumbing business and I guess he does whatever the customer asks him to do. I don't know whether he is a master or not, btw. I'm not sure what level he stopped at, I just know he went to school at night for years, while working during the day.

[HarleyQuinn]

I predict an engagement in central park with a million photos to follow. 

[TeaELSee]

10 hours ago, HarleyQuinn said:

I predict an engagement in central park with a million photos to follow

With a new song! 

[Carm_88]

16 hours ago, TeaELSee said:

With a new song! 

About how the Lord led him straight to Carlin!