As in this Flimsies piece. It is hard to imagine how they could have made the poor guy look more like an eccentric looney bird than they already did. Even Star Trek worshippers don't get treated that bad.http://www.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_3081229

Actually I thought it was a fairly well-done piece. The facts are generally accurate, which is my biggest complaint when many of my colleagues do a story on a railfan. Too often, reporters skimp on research when they do stories like this and wind up looking like Ford Prefect mistaking the planet's dominant life form.The goal of stories like this are to show how the person being featured is different. This one does that quite well. I wouldn't be offended if it were about me.

Bob, I agree with you. Having recently worked with a reporter for an article about our organization, you have to keep steering the topic to your organization and what you are trying to promote. The reporter will always ask why you are involved/interested. You can be honest, but there is no need to be a "Trekie". I always say that I had experienced train travel in the past and that this is an opportunity to preserve that history. I also always point out how we want to be part of the community and that we hope to bring additional tourists/business to the area. While this article does give you the feeling the subject is an expert on the topic, it doesn't make you want to learn more about it.

I agree you have to be careful what you say to reporters -- and even if you do tell them something -- you have to hope they put accurate facts in their story ( because so often they don't) --I don't see anything wrong with the way this piece came out --- if there is something *specific* that's wrong, let us know.Bob H

Nothing specific, just the impression the the person profiled in the story has abondoned every else in life except for trolleys.