I'm wondering if some of you other museum workers have any ideas on how to make people understand the word "CLOSED." I was working this past Sunday to get the exhibits ready for the Bunny Trains this coming weekend. I was interrupted three times by visitors who drove in and uttered those infamous words, "I know you're closed but..."

I hate to be ugly to these folks, but daggumit, closed is closed and I've got work to do. If I leave the gate part open (with a "closed" sign on it), they just drive right in. Closing the gate completely just keeps 'em from driving in, they park on the road and walk in. Short of a 10' cyclone fence with electrified razor wire on top, what's a harried volunteer to do?

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

You should try having a yard sale sometime - If you advertise that it starts at 9am, some old woman will try to walk right into your house at 5:30 to look for "early bird" bargains.

If all they have is a question, answer it briefly, gently remind them when operating hours are and invite them to come back then. If they insist they need to look at something, how about offering a private tour, for twice or three times the going rate?

Otoh there are a lot of great places that I never got to see because when I passed thru the area they were closed -- So maybe I should be pushy and.....?

My museum is part of the National Park Service and we have observed that a lot of people go on vacation and leave their brains at home!

most people are happy to do the things you ask like No Smoking, but there will always be those few!

ted_miles@nps.gov

> I hate to be ugly to these folks, but
> daggumit, closed is closed and I've got work
> to do. If I leave the gate part open (with a
> "closed" sign on it), they just
> drive right in. Closing the gate completely
> just keeps 'em from driving in, they park on
> the road and walk in. Short of a 10' cyclone
> fence with electrified razor wire on top,
> what's a harried volunteer to do?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. I suppose you've never run into a traffic jam or had a flat tire? However, I will point out two things: Very seldom are you likely to be working on a project that can't be deferred for at least a few minutes, half-hour, or whatever; and one has to make an on-the-spot judgement call as to what will fulfill the needs of the visitors (busload of Japanese tourists, minivan full of screaming brats, roster-shot photographers, or two volunteers from another rail museum?). Are you only open four days a month and they picked the wrong day, or are they asking to stay to come in at 7 PM at a museum open every day but Christmas that takes all day to see properly?

I personally believe no one should be alone at a museum or operation that can't give or allow the five-cent tour of a facility (i.e. know what they're looking at and have the keys and security codes). And there's certainly enough wiggle room to coherently explain "we can't take the trolleys out without a dispatcher on duty" or other valid excuses--even if not entirely true. And there's nothing wrong with saying "admission charge is $4, and there's the donation box, and I don't have change...."

But do remember customer relations. I've been the one that showed up at a rail-themed brewpub 15 minutes after closing at the end of a two-hour drive from the motel just to see it. The staff rang the owner to come out; he gave the quickie tour, after which I bought about $150 worth of merchandise and beer. Not bad for a half-hour's work. And during the 1995 NRHS Convention in Lancaster, Pa. I pulled my tour bus in to the Manheim, Pa. station museum for an unscheduled stop, to the shock of the one person working on a project. He rose to the occasion and pulled out the Congestoga Traction Birney car for photos and offered a quick in-and-out tour of the facility; we left 45 minutes or so later leaving well over $100 in donations and purchases from a bus of less than 20.



lner4472@bcpl.net

Amen, Sandy. Yesterday, four or five cars drove up to the station (clear weather, 25+mph winds, 40 degrees--still "winter in New England") and asked the "are you open?" question. We were working on various projects, but one or two of us took the few minutes to hand out the new brochure, explain what we were doing to that coach with no steps, and to find a new track spike for the soccer dad whose 10-year old daughter was doing a school project (about the transcontinental railroad). The public IS our business, and reason to exist, and they should be accommodated as much as possible. We are there to make friends (and potential supporters) for our cause.... I think you should always make some time for them.

hpincus@mindspring.com

Remember, without those visitors, what is the point of all we do?



rick@todengine.org

I always take the time to give someone a brochure and be pleasant. You never know who drives up to see us. For instance, we have had presidents of Foundations come by to "check us out" before deciding on a grant request we have submitted. We have also had funders who saw our highway signs and just dropped in. In addition, one of our key trolley restoration shop volunteers started out by just dropping by one day when we were closed. After a tour of the shop he signed up and now works in the shop at least two days a week and is a project manager.



Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
ptm@pa-trolley.org

I PLEAD GUILTY ... just pulled a drop-in out of the blue on Scott and he took the time to give us a real good idea of what was going on, thanks. I have always taken the time to talk to drop-ins, you can meet some interesting people that way and I'm always waiting to be handed the million bucks! What ever did happen to John Beresford Tipton ???


lamontdc@adelphia.net

I was waiting for something like this to come up ...
Last summer, I was on holidays in south Florida. I rushed to get to a renowned railroad museum at 2:15 p.m. on a Friday, only to be told the museum closed at 3 p.m. and the staff member couldn’t let me in. Huh? Apparenly, the museum takes “at least an hour” to see, which I can understand. However, that was the only time I could get there, and since I came from Canada, I doubt if I’ll go back anytime soon. Surely I could go through quickly myself, and be out by CLOSING TIME? Nope. Attitudes like that — not to mention limited operating hours — are doing their part in turning the public off train museums. Very sad.
Kevin

> I'm wondering if some of you other museum
> workers have any ideas on how to make people
> understand the word "CLOSED." I
> was working this past Sunday to get the
> exhibits ready for the Bunny Trains this
> coming weekend. I was interrupted three
> times by visitors who drove in and uttered
> those infamous words, "I know you're
> closed but..."

> I hate to be ugly to these folks, but
> daggumit, closed is closed and I've got work
> to do. If I leave the gate part open (with a
> "closed" sign on it), they just
> drive right in. Closing the gate completely
> just keeps 'em from driving in, they park on
> the road and walk in. Short of a 10' cyclone
> fence with electrified razor wire on top,
> what's a harried volunteer to do?

Dealing pleasantly and professionally with the public is the difference between a hobby club and a real museum. Unfortunately, many of our sites look like big piles of junk for over-age adolescents to play on, so taking the time to deal with them effectively can only help, not hurt.

Unpleasant or indifferent greetings (including overzealous safety enforcement)have a lasting impression on visitors, who will spread the word.

As our population continues to age, many of us will not be able to do much more than show people around and explain what's going on, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a retiree willing to assume those duties from those doing hard-core restoration work.



ryarger@rypn.org

I am one of the guilty. If I am in the area of a "closed" museum but see signs of life, I will usually stop in and see who's around. Most of the time, the welcome is coridial. If I do catch the lone volunteer knee-deep in a project, I won't stick around to bug him.

More than one "closed" group got a helping hand for the afternoon, and one "closed" line that fired up a gas car and took my Mrs. & I for a ride just to be nice earned well more in donations and merchandise purchases then they would have from us on an "open" day.

The rule of thumb my friends and I go by is that we understand we may be an imposition. So ask first. If we are welcomed, we do our best to show our thanks either monetarily or otherwise. It is the same rule of thumb I use when visiting a shortline. See if someone is there. Let them know who you are and why you are there. If the reception is warm, look around and take your pictures. Thank them and let them know you are leaving the property... and stuff the donation box when you can.

Rob

trains@robertjohndavis.com

I would make the distinction between a site intended for/and open to the general public versus a site never intended for the general public.

Our group has a storage site located off the main line of a tourist railroad. There is an outer gate, the tracks and then an inner gate leading to the site. Over several summers, a few of us would show up to work on a long-term project. The outer gate would remain open and we would close the inner gate, loop the chain and lock in such a way that the gate appeared to be locked. As we often needed to leave the site often for supplies and vittles, this was the easy way out.

While the hint was obvious, there were always those folks who would undo the chain and let themselves in. More often that not, they would just walk into the first open door, into the project and surprise us. So, one of us would stop, give 'em a quick safety lecture about the various yard hazards and show them about. Each left with a membership brochure and a schedule for our train, which ran in another part of the state. Most folks were nice, in fact more than a few current and retired railroad men wandered through the gates.

Well, one day this fellow shows up with a teenager, about eighteen years old. He bellows that someone at a certain railroad historical society told him he could come down and photograph the top of the last remaining example of an electric locomotive from that railroad. He shows credentials that indicated he was an former employee of that railroad and a member of the society in question. This gent can best be described as 5 x 5 and probably weighed some 300 lbs.

Beleive it or not, his intent was to CLIMB UP on top of the electric to take his photos. It was explained to him that was not possible. We cited the usual reasons, liability, safety and so on. His face got redder and redder and then suddenly...he became completely placid.

He asks "how about I just wander around and take some photos." We tell him that would be OK, give 'em the safety lecture. Given that they both had suitable footwear and the outside temp had to be 100 degrees, we figured they'd last about 10 minutes and leave.

One half hour later, my partner observes that their car was still outside the fence. We decide to take a gander about the yard and what did we see: he had ignored our instructions and climbed up onto the electric locomotive !!!

Well, we ran down to the loco. Between the two of us and his grandson, we were able to help him down
the grab irons. He was madder than a hornet, because he had been stung right on the tip of his nose by a hornet !!! That loco was an attraction for those critters to nest within. We knew that...and told him that. After copying down his license plate and name from his railroad pass, we sent him on his way.

Moral of the story: From then on, we kept the inner gate locked.

> I'm wondering if some of you other museum
> workers have any ideas on how to make people
> understand the word "CLOSED." I
> was working this past Sunday to get the
> exhibits ready for the Bunny Trains this
> coming weekend. I was interrupted three
> times by visitors who drove in and uttered
> those infamous words, "I know you're
> closed but..."

> I hate to be ugly to these folks, but
> daggumit, closed is closed and I've got work
> to do. If I leave the gate part open (with a
> "closed" sign on it), they just
> drive right in. Closing the gate completely
> just keeps 'em from driving in, they park on
> the road and walk in. Short of a 10' cyclone
> fence with electrified razor wire on top,
> what's a harried volunteer to do?


vze46wzm@verizon.net

majority of museums, and train facilities believe like we do at the Sumpter Valley. No visitor is too un-important to take some time to visit. We have a big yard, lots of stuff, and a tour can take 30 minutes if done quickly, but as one of the posters mentioned, you never know who might be visiting. You certainly wouldn't want to be “too busy” to show the executive director of that “foundation” you were seeking dollars from. Besides, again as was mentioned, we end up with donations, and/or additional help. to top that off, our volunteers that spend a lot of time at the rr are passionate, and like to talk about our operation.
Ron Brinton, Board Member
SVRR

http://www.svry.com
ronbrin@eoni.com

>It can be a nice "Break" for spiking rail!
We're never too busy....Stop by, We'll try to make it well worthwhile.

Jerry C Huck, Operations Manager.
Sumpter Valley Ry

Sumpter Valley Ry
lmcx@eoni.com

> I'm wondering if some of you other museum
> workers have any ideas on how to make people
> understand the word "CLOSED." I
> was working this past Sunday to get the
> exhibits ready for the Bunny Trains this
> coming weekend. I was interrupted three
> times by visitors who drove in and uttered
> those infamous words, "I know you're
> closed but..."

> I hate to be ugly to these folks, but
> daggumit, closed is closed and I've got work
> to do. If I leave the gate part open (with a
> "closed" sign on it), they just
> drive right in. Closing the gate completely
> just keeps 'em from driving in, they park on
> the road and walk in. Short of a 10' cyclone
> fence with electrified razor wire on top,
> what's a harried volunteer to do?

I belong to the RR Museum of Long Island and we ae officaly closed but work on saterdays and we get people anyway and the winter is when we get out work done because we are to busy with tours in the summer but we still run tours


BEDT15@aol.com