West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I think something was alluded to by one of the head bangers last night, so there may be something afoot.

If this is the case, I wonder @rodders154 whether it is worth making the distinction between defamation and harassment. I stress that I know *nothing* about any potential action that is or isn't being taken, but taking action against harassment is a totally different prospect to mere defamation.

 

Rodders,

I won't run and hide from a straight question. I have read the text in image that you posted, in fact I have read it several times and still see no threat. Could you please clarify the particular text you are referring to and I will explain it to you, repeatedly if necessary.

 

More whataboutery from you.

Always with the excuses to justify the behaviour against those you disagree with.

 

I presume the point @rodders154 was making was to highlight what he thought was an inconsistency in the post he screenshotted, and whatever "legal action" is allegedly afoot, rather than that post directly pertaining to the legal action, if that makes sense? I think to be fair, if there is something going on, it's a reasonable point to make. I tend to agree with the sentiment of the screenshot posted, that suing for defamation is rarely a good line to go down, the justification to do so will have to be very good indeed to convince even the good folk of NatPres I suspect.

 

Well if it is then the future for the line and those who support the railway will be very bleak, this is yet more evidence why i can not see anything except either people putting aside personal vendetta's, yes that is what it has become, and working together for the greater good, or continuing to fight each other, which will end in the failure of the railway.

 

Mr Rodders.
I presume this another one of your attempts to spin something into something it isn't , to smear Robin White. Your posts on this forum convince me that you feel some personal antipathy towards Robin White, and are prepared to use any means, fair or foul, mostly foul, to attack. THIS IS HARASSMENT!
Your repeated, unsubstantiated claim that Mr Jones-Pratt "saved the West Somerset Railway" suggest that for all your claimed impartiality, you have absolutely sided with the chairman and will defend his regime. I have never met you, but from the way you portray yourself here, I expect to encounter a self righteous bully who is not prepared to listen to any point of view but his own.

 

Some years ago I used to be a member of the WSR unofficial discussion forum (because I was interested in the heritage carriage project). One of the main reasons I stopped following it was that a certain "Rodders154" was a regular contributor of the most asinine type, who didn't apopear to have a great deal of connection with this planet. He doesn't appear to have changed!

 

Just how is this personal nastiness helping to secure the railway’s future?

 

It isn't, it's just petty attempted point-scoring ...... of the most childish type.

 

I too felt that Robin was being attacked in that post, that is how it came over to me. I saw a sneer, and belitteling, laughing. Grim stuff.

 

Dear Rodney,

The ONLY person I know of in the WSR 'family ' to recently instruct Solicitors to threaten libel proceedings is JJP.

Cheers,
Julian

 

Exactly what "personal nastiness" are you alluding to? Which "this" has prompted your question? Rodders slights at WSRST candidates? Or other people opposing this?

 

A reflection of a toxic culture?

You can see how poisonous the atmosphere is.

Now, there are a couple of questions:

the first is how does this arise and why has it got so bad?

the second is, how can the railway move forward with reform if those who engage in such behaviour are actively involved with the railway at all levels?

 

I would urge caution Rodders , Robin, if she so wished is more than capable of standing up for her self, and she happens to be a Barrister, so not the sort of person you really should be subjecting this harassment on. not unless you have bottomless pockets

 

Well, if they were doing it just for the sport of provoking a reaction, it would be trolling, but this is the WSR, so there's a personal element in it as well, which is worse.

 

It's a good question - though it is somewhat one way traffic. Unless you were here this morning, you won't have seen some pretty vile, and personal, attacks on @Robin Moira White, now thankfully removed, but echoed in more veiled from from others. There were also, from the same source, a suggestion that the same certain "troublemakers" should be summarily removed from the railway, a course of action that was endorsed by 'like' (subsequently removed) by @ikcdab - whether that endorsement was real but subsequently regretted, or a slip of keypad subsequently corrected perhaps could be clarified.

I believe that you are not alone in having drawn attention to the personal feuding on the railway as a barrier to the objective of a peaceful Somerset. But that question really needs to be directed at those currently in positions of influence, who seem distinctly rattled at the prospect that they might have to face any kind of accountability to their respective stakeholders.

Tom

 

Answers, AFAICS: 1. This sort of thing has arisen because of the structure of the railway, which is an oligarchy with competing power structures. Because it is an oligarchy, there will always be competition to be one of the oligarchs. Because it has competing power structures, that competition is not controlled. The WSR is a sort of railway version of the Borders between England and Scotland before the accession of James VI of Scotland as James I of England. It has got so bad because this time the people at the top are joining in rather than trying to limit the bad behaviour.
2. It can't. They have to stand aside. Everyone knows who they are, but I suspect they think themselves part of the solution, not part of the problem.

 

Part 2 is the key - because there are so many people who've had stints as "chiefs", have held and consider themselves capable of leadership roles, but also have history which conditions how they will be seen. The catch is that many of these are also among those few with the energy and skills to drive the WSR forwards.

 

Tom, you wouldn't, by any chance be available in the near future to "lead the initial formation of a new parent charity and develop relevant articles of association" would you?