Re: re gunzel

[John Cleverdon <johnc@cdi.com.au>]

Rod wrote:

> David Langley wrote in message <373035C1.921AEE1B@ancc.com.au>...
> >Pete Kilburn wrote:
> ><snip>
> >
> About ten years ago [or more] the Government in Power decided in their
> wisxxxx, I mean stupidity,
> to close many, if not all Mental Hospitals. This caused many people to be
> put out on the streets
> and although they were given some help at first, they learned to fend for
> themselves.
> A major problem was what to do with them, or how to occupy their time during
> the long day!
> One bright spark had seen a film about Pommie Plane [yes aeroplane] watchers
> in England,
> who would spend hours at the end of Heathrow runways with notebook and
> pencils, jotting down
> numbers, times types and Companies.
> Now most of these people were supposed to be quite normal, but some were
> depicted as being a
> little slow.
> Our bright spark [not the silver one with the broken aerial thingy on its
> roof] had a a little brain seizure,
> himself and went down to Woolies and bought lots of note books and pencils
> and equipped all his Male
> guests with same and a packed lunch, and dropped them around at various
> Railway Stations, to be
> picked up each night. I know only what I was told, a mate of mine used to
> work as a nurse at Sunbury
> Hospital, and swears that he did all this, when he was put in charge of a
> small half way house at Footscray.
> About this time I noticed an old man at Middle Footscray, who sat in one
> spot every day, He had no socks,
> mismatched shoes, trousers and jumper many sizes too small. Stared vacantly,
> drooled and hardly took
> notice of anything at all.
> After sometime, I used to give a toot as I passed on the Totty Trip Trains,
> just to see if he would react!
> I noticed that he did, and soon we would wave to each other. Eventually it
> seemed that he would look out
> for me. I also noticed the notepad was folded open, and seemed to be used.
> His manner started to improve,
> and so did his clothing. He stopped drooling, and was much more animated.
> The more regular gunzels that
> used to sit on the Sunshine end of the platform, on Friday nights, and any
> other night for that matter, soon
> had a newbie with them, as I soon noticed him amongst them.
> Each time I pass I look out for my friend, I am happy for him and wish I
> knew more about his circumstances,
> I think he is a true Gunzel now,
> and I am happy to be one too.
> Rod ;o)

Reminds me of the ARHS Tatong/Whitfield line inspection tour I went on last
year.
At Spencer Street, a couple of gunzels got on; one of whom probably would have
needed help to get to station, and to the right train. Another seemed to be
drooling all the time.

Later on in the bus, I ended up stuck next to another gunzel who wouldn't stop
talking about Bedford buses. I was sorely tempted to give him an elbow in the
ribs.

John
--
John Cleverdon, B.App.Sc. (Cartography), AMMSIA
Amateur astronomer & Railway enthusiast | Essendon - 1999 AFL premiers
Dromana, Victoria, Australia | Phone: 03 5987 1535 (H)
E-mail:  johnc@cdi.com.au
The Locomotive Page: http://www.railpage.org.au/loco
Astronomical Soc. of Frankston: http://www.peninsula.starway.net.au/~aggro