Re: Transport lecture: 30 April 2002

IS Edit
Wednesday, April 17, 2002 11:58 PM

hahahahaha. I had similar incidents when I worked on trams, Paul, though not with Keith Kings.

The Tramways Union had a lot of very paranoiac people in it.

I've mentioned to a few others but probably not you that I had a Top Secret security clearance when I was in the US Army in Germany in the mid 60s. The DD-398 "Application for Security Clearance" form folded out into three long pieces of paper with the form on one side and on the other a gigantic list of what the US considered subversive organisations. The only Australian organisation listed was the Australian Tramway and Motor Omnibus Employees Association. Little did I know at the time that I would become a member for five years. If the Yankee government knew then what I learned later they wouldn't have bothered to include them.

Bob Murphy

----- Original Message -----

From: pn1.rm

To: [email protected]

Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 8:16 AM

Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Transport lecture: 30 April 2002

The earlier reference to the "scruffie" appearance of many of our tram enthusiast brethren reminded me of a humourous episode that happened to me when I was a conductor in late 1974 or perhaps early 1975. Keith Kings (who's delivering the lecuture on 30 April) used to catch the route 70 tram to work. He would board at Through Road and travel to the city (Batman Avenue). Keith always had a "dapper" appearance and wore a suit and tie most of the time. He wore the traditional dark grey suit, white shirt and light grey tie and looked every bit one of the "men from Head Office". He also used to write notes using his brief case as a "desk" much the same as people often use personal computers today. In fact Keith worked in private enterprise nothing to do with trams. One morning he got on at Through Road as usual. The tram wasn't too crowded (Keith would often pick a car that started at Warrigal Road two stops up the road) so we spent time chatting after the fares were collected. At the Hawthorn Depot "bundy clock" the driver beckoned me to come outside while he was punching the clock. Obviously he had something to tell me. He questioned why I was talking to the bloke in the grey suit. I was told "You can't talk to him. He's from Head Office. He's spying on us!". Such was the "us and them" attitude on the trams in the 1970s. Nothing I could say could satify the driver (who was active in the Union at the time) of the "innocence" of my conversation so I quietly retreated to the back saloon (where I should have been after the fares were collected, admittedly) for the remainder of the trip. Conductor Nicholson, 817, Camberwell Depot 1975-1974.

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