Diary

There was a train standing along the second platform at Rotterdam Central Station. And it was not supposed to be there! It was the wrong type of train. (We call this type a Dog-face, because the front of it resembles the snout of a dog.) But from this track the trains to Hook of Holland are supposed to leave. That service is always done with Sprinters (to be seen in the back on the picture), because those are more suitable for a lot of acceleration and deceleration.
So what was this Dog-face doing here? It was obviously blocking the time-table. And I had the feeling it was my fault that it was standing there. I couldn't remember parking it there myself, but that seemed to be the only logical explanation!
How could I have been so stupid? The best thing to do was to correct my error as quickly as possible. But how? If I would try to enter the driver's compartment, the railway personnel would surely hold me back. And even if I would make it to the driver's seat, how could I make the switches direct me to a side track and not onto the main track? If I would get on the main track with this train, things would only get much worse!
Of course I could run away and leave this problem for the railway personnel to solve, but that felt like fleeing from my responsibility. I couldn't do that! I broke into perspiration!

I woke up in clammy sweat. What an odd dream. What did it mean? It may have to do with my character. It reminds me of the incident I once witnessed on a ship yard. I still make the mistake of trying to solve more than I need to. It wouldn't be that bad, if people appreciated this... But no! The only thing that seems to be valued at work is when we deliver according to schedule.
Apparently the right attitude is: "I will only do what we agreed upon in advance and everything else is somebody else's problem." But that is not the way I feel! And that is why my current job is way below my abilities. It they want someone to pound in lines of software, they should hire a cheap programmer from Randstad, but not someone who understands the machine we are working on!

Labels: trains

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