Posted by Donnacha at d14-69-22-73.nap.wideopenwest.com on March 31, 2003 at 02:33:51:
In Reply to: Trainspotting - posted by Something-Like-37 on March 31, 2003 at 02:00:11:
A Train-Spotter is someone who likes to watch and catalogue trains as a hobby. For some, the idea of cataloguing and keeping track (no pun intended) of local trains, schedules, what was on them etc. was quite involving and meaningful.
Needless to say, only the lowliest of avoided nerds were ever train-spotters. Nowadays, it has become an insult to call someone a train-spotter - it basically means any poor geek who is obsessive over something trivial. His life is devoid of any other meaning other than a stupid, all-consuming obsession.
However, it does have a seedier meaning. Heroin users will rotate between what veins they'll shoot up with - one of many euphemisms for this is "station to station". After a while, destroyed veins are known as "train tracks". Heroin use has come to be referred to as trainspotting, though whether or not this was because or before the book came out is difficult to pin down.
In the book/film, the characters are a bit of both meanings. They're pathetic outcasts, trainspotters in both senses - for example, Sick Boy can tell you anything about Sean Connery films, as if you'd ever care. In Renton's case, he reaches his nadir when all life means to him, all that he obsesses over, is drugs.
In case no-one ver got the title, though, Renton's wallpaper is a train pattern... maybe he was a real train-spotter in his youth?