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robmcc
Jul 3, 2003, 10:52 PM
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I've read some of the stuff in here and always thought I must be lucky.
"Spraylords"? Never encountered one. Once in a very great while I see someone who's a hair overeager on the beta, but that's it.
Kids? They're generally decent. No complaints, really.
Clueless newbies? Nope, guess the staff filters them out fairly effectively. Clue is imparted with good result.
Decent, friendly people all around. Never have I seen someone in the gym who made me wish they were elsewhere or who seemed like they shouldn't be there.
Then there's yesterday. We're walking around deciding what to jump on next when a guy falls, if you can call it that, from about 3 feet up. His belayer catches him with the ever popular ass-to-mat belay. They laugh it off and I figure "ok, must have had a bit of slack in there or something". I wasn't, after all, watching them, they just caught my eye as the climber went butt first onto the floor. Plop!
I caught sight of this pair again later and watched as the so-called belayer never once failed to remove his brake hand entirely from the rope, dropping the so-called climber the 2' or so he'd climbed. He actually caught the next fall, all of 15 seconds later, by clamping the two ropes together in front of him, a good 18" above the belay device. No lock off. Nothing. No clue, basically. Might as well have taken the thing off. It certainly had no role in stopping the fall.
Ok, I'm done. I just had to vent my absolute dismay at this pair. Maybe the only saving grace is that they never got high enough off the ground to get hurt.
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moabbeth
Jul 3, 2003, 11:40 PM
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
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Just keep those people in the gym and away from real rock.
Better yet, did anyone there try to point out to them what they were doing wrong? Usually newbies like that are open to helpful advice. It's always better to show someone the right way to do it than watch them screw up until someone gets hurt.
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elvislegs
Jul 3, 2003, 11:47 PM
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In reply to: It's always better to show someone the right way to do it than watch them screw up until someone gets hurt.
No kidding!!1 Heh.
Like, "those guys are going to kill themselves... oh well."
Did you say something to them? or just let them deck all day?
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neeshman
Jul 4, 2003, 12:29 AM
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Yeah, that sounds pretty bad, obviously could tell they were new, but my question to you is did you tell them what they were doing wrong and help them along the way, or did you just come here to complain about it? Hope ya did the right thing. I would not be this direct but you sound like you think they were trying to piss you off on purpose. Oh well, I guess somone will tell them how to do it. Bye!
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slayerjon
Jul 4, 2003, 2:49 AM
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Registered: May 27, 2003
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yesterday in the gym some tool was just standing chatting withsome some chick half his age with one hand on the wall as he leaned against it and talked, hello!!! walls are for climbing not just standing touching them and being off in lala land, other people are waiting to climb and this guy was just oblivious
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robmcc
Jul 4, 2003, 6:15 AM
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I knew I'd get that question. :)
No, I didn't just sit idly by and let them get hurt. As soon as it was apparent that they needed babysitting, I pointed that fact out to the gym staff. I'm always happy to help out with either safety bits or technique, particularly crack climbing which I love and not many gym climbers seem to know, but these guys didn't need a little help. They needed first to be barred from trying to belay until they had a faint clue, then they needed to be taught and tested.. That was beyond the scope of what I was, perhaps selfishly, willing to do. Given that there were people there paid to do exactly that, I think pulling them in to do it was a reasonable choice.
The one thing that puzzles me is that between the first time I saw them and the second time passed. There must have been people who saw the same thing I did but either didn't say anything or said something and were blown off.
This was more than just being new. I see people who are new all the time. I've taught a bunch of new people, too, but never have I seen people willing to just go at it with no idea what they were doing.
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chirp
Jul 4, 2003, 7:04 AM
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Registered: Feb 24, 2002
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Why not let nature take its proper course? Darwin was correct yet we consistently interfere with natures weeding process. :wink:
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oudinardin
Jul 4, 2003, 7:19 AM
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Say something? Yes. Screw em if they don't like it. Ever helped in a rescue/evac? I'd rather get my ass kicked by saying something than not. Maybe they should'nt be out yet but we can't lock them up, so lend a hand. Just my .02. Peace. Mike
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ikefromla
Jul 5, 2003, 6:13 AM
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Registered: Oct 23, 2002
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similar situation (i guess). so yesterday after a day of craggin, i go into the gym to finish setting a new route. I'm hangin on self-belay from the roof when i hear what sounds like bowling. I quickly turn to see a girl sobbing on the floor, huddled in the fetal position, her knot stuck in the anchors of the TR she was on. Apparently, she leaned back for her belayer to take her tight, and her completely Fuck ed up knot went flying to the chains and she went plummeting to the floor. Now i had been there and heard the other gym staff telling these first-timers "make sure you check eachother's knots every time." and what's the worst part of it? HER DAD WAS RIGHT THERE. AND he had told the other gym staff that he had it under control and that they didn't need to breathe down their throats. apparently pop was wrong.
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straightedgeteen
Jul 7, 2003, 12:16 AM
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Registered: May 8, 2002
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In reply to: Just keep those people in the gym and away from real rock. Better yet, did anyone there try to point out to them what they were doing wrong? Usually newbies like that are open to helpful advice. It's always better to show someone the right way to do it than watch them screw up until someone gets hurt.
I second that
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cjcalls
Jul 7, 2003, 12:31 AM
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Registered: May 30, 2003
Posts: 247
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You always have to say something. Sometime they listen. Sometime they are hoping someone will point out their mistakes. Sometimes they tell you to F--- Off. Thats when it is time to whip out the #6 Tricam.
Darwin was right but i dont like carring someone out.
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elvislegs
Jul 7, 2003, 7:01 PM
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Registered: May 24, 2002
Posts: 3148
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I'm glad you intervened robmc
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