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Re: On behalf of newbies

To: jerry@moutons.org
Subject: Re: On behalf of newbies
From: "Craig Haggart, Accelerator Ops" <haggart@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 18:11:40 -0800 (PST)
   > Remember the crabby jerk you encountered and don't 
   > bother asking them again.

Oh, nobody was crabby towards ME.  Sorry if it sounded that 
way.  I had lots of fun myself! 

I worked afternoon registration, so I had a good idea who the 
first- and second-timers were in the later run groups (which 
I was in).  I kept an eye out for them, and noticed at least 
a couple of them getting the brush-off when they tried to ask
something.  It was sort of a "don't bother me, kid" attitude.  
And in one case the guy really WAS basically a kid (maybe 
19?). 

   > Remember that there is really no such thing as "race
   > officials" at autocrosses.  

That may be technically true, but newbies aren't likely to 
understand the distinction. 

I certainly understand that the folks who do just about all 
of the work time after time undoubtedly get to feeling a 
little jaded, and that some days will be worse than others. 
I wasn't trying to suggest that everybody should be Mary 
Tyler Moore, all spunky and perky all of the time.  It just 
seems to me that a widespread general attitude of 
encouragement and enthusiasm towards newbies at events could 
help increase their participation in the workload and make 
things even more fun for everybody, and that such an 
attitude could come from remembering what it was like for 
you back when you were new yourself.  Does that make sense? 

Maybe I should just shut up now.  I can't make the February 
event, so I'll see you folks in March! 

--
-Craig Haggart
 haggart@slac.stanford.edu
 Sunnyvale, California
 '96 Miata M Edition

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