David Rowney responds:
>This is getting WAY to serious...
>
> > I think we ought to start handing out some DNWs for course workers who
> >don't >announce cones promptly and accurately, don't reset the course
> >promptly and >accurately, ...
>
>So who is the "WE" that renders this judgement? This IS a great way to get
>entry numbers down. How many of these people branded as indolent will be
>back? I have seen plenty of mistakes (and made them), but I have never
>witnessed course workers deliberately ignore downed cones they actually
>have seen or not reset a course they knew was wrong.
Like Dave, I've made all the mistakes we see others make, so my comments
come from my learning from my own mistakes. I'm sure there have been
circumstances where a worker (appeared to be) "indolent". However, I think
the bulk of observed course-worker "mistakes" are due to in-experience,
ignorance or the "cool" attitude and posture observed amongst some of the
younger participants. The thing we, more experienced competitors, should do
is to actually make a point of explaining to deficient/in-experienced
workers the finer points of working the course as part of, even, a voluntary
extra work assignment. I've done that and surprised myself as to how many
things needed to be communicated in order to just do the basic job.The
following aren't, by any stretch, all of the important things to be learned,
just a few key points.
1. STRESS never working in a position where you can't keep your eyes on
the car(s) near you on the course.
2. Emphasize the need to QUICKLY RUN to, and FROM the dis-placed cone(s)
to correct the course for the following competitors while maintaining
personal safety by keeping an eye out for the following car. Remember
there's only, nominally, 25-30 seconds between cars.
3. When following a car on its path focus on the rear of the car, not
the front, or worse yet, ahead of the car. By looking at the rear of the car
you see the course imediately after the car passes and the opportunity to
see wiggling or dis-placed cones is vastly improved.
4 Always pick up the red flag and hold it at all times, furled but NOT
rolled-up!! And, don't hesitate to use it if an errant driver isn't
recovering fast enough or the course isn't getting fixed fast enough for the
workers' safety. As we all gain more experience, we are more able to,
safely, judge when to withold the use of the red flag. New workers should
err on the side of safety.
> > I'm tired of hearing cone counts come in on "the red car" (which has
> >two-foot class
> >and numbers on the sides) ...
>
>Fact of life: sometimes the radio person is viewing the car from the rear
>or front, and can't see the numbers clearly enough to read them.
Although Dave's comment is very true, I've found that there's almost always
a point on the course where you can get a good view of the number/class
before the car gets to your part of the course. I try to put the
number/class in my memory before the car gets to my spot and drop it as the
car leaves my area, with or without any deviation, and go on to pick up the
number on the next car.
Don
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