[Land-speed] Anybody got any advise for a first time Bonnevillenewbie?

Larry Mayfield drmayf at mayfco.com
Sat Mar 5 10:08:34 MST 2011


Wow!  This list turned instantly into an uncivil mob.  I thought that 
the land speed racer was generally one of the most pleasant and helpful 
person anywhere. The give you the shirt off your back kind of guy. Well, 
that certainly went out the window didn't it.   When he request from 
Otto, actually AskOtto, hit my desk, I wondered if that was the same 
Otto that was pummeled when he went to the salt to run his very nice 
lakester.  I chatted with him on the salt and he was actually a normal 
person. It seems that email allows us to be uncivil at a distance and 
that's bad.

When I read Otto's request, all he asked for was the experience of 
racers as source data for an article he was writing for a magazine of 
some sort. The article was to be on what a newbie should expect on his 
initial outings on the salt.  He even mentioned that if you wanted 
attribution for the information you sent, to be sure and include name 
and particulars so that you could be quoted.  There was not one thing in 
it regarding setting of records or an such.  It seemed to be a perfectly 
normal request. So what upset all of you over this request?   I have 
seen such requests from all sorts of folk on the list before and they 
were never verbally pummeled.  Here  is the request he sent:

"Hi, Otto here.
> >
> > I'm writing an article for Kool House publishing, "A Newbies guide to
> > racing Bonneville" and am doing research. As an experienced racer
> > yourself,
> > what main point would you like newbies to know about their first
> > experience
> > at the salt.
> >
> > If you want your specific quote to appear with your name getting
>  credits,
> >> be sure to include your full name in the response to _askotto at aol.com_
> >> (mailto:askotto at aol.com)
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance
> >> Otto

"

The response to the request  from a number of list members makes me 
ashamed of the genre of land speed racers.  Why not simply hit the 
delete button and put it behind you?

Sheesh..

mayf


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