Common Decency

[Phildozer]

Last Thursday, I was up at Wachusett for Nastar racing. Good times were had by all.

After our runs, a few of us went up to the summit for some warm-down runs. I had my racing skis on and it turns out that conditions were "challenging". Deep granulated sugar on hardpack.

Half way down Conifer Connection, I stopped by the warning sign before the first significant drop on the trail. I was not blocking the trail and was wearing a bright red jacket. At 6' 2", I was visible.

I was looking down the trail and suddenly I was on my back. I was hit from behind. Fairly hard.

After the initial shock wore off, I started to get up onto my feet. While doing this, the guy that hit me just took-off back down the trail. No "are you ok"? or "Sorry about that, conditions are horrible." He just disappeared.

Moral of the story: If you hit someone, *at least* apologize and make sure the person is ok.

 

[SkiDog]

Last Thursday, I was up at Wachusett for Nastar racing. Good times were had by all.

After our runs, a few of us went up to the summit for some warm-down runs. I had my racing skis on and it turns out that conditions were "challenging". Deep granulated sugar on hardpack.

Half way down Conifer Connection, I stopped by the sign warning before the first significant drop on the trail. I was not blocking the trail and was wearing a bright red jacket. At 6' 2", I was visible.

I was looking down the trail and suddenly I was on my back. I was hit from behind. Fairly hard.

After the initial shock wore off, I started to get up onto my feet. While doing this, the guy that hit me just took-off back down the trail. No "are you ok"? or "Sorry about that, conditions are horrible." He just disappeared.

Moral of the story: If you hit someone, *at least* apologize and make sure the person is ok.

Yeah personally id have tracked him down and BEAT HIM DOWN...

Total bullshit...he should do MORE than make sure you're ok...thats like hit and run.

M

 

[Brettski]

I teach my kids to always stop at the side of a trail and always look up the hill to see if anyone is coming

Not to say the guy shouldn't have asked if you were ok...but it's a jungle out there kiddies

 

[bdjeep]

I'm certainly not defending the guy that hit you, but I guess the other moral of the story is 'always look uphill when you stop on the trail at Wachusett.' Lots of scary gapers around there. He could have at least said he was sorry.

 

[Phildozer]

I know this kind of thing happens, especially on a tough conditions day.

It is the hit and run part that just floored me. I guess I don't understand that kind of mentality.

 

[Phildozer]

I'm certainly not defending the guy that hit you, but I guess the other moral of the story is 'always look uphill when you stop on the trail at Wachusett.' Lots of scary gapers around there. He could have at least said he was sorry.

I had been stopped for over a minute talking with four other people.

 

[Kerovick]

That sucks, glad your ok!

 

[severine]

So sorry that happened to you! Unfortunately, it appears there is very little common decency out there these days. I almost got run down by a boarder Monday night and he didn't say a thing to me... just took off.

ETA: In our case, there was plenty of opportunity for him to speak as we both managed to stop before the collision occurred... but still, nothing.

 

[SnowRider]

on monday i hit a little pow bump and pilled a 180. then i continued to ride for a little ways when i caught an edge on a bump. i sharply turned inside the trail and almost nailed someone. it was my fault and i felt really bad because im an experienced boarder and i lost control but the guy kept flying down the hill so i never got to say sorry. but really if you get the chance stop and say sorry...BUT...if it puts other people at risk to stop dead in the trail to apologize pull over where its safe and then try to find him.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I won't stop in that middle of the trail for that very reason..I feel much safer moving than stopped.

 

[hiroto]

Scarely story. I've been lucky that I never got hit like that so far. Phildozer, did you hear him coming? It would help if you know a split second earlier if somebody is screaming toward you, but I'm concerned that my hearing is somewhat compromised by wearing helmet.

 

[dmc]

If I have to stop on the trail I always face up the falline..

Glad your OK

 

[dmc]

I was not blocking the trail and was wearing a bright red jacket. At 6' 2", I was visible.

not saying this is correct by any stretch of the imagination..

But he probably thought you were ski patrol by the way you were dressed..


i dress in red to look like ski patrol sometimes.. blend in..

 

[tekweezle]

i guess gone are the days of helping people up if they get knocked down or have a yard sale?

 

[dmc]

i guess gone are the days of helping people up if they get knocked down or have a yard sale?

naaah... Theres still a ton of really cool people out there...

 

[f1kartracer]

unfortunatley those types of events are becoming more common at wa. To many people watch the X games and go out and try it themselves. One night I was out with my daughter she was wearing 2 blinking arm bands a bright green jacket and to top it all off she was on the flat part of sundowner at the tree line and she still got run over by a 40 something guy no less. His reply I didnt see her trust me when I tell you with what she was wearing a satellite could have seen her.

 

[WoodCore]

More than likely the same person who hit you, on the side of the trail in a visible location, probably stops in the middle of the trail and under a bump.

 

[ckofer]

i guess gone are the days of helping people up if they get knocked down or have a yard sale?

I hope not. I can never forget, however, when my son who was six at the time yard-saled behind me at Killington. I wasn't too far ahead and he was already very capable. I was on my board so it there was no chance of skating up hill to him. I swear over 100 people passed him before I got up to him. NOBODY stopped. Bastids.

I've taught both kids to stop and check on anybody who is down and help them in any way-including hanging out a few feet uphill of someone who is down and hard to see so they don't get run over.

 

[jack97]

Over at wa, I've see enuf mishaps where the uphill skiers have collided with/into the downhill skier. Any place where it gets crowded; I always look up hill after stopping, crossing over to the other side of the trail or a long Y merge of two trails.

 

[ctenidae]

Common Decency is neither so common nor so decent as one expects.