How would you handle this?

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

Friday,

Having said all that, our thread-starter was skiing in Bavaria. Now, don't you remember a different definition of rude over there? Little old ladies who elbow past you in a line, sliding all over your ski tops, and the ones who cut you off, the lift queues which look like cattle funnels, no "lines", where you have to fight your way up front by stepping over others. M:evil:mori:evil:s.....

In Europe, rudeness IS the expectation. You don't see people fighting over having their skis stepped on. People aren't glaring at each other everytime someone intrudes on their personal space. You also don't have a bunch of up-tight ski patrollers yelling at you for skiing OB. There is no OB. Just "groomed" and "If you die, it's your fault" areas of the mountain. That's a different issue.

It seems as if Europeans just go with flow more than we do. Here, if we feel slighted, we want to duel in the street. Maybe it's because we're a young society and quick to drop the gloves in order to stake our claim in the world. Seriously, can't we just mellow out? You're definitely killing my buzz.

I don't have a problem with reminding someone (in a polite manner) that it is impolite to not say "sorry". Ranting and raving doesn't get us anywhere and we're just as guilty as the originally offending party.

If the original poster had simply turned around and asked the young whipper-snapper if he had apologized as in, "excuse me, did you say sorry?" then said adolescent would most likely have looked down at his feet and said "Sorry" louder. Much more satisfying that puffing up one's chest and throwing in a good measure of aggression. Instead, the poster is still thinking about this non-incident a day later, the adolescent is now more anti-old person, and the rest of us are sitting around getting our dander up. Now there's more negativity in the world and global warming will happen that much quicker.

I'm going to F*@# up the first person who writes "Shut up Hippie".

 

[FridayHiker]

Because lots of us believe in the "no harm-no foul" rule... And I seriously doubt the guy wanted to hit someone...

Stuff happens.. Get used to it...

Sorry, but I seriously think that attitude is part of the problem.

When I'm teaching my kids to drive, I am NOT going to tell them that it's no problem that they hit that pedestrian who had the right-of-way in the crosswalk because, well, she didn't get hurt. If they encounter that situation and drive away from it saying "no harm / no foul", they've got serious issues. The first of which will be getting around a rural area with no car for a very, very, very long time. :wink:

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Does anyone besides me think that situations like this (collisions, rudeness, etc.) are getting worse? Saturday at Sugarbush, visibility was extremely poor on the Mt. Ellen summit, and skiers/boarders were funneling down a narrow chute from the lift. At one point, two unskilled boarders were going from side to side, literally blocking the entire trail as I happened to come up from behind. (Several other skiers and boarders behind, too). OK, fine. I tried to pass, announcing "on your right" loudly enough to be heard. No result. Not even a glance over to see where I was. It's my responsibility as the uphill passer, so I had to slow down until we got to the bottom of the chute. The side-to-side, take up the whole slope behavior continued. Finally I was able to make my move safely, announced myself again, and passed. One of the boarders cut right again, and saw me, then got aggravated that I was there. I announced myself twice, waited until the trail widened sufficiently, passed in a proper and safe manner, and still had to deal with grief from a boarder who evidently was not comfortable or skilled enough for existing conditions. I don't care if the boarder was 8 or 80, black, white, or crazy...this person was out of their depth. Or altitude, as the case may be. I know the code, I ski the code. But that doesn't relieve the other guy (downhill) of the responsibility to do two things: Ski or board within your ability, and ski or board within control. As to the original post...Seems like that boarder didn't do either one of those things, and the party who got hit has every right to be aggravated. Why is it that we are so quick to say "oh well" when somebody's bad behavior injures someone, nearly injures someone, or just wrecks the enjoyment of a rather expensive day? I'll happily share the mountain. Let's just all obey the rules, ski or board according to the code, and throw just a little civility into the process.

Your forgetting that the Bush only had the Summit lift running. To get to the intermediate terrain they had no choice but to try and navigate "baldy" from the Summit chair. Once North Ridge is running that should greatly reduce the problem you encountered.

Also, yelling "on your right/left" doesn't seem to work that great anymore. I have found, especially if they are uncomfortable in the terrain, that doing that usually results in them freaking out and falling right in front of you. Who hasn't been on terrain that maybe was above their ability. . When I see that I try to give them as much space as possible, never had a problem.

That section is so short, I would have just snowplowed behind them, not tried to pass them, as it gets very wide just a few feet further.

 

[molecan]

How so? You realize someone is a teenager by their looks, and you discriminate against them because of it.

Well, because EVERYONE who doesen't die when young has been, is, or will be a teenager.

 

[Brettski]

All I can add is when last year a boarder litterally took me out of my binding standing in a lift line by crashing into the back of my calves with their board...all I can say was "Dude? Are you stoned or what?" No apologies...now if it were my wiufe, I might have handled it differently, or at least report them to the lifties, which akin to doing nothing...

So here is the addition...while it didn't hurt then....the next day I was damaged...got some very nice deep bruises from that...

Barreling into a lift line is inexcusable and they should have been warned and have their ticket marked, a second infraction and it should be see'ya

But the someone would need to be there to watch over things...and that ain't happening

 

[dmc]

Sorry, but I seriously think that attitude is part of the problem.

When I'm teaching my kids to drive, I am NOT going to tell them that it's no problem that they hit that pedestrian who had the right-of-way in the crosswalk because, well, she didn't get hurt. If they encounter that situation and drive away from it saying "no harm / no foul", they've got serious issues. The first of which will be getting around a rural area with no car for a very, very, very long time. :wink:

I guess I'm just good at seeing the difference between hitting a pedstrian with a SUV versus clipping a ski in a lift line... :roll:

To me it's like when someone hits my shopping cart in the supermarket.. Whats the big deal...?? Now if someone slammed their cart into mine - I'd be pissed...

I think the problem is people like YOU don't believe in the "no harm- no foul" thing...

But that's just my opionion...

 

[dmc]

Also, yelling "on your right/left" doesn't seem to work that great anymore. That section is so short, I would have just snowplowed behind them, not tried to pass them, as it gets very wide just a few feet further.

I'm dylsexic... So it won't work for me...
I ride with a girl who's deaf - so it don't work for her either...

When i seem to get caught up in a crowd - i generally move to the side and let things thin out... Rather then have some guy yell at me for getting in his way...

 

[2knees]

to quote the dis. Shoulda had an OSTD.

Old School Throw Down.

 

[CapeSkier]

Billski, I love your "axe murderer" description. I've seen it, and it is an apt depiction of your situation. I think it is an overcompensation for a lack of parental self-esteem (i.e. I live vicariously through my kids and any real-or-imagined threat to them is a threat to me, therefore overblown and overreacted to). Mother Hen misinterprets something you did, and probably gets angry at herself for not seeing the potential (perceived) threat to her kids. She then lashes out at you, even though you acted responsibly. Happens in schoolyards, hockey rinks, soccer fields, and anywhere kids interact. Lately it has been called Helicopter Parent Syndrome, as though Mommy is in a chopper hovering over her baby's every move. You didn't do a thing wrong, and I commend you for looking out for others before attempting anything aerial. Shame on you for not seeing how special Mommy's little dumplings are, and confining your antics to someplace twenty miles away ;-)

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

I'm dylsexic... So it won't work for me...
I ride with a girl who's deaf - so it don't work for her either...

When i seem to get caught up in a crowd - i generally move to the side and let things thin out... Rather then have some guy yell at me for getting in his way...

You can always speed up and scream "WHOA! I'm totally out of control!!!!" A huge gap miraculously opens up right in front of you.

 

[dmc]

You can always speed up and scream "WHOA! I'm totally out of control!!!!" A huge gap miraculously opens up right in front of you.

I can get people to move just by jamming on the edge of my board and going for a loud scraping sound.. Scares the crap out of people...

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

I can get people to move just by jamming on the edge of my board and going for a loud scraping sound.. Scares the crap out of people...

I have to admit it. That sound causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up, even when I'm sitting in the chair.

 

[Mapnut]

ITo me it's like when someone hits my shopping cart in the supermarket.. Whats the big deal...?? Now if someone slammed their cart into mine - I'd be pissed...

I think the problem is people like YOU don't believe in the "no harm- no foul" thing...

But that's just my opionion...

DMC, do you mean that if you bump into someone's cart in the supermarket, you don't say "excuse me"? Why not, it's so easy.

 

[dmc]

DMC, do you mean that if you bump into someone's cart in the supermarket, you don't say "excuse me"? Why not, it's so easy.

I am actually a very polite person... i would totally apologize.. My point is - It's just not a big deal..

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

DMC, do you mean that if you bump into someone's cart in the supermarket, you don't say "excuse me"? Why not, it's so easy.

The cool thing about Europe is that not only do you NOT apologize, you get to stand there and blow smoke rings at the other guy.

 

[dmc]

The cool thing about Europe is that not only do you NOT apologize, you get to stand there and blow smoke rings at the other guy.

yeah - Europe makes a US liftline look like a cakewalk...

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

yeah - Europe makes a US liftline look like a cakewalk...

It's lead, follow or get the F$@# out of the way. At least the policy is universally accepted. It's amusing to have 70 year old ladies stomp all over your new K2's. But I would have felt funny putting a beat-down on her.

 

[rob56789]

I think its crazy that someone actually created this thread to begin with. People make mistakes the kid probably said sorry and the fact that anybody could be so uptight about that is insane. Also whoever compared hitting some random pedestrian on the sidewalk with a vehicle and bumping into someone just blew this whole thing way out of properation.

 

[CapeSkier]

Your forgetting that the Bush only had the Summit lift running. To get to the intermediate terrain they had no choice but to try and navigate "baldy" from the Summit chair. Once North Ridge is running that should greatly reduce the problem you encountered.

Also, yelling "on your right/left" doesn't seem to work that great anymore. I have found, especially if they are uncomfortable in the terrain, that doing that usually results in them freaking out and falling right in front of you. Who hasn't been on terrain that maybe was above their ability. . When I see that I try to give them as much space as possible, never had a problem.

That section is so short, I would have just snowplowed behind them, not tried to pass them, as it gets very wide just a few feet further.

Yes, it does widen right after that, and that was where I passed. I probably wasn't clear, but these guys weren't new boarders. I say this because they didn't fall, in very poor visibility and flat light, with uneven snow quality, when others were flopping all over. I do my best to be patient with new skiers/boarders, because we have all been there at one point or another. I mean they were bad, in the sense that they were intentionally taking up the entire side-to-side area of the trail, in wide S turns, in the manner of someone who is out of their ability. And yes, snowplowing and patience pays sometimes...but...I tried my best to pass in the safe and long-prescribed manner, one which has worked for me for 40 years of skiing. I have to respectfully suggest that sometimes a skier is safer passing someone who can't or won't yield. By snowplowing behind, we run the risk of becoming involved in that person's own catastrophe if they have a face-plant. It's a case by case judgement call for anyone.

Anyway, the forecast for SB seems like they may be able to be open TTB by Saturday. We can spread out a bit then.

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

With 79 posts and counting, I'd say this is a hot button issue.