Andy Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 When writing this column I have absolutely no idea what subject is likely to generate the greatest number of hits for any particular column or the number of postings it will attract during the following weeks. Frequently I write something that I think may generate a fair amount of interest and it struggles to attract much over 800 hits (still not too bad on a specialist site), then another week the content appears to me at least fairly uncontroversial and it is inundated with hits and postings. Beats me why that happens. Anyway. Last week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 (edited) I couldn't agree with you more Michael! I have never entered a trial in my 33 years of trialing that I haven't turned up on the morning to ride, with the exception of illness twice and extremely bad road conditions (4 trials in a row during the 1978/79 season). OK... a couple of times when the bike wasn't running right on the Saturday night and I couldn't rectify the problem in time for Sunday morning! I have always had the courtesy to phone the event secretary or someone in authority of a club organising a trial to tell them I'm not able to attend. What is worse is that you have competitors who don't turn up for a trial and ride somewhere else (this used to be a licence revoking offence in my youth, probably still is, should really check my ACU handbook for that, but I'll leave it up to the usual barrack room lawyers!) Well said Michael... Big John Edited September 17, 2007 by Big John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 (edited) What is worse is that you have competitors who don't turn up for a trial and ride somewhere else (this used to be a licence revoking offence in my youth, probably still is, should really check my ACU handbook for that, but I'll leave it up to the usual barrack room lawyers!) You can just see him sitting in his treasury plotting to enforce that rule next season, rubbing his hands at the fine system he could put in place.... we're all doomed......... Seriously, theres no kick in the teeth worse than when you put your heart and soul into the organisation of an event then folk don't turn up, you can understand when some major mitigating factor takes over but we should have enough courtesy to communicate as well. Edited September 17, 2007 by Slapshot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishy Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 "Mick Wren (or indeed any other secretary) will be mightily cheesed off when he has settled for 200 riders and on the morning of the event finds only 190 have signed on. That is SO annoying." Shame they banned keel hauling If an average of 5% are no show, why not just factor that into the total number of entries excepted to start. But then you wouldn't have any reason to get mightly cheesed off, or run for the rule book and see if you could revoke their licenses, it's only a game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthehill Posted September 18, 2007 Report Share Posted September 18, 2007 Fully agree - we got our fingers burnt this year at the SSDT with some late pull outs - not only does it do genuine riders out of a place but can have a massive financial implication if you dont have a firm policy on refunds. Sorry to say that from now on we have implemented a firm refund rule - or rather no-refund if too late rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffybuns Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 I cant see what all the fuss is about. If they have entered then they have paid. If they do not ride then the club makes more money, the land gets less damage and there are smaller queues. For every rider that does not turn up its one less for the riders that can be bothered to beat (special bonus for Rappers there). The only ones that suffer are those that do not get a ride, and could possibly have had one if not for the none starters. The answer to that one is simple. If you really want to ride GET YOUR B****Y ENTRY IN EARLY, and stop whining about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 I cant see what all the fuss is about. If they have entered then they have paid. If they do not ride then the club makes more money, the land gets less damage and there are smaller queues. For every rider that does not turn up its one less for the riders that can be bothered to beat (special bonus for Rappers there). You miss one important issue here; most organisers don't run events for financial gain. That's not the reason for putting on a trial! Most people who stage an event do so because they enjoy putting the event on and for riders to snub their efforts by not turning up is very demoralising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted September 19, 2007 Report Share Posted September 19, 2007 If an average of 5% are no show, why not just factor that into the total number of entries excepted to start.But then you wouldn't have any reason to get mightly cheesed off, or run for the rule book and see if you could revoke their licenses, it's only a game. Sounds like a sensible idea to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Seriously, theres no kick in the teeth worse than when you put your heart and soul into the organisation of an event then folk don't turn up, you can understand when some major mitigating factor takes over but we should have enough courtesy to communicate as well. Well you see I was gonna be there , but this thing happened with this tooph, yea this one that has a hole there the then is not there a n the HL and the wife put me into total distraught and mental submission and dithen more beer was needed to flush out the blood, did i tell you about the blood, it was horrid, i think is the word, and then after tey sewn me mouth shut i could not call as , well you know--------- Well, SCREW IT! Cost me a few bob it did, I hope thi choke on it too! Bunch o' whineing old farties and rule bearing pricks! Cheers to all! He He! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabie Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Overthehill is right, if you have entered and are found to have been riding elsewhere, then there is a rule in the handbook which allows you to be prosecuted (i think it also allows you to prosecute if no reasonable excuse is provided for a DNS). One of our secretaries of meeting, who does our enduro and a few trials, is hot on this for our oversubscribed events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Overthehill is right, if you have entered and are found to have been riding elsewhere, then there is a rule in the handbook which allows you to be prosecuted (i think it also allows you to prosecute if no reasonable excuse is provided for a DNS). One of our secretaries of meeting, who does our enduro and a few trials, is hot on this for our oversubscribed events. I think it was Big John that mentioned this, not Overthehill, at the risk of being branded a "rule bearing jobs worth"! However, I remember a couple of bans being instigated in Scotland many years ago when a couple of guys entered a trial then didn't turn up, deciding to ride an event on the same day nearer home, they suffered a three month ban on riding by way of an example being set to deter a reoccurence of such selfish behaviour. There is nothing worse than laying out a trials course out to be mucked about like that. It's not about the money, we are all volunteers! Big John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 I agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 You all sound like "Well I put on this damn trial so you better come or else i'm gonna stop you riding"!!! Geeez !! surely there are other options to consider. If someone is riding another trial and your trial is sooooo good, surely its their loss! Get over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Or to put it another way.... if you aren't going to ride; please- simply don't enter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilco Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Well to be honest this sending in reg's thing is over rated and out of date.Personaly i decide on the night before if i want to ride a trial or not. If you look at it square on there are only a couple of the big trial's and it is just a couple that you would need to send reg's in for,is it really worth getting tight about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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