BDH

Kimel, I'll wear mine if you wear yours!! Troy, is there a going to be a designated 'kilt day' on the range?

MRPC outside Cincinnati, OH on Sunday. Five stages, sign-up at 9:00, shooting at 10:00 AM... Miami Rifle and Pistol Club

That was NUTS and I am never doing it again!!! Well, that is unless they ask me to again...

Hmmm, what to do? Looking in the rulebook, 7.1.6 says that says that you have everything overall 'except in respect of matters in these rules which are the domain of the RM'... then if we look at 7.1.5, the RM 'has overall authority over all persons and activities with the entire range'... Who actually makes the call on this? I would hate to be in middle of a squad and have either Floyd or John show up and tell me to 'drop my kilt'!!!

Neil, Thx! PM on the way...

Just kidding Troy! But how about if I show up in my Utilikilt? Heck, the Workman's model has plenty of handy pockets for things like timer, pasters, overlays, pens, etc. And as their website says... We Sell Freedom!! The IPSC IROA has a uniform, so maybe it's time for USPSA NROI???

Thanks for all the pointers! I did turn on International coverage on my Blackberry, so hopefully I will be good on that cell phone front. BTW, does anyone have any idea whether my Blackberry email will work overseas?? The last thing I would want is to be answering email after working the EHC all day long, but I cannot imagine coming home and having to deal with more than two weeks of unread email.... I'll have to double check all my chargers, and Kathy, thanks for offering to loan me one. We can talk about it at the MRPC match this weekend. My original plan was to fly in to Paris, and spend around four days there. However, that changed once I started looking at airfare. Now the plan is to fly into London Gatwick... hang in the UK for a few days... then grab a train to Paris... and the TGV down to Avignon, and then find my way to Cavaillon. I'm going to 'try' to avoid renting a car if possible, but I am not sure yet what arrangements the match will have for carting staff around (plus I have to get to Marsailles at the end of the match for a flight back to Gatwick, and back home... On this note, does anyone have any tips on dealing with the local cultures? I'll be in Guayaquil, Ecuador in July, and in the UK and France in September... BTW, I really hate to miss the USPSA Nationals in September, but sometimes 'you gotta do, what you gotta do...'

You're right, that is a completely different question. However, it 'should' be the same... The reason I originally asked the question about female RO's is I have had the pleasure of working with female RO's at Nationals the last two seasons (and get to repeat it again in Missoula this year), and I'm telling you, the competitors respond differently to them. If there is an Alpha Mike call, I don't think I've ever heard anyone ask them for an overlay to find the perfect double. Also, I remember a 'creeping' call made by one of them, and the competitor did not even comment (it was the correct call, but no whining, etc)!! I'm thinking about showing up in Missoula in high heels, a short skirt, and a wig to see if my theory holds true!!

Timer's belong on instant, period. Timer's used in matches should not even have the delay option... I beat my RO's with the rulebook if they quick beep someone, and if the competitor complained, I would reshoot them... (that is if they complained before they saw the time or score)...

You are 110% correct... there 'should' be no difference. It might be me, but it seems that calls like 'alpha or charlie' are not scrunized as closely (maybe women have better vision ), and application of procedural penalties does not get challenged as much. I would hate to think that there is a difference, but I have a few years of this under my belt, and it sure seems that there is. Maybe it is what Mark said... we behave better in front of women...

In no way am I trying to start any kind of a sexist discussion, but... I have had the pleasure of working stages with several women RO's, and I could swear that the competitors respond differently to them than to the male RO's... Is this just my perception, or is there something to this???

Well, I guess this is the year for me to break out, as it looks like I'll be heading to both Ecuador and to France this year. Does anyone have any website references that will point me in the right direction with all the questions like ... will my cell phone work?... will the charger from my electronic devices work??... and other stuff like that? Any help would be appreciated...

Kathy, Well, the Warren County Sheriff's are now using laser. I know because they shot me mid-day today, and they certainly would have had me but I was only running around 39 in a 35. It was kind of funny, because the volume was down on my V1, and I do not hear the laser tone very often, so it took me a second or two to realize what was going on and pick him out of the background...

Jake, okay, here's a story for you... years ago I lived in Indianapolis. I was coming North on SR37 from Bloomington. It was middle of a weekday... sunny skies... dry pavement... and NO TRAFFIC. For the most part I was 'behaving' because I didn't have anyone to run behind. Finally, some beater station wagon with a women at the wheel, and six or seven kids in the car came flying past me. In fact, she was half turned around, swatting at one of the kids in the back seat. I thought 'okay, here's my runner' and stepped on it. She went by me so fast that it was taking a while to catch up to her.... Shortly thereafter, I see a Ford Mustang coming up behind and being cautious, I backed it down a little bit. Well this 'kid' (at least that is how he looked in my rear view mirror) sat on my ass for awhile, so I thought 'heck, he is just using me to run behind' so I started picking it up so I could get back behind my runner. Well, I picked it up pretty good, and all the sudden he flew around me, put his Smokie hat on, and pointed to me to pull over! I couldn't believe that he had tricked me (he even had shirts hanging in the back window), but as I was pulling over, he gunned it and flew down the road (kind of hilly down there, so I could no longer see him). So here I am... sitting on the side of SR37 in the middle of a gorgeous day with no one around. I knew the Indiana County roads pretty well since I spent a ton of time in the seat of a bicycle riding them so I thought... 'why the h*ll am I sitting here? I should just boogie back to the next County road and go the rural routes. He will never find me!' Well, about the time I decided to get moving, guess who showed up behind me?? You got it, and as he was handing me my ticket, I noticed my license plate number written on the palm of his hand....

I 'try' to be appropriate and give a 'medium to loud' LAMR command.... followed by a loud 'RIC' command. Why??? On LAMR, I want everyone on the stage to know that we are going hot and going to shoot. On RIC, I want everyone to know that they are clear to move downrange. I have heard RO's pretty much yelling commands at competitors, and I could only assume that the competitor told the RO that they were extremely hard of hearing, or double plugged. That said, I do 'coach' new RO's to follow my model, so if you disagree, please speak up...

I worked the match start to finish (IPSC and USPSA matches), and following are some observations... First, everything ran exceptionally well even though we were having to turn stages on a couple of the evenings. Those turns did cause a few challenges, but the competitors understood, and actually helped us work through them!! Outstanding!! Second, many of you know me from working other matches. Well, I gotta say.... I have read lots of stage briefings and demonstrated activators, but in the IPSC match something was different. When we showed the activators during the briefing, almost every squad reacted with something like 'wow... I wasn't expecting that!'.... and when I say 'almost every squad'... I DO mean every almost every squad!!! It was really interesting to watch and listen to competitors of all skill levels think through their stage solution... Third, putting this size match into this club 'seemed' risky to me, but worked out just fine. I could go on and on, but congrats to all involved!! Jeff and Larry did a fantastic job mixing things up and running a big match!!! BTW, if anyone can tell me what a KAY-nar-dian is (prh excluded), I'll buy you a beer in Missoula!!

I agree with the 'let someone else lead the way' model, and try to drive that way all the time, but especially at night. I also agree that lasers are a real drag, but my V1 did save me from a ticket recently heading up I-75 to the Dayton airport before dawn. They shot someone a several hundred yards in front of me, my V1 warned me about laser, I hit the brakes (still could not see the trooper), and ended up way in the clear. The other thing about any of the radar detectors is that at least they let you know that 'someone' may be nearby watching. Last Fall I was coming home late from a going away party. It was late and due to road construction, I had to take a road that I normally avoid because 1) the speed limit drops from 40 to 25 mph right over an overpass (which is a natural trap), and 2) it's windy with several stop signs. Anyway, I was rolling along in no traffic, but being careful to watch my speed, and come to a full stop at the stop signs. I came to a four way stop, stopped and proceeded, and had just one quick beep out of my V1 with the arrow pointed behind me. Since I had driven this route before, I knew that there were no false alarms around here, but there were no headlights in any direction I looked either. Alerted, I proceeded carefully, and made sure to drop to exactly to 25 before entering the speed zone. Shortly afterward, I thought I caught a silhouette of a car behind me. Sure enough, one of our local Sheriff's had come up from behind me with no headlights. I'll never know what he did in his cruiser that made my V1 light up just with a single chirp, but whatever it was... being alerted not only to something being not quite right, but also, to the direction of concern definately saved me a ticket, and potentially even more...

PM enroute!

All (and especially Neil), thanks for the tips! Very much appreciated. Booked my air, and coming into London Gatwick (not bringing a gun, so everything should be cool). We are probably going to hang in London from Friday morning to Monday morning, and then start the train journey thru Paris and down to Marsailles. I'm open to any tips on getting around, or things to do or see during the three or four days we have before the match!

Thanks all!!! Driving on the RIGHT is 'right' with me! I won't rent a car unless I absolutely have to, but sure appreciate the insight! Micah, very much looking forward to this (although I was whipped after 350 competitors at Area 6, so I can't wait to run 900 competitors in France! ) Not sure about the Ohio Sectional as the last time I checked, it was before the European Handgun Championships (and I am way short on vacation time). The big bummer is that I am going miss the Limited Nationals in Tulsa (as will the stats Bunny Lady with her 'Killer Wabbits'). However, I will do my best to represent the USA, USPSA, NROI, IPSC, and IROA in France!!

I'm very much looking forward to working my first Level IV match at the European Handgun Championships in Cheval Blanc, FR this September (and certainly hope to see some of you there). I'm working on my (well, Deb and my) travel right now, and am a little overwhelmed since I've never been to Europe before. It looks like we will be flying into Heathrow, taking the train to Paris, then to Marsailles. The big question mark is getting to Cheval Blanc from Marsailles. I 'really' do not want to rent a car, but if I have to.... does anyone know 1) do I need an International Drivers License, and 2) what side of the road do the French drive on?? Any help would be appreciated!!

I think I understand your point, but I don't agree with it. Most would say that I am a pretty experienced RO, and I really think I act the same at club matches as I do at the Area and National matches. Years ago, people on the club level would hit me with 'this is just a club match', and I would push back that the rules are the rules. Don't take this wrong as I will do my best to make sure the newbie's get through a club match safely and have fun. I will coach them as much as possible (which is probably why I get the newbie squads every match). However, when someone violates a rule, the rulebook takes over. Great example... I knocked my loaded gun from my holster during a COF. The RO told me 'don't worry about it, I'll just start you again'. I looked at him and said 'sorry, I'm DQ'd under 10.5.3' and packed up and just worked the match the rest of the way. The rules are the rules... I seriously violated a safety rule... and as one who has had the unfortunate job of having to issue DQ's for similar things at major matches, I could not take a pass...

While I don't think Dave wants the publicity, I can't stay silent on this point. Dave, Dana, and Jessie worked Stage 9 both Saturday and Sunday. This was THEIR time, but they chose to spend it with us! They don't make 'em any better than this!!! Thanks for your help, and for all you do for the shooting sports!

All, sorry for the delay in posting results. I've been out of town until late yesterday. Just got the scoresheets, and loaded all the scores tonight. I'm stuck in an all day meeting tomorrow, and take my time verifying scores, but they are sure to go up tomorrow night. Dan, congrats on running your first squad!! Way cool. Thx for your help and committment! Thanks for your patience! I'll see some of you at A6 this weekend!

All right, at least one familiar name. Neil, look forward to actually meeting you (BTW, did you approve Uncle Vinnie's travel to the US? ) Heard rumors of several other US shooters heading over, so hope to see you there!