Very well said, guys - and everybody else who's participated so far in
this discussion.
Rocky, your point brings up something that I tell all of my SSS trainees
- when you look at a course from the "safety" standpoint, you've got to
play "what if?" games in your head. What if somebody's throttle were to
stick open here? What if somebody's brakes were to fail there? What if
somebody were to overcook it or have a brain fart at this point or that
on the course? What would happen? And what might we be able to do,
going in, to prevent it from happening?
And, Roger. I can't say enough for your willingness to work with me
over the past several years. I keep thinking about the first Divisional
that you guys in Houston did at Gulf Greyhound Park. You and Wally and
I spent all kinds of time that Friday afternoon working on "what if"
situations in the event of rain over the next two days. We thought that
we'd solved all of the potential problems. Then a completely new one
cropped up first thing Saturday morning that involved a pole but had
absolutely nothing to do with rain!! Together, we worked it out and the
rest of the event went off like clockwork.
I guess what I'm trying to say, folks, is the same thing that others
have already said in other words. Those of us who are directly involved
in course design and course safety need to step outside of the box -
look for the absolute worst case scenario - and then plan accordingly.
For most of us, the chance of finding a really big site - that's
completely free of light poles, drainage grates, curbs, and fences - is
minuscule. (That means really tiny!!!) So we have to constantly think
about these factors as well as what might seem to be the piddly little
things that rarely, if ever, happen - yet could totally spoil an event
and the future of our sport if they did.
John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman
SOWDIV DSSS
Member, SSC
Editor, The Safety Belt
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