I'm sorry, but I've just never seen anyone look or feel stupid for taking a
slalom the wrong way, ever. I can understand the problem with course workers
not paying attention, which is significant. All it takes is brain fade, SCCA
member or not. I've never encountered anyone quitting autocross because of
optional slaloms. Most regard it as part of the challenge.
Katie
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Kelly [mailto:76067.1750@compuserve.com]
> Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 9:44 AM
> To: Benjamin R. Martinez
> Subject: Re: 8 CONE SLALOM
>
>
>
>
> -------------------- Begin Original Message --------------------
>
> Message text written by "Benjamin R. Martinez"
>
> "
> John - So John do you detest an optional slalom because of
> the workers or
> that
> you just don't like them, i hope that's the hole ideal about
> having any
> SCCA
> members ONLY! so that we have good workers core out there."
>
> -------------------- End Original Message --------------------
>
> Three reasons for detesting optional slaloms:
> 1) I hate to look stupid for taking the wrong direction.
> a) I think the game should be about DRIVING not course
> following. If I wanted a course-following challenge I'd be
> into rallying.
> b) Taking course following to the
> extreme--which the rally
> people did with the development of TRAP rallies --they lose a lot of
> contestants who NEVER return. This is not the way to develop
> a program when
> people don't come back.
> 2) I don't think anybody else likes to look stupid either.
> 3) Course workers, members or not, are not always on top of
> following a car through a slalom and sometimes miss the fact a driver
> missed part of the course. In another life as an event chair
> I had to deal
> with a number of problems with one driver complaining about their
> competitor taking a short cut and thus beating them.
>
> Thus I'm in favor of slaloms where the chair
> indicates the proper
> direction either with a directional pylon on the first one
> --which still
> requires the course workers to follow each driver intensely ---or with
> chalked lines on either side. From above it resembles saw
> teeth. Thus when
> a driver misses the slalom a cloud of white powder is stirred up and
> EVERYBODY knows something is wrong.
>
> --John Kelly
>
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