Jake,
I have refused giving rides to people many times. All you need to say is
"sorry, I'm trying to make this one count." Nobody will think you are rude.
As for being sneaky, would you feel the same way about someone who walked
the course 5 times? If you don't take advantage of something that is
available for everyone, can you blame others who do?
--Navid
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Jake Hodges
> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 6:06 PM
> To: ba-autox@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: SFR rule
>
>
> Someone mentioned they wanted to hear a Novice's opinion on the topic.
> Well, I'm a novice and I have an opinion, although it's totally unrelated
> and cannot further this discussion in any way whatsoever other
> than to make
> it drag on for at least six more posts as more knowledgeable
> folks rightly
> dismiss it as not being relevant.
>
> I've never ridden before my runs because I feel like it's sneaky. Now,
> being sneaky isn't in and of itself a sin, but it doesn't feel good to me.
>
> The few rides I've taken have been instrumental in the continued
> existence
> of tread on my tires. And the more I've learned, the more
> valuable they've
> been. My last ride with a certain fantastic driver (who pilots his Volvo
> S80 to greater heights than the Scandinavian sofa-mobile should rightly
> attain, and certainly to faster times than my zippy Honda will ever yield
> with me at the helm) taught me worlds about how to handle a car. (Other
> novices: Did you know it simply can't go full speed around
> corners? What
> an eye-opener for me!)
>
> Here's my complaint regarding the issue. When I'm two cars away
> from that
> green flag and thinking about the course, and someone strolls up to my
> inviting convertible and asks for a ride. I feel rude to say no, but
> regardless of how innocent and polite and appreciative and quiet and
> motionless they can stay, having another person in the car is
> distracting to
> me. Perhaps when I "know what I'm doing" it will be easier, but
> for now it
> kind of takes my mind off what I'm doing and put it squarely on "this
> person, no matter how nice, adds roughly [doing math] 14% of my
> car's curb
> weight to it's already bloated carcass." See how in the time
> you've taken
> to read that I've screwed up three critical corners which got me
> on to the
> straight wide and 1400 rpms lower than I where I should have been, so far
> out of VTEC that I might as well spin the car with the e-brake
> and drive the
> upcoming slalom in reverse?
>
> I know it's my own fault, and I wish I could give everyone a ride and let
> them drive my car and drive their cars all day and we could all
> get drinks
> together afterwards and then do it some more, again and again, dizzy with
> glee, but the frustrating fact is that I'm going to get less than three
> minutes on the "classroom" for my $25, and I really want to make
> them count.
>
> That's the hardest thing for an excited novice (well, for me anyway). It
> seems like so LONG until the next event. And the runs seem so
> SHORT! MUST
> DRIVE FASTER! MUST DRIVE FASTER!
>
> Have I mentioned that I love each and every one of you? I do.
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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