Drivers and Marshals (split from Yellow Flag thread)

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally Posted by alf

realy?

may i ask if you race yourself?
and if so are you telling me you would happily just sit there waiting for your car to get hit??

No, I'm a marshal. I don't expect anyone to sit happily waiting for their car to be hit. What I DO expect is that someone who is racing is familiar with the chain of command at a race circuit and directs their problem to the correct person instead of taking out their frustration on whoever is closest.

Originally Posted by alf

if so you are a far better man than me, because I couldn't.

I'm better than a man in general dear. I'm a woman

Originally Posted by alf

I built my car
I work Very hard to keep it on track and to pay entry fees etc etc I self finance and its not cheap.

I'm sure you did and I have no doubt how much time and emotion you have invested in it. However, see my response in the first paragraph. If you really care so very much about it, maybe you shouldn't race it.

Originally Posted by alf

now if I spin off I am to blame I accept that.
but its not a unique occurance. in fact I bet its factored in to the training that a marshal receives? ie how to deal with a driver in the event of a spin. things to be done etc.

Yes it is. Now so far you have not offered any proof whatever that a call was not made and refused by race control. If no attempt was made to shift the car, then either it wasn't shiftable i.e. too deeply buried in gravel or there weren't enough marshals to do so, or it was not considered safe to try.

Originally Posted by alf

now if after 2 laps a car is still on the edge of the circuit and cars are not slowing down ( even if they were they could still make a mistake or have a mechanical failure etc) The driver is more than justified to ask the question. if the question is ignored what is he going to do? shrug his shoulders and hope for the best??
no he is going to make his feelings clear.

Ok make up your mind. From your original post you said that the Observer had not made a call about your car and only did so after you threatened him. Is that the case or not?

Originally Posted by alf

I would LOVE to hear the report that someone would make against a driver in such a situation.

Post x
Time: xx:xx
Race: <racing class>
Car number: <number>
Car X came off into gravel trap. Call put in. Requested <insert request here>. Request denied. Driver then demanded that we call for race stop. When we did not comply, driver became angry and threatened those on post that he would "hold them personally responsible if anything happened to his car".


Think that pretty much covers it.

Originally Posted by alf

I am certain that it would get all the attention it deserved.

Well I hope so. Because I'll tell you, I've dealt with a number of abusive drivers - ones who have threatened me with implied legal action (personally responsible, it'll be your neck if anything happens to that car blah blah blah), ones who've physically threatened me, ones that have called me names - why? Because I was doing my job. I know a lot of other marshals who have had similar problems. So yes, I would hope someone would treat it with the attention it deserves.

I accept that things are said in the heat of the moment. The majority of drivers calm down and usually apologise. If that's the case, then I wouldn't bother putting in a report.

However, where it's a case where someone has not only done this but considers that what they did was perfectly ok, then that needs to be addressed.