A time to Rethink

[wild hipo]

It is time for the humble marshal to rethink on the meetings that he or she is attending. Some racing clubs are having a hard time getting marshalls to their venue.
The following are just some of the problems facing the modern marshal.

1) Every day now is a working day, this includes bank holidays.

2) If a marshal is married then the wife & children must come first.

3) The cost of petrol & diesel keeps going up and it will be close to £1.30 a litre by the end of may (for diesel).

4) The cost of food continues to rise.

5) The cost of living continues to grow.

Some marshals can nowadays only do 1 day out of 2 and it is time that clubs start to realise this.
We the humble marshal do not ask for anything, but it would not go a miss if we had a free breakfast, at the very least, this would be something.
Some clubs are lucky enough that they have a lot of marshals that live within their catchment areas, others are not so fortunate!

[Garry Holmes]

This has been discussed a great many times, and a review of marshalling has been undertaken by the MSA and the BMMC. The result!! all that seems to have happened on the ground is observers are now called Post Chiefs.

Having said that, I feel that we could do with spreading the marshals a little better. As we all know some events are better manned than others, why not try and have perhaps a traffic light system to show how short the event is for marshals - rather than the current more the merrier system which social as it is seems rather inefficient. However this would require some sort of co-operation between the organising clubs (opens can of worms and runs for cover).

[Bodysnatcher]

Yup, know what you mean, facing a 3 day meet,
with the prospects of lousy weather for 2 of the 3
damn all lunch break for 2 of the 3
running right up to curfew for 2 of 3
grumpy wife for 3 of 3

but hey, we can have a drink at the end of the day..
Honestly, a voucher for breakfast at cost would be more welcome to the vast majority.

as for spreading us out , actually, I think the current system where a volunteer choses to go has much to reccomend it. If nothing else it acts as an indicator to the club about the true popularity of their event

[ascarracinguk]

one of the big problems ive seen is that they have meetings on the same weekend too close to eachotehr, for instance donington and oulton and mallory have meetings on the same weekend which spreads the marshals too thin. it also has an effect on grid numbers when donington and oulton have big historic meetings on the same weekend

[motorsportmarshal61]

i know how it feels at the moment this B/H monday at oulton park will be the first one ive done since middle of last season due to work commitments so raring to go

[Al Weyman]

You think you guys are having it tough not knocking you but its meant to be enjoyable and a hobby for all of us not just the drivers and hobbies can cost. I am just filling in the Oulton entry form, £200 for 10 laps!!!!! Thats bloody crazy then I use about 50 litres of fuel at £1.20p a litre, plus its a 400 mile round trip at about 17 mpg, also its always on a Saturday so a hotel will be needed and is'nt it funny how these little B & B's near the circuits know how to charge on race weekends. How long this is sustainable who knows but I think we may be seeing the eventual collapse of the whole thing if things don't improve.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

You think you guys are having it tough not knocking you but its meant to be enjoyable and a hobby for all of us not just the drivers and hobbies can cost. I am just filling in the Oulton entry form, £200 for 10 laps!!!!! Thats bloody crazy then I use about 50 litres of fuel at £1.20p a litre, plus its a 400 mile round trip at about 17 mpg, also its always on a Saturday so a hotel will be needed and is'nt it funny how these little B & B's near the circuits know how to charge on race weekends. How long this is sustainable who knows but I think we may be seeing the eventual collapse of the whole thing if things don't improve.

(Unfortunately)

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by wild hipo

It is time for the humble marshal to rethink on the meetings that he or she is attending. Some racing clubs are having a hard time getting marshalls to their venue.
The following are just some of the problems facing the modern marshal.

1) Every day now is a working day, this includes bank holidays.

I don't work bank holidays, thats only something that really Retail does (ish!) and why i got out of it, and the size of the crowds at combe on bank holiday meetings I'd say a lot of people don't!

Originally Posted by wild hipo

2) If a marshal is married then the wife & children must come first.

Must agree, or anyother family comitments

Originally Posted by wild hipo

3) The cost of petrol & diesel keeps going up and it will be close to £1.30 a litre by the end of may (for diesel

Huge one for me that, I know I'm going to cut right back next year on how far I travel, no more Donny, Rockingham, Brands ect :-(

Originally Posted by wild hipo

4) The cost of food continues to rise.

I'm a veggie, always seem to have been priced at a premium anyway!

Originally Posted by wild hipo

5) The cost of living continues to grow.

Some marshals can nowadays only do 1 day out of 2 and it is time that clubs start to realise this.
We the humble marshal do not ask for anything, but it would not go a miss if we had a free breakfast, at the very least, this would be something.
Some clubs are lucky enough that they have a lot of marshals that live within their catchment areas, others are not so fortunate!

Breakfast would be a huge benefit, especially at 2/3day meets, My toast takes an hour to cook in the morning!!!

[Bodysnatcher]

Originally Posted by CombeMarshal

I don't work bank holidays, thats only something that really Retail does

<ahem>
public sector
NHS/fire/ambulance/police/AA (ok, it's the 4th emergency service)
which afaik are all represented by marshal members of this board

then theres Utilities - water/gas/bt
where shall I stop?

[Dave Brand]

Not another 'free breakfast' thread!

Firstly, there's no such thing as a free breakfast - it has to be paid for, if not by the end user. I know...let's add a fiver to the entry fees so the drivers can pay for our 'free' breakfast!

Secondly, any such payment in kind is discriminatory. OK for those who actually want it, but I & a few others DON'T want a breakfast at the circuit, 'free' or otherwise' - where's the incentive for us?

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

<ahem>
public sector
NHS/fire/ambulance/police/AA (ok, it's the 4th emergency service)
which afaik are all represented by marshal members of this board

then theres Utilities - water/gas/bt
where shall I stop?

Alll over time as far as I know, I did say 'ISH!

[Hepatic]

if you really want a change, try coming up with a (non-stupid or shoot yourself in the foot) plan to get the cost of fuel to a reasonable level. Then inflation eases off, cost of living improves and we might make everyone's life happier. I'm not doing Anglesey this weekend simply 'cos its a full tank of fuel and even my piddly 106 is taking over £45 to fill it :/

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Not another 'free breakfast' thread!

Firstly, there's no such thing as a free breakfast - it has to be paid for, if not by the end user. I know...let's add a fiver to the entry fees so the drivers can pay for our 'free' breakfast!

Secondly, any such payment in kind is discriminatory. OK for those who actually want it, but I & a few others DON'T want a breakfast at the circuit, 'free' or otherwise' - where's the incentive for us?

Is free if I don't have to pay for it! not sure how you can call it discrimination though, quite often at silverstone and other circuits they give out bacon rolls, I'm a veggie, and all I think is, 'Wow, thats real nice of them' it's only discrimination if you want it to be!
it's not as if it would cost them £6 like they normally charge, the real cost is FAR less, I can get a breakfast on the road for £2.75, and they are still making money!

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

I & a few others DON'T want a breakfast at the circuit, 'free' or otherwise' - where's the incentive for us?

Knowing that you're on post with a well-fed Observer!

I have actually booked Annual Leave for Sunday & BH Monday, so I can be at Anglesey & Oulton, as we Ambulance types still have to provide cover for those who insist on breaking bones etc on Bank Holidays!

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by Hepatic

if you really want a change, try coming up with a (non-stupid or shoot yourself in the foot) plan to get the cost of fuel to a reasonable level. Then inflation eases off, cost of living improves and we might make everyone's life happier. I'm not doing Anglesey this weekend simply 'cos its a full tank of fuel and even my piddly 106 is taking over £45 to fill it :/

Was thinking of getting an LPG conversion, but you can be sure they'll start raising the price on that too, 39p/ltr a year ago, what is it now? Think the conversions are about £1200, only need 16 tanks full of petrol to break even!

[Bodysnatcher]

I'm not with the free brigade.. but cost+ just a bit would be fairer, and since I'm only 2 miles away, it certainly does not incentivise me.

For us at Brands the major racing organisation (not a club, remember) currently offers us a free drink at the end of the day, which many gratefully take up, but more marshals pay for their breakfast. I have no wish to pass the costs on elsewhere, indeed the parent company of our racing organisation must cover its costs, but I'd like to think they could make less of a profit from their volunteer workforce.

That would be a start.

The accountants could probably make sense out of it by reallocating the annual marshals track day to alternate years. Again a welcome bonus, but not taken up by many.

This brekkie biz needs TurboWW to make one of his rare visits to tell us what the profit margins are likely to be.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Not another 'free breakfast' thread!

Firstly, there's no such thing as a free breakfast - it has to be paid for, if not by the end user. I know...let's add a fiver to the entry fees so the drivers can pay for our 'free' breakfast!

Why not put a pound on our entry fees and the breakfast could be at cost price, you get a free breakfast and we don't notice the difference although looking at some of you marshals I would think you would do well to miss a breakfast or two, and a lunch and dinner.

[CombeMarshal]

Yeah, some sort of deal where we get food at cost plus a bit would be great, Shame there isn't some way that volunteers (of all types) can claim back fuel duty??
wonder if you could start your own business as a Marshal????

[Novice]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

For us at Brands the major racing organisation (not a club, remember) currently offers us a free drink at the end of the day, which many gratefully take up, but more marshals pay for their breakfast.

I personally dont take up the drink offer, tend to give the voucher away to those that do. However the voucher is a good ploy by those in charge as many then buy another drink that perhaps if the voucher system was not in place would never have gone in for anyway.

[Al Weyman]

I use an LPG vehicle and have done for some years, its currently 51p a litre in Watford (there is huge supermarket competition in Watford and well worth dropping down to Sainsburys or Tescos if going up the M1) and mostly 60p elsewhere which is still a considerable saving but as you say not so long ago it was 39p. As for claiming fuel duty back, guess what I have my own little business and was told by the VAT man to stop claiming it back or go on some complex milage scheme or pay a flat rate which worked out much more than I would be saving so the upshot is I don't bother anymore.

[mattt]

I get something back through V hours but this is only for 16 - 25s --- unfortunately


These v-hours apparently allow be to get accepted for things easier

[CombeMarshal]

Use to claim mileage myself when I was a self employed sparky, good little money maker!
did you get yours converted your self, and can you get it done to a turbo?

[CombeMarshal]

i know what would save money though, the road leading to the camp site at brands, bust my suspension on the way out of the TOCA meeting, like a war site! then the rac man bust my bumper and scratched the car!

[PapaJuliet]

Originally Posted by wild hipo

2) If a marshal is married then the wife <...> must come first.

You appear to have a very narrow view of marshals

PJ

[PapaJuliet]

Originally Posted by Garry Holmes

Having said that, I feel that we could do with spreading the marshals a little better. As we all know some events are better manned than others, why not try and have perhaps a traffic light system to show how short the event is for marshals - rather than the current more the merrier system which social as it is seems rather inefficient.

It might be inefficient but we are all volunteers.

If I don't want to do a meeting where the "feature" race is (say) (to pick a series at random) the Uniroyal "Fun" Cup, I am not going to be persuaded to do that meeting because it has a "red" traffic light. If I am told I must do that meeting because all the other meetings that day are amber or green, I will not do any meeting rather than do a meeting I do not want to do.

PJ