How do I go about..(a rant)

[tachyon]

It's just everyone has a complaint in life. Life would be easier if people went w/ the flow when things don't need to be a big deal.

And you're complaint in life is that people who want to guard their health and careers from people using pot illegally shouldn't?

Tachyon

 

[Wijbrandus]

You can harp all you want about marijuana use, it falls in the same common sense category as any other recreational/medicinal substance that people use.

That should be worded, "as any other illegal substance".

 

[k4sdi]

Skiing, scuba diving, and skydiving are just a few of the sports that people die at when they “dabble” and take unnecessary risks – like being even mildly stoned with some THC in their system.

Oh yea, and don't forget going down a river in a tube. It DOES happen. OFTEN.

You know, people that have any tolerance for illegal drug usage make me sick. Spend a few days out here on the streets with any LEO and you'll think otherwise.

 

[SHARKBAIT94]

The difference is that speeding won't, in and of itself, cause the end of an innocent's career or life due to the selfishness of the speeder. It would take additional mistakes in a speeding situation to do that. But whether you like it or not, a positive P4P test could end my career as well as the career of mer-maiden's boyfriend, etc.

Tachyon

....you could have stepped up and ask the smokers to move or seek out the help of a staff member or higher authority. Complaining after the fact is pointless unless I’m just not reading the part were while the pot smoking was going on you went and complained, but if that’s the case then yes you have every right to be upset. To let smoke of any type bother you and completely ruin your day is your own fault you could have removed your self from an unpleasant situation. NOW I’m not justifying or even agreeing with them smoking pot next to you, its rather weird that anyone would blatantly smoke weed around other people in open area. As to the quote above, come ride with me for one night or work in the emergency room one night with me and say that same comment to the mother of a child who died two nights ago because some middle aged man was SPEEDING home cause we was tired of waiting in the beach traffic and his family was having a fourth of July party. Test results negative no trace of drugs or alcohol was found in the blood. What had happened, child on his bike riding along and the driver swerved to go around another car and smacked the child from the rear throwing the child off the bike and face first onto the street. All witness and accounts state driver was going way to fast for a side street. Estimated speed of driver 44mph in a 25mph zone. Im not flaming or trying to hijack the thread but when a inept, asinine and just blatantly ignorant comment is made such as that it shows how great this country is cause we allow comments like that to be said with out penalty.

 

[Floridawannabe]

Shrew,
Honestly it is people who look the other way and say who cares what other people do it is not harming me, have killed more people. How about your buddy who has had two shots of Vodka before leaving the bar and was there for two hours drinking chasers before then. You ask your buddy if he is alright, he says sure. You think to yourself he looks ok and I am not his keeper. He leaves the bar and heads to his house 15 miles away. On the way home he gets to the bridge that he crosses all the time and some stupid idiot is on his side of the street. He thinks to himself HELL if this idiot wants to play chicken I will give him chicken. Your Buddy Kills a whole family(Father, Mother and two children) Oh, and a five year old lives. Your buddy lives through the crash because he is nice and relaxed from the LEGAL Alcholic drinks.
I am not that old I think, but I have learned that if people stop caring what is happening around them. Then this happy go lucky world of ours, like Scuba Diving would not exist. Just think if there were no laws prohibiting waste being dumped into the rivers, oceans, lakes and drinking water. NO diving and I am sure a lot of people would be dead or sick.
We need Laws and Regulation to help provide a guide lines to keep us safe and this planet that we live on. That is why it is up to the police officer if he wants to give a person a ticket or a warning. If the speeder is doing 10 MPH over the speed limit on the Highway usually a warning, if they are 10 MPH over in a school zone that is a instant ticket. Or as usual the ticket is written on the persons persona.

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

making a formal complaint to a dive park? Last week my boyfriend and I(both of us are just certified open water divers) took our first dive vacation. En route to our destination we stopped at a place that was highly recommended by our lds as one of the most beautiful springs in Florida and an all around great place for diving. Long story short as soon as we get all our (mostly rented from them$$$)gear on and get in the water God decides to open the floodgates and the thunder and lightening are enough to scare me right outta the water. So we decide to wait out the storm and continue our dive when I felt more comfortable. Unfortunatly the pavilion that we decided to ride it out under was also inhabited by a bunch of college kids that were there tubing. The storm was a pretty bad one so everyone was getting impatient. Next thing we know the college kids have decided to start smoking pot. The smell made me naseous and my boyfriend uncomfortable as he's in the military and can get tested at anytime. The smoke got so bad that we had to pack up and call it a day. The people in the shop were very rude when we complained. I understand that they couldnt give us our money back due to weather but I dont think it was fair that we had to leave because of the smoking going on. Am I wrong to be upset about this? Being a brand new diver I'm not really sure of how to go about this or if this is something even worth complaining about. Any help would be greatly appriciated.

Hi there Mer-Maiden:

Ahem: to get this thread back on topic and address the orginal question:

Yep: its always a shame when you make the effort to drag all your gear to a dive site and find that conditions are not suitable for diving: especially if you’ve travelled a long way and/or paid $$$ to hire gear. Even though you’re safe from lightning when submerged its important not to get in the water when uncomfortable with a dive: such as in the conditions you describe. Trust your judgements and always be prepared to call a dive off. Some days are just not made for diving..

As for kids smoking pot – well, as my old man told me theres a time and place for drug use, and that place is called college. If I was in those conditions and worried about getting tested I would have moved up wind, sat things out in the car or just pointed out to them that I could be tested tomorrow. Tests nowadays are very sensitive.

Was the pavilion owned by the park: if so I’d speak/write to the dive park manger and point out that you had really being looking forward to diving at their site but unfortunately couldn’t wait around for the weather to clear and get any dives in at all because of the pot smoking going on in their pavilion - unfortunately tests are very sensitive and your bf was putting his job at risk because he was on their property. This is disappointing because as locals you really been looking forward to regularly diving at their site and had paid $ in rental and $$ in park fees, but you have been put off diving there because of this unfortunate incident and the apparent lack of interest from park staff. Wish them safe diving. If I was running the park I’d throw in free park entry next time: its always important to keep customers happy so they return and part with their money again. I’d avoid passing judgment on the smokers or entering the drug debate or accuse the park management of failing anywhere.

You don’t really have room for a formal complaint, but ask politely and if they are a half decent operation they should help you.

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[mer-maiden]

This is disappointing because as locals you really been looking forward to regularly diving at their site and had paid $ in rental and $$ in park fees, but you have been put off diving there because of this unfortunate incident and the apparent lack of interest from park staff.

There in lies the rub. We arent locals. We drove from Va beach to this place in Florida. Moving to another pavillion was not an option due to the downpour and the loading everything in the car (which was still full of suitcases and we were soaking wet since we had managed to get in the water for a few minutes) didnt sound so great either.. I'm sorry if i offended anyone. I was merely looking for some advice. Thank you all of you who gave me advice and a special thanks to those who sided against me for giving me a perspective I may not have seen on my own. Im still a newb and not really too steady on my feet yet. Seeing as how we did complain that day and were treated very rudely I will be sending an email but I dont expect anything to come from it.

 

[Divesherpa]

Mer-maiden,
It sounds like you may have been at Ginnie (from fee, rental charge, female manager,etc...). I spent a lot of time at Ginnie learning the cave system. I also spent a lot of time surrounded by college kids who were smoking pot. If pot smoking bothers you, all you have to do is say something like, "Hey, would you guys mind not smoking here as my boyfriend is in the military." The UF guys party pretty hard, but they aren't Nazi's who hate the world. They would probably respect your wishes and apologize for offending you. This method would work better than quitting and complaining.
As for the staff, they typically react with whatever attitude they are given. If you are rude and demanding, they will probably react with the same emotion. Betik set up the military discount there 2 weeks ago to help the financial burden for active duty, so there are plenty of military sympathizers there.

I hate to hear that you had a bad experience. Shrew had a good point about going with the flow. I can't foresee everyone drifting as passively as he does (though it would be awesome), but the general principle is there. If someone is doing something that could HARM you, let them know. These folks were from North Florida and North Floridians are much more laid back than military people or people from large cities.

I hope your next dive experience is better.
Jamie

 

[fmw625]

Shrew, I beg to differ with you. The present test used to detect marijuana is so sensitive thea it WILL pick up minute amounts of marijuana, maybe not the amount recieved by walking past someone smoking, but any time spent in the area will be detected. Any how back to the subject, even if they had been smoking cigaretts my wife and I would have had to leave. She is highly alergic to smoke. Seems like smokers legal or illegal should concider others when they smoke.

 

[Warren_L]

I really don't see why it is _their_ responsibility to take due care when they're doing nothing wrong.