Buying beer for "firsts" an American thing?

[apoil 0]

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I see it a bit like tipping, i don't tip (if you want more money, go and get a better job, nobody makes you take a poorly paid job) so i dont really see why i should buy a case of beer for people who are already getting paid

It's more like social security.
At the beginning you pay into it.
As you get older/more experienced you withdraw more.

When you've spent all your money on gear and jump tickets you'll appreciate the new folks in the sport buying their beer.

[adventurechick 0]

I'm learning about the beer rule also... I bought beer when I graduated AFF... but am I suppose to buy beer if it was my first time falling through a cloud, first time landing on the target, first time docking onto someone....ect.

Is it mainly for new licenses, landing off...ect?? Or is it for every little first you have??

PMS #449 TPM #80 Muff Brother #3860
SCR #14705 Dirty Sanchez #233

[bigway 4]

The first rule can get out of hand.

you will learn the personal rule very fast. Never say 'First'. If you say First, you owe beer.
It is like a swear jar. "First" is the biggest swear word of them all.
I have bought beer for 'first jump out of the porter', 'first of dz landing', first jump at new dz, first 4-way, first sit fly, first this, first that etc.
I now listen out for others using this word and will pull them on it.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[rasmack 0]

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I'm learning about the beer rule also... I bought beer when I graduated AFF... but am I suppose to buy beer if it was my first time falling through a cloud, first time landing on the target, first time docking onto someone....ect.

Is it mainly for new licenses, landing off...ect?? Or is it for every little first you have??

I normally say that it is for every first that is worth celebrating. If you don't think it is worth celebrating then it is also not worth pointing out to your friends. If you do so anyway, do not use the word 'first' and expect them to say "So, was this your first...?".
I bought beer this week for my first jump out of a Skyvan, but I will not buy beer for "first solo of the season" or similar (unless we are badly in need of beer due to cheap bastards ).

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[Richbeazley 0]

Plenty of people have brought crates into Langar in the evenings; off the top of my head I can think of 5 at least. Its the best way for us poor uni students to be able to shout a few drinks.

I know for a fact that the barman doesn't mind, specially if you give him one.

I guess you just missed out.

But I imagine there'll be a few freebies this summer...

[Lindsey 0]

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The first rule can get out of hand.

you will learn the personal rule very fast. Never say 'First'. If you say First, you owe beer.
It is like a swear jar. "First" is the biggest swear word of them all.
I have bought beer for 'first jump out of the porter', 'first of dz landing', first jump at new dz, first 4-way, first sit fly, first this, first that etc.
I now listen out for others using this word and will pull them on it.

When I first started jumping, I was always glad to buy beer, so I brought a case with me every weekend. I'd come up with a good reason later. :)

Buying beer is not something to try to avoid, imho. I still usually buy a couple of six-packs of GOOD beer at the end of the day.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[tso-d_chris 0]

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Is this an American tradition more than anything?

I did my AFF last year at what is arguably the busiest DZ in England (langar) and no mention of buying beer was made. I've not seen the tradition done by anybody at the DZ to be honest.

Is it a tradition that is dieing out, or just mainly done in America? I see it a bit like tipping, i don't tip (if you want more money, go and get a better job, nobody makes you take a poorly paid job) so i dont really see why i should buy a case of beer for people who are already getting paid

It is not an American tradition; it's a skydiver tradition, carried over from the earliest days of skydiving when it was discovered that skydivers really like beer.

I have found that it is often easier to convince a skydiver to buy me a single Guinness for a beer line violation than it is to get them to buy a case of green bottles for the whole DZ.

A little known caveat: Cheap beer such as Budweiser or Miller does not count towards beer requirements. It must be GOOD beer, such as Guinness, Warstainer, Salvator, New Castle, etc.

BTW, wasn't this your FIRST beer thread?

For Great Deals on Gear

[jumpingjimmy 0]

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Is this an American tradition more than anything?

I did my AFF last year at what is arguably the busiest DZ in England (langar) and no mention of buying beer was made. I've not seen the tradition done by anybody at the DZ to be honest.

Is it a tradition that is dieing out, or just mainly done in America? I see it a bit like tipping, i don't tip (if you want more money, go and get a better job, nobody makes you take a poorly paid job) so i dont really see why i should buy a case of beer for people who are already getting paid

It is not an American tradition; it's a skydiver tradition, carried over from the earliest days of skydiving when it was discovered that skydivers really like beer.

I have found that it is often easier to convince a skydiver to buy me a single Guinness for a beer line violation than it is to get them to buy a case of green bottles for the whole DZ.

A little known caveat: Cheap beer such as Budweiser or Miller does not count towards beer requirements. It must be GOOD beer, such as Guinness, Warstainer, Salvator, New Castle, etc.

BTW, wasn't this your FIRST beer thread?

and isn't this your first post in it?

[niu 0]

Visited the old club this easter,the case tradition seems to be alive and well here in sweden.

[iGGy 0]

Beer tradition alive and well in Norway as well... with fairly complex rules attached to them :) Failing to comply with any of these rules will result in a "svenske" (norwegian for "swede"), where the offender must buy a sixpack.

[Remster 24]

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i've not thought about running a tab up at the bar

I've opened more then 1 tab for just that purpose at Langar.

Remster

[LittleDJ 0]

Nope, definately not just an american thing, i jump at chatteris airfield and beer is a definate for firsts

***********************************
LittleDJ!!- There is no such thing as a perfectly good aircraft!!!

[jumpingjimmy 0]

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i've not thought about running a tab up at the bar

I've opened more then 1 tab for just that purpose at Langar.

you've been to langar !! cool

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[packerboy 3]

About going to get a better job...

In North America people get jobs as a server or bartender because it IS a better job than some, and that is because of the tips. When I worked as a bartender in Banff I would pocket at the very least $100 in tips on a very slow day, $150 to $250 on an average weekend and new years eve myself and another bartender split $1600 in tips.

Funny thing is... alot of that money came from Brits who weren't used to tipping and would tip WAY more than average.

At the clubs and pubs here if you don't tip, you don't get service because that waiter is at the other tables making a better living than he would paying attention to your cheap ass! It's called a symbiotic relationship.

Not to mention certain income tax benefits such as..... not paying them. (So I heard )

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[NelKel 0]

you will learn the personal rule very fast. Never say 'First'. If you say First, you owe beer.<<<

It also a way of getting more experienced jumpers to open up and accept newer ones. Helps lub up the old farts to share stories, and maybe even the newbie might get invited to jump, and become more accepted by the clique.

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Someone dies, someone says how stupid, someone says it was avoidable, someone says how to avoid it, someone calls them an idiot, someone proposes rule chan