Jeth 0 #1 September 23, 2004 Man, this sucks!! I really wish I had made up some story about how I got hurt. Instead, now everybody who sees me hobbling around is thinking that skydiving is so dangerous. I am sooooo sick of trying to justify it to people!!! I wish I had gotten hurt doing something else, so I wouldn't be bringing skydiving down with me!! Nobody believes me when I tell them that the reason I got hurt was because I didn't land the way I was taught. And it also doesn't matter to them that my previous jump had an awesome tiptoe soft landing. All they see is that someone who skydives got hurt. They think on every jump we come crashing to earth. They don't get it, they will never get it, and I'm sick of trying to explain it!!! Geezus. I am so sick of this. The next person who asks me what happened I'm going to tell them I fell down the stairs!! In case anyone is wondering, I came down fast in very low wind and didn't PLF so I slammed forward/sideways on my knee and tore it. If I'd done a PLF, I'm sure I'd be fine. So now I've learned about low wind landings. Thats what being a student is all about. I know I'll be practicing my PLF's this winter!! "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chaoskitty 0 #2 September 23, 2004 You should have said you hurt yourself while sitting on your sofa watching reality tv shows. Thats all anyone around my office ever does.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #3 September 23, 2004 QuoteYou should have said you hurt yourself while sitting on your sofa watching reality tv shows. Thats all anyone around my office ever does.. Noice answer. Jeth, i didn't even know you hurt yourself saturday. Sorry to hear that. The general public will always have their own perceptions of skydiving. Dont try to change them, it will drive you nuts. Feel better chica. PM me anytime. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #4 September 23, 2004 QuoteInstead, now everybody who sees me hobbling around is thinking that skydiving is so dangerous. Dude. Skydiving IS dangerous. The quicker you accept this, the safer you'll be. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #5 September 23, 2004 Welcome to the world of skydiving. Almost every non jumper you meet will tell you to your face that you are nuts to do it. Your injury just validates their point of view (in their minds!) You will also here every "cute didn't open" horrror story known to man, which generally happened to someone's neighbor's cousin's friend's son. Enjoy! And I hope you're healing up OK! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eeneR 1 #6 September 23, 2004 QuoteWelcome to the world of skydiving. Almost every non jumper you meet will tell you to your face that you are nuts to do it. To add to this...a friend of mine fell and broke her wrist walking backwards from a dog...yes just walking backwards....friends and family were like "At least you didnt break it skydiving!" What the fuck is the difference...a broken wrist is a broken wrist...period...*shaking head*She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway." eeneR TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #7 September 23, 2004 Well, I met a woman who broke her ankle tripping over a sack of potatoes while she was cooking dinner for her family. Her lazy ass kids did not bother to put away the groceries. I met her while I was recovering from a broken ankle myself so we exchanged stories about how we got hurt. She actually had the nerve to tell me that I DESERVED to get hurt since I was crazy to skydive to begin with. I should have told her she deserved to break her leg because she raised such rotten kids! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #8 September 23, 2004 QuoteWelcome to the world of skydiving. Almost every non jumper you meet will tell you to your face that you are nuts to do it. Your injury just validates their point of view (in their minds!) You will also here every "cute didn't open" horrror story known to man, which generally happened to someone's neighbor's cousin's friend's son. Enjoy! And I hope you're healing up OK! OMG, you are so right!! I have already heard a million times that I could've died and I'm crazy for wanting to keep jumping. Geez. I just had a bad landing, it happens when you're learning to skydive! Oh, and to the person who said skydiving IS dangerous -- duh! I never said it wasn't! These people just have no concept of how injuries happen in skydiving and they think of all the worst-case scenarios all the time. I mean, I have a friend who has a worse knee injury from running! Injuries happen in any sport! People just overreact cuz of their ideas of skydiving. (Yes, I am aware skydiving is more dangerous than running. )"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eeneR 1 #9 September 23, 2004 QuoteI should have told her she deserved to break her leg because she raised such rotten kids! If it were me, depending on my mood, i just might have She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway." eeneR TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soarfree 0 #10 September 23, 2004 Aw Beth! Sorry to hear your knee is still bothering you! When you're all healed up, we'll hit the DZ mats and practice those PLF's! Hang in there! Well behaved women rarely make history - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #11 September 23, 2004 QuoteWell, I met a woman who broke her ankle tripping over a sack of potatoes while she was cooking dinner for her family. Her lazy ass kids did not bother to put away the groceries. I met her while I was recovering from a broken ankle myself so we exchanged stories about how we got hurt. She actually had the nerve to tell me that I DESERVED to get hurt since I was crazy to skydive to begin with. I should have told her she deserved to break her leg because she raised such rotten kids! OMG, thats incredible!! Geezus! I would've told her something worse!! Ya, all the people who previously knew I jump said "I was hoping your injury wasn't from skydiving." Why does it matter! What, it's not as bad if I fell down the stairs? An injury sucks no matter how you get it. Geez."At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #12 September 23, 2004 >Instead, now everybody who sees me hobbling around is thinking that >skydiving is so dangerous. It is! You can do everything right and still end up injured, paralyzed or dead. It's definitely not for everyone. And if people see you and think "Hey, people can die doing that!" - good! There will be fewer lawsuits after people go up for their "fun tandem ride" and are injured. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #13 September 23, 2004 Knock on wood that I have yet to suffer a serious jumping injury, but I have been hurt more often playing hockey than I have been hurt from jumping. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #14 September 23, 2004 QuoteKnock on wood that I have yet to suffer a serious jumping injury, but I have been hurt more often playing hockey than I have been hurt from jumping. Thank you, that was my point. Injuries can happen anywhere, anytime. And if you're a skydiver that does not mean you are guaranteed to get injured or killed. BTW, mine is not that bad. I may not need surgery on the ligament and nothing is broken. People just overreact cuz I got the injury by skydiving."At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frodo 0 #15 September 23, 2004 QuoteThe next person who asks me what happened I'm going to tell them I fell down the stairs!! That's what I did at the hospital (about 3-4 hours after my landing)... not sure they believed me though, cos my pulse was still 90+ from the "residual" adrenaline (well and from injury too). they prolly thought I was extreme-skating or something. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChileRelleno 0 #16 September 23, 2004 I agree with alot of whats already been said, in particular with "Skydiving IS Dangerous!" I never tell people its safe becuase as you learned even a minor screw-up can hurt... ALOT! You can do everything right and still die! I tell'em this and then they really think I'm/we're crazy. I badly shattered my Tib/Fib two years ago but mine was a classic case of "Hey!Watch this!", and not carefully inspecting a new DZ's LZ. (check out my post's "crash and burn" and "x-rays and photos of bad swoop" http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=201749;#201749 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=216812;#216812 Get over the standard reaction of armchair warriors who watch too much reality tv and just learn from your mistake while you heal. <<<<<<>>>>>> ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414 Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
somethinelse 0 #17 September 23, 2004 HA! NO KIDDING... TWISTED ANKLES, FRACTURED FINGER, AND FREQUENTLY I'VE GOT A CHANGING DISPLAY OF BRUISES AFTER MY JUMPS... PEOPLE WANNA KNOW- "WHADJA DO THIS TIME? HOW'D YOU GET THAT?!" I AM USUALLY SURE TO ADD, "OH, I BRUISE EASILY..." IT IS EASY TO GET HURT SKYDIVING!!! I AM ALWAYS SURE TO STRETCH OUT REALLY WELL BEFORE I JUMP. IT'S KEPT MY NEWBIE SELF OUT OF SOME POTENTIALLY REALLY SERIOUS HURTS THAT ONLY ENDED UP BEING MINOR OWIES. (COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING!) BE CAREFUL & STAY SAFE! BLUES - LiLa. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goose491 0 #18 September 23, 2004 Sorry to hear you got hurt. Hope you heal fast friend. I've not seriously injured myself skydiving but I did sprain my wrist and thumb as well as bruise the bones in one hand due to a poor landing decision. I had to wear a brace for a few weeks (read: a very short 6-8 weeks lol) When people asked, I said: "I fell down" Hey. It's the truth ain't it? My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BETO74 0 #19 September 23, 2004 I was thinking the same thing? who ever told you skydive is safe lie to you.http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adobelover 0 #20 September 23, 2004 Lots of people automatically think if you skydive and have an injury that you got it jumping... I showed up at the DZ in April with a badly sprained left ankle and twisted right knee that I got while carrying an old TV out to the trash...I misjudged the front step and BAM! Had to wear a sign on my shirt for a couple of weeks saying that it was NOT a skydiving injury 'cause I got sick of everybody assuming it was!_________________________________________ Old age ain't no place for sissies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davedlg 0 #21 September 23, 2004 QuoteShe actually had the nerve to tell me that I DESERVED to get hurt since I was crazy to skydive to begin with A skydiver who paralyzed himself jumping at my dropzone was treated badly by the staff at a major rehab center. He managed to stand up and walk months after the doctors told him he would never walk again. The staff at the center actually told him that he was no hero because he had hurt himself "screwing around" and it was the people who hurt themselves working or in car wrecks that were the real heros. I can't believe that they would act that way. When an injury like that happens it is life-changing regardless of how it happened. Would it have been any different if he had done it in a car wreck driving to the dropzone? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhighkiy 0 #22 September 23, 2004 Instructions: look to left side of keyboard, go to bottom button, should say "CTRL" count 3 buttons up, starting w/ CTRL as #1. you should come to a button that says "Caps Lock" Depress and release button once continue posting BE THE BUDDHA! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhighkiy 0 #23 September 23, 2004 QuoteInstead, now everybody who sees me hobbling around is thinking that skydiving is so dangerous. to re-iterate this point, consider what, exactly, you are doing. Jumping out of an airplane from two miles above what could kill you. falling at speeds averaging 120 (for belly) watching(or listening to) a piece of man-made equpiment, meant to accurately measure altitude. throwing a piece of cloth out of your backpack. relying on a mass of neatly folded material to open correctly (Maybe resulting in a 2nd skydive for the price of one) "flying" (really you're just gliding) on a wind that could could easily send you out of control whenever it wished and finally, try to make your little piece of cloth create a nice little pocket of air to slow you down before you smash in to the ground. Skydiving is the safet sport ever (this post not meant to be malicious) BE THE BUDDHA! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreamsville 0 #24 September 23, 2004 Skydiving is dangerous, and I tell people what the safety procedures are and that today's gear is designed to land us softly IF we follow procedures and maintain gear. I also say that we have decided that our equipment and safety procedures give us a level of PERCEIVED risk that we as skydivers are prepared to accept, each in his or her own context. Not everyone's perception of risk and knowledge of the sport is the same, obviously. So there will always be a vast number of non-skydivers and just a few of us. To the extent possible, patient education is the best course. Beyond that, a scary image of the sport in many people's minds (and fear) is hard to help. Edited to add: Just imagine if the sport became MUCH more popular because someone found a way to convince large numbers of people that skydiving was not so dangerous, so many took to it. Imagine the shortage of aircraft and DZ-usable airports and the wait for a load. You'd yearn for the good old days when you could walk in with a few friends and fly to your heart's content. The sky would shine a deeper blue (in your eyes) and your rig would gather a bit more dust. It would be like golf tee times on the popular courses. Maybe those public perceptions do have a lighter side. |I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #25 September 24, 2004 QuoteYou should have said you hurt yourself while sitting on your sofa watching reality tv shows. Thats all anyone around my office ever does.. my favorite reason for a knee injury is the NFL punter who slipped getting into the hot tub. I could swear I've heard more than one use that line too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
