AlphaCrow

LMAO! So much for anonymous. Yes, thank you Trent. After looking at those, amazingly enough old Trent figured me out and the guy I'm having issues with posted a very kind message to me. I guess this worked a hell of a lot better than I figured just for advice. Looks like this might get resolved much better and easier than I thought. Again, thanks to all. Thanks to trent for pointing out the red icon at the top and thanks to the other instructor for being humble enough to send a olive branch.

I need to thank you all for the advice. Sometimes you just need to say something out loud and see how it sounds to others, I probably am over reacting. I will try to speak with him next time I'm out there :) I noticed some think it's a matter of skydiving, but I disagree. It's all personality. He could come talk to me about Taco Bell (which I love dearly) and just the way he approaches me rubs me the wrong way. I hate to sound pompous, but being in the military with NO rights at all (prisoners get treated better) and being ordered around has made me go the opposite way as a free man :) I respond well to "Hey, can I speak with you?" (read, ASKS for me time) versus "Hey, come here, I need to tell you something" while standing ten feet away and pointing at the ground in front of you like I'm going to heel. In the end, I think that's about 90% of the problem and I'll try to bring this up with him. You can ASK another person for his time, but you should not TELL them. I think that it's incredibly disrespectful and condescending. Then to stand there and touch my forearm every few seconds... sigh. Well, pray for a positive outcome. I'll do what I should have done to start with... punch him out. Wait, I mean, speak with him about what I have see as problematic, though I intend to be firm about how he needs to ask me for time first (that will make or break the conversation with me) and not touch me (I just don't like it, it makes me very uncomfortable). Thank you all, I remember why I like this sport so much. A lot of it is for the positive community. I'll post again in a week or so after I speak with him. Be safe!

Yeah, that's my fear is becoming a problem child after a good several year clean record over male egos. Well, I guess I'll go down there with only planning on 1 jump for that day and see if the opportunity arises to speak with him. I wonder if anyone has had any experience with this? What do DZO's usually do? I really don't want to head down the path to getting a bad name or banned there. I also don't want this guy preaching to me about various things. BTW, I'll give you another example. He seems to have a guilt complex around quiet people. G/f coming in for first solo STP landing. This guy has the radio, is guiding her, but saying goofy things like "the dog ate my cookie, haha"... then "left turn".. "that dog keeps taking my cookies!". I know her and she's very, VERY nervous. I quietly ask the senior instructor, who is her STP instructor, to do the radio. He does. The problem instructor catches on to this and starts talking nervously to me about how he didn't mean anything by it (guess he's worried I'll report his lack of professionalism). I don't say a word, just quietly watch her descend. Then he starts quizzing me on how many jumps I have (yes, he asks like everytime he gets worked up). I tell him to ask me later, please. I'm sure it upset him, though at least I didn't hear from it that time. Anyway, that's the deal. I really do not want to speak to him. I'm am a VERY quiet person. Is that a big problem in some of your opinions? I don't think it is, but maybe I'm different. I hope I don't give a bad name to us 100 jump guys :) Trust me, I'm not stopping, just going forward at my own financial pace. I will say, one thing that really, REALLY pisses me off though, is people talking down to me or being insulting because I don't have a lot of jumps. I don't make a whole lot of money and I have an elderly relative that my whole family gives part of our paychecks to keep them in a decent nursing home with medical care. If I make overtime, it's a few extra jumps that month. I really don't need some punk telling me about myself because of a number. Again, thank you all for the advice (minus the flaming, )

No, never any problems. A normal day for me is to go down there with a small group. We sit on a bench between jumps, laugh, joke and have fun. This one instructor has to come over, make several comments and make everyone uncomfortable as heck. He touches everyone multiple times while talking. I think it all boils down to, we're different personality types. I asked him to stop touching me, fairly politely (as in: "don't touch me please"). He gets insulted and basically follows me around making comments. One of my friends touches my shoulder, he'll say "Oh, he can touch you! So what's your problem with me?!". I really feel like saying "welcome to America, sorry you had to leave mother russia behind". I'm friends with all other instructors and staff, first name basis and call several of them before heading there for a weather/staffing report (enough tandems for friends, etc) and loads going up. I just don't like this one guy and refuse to talk/touch/deal with him and he's making a war out of it. Speak with owner? Write a letter to owner? My group of friends (fun jumpers, STP's and tandems) is looking to me to handle it since I've been there long enough. They dislike him as much as me. I could speak with him, but I can predict it'll turn into a verbal fight.

I've been jumping (very slowly, 2-3 a month) at a DZ for almost 4 years now, I have about 100 jumps total. I'm very safe and cautious, I jump alone and land smoothly in the practice field every time. There is an instructor that began working there about a year ago. The guy is condenscending, though somewhat polite. The guy always manages to approach me and my small group of friends and start a conflict. Instead of arguing, I just walk away from the guy. I thought I was being fairly mature. I just can't stand his tone and attitude, while I'm low in numbers in skydiving, this is not my first rodeo with danger (professional firefighter, military combat veteran, etc). While I may hold those things inside as to why I don't want someone talking down to me, I also don't want to dishonor them and explain my background. My girlfriend, who jumps, noticed the guy complaining to the DZ owner that I "don't listen to him". I'm worried the guy is trying to get me in trouble with the DZ. I realize I have a perfectly clean record and am acquaintance friends or at least friendly with everyone else there, going for me. I'm still worried that since I don't go very often and he's there everyday, he might have enough influence to cause problems. What do you guys/gals think I should do? Confronting the guy is NOT a good idea. I'll skip the macho story, but I'm barely, barely holding it in when dealing with him. Speak with the owner? Write a letter? I have several people that go there that are willing to sign a letter stating the guy is abrasive and condenscending. For instance, the last incident... I received a new samsung sportscam I was showing off to some buddies there. The guy kept looking over and obviously wanting to say something. Anyway, we jump and have a good time. I have 10 minutes to leave to get my passenger back home in time for work. I'm dropping my rental chute off and he starts asking me how many jumps I have. I'm assuming he wants to lecture me about a camera, but I'm in a hurry and I don't need to hear it from him anyway. I say "couldn't tell you right off".. he asks again and again, I say "I'm in a hurry, not now", smile and jog to the restroom where I change. He's whining to another instructor that I'm rude to him and won't listen. I leave within 5 minutes with my group as planned. (note: the camera was in my jumpsuit, though I have a mount for it on my helmet, I landed near my girlfriend and filmed her, since it was her second STP solo and the instructors there don't film landings) Sorry to come on and start with a gripe Just need some advice from experienced jumpers. They know me at the DZ, I have good terms with everyone. Logically that should weigh in well, but I'm worried anyway. Should I write a letter of complaint and file all the issues he has caused with my me, my girlfriend (touching her arm repeatedly while talking to her despite her pulling away), being rude to my brother (STP student), making my buddy uncomfortable (first time tandem with him), etc? Would the DZ owner tell me to take a hike if I'm causing problems by complaining? Should I just call the DZ owner for a more personal method? Ignore it and hope I don't get a warning or even banned from the DZ if this guy is making up lies or exaggerations? Advice plz... thanks in advance :)