speuci

Best Practices are to configure "Friend Lists." You can specify what portions of your profile can be seen by people on a particular list (in privacy settings). When you accept friends, you can move them onto a friend list when you accept. My default is to share a lot of stuff. I keep a friends list for co-workers that excludes status updates and pictures. I keep a friends list for people I barely know that excludes almost everything. A bit of overhead to setup, but well worth it. Sadly, this feature doesn't get nearly the publicity it deserves.

This will be my last post on this thread - Tom, thanks for the lengthy reply, very informative - I greatly appreciate that you took the time to type it. Jeff - I was going to respond point-counter-point with you but i've decided not too. I'm not the least embarassed by the things I posted, most of what i've pointed out is my modest experiences at 5 dropzones over 2.5 years in the sport, and differing attitutes toward newbies that may or may not impact safety. Perhaps you already know everything, but I know that I certainly don't. IMO, experience is what is truly valuable here, and let's face it, neither you nor I have it. Since it seems likely that you and I will be on the same load in the not too distant future... I'll leave it with a "Blue skies"

Awesome!

This next part is sincere: thank you for teaching me this - this whole discussion probably hasn't swayed much opinion, but now I know more. I just checked with two similiary situated jump buddies - none of us is familiar with this term (until now). Perhaps at your DZ (which may in fact be Lodi) this term is part of the first jump course, I dunno. However, with regard to that question, I asked to be educated and you did so in a mocking way. As a USPA ambassador and a person who may draw her living from the sport - you would be well served by improving your attitude toward persons such as myself.

What is a cut jump run? There isn't enough context in this thread, the term is not used in the SIM, a forum search doesn't reveal a good hit... If I paid for a hop-n-pop, I would assume the hop-n-pop is the same as one of the ones I did to get my A. You're "nothing to ask in the plane" is emblematic of the problem. There's no doubt that if I delayed the load because something didn't look right, and dare I ask you a question, (a USPA instructor WHOM I SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE AS A RESOURCE) would yell at me in an irritated voice, shaking me up... And I'll say it again, these may not be the facts of the Lodi incident, but they may not be far off...

I've never been in a plane such as this, so I can't imagine what that would like like. But, to be honest, prior to this thread debate, I probably would have jumped assuming the pilot knew what he was doing. Now, I'll probably ask and risk getting yelled at by the experienced jumpers.

Here we go again... If the administrator let a suit eclipse the statute of limitations against a DZ that owned a lot of planes, probably a TON of coin... Perhaps you don't realize the estate laws and duties vary state by state. I see you are in Texas, i am not. Comments like this make it seem like I have a stake in the game. The only interest I have in the outcome of the lawsuit is the secondary affect it will have on the safety practices adopted by the DZs I jump at. AND BACHING! Thanks for making my ENTIRE POINT. I don't know a lot about skydiving, even though i've been *told* things by hypocritical persons such as yourself! I'm asking people like you to look after people like me, understanding that WE DON"T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW - and your attitudes are "we told it to you the other day." You simultaneously tell us that: 1) We can't know things 2) We are solely responsible for knowing things Lovely! Oh yeah, and across the board, salespersons are far scummier than lawyers. Just thought I'd throw that in

This was a good laugh But given that you appearently jump at Lodi.... I may be the least of your problems (and that was a joke, I've heard find things about Lodi Tandem)

I don't care what you believe. Perhaps their was no viable lawsuit (i.e. no pull) Perhaps their was no heir around to check the trustee. If you think you're understanding of the legal system trumps mine, I could careless!

I admire your protectiveness of the sport - but my understanding of the law is that the trustee/administrator will be under a fiduciary duty to maximize the value of your estate for the benefit of your heirs, regardless of your wishes (failure to do so would expose them to liability). Moreover, while you can frequently waive your right to sue for some things, I don't believe you can waive the right of others (e.g. your estate) to sue for wrongful death. Not legal advice, but this is how I recall the workings... No doubt some of you will reply to this as *another example of broken laws in the U.S.* - but think it through and I think you'll realize who benefits from this.

It's easier to criticize, hard to fix. Fact remains that across the board, products come out fairly safe and well designed, and problems are addressed quickly. Back to the main thread - the thread asked "how do you feel about Lodi" and I responded to the statements which I largely perceived as "drop zones can do no wrong" - a statement I clearly disagree with (as well as some of the early posters in the thread).

Well - that would be fact specific. If he had hit in this instance, I would hope that he would share liability for the property damage, just like (again speculation if certain above facts were true) the DZ would share liability for his injuries. Hell, those could net out possibly with a net liability of jumper to DZ, I dunno. I'm not pro jumper, or pro DZ. All I'm saying is their are aspects of the sport that I consider to be problematic, clearly some of you don't feel that way, but I bet some do. The main aspect being this "every man for himself" attitude that occasionally fails to teach proper skills to participants. To the poster before - if he had hit and knocked off the tail, I bet you would have died - and you better beleive that the trustee/administrator of your estate would have brought a lawsuit against the DZ.

I doubt he ignored it, he probably failed to realize the instruction at the time he exited the plane. I would consider this both a teaching failure and a learning failure. As you are USPA Coach and Tandem Instructor, I'm surprised that you would come to such a stern conclusion as to summarily conclude "His fault." Then again, perhaps I'm not that surprised after all.

I believe one time right before exit (or even a sign by the door indicating "DO NOT JUMP ON EXIT - LOW TAIL") would have sufficed.

Appearently, not that much of an idiot if I assume some of the facts in this thread are true (i.e. numerous near collisions, lots of verbal warnings, no one mentioning to the jumper at exit that he was in danger) - and I apologize if I incorrectly addressed your earlier point. Skydiving has a tremendous learning curve and is rife with danger. Some people are great at looking after other members and helping them scale the curve, but many (that I've come across) are not. They rush people out of the plane, get frustrated when you ask for a buddy check, etc. This latter group increases the risks of the sport for the younger participants. Yeah the kid may have been told - but he likely wasn't told contemporaneous with his exit from the plane, and he probably could have been told if someone gave a damn (speculation).