In a week full of tabloid ghastlieness I am left with little to offer you by way of a literary treat, but I did discover that it’s very easy to make a complete dickhead of yourself writing newsletters – well, I already have but try this. From a complete plonker by the name of David Ware CEO of Team Talk – a publicly listed company based in Wellington, and for those of you who are cyclists like me I guarantee you will find it a little chilling. In his “Newsletter Issue 59 of Feb 13 he wrote:
"Don’t you just hate cyclists? Sodding road vermin – think weasels in Lycra. I feel the same about cyclists as I do possums – road kill. More than anything it’s their unbridled arrogance that gets up my nose. Unlike the rest of us they don’t pay road user charges or extra ACC premiums. But in spite of being guests on our roads they think they have some god given right to ride wherever they bloody-well please, whenever they please."
He goes on to say “When I’m out on my motorcycle (kind of explains things) my response is to pull up beside them and have a quiet word in their ear. (Let me guess - its a Harley Davidson that makes the permitted exhaust noise level rules a complete joke – and we are supposed to understand what he is saying.) I generally try and discuss their behaviour but on occasion I discuss their parentage. Invariably they respond by shouting abuse at me while making wild hand gesticulations (those are vertical movements David made whilst apparently holding a cylindrical object – sounds like anchor). It’s time to declare open season.”
Would you work for that man? Would you buy something from that man or his company? I hope his staff expressed their disdain, his customers likewise, and his shareholders their support by turning South..
Possibly, he had been experimenting with the other notable piece of editorial excellence from the same issue, destined to provide inspiration and leadership to his readers, a recipe for Vodka Jelly. Rumour has it that he and Richard Prosser are mates..... no substance to that but...........
So, when I start writing drivel like that, please feel free to ask for my removal from the post of Winglet Writer, clearly I will have succumbed to something – I just hope it will be something more defining than Vodka Jelly.
Chris – that was for you buddy, just to cheer you up!!!!
Yes, we had a good weekend with a number of trial flights, despite a shaky start to Saturday when borrowed tug PNE failed to fire and left Tracey stuck in a hangar whilst we played “was that the sound of a Pawnee” on the other side of the hills. Sadly one of our visitors missed out on his birthday present, but I’m sure he will be back – they left in good spirits and we thank them for that. I guess it brings home the fact that we depend upon so many things in a gliding club and when something goes out of alignment we realize how fortunate we are, that generally things tick along pretty sweetly.
Both days saw notable flying efforts – Alan Belworthy probably taking the prize for the most hours in the air with the least number of landings. I understand he chalked up 300km on Sunday!! Pieter Bronkhorst had a good long solo flight to further his solo career, and we had a new arrival looking to join us – Claudio Sala – Julian reports he is as keen as mustard after his first flight on Sunday, so thats great news – keep a lookout for a new face and make sure he gets a Piako welcome. Visiting UK pilot Steve Ansell was there both days as well and seemed to be enjoying himself – until Sunday night.........
I had an amusing Saturday morning when a member rocked up with a coffee in his hand and stood chatting whist I washed 2 gliders and DI’d 1. Seems his coffee cup prohibited any other form of activity from taking place – just a reminder team – we are a club and we all need to pitch in and that way we all get to enjoy ourselves. We don’t employ aircraft washers and duty pilots who are at your beck and call to enable you to pop in, fly, and pop off! Its your club and your fellow members expect you to pitch in – don’t expect civility, warmth and friendship if you can’t be bothered! If you are not sure what is to be done – ask if you can lend a hand – its the way clubs work, friendships grow and the club spirit soars ........
Saving the best until last – I always used to do that with my mashed potato and gravy – Tim has been doing a great job again at the club class contest in Taupo hasn’t he? Bob Gray as been upholding the honour as well and I gather the usual amount of fun has been had around the bar – probably due to the number of land-out crew shouts that the pilots are having to stump up with. Tim’s score so far of interesting landouts seems to be pretty much ahead of the pack, a crash callout resulting in 2 fire engines and a police car, and a landout on a very handy airstrip that had no road access for the crew that had come to get him ....... What’s next??? Keep up the good work guys.
Funny how things work out – I was just about to close this and a mate phoned, asking if I wanted to join him on a bike ride.......... its true! Fortunately its on a Harley free forest trail – but there may be possums!
PC
