Scottish 6 Days - Day 5

[Becks]

Okay, it just doesn't indicate which day people have dropped. Got it. Thanks Mike!

Go Dad!

[andy]

Okay, it just doesn't indicate which day people have dropped.

Hmm, it's not super clear, I'll have a word with the powers that be for future events!

[AlanB]

I'm disappointed, but not really surprised, to read some of the criticism levelled at the organisers over parking and routing issues. Having obtained, and having read just a little of, "A Few Surplus Maps" I am in absolute awe of the people who put the 6 Day event together. The complexity of the thing is enough to bring me out in a cold sweat and I am amazed that so many people are willing to give up their time to arrange what has been an incredible week (my first 6D).

As a member of a Scottish club I played my (small) part on Day 1, but my other main responsibility, as a competitor, was to make life as easy as possible for the volunteers on other days. That included arriving at each site in the direction laid down in advance, parking where I was told, and responding positively to any last minute changes. Any slight inconvenience, or having to wait in traffic queues for whatever reason, was as nothing when compared to what the organisers must have been through.

On Day 4 (Torinturk) I heard car parking volunteers repeatedly having to deal with people wanting to travel in the opposite direction to that instructed, regardless of the consequences. Yes, you probably do have the right to travel in whatever direction you choose, but you also have a responsibility to the organisers, your fellow competitiors, the local community and to the reputation of the event itself. In any case we attend the 6 Days to experience the quality of the terrain (and competition). If you want ease of access take up ten-pin bowling.

When one day's newsletter tells me that arrangements for Day 5 have changed, and could I please offer a lift to any stray competitor waiting for a bus, I am happy to respond (although I did wonder how best to approach what could have been any random bystander just minding their business). I didn't appreciate that I would be approached by a volunteer seeking lifts for competitors as though arranging homes for wartime evacuees!

I was allocated a guy from NATO (sorry I forgot your name ) and a certain Mr McLeod. Not knowing too much about the stars in our sport (I know who my rivals are towards the butt end of M50S ), I asked Alisdair how the week was going for him. He gave a suitably modest reply which I accepted at face value.

So when an unfortunate set of circumstances occurs that leaves the organisers having to make last-minute and inconvenient changes, accept them with good grace. You never know you might end up giving a lift to the eventual winner of the M21E class!

[DeerTick]

Much appreciated post, AlanB.

Thank you.

[Mrs H]

Brill post Alan. The lift system was great fun. I had a lovely lift and the walk back was as memorable as I'd hoped. The point about making life easier for the volunteers is very well made. Great Scottish 6 Days. Lovely areas. No midges and the weather was
Ostly okay too.

[King Penguin]

Seconded. A great week. Many thanks to all those involved in putting on the events for all their efforts.

[EddieH]

Follyfoot, I assume you are the moron that yacked on an on at me about the ludicrous situation on day 4 - I actually stopped listening before you'd finished your first sentence.

Plenty has been said about why you should do as asked. As fot me I arrived at 8.00 and parked carsm (a very few of which did not want to park as requested, ) solidly barr 1 pee stop until 12.30. I then ran before doing a 2 hour stint litter collecting (ALMOST none,) then on exit duty. One of my club mates did all that and a lot more. He had also been taping the fields ready and other chore for 7 hours on the rest day. He also got a mpouthful from you and from a few others.

I fear that our day organiser who worked incessantly for 2 days will never offer to do anything like it again, and it is crass idiots like you that leave a sour taste.

If you don't like it do another sport.

[follyfoot]

...

[The Cumbrian]

Really enjoyed the 6 days experience this time around. That said day 2 @ Ardnastie resulted in a poor run for me and I'd say the area wasn't up to the standard...just not enough running out of the oakwoods and a map that was difficult to interpret the light green from the white until you where in it. Creag Mhic was, as ever, a wonderful experience and Day 1 offered such variety of terrain for the longer courses it was a real winner.
Perhaps Follyfoot has never 'enjoyed' the experience of organising at the more complex levels of the sport and his post is an irresponsible one to make. The only salient point being the lack of green credentials our sport could sometimes be questioned for...we all travel extensive distances for relatively short runs.
Overall the organisation was hard to fault, my sole issue would be the arrangements for campervans, if this needs to be continued for similar events more busses at peak times and some cover from the rain for the bus assembly points are needed.

[Mrs H]

Follyfoot you are such an arse. Do you really think we haven't worked out who you are?

If I could think of anything bad to say about the event it would be that the toilets were a bit iffy and I'm not quite sure how much the foreign commentator brought to the event. But I loved the wifi.

[MIE]

For follyfoots' information (I just corrected my typo from foolyfoot)

My 2 early arrivals resulted in in me being parked "close" to the assembly and
almost as far away as it was possible. On my 2 late arrivals I similarly ended up close and far away. I got a lift on Day 5 from a passing car as I walked to catch
a bus and on the other middle day I had a middling walk to assembly . I my view my parking position was totally random.

The logistics of managing 1500 to 2000 vehicles may seem simple to a simpleton
but there are a huge number of considerations, one of the last of which is to pander
to the whims and fancies of idiots like you (follyfoot)
As has already been said -- if you don't like it find another sport (like tiddlywinks or darts)

[Urban]

We encountered very few parking problems : Maybe we were lucky being with sensible people prepared to follow what seemed to be us totally reasonable traffic management systems. It could so easily have been a complete disaster.
Day 1/3/4 and 6 no problem whatsoever.
Day 2 waited 35 mins to exit car park but that's fine, no hurry we're on holiday.
Day 4 we had early starts and were parked in the field to the south of assembly by Eddie and left as required by organisers and found a lovely tearoom! No problem there then!
Day 5 - waiting 10 mins arriving and leaving for the coach to shuttle to and fro was entirely preferrable to walking 4km each way (although I have to say I hated the very wet bogs off a very late start, and didn't enjoy it one bit ).

So I think the parking and traffic was well managed.
Perhaps all events need to look closely at the number of single occupancy cars arriving at hard pressed car parks........but that's another debate!

[Paul Frost]

...why oh why are early arrivals parked furthest away?

I'm sure that given your own experiences of organising car parking at major events you already know, but it obviously depends on where the access gate to the field is located. If it is at the furthest away part of the field (from assembly) the early arrivals will park closest, but if it was the opposite then I'm sure you will agree that it would be STUPID to start parking cars just inside the gate and having the later arrivals driving through the earlier arriving cars that are in the process of disgorging their contents.

I also would not be suprised if the Day Organiser didnt wish to take on a similar role again, as after being the recipient of similar abuse from arrogant orienteers who think they know best, I would not either.

The difference is that the arrogant orienteers that you think gave you abuse DID know better. Some were also volunteers that gave up many hours/days/weeks even months to ensure that all 3400+ competitors had an enjoyable and safe time. If we have upset a small handful of disrespectful people, like yourself, and they choose not to go to another Scottish 6 Days, that can only be good for the future of our sport.

[Scott]

Perhaps all events need to look closely at the number of single occupancy cars arriving at hard pressed car parks........but that's another debate!

When I was worrying over how to fit everyone on the tiny area of hardstanding in the top car park at Shotover for this year's JOK Chasing Sprint, before BMW Oxford and their massive car park came to our rescue, I half-seriously toyed with a parking pricing scheme of £15 for car + driver, with a £5 discount for each additional passenger (so two people in a car £10, three people £5, four or more free), and then using the extra income to cut entry fees.

There would have been the option of meeting up with people at one of the numerous free P&R car parks a couple of miles away to share lifts to the actual event, but I'm still not sure it would have been very popular

[Paul Frost]

The only salient point being the lack of green credentials our sport could sometimes be questioned for...we all travel extensive distances for relatively short runs.

Whilst I agree in general terms, we did try very hard to reduce the distances travelled during the week. I'm sure that if you total up the miles driven (assuming you stayed somewhere near the event centre/Oban) for all 6 days, I'm confident it will have been a lot less than at most multi-day events. We also achieved that without using the same area twice.

We did agonise over the one-way loops that were used on two days, but after extensive consultation with the Police, highways agencies, council services and local residents, there was no option but to do what we did. We also had several buses being used, and needed to ensure that they could complete their route as fast as possible and return for more pickups.