10 pet hates about orienteering

[Oldman]

Here are my top 10:
1. Competitors who blame the map or the planner for a poor run.
2. Toilet queues downwind of the toilets.
3. Entry closing dates much earlier than the norm, esp. if there's a late entry cost.
4. Club members who rarely if ever assist at events.
5. Long walks to the start without very good (and published) reason.
6. People on Nopesport who stray off topic.
7. People who criticise others esp. BOF without establishing the facts first.
8. Relay pens where you can't easily see the incoming runner.
9. Starts where there isn't a blank map or there is but you have to collect your Control Description or wait to be called forward in the same minute.
10. Results boards where the results are so close together that only at most 2 people can see the whole set at once.

and oh yes!
11. People who whinge about their pet hates!

[andy]

lovely weather today.

[frostbite]

I have no pet hates. Everything about orienteering is great, or if it isn’t it can be rationalised.

1. Competitors who blame the map or the planner for a poor run.
If there really is a problem with the map or the planning then it is legitimate to raise it – in a constructive manner. If not then the moaner has the problem, not you. Leave them to it.

2. Toilet queues downwind of the toilets.
You can’t really think the organiser should take account of the wind direction when placing the toilets. What if the wind changes – do we move them? I have honestly never noticed a problem – toilets smell, get over it.

3. Entry closing dates much earlier than the norm, esp. if there's a late entry cost.
If I miss a closing date then I know whose fault it is – and it is not the organiser’s.

4. Club members who rarely if ever assist at events.
Orienteering needs volunteers to make events work. This is not the same as requiring everybody to volunteer. There will always be some people who prefer not to help for whatever reason. It is preferable that they continue to go orienteering and not volunteering than that they give up orienteering because they keep getting pestered to help, and get the cold shoulder from clubmates who look down on them.

5. Long walks to the start without very good (and published) reason.
I tend to think when there are long walks that the planner has tried their best to avoid it and found no alternative, rather than that they have just done it for the sake of it. It would help to put this info out as soon as it is known – on the flyer if possible and before entries close – because it can be a problem for the oldest and youngest competitors and parents with split starts.

6. People on Nopesport who stray off topic.
Oh come on.

7. People who criticise others esp. BOF without establishing the facts first.
Criticism is essential – and it is not always easy to establish the facts without raising the point first. You wouldn’t want to stifle debate. It would be nice if people would acknowledge their mistake when the facts become clear.

8. Relay pens where you can't easily see the incoming runner.
This is annoying – but I imagine it is not easy to set out a relay changeover and get this right. Most relay changeovers look like they would work perfectly if there was only one person waiting – the problem is everybody trying to see at the same time. Be considerate to other competitors.

9. Starts where there isn't a blank map or there is but you have to collect your Control Description or wait to be called forward in the same minute.
No big deal. If you get to see a map, good, if not then you are in the same boat as everybody else.

10. Results boards where the results are so close together that only at most 2 people can see the whole set at once.
Patience, you’ll get your turn.

Lighten up. Remember you are young at heart.

[andy]

4. Club members who rarely if ever assist at events.

I've never understood this. As someone who volunteers at orienteering events but purposefully avoids it at some of my other hobbies because of orienteering, I'd be quite upset if I was made to feel unwelcome because I had decided to devote my efforts elsewhere.

[Gnitworp]

lovely weather today.

It's dreadful here

[awk]

5. Long walks to the start without very good (and published) reason.

Maybe it's just to get as good a course as possible?
Personally, I like long 'walks' to starts: it usually provides a very pleasant warm-up opportunity, both mentally and physically. This also means that the distance usually doesn't feel that long either.

4. Club members who rarely if ever assist at events.

Wrong way round. We should simply be very grateful for those who put so much time and energy into the sport. It's only when I attend other activities, often organised by people being paid, that it really drives home how well organised our sport generally is.

7. People who criticise others esp. BOF without establishing the facts first.

You mean others such as those who don't assist at events?

[HarryO]

1. Competitors who blame the map or the planner for a poor run.
If there really is a problem with the map or the planning then it is legitimate to raise it – in a constructive manner. If not then the moaner has the problem, not you. Leave them to it.

I was at an event recently where you were encouraged to highlight areas where the map may need updating. They had a board with a blank map - all you had to do was circle an area. How refreshing - inviting feedback! I think it was TVOC?

[Gnitworp]

Yes, it was TVOC.

Maps can indeed mislead. It's the constant quest of the mapper to do the opposite.

[roadrunner]

10. Results boards where the results are so close together that only at most 2 people can see the whole set at once.

I'd go along with this one. It's especially relevant in sprint events, when everyone needs to see the results of the heats to know when they're going to start in the final.

[ryeland of doom]

12: Rubus fruticosa

[Gnitworp]

13: Currently urtica dioica

[Tim]

My pet hate are people who, despite 30 years of practice and bring proved wrong every time, still, when in a car and presented with a damp field, think the best way to negotiate it is to stick it in 1st gear and floor it. And when this method results in no forward propulsion proceed to just press harder on the accelerator, only stopping when their back axle is considerably closer to Australia than when they started.

[Tom R]

other orienteers

[madmike]

other orienteers

all of us?

or just the ones who beat you?

or some sub set of the orienteering fraternity?

[andypat]

other orienteers

just the ones who beat you?

Thats me and you safe then Mike...