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Proper Etiquette at the Firing Line


Father Kit Cool Gun Garth

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To my knowledge, this has never appeared to be an issue at our club; however, I thought I would raise this question for either those clubs that have a policy on cell phone ringers off during a match, or any similar policy/guideline.

Maybe something happened to you, like quoting the starting line "This town ain't big enough for the two of us, so I'm leaving", picking up your rifle and just about the time you settle on the first target, you hear a cell phone ring to:

 

 

 

 

Thank goodness there were no cell phones in the Old West, otherwise:

         5a8356262c67e_CellPhonesintheOldWest.jpg.45fec1970d51b1ab2c0df9fdab614d81.jpg

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i'm always on call. I ;leave my phone in my cart with ringer off, and check it every stage. it is somewhat annoying to hear a phone ring on the range. (and yes, I have forgotten to silence mine!) 

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Having been tethered to a pager, two-way radio, IMTS, MTS and then cellular phone for about 30 years as part of my job and business owner I very rarely carry a personal communications device anymore. I doubt I could hear one ring on the firing line with my bad hearing and hearing protection on top of that. Some folks that we shoot with are on call and a cell phone is a must. I remember many times I was on call and had to respond at inopportune times. Like Hoss says you could keep it on your cart silenced and check it every stage. I don’t think having a posse marshal check everyone’s phones is the answer either.

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If it is the theme to Bonanza...:D

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A big part of playing cowboy is the suspension of disbelief. We dress like cowboys (and cowgirls) for fun and out of respect for other participants. Having a phone ring during a match completely demolishes the suspension of disbelief. Its disrespectful to other cowboys and cowgirls.

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Not a problem here at my range.  You have to drive 40+ miles to get a cell signal. Have to drive 60 miles to get public utilities (electric, land line, etc.)  YES, we are "off the grid".   Love it. 

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7 minutes ago, Happy Jack, SASS #20451 said:

Not a problem here at my range.  You have to drive 40+ miles to get a cell signal. Have to drive 60 miles to get public utilities (electric, land line, etc.)  YES, we are "off the grid".   Love it. 

 

Jealous!

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I'm right-handed.  Learned to keep my cell phone in my left shirt pocket.  I leave my on vibrate-mode so as not to affect the 19th century atmosphere we seek to create.  I too have shot while on-call.  Having a few cell phones on a posse is a good thing.  There can be a medical emergency at any time that requires a prompt response.

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2 hours ago, Lead Friend, SASS #53635 said:

A big part of playing cowboy is the suspension of disbelief. We dress like cowboys (and cowgirls) for fun and out of respect for other participants. Having a phone ring during a match completely demolishes the suspension of disbelief. Its disrespectful to other cowboys and cowgirls.

With all due respect do you say the same thing to those who use plastic gun carts? Or those who take pics/videos?. How about the use of timers?  That excuse is mighty thin

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1 minute ago, evil dogooder said:

With all due respect do you say the same thing to those who use plastic gun carts? Or those who take pics/videos?. How about the use of timers?  That excuse is mighty thin

 

   2 hours ago,  Lead Friend, SASS #53635 said: 

A big part of playing cowboy is the suspension of disbelief. We dress like cowboys (and cowgirls) for fun and out of respect for other participants. Having a phone ring during a match completely demolishes the suspension of disbelief. Its disrespectful to other cowboys and cowgirls.

With all due respect do you say the same thing to those who use plastic gun carts? Or those who take pics/videos?. How about the use of timers?  That excuse is mighty thin

 

 

 

My gun cart does not start screeching right in the middle of my shooting string.  People talking LOUDLY which is common since many of us are practically deaf and wearing ear plugs so we don't know how loud we are talking (I am an occasional offender) is disturbing as is a phone ringing to many people.  Common curtesy seems to be something that many people seem to have no concept what it means anymore.

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23 minutes ago, evil dogooder said:

With all due respect do you say the same thing to those who use plastic gun carts? Or those who take pics/videos?. How about the use of timers?  That excuse is mighty thin

 

Clearly I don’t. I don’t say the same about short stroke kits either. You know they have rules about phones at golf tournaments and chess championships as well. Like those ours is a game of concentration and a ringing phone disrupts that, plastic gun carts and GoPros don’t. I keep my phone in my cart, always on mute. I look at it from time to time and even send the occasional text. This isn’t about technology, it’s about respect for fellow shooters. With respect to your many contributions that I have enjoyed on the Wire my excuse, as you call it, is no excuse at all. It’s just polite.

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My phone is usually in my vehicle. I've been to a few shoots in the last 22 years and have never had a problem with phones ringing. Considering everyone is behind me when shooting, and I'm in focus mode, it would take a really loud ring tone to break my concentration. I do carry my phone when running matches, and it's on loud so I can here it. It's a necessary evil when there is an emergency. My opinion, phones are not an issue and someone is looking for a solution to a non-problem. 

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I've never had someone's cell phone ringing bother me while I was on a stage.  It's kind of noisy anyway once they get to shooting.  If they need to take a call, just step towards the back of the berm and take care of business.  I spent quite a few years on call myself and having a cell phone or pager was a requirement for me.  

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Truth be told,  I didn't expect such a ruckus. I merely needed a reason to (1) post a cute starting line:blush:,  post the theme to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:D, and post a funny cartoon. :P

There's always interesting topics of discussion that don't get addressed as often that are good for repartee.

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I always keep my cell phone in my gun cart except when I take it out sometimes to take a photo with it. it then goes right back in.    However, during Defend Old Fort Parker last October, I must have gotten distracted and put it in my vest pocket by mistake. I didn't realize I had it on me and it did ring when I was on the firing line waiting for the beep.  I didn't hear it at all but as soon as I finished shooting the stage, everyone else on the posse was laughing.  I had no idea what they were laughing at and looked toward the posse marshal, Texas Gunslinger, who said to me, "I've timed hundreds of shooters but I've never had one who had a cell phone ringing while he was shooting."  I started to say I didn't have my cell phone on me but then felt my vest pocket.  Sure enough, there it was.  I'm just glad it was me and not somebody else who was on the firing line when it went off. 

 

 It just so happened that a pard of mine was taking a video me shooting that stage.  Here it is.  If you turn up the sound you can hear that phone.  That episode has cause me to be ever mindful of where that phone is when I'm at a match.

Hellbender_at_Fort_Paker.mov

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25 minutes ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

Truth be told,  I didn't expect such a ruckus. I merely needed a reason to (1) post a cute starting line:blush:,  post the theme to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:D, and post a funny cartoon. :P

There's always interesting topics of discussion that don't get addressed as often that are good for repartee.

The ringtone that you selected to have in your original post is my ringtone.

 

Kajun

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10 minutes ago, Krazy Kajun said:

The ringtone that you selected to have in your original post is my ringtone.

 

Kajun

I used to have it too, on my old flip phone.  I even PAID to download it from someplace!  But after I got my iPhone I just use a plain old ring.  Now I'm thinking I've got to get that ringtone back!

 

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I have had The Good, The Bad and The Ugly as the ringtone for all my cowboy friends for years.  Phone is normally left in the truck during shoots or in the gun Cart for photos.  Ringer off.

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Wearing ear plugs and having worn-out  hearing, prevents me from noticing distractions like cell phones. In my case, it's a non-issue. Additionally, once I start a stage, my focus usually blocks out everything except the target sequence.

 

Church Key

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 Years ago during a match my wife’s mother passed away. She called me needing my presence and support.  

 

Consider how you would feel if you missed the phone call for a family emergency.

 

These days people call for a reason. They text for everything else

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I have made it this long in life without a leash. I do not own a cell phone.  Sometimes my wife  will insist that I take hers with me to the range. Then she will be mad at me because I leave it turned off and in the truck. I had one given to me by my work. They tried to call me after hours. The next day when they asked me about it, I told them at the end of the day I put it in my desk drawer before I go home. It's a "work phone" and I don't work 24 hours a day.

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13 hours ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

Truth be told,  I didn't expect such a ruckus. I merely needed a reason to (1) post a cute starting line:blush:,  post the theme to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:D, and post a funny cartoon. :P

There's always interesting topics of discussion that don't get addressed as often that are good for repartee.

 

Careful with that box, Pandora.

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37 minutes ago, Lead Friend, SASS #53635 said:

 

Careful with that box, Pandora.

 

                             Yes indeed, Lead Friend.

              You don't know who will come calling. :o

Hellbender.gif.783c1d02e12dddf311fe79982d0eb9f8.gif

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14 hours ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

There's always interesting topics of discussion that don't get addressed as often that are good for repartee.

This ain't one of them;):P Don't need no policy, or reminder for common sense & common knowledge. We all know we have doctors, lawyers and Indian Chiefs on call, they always have them on silent or vibrate.............don't know if I've ever heard one during a match. Mine stays in the car. If one goes off and it distracts you just ask for a reshoot:D.....Good Luck:)

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The only time I've seen a reshoot for noise, it was around 2000 at Stampede. One shooter, she was a sweetie with a shrill voice, got on a rant while someone was shooting. After he finished, he complained, Hubby and I agreed that a reshoot was in order. So did the PM.

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If I am at the line and the buzzer rings and someone's ringtone starts playing the theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and I can hear it I hope to heck they leave it play....How cool would that be? Talk about coincidence and ambience...:D

 

 

 

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17 hours ago, Hellbender said:

I always keep my cell phone in my gun cart except when I take it out sometimes to take a photo with it. it then goes right back in.    However, during Defend Old Fort Parker last October, I must have gotten distracted and put it in my vest pocket by mistake. I didn't realize I had it on me and it did ring when I was on the firing line waiting for the beep.  I didn't hear it at all but as soon as I finished shooting the stage, everyone else on the posse was laughing.  I had no idea what they were laughing at and looked toward the posse marshal, Texas Gunslinger, who said to me, "I've timed hundreds of shooters but I've never had one who had a cell phone ringing while he was shooting."  I started to say I didn't have my cell phone on me but then felt my vest pocket.  Sure enough, there it was.  I'm just glad it was me and not somebody else who was on the firing line when it went off. 

 

 It just so happened that a pard of mine was taking a video me shooting that stage.  Here it is.  If you turn up the sound you can hear that phone.  That episode has cause me to be ever mindful of where that phone is when I'm at a match.

Hellbender_at_Fort_Paker.mov

 

I admit it.  I laughed out loud...

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My cell phone stays in the truck, but I check it periodically between stages.

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My cell phone, which my wife says I just have to have, is left in the truck and I check it once every three months or so.  That is to check if the battery needs recharged.  It does make a pretty good watch though.

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i see no need for my phone on the range - it stays in the truck/camper , if its an on call medical job thing i would understand - but in the cart should work considering the short time we are actually on the line including load/unload tables , 

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