What to do at controls

[Deleted User]

It may seem a bit of a waste of time to some starting this thread but how many marshals, particularly those at passage controls, had problems.

This was usually crews not having their roadbooks ready for signing.

The amount of crews who handed you a closed roadbook and expected you to find the correct page to sign were many.  

I didn't take their books but instead asked them to open them at the correct page.  May sound petty but when you're standing out in the middle of nowhere in the dark and temperature is just above freezing, your fingers aren't going to work too well.  In addition, you're holding a torch in one hand and a pen in the other.  The crew, meanwhile, are sitting on their duff expecting it all to be done for them.

Another thing that could be mentioned at the drivers meeting in future is that, at passage controls, stay in your car and drive up to the marshal to have your book signed.

At Carter Bar, many crews stopped in the lay-by and the co-drivers walked down to me to have their book signed.  All the time other cars are driving down, stopping and getting their book signed at the marshal's position and were on their way with the least possible delay.  

The ones who walked down now had to wait for a gap in the cars to have their books signed.

All this time other cars were parking behind the co-driverless cars and their co-drivers were now doing the same.

A bit of loud shouting to get everyone on the move and stop clogging up the lay-by was put into action but it could have been so easy for cars to back up and start queueing on the A68.

Something to think about for the future.

And then there was the one guy, no idea who he was, who, when asked for his roadbook, presented me with his road atlas.  A bit early for RBRR induced mistiness but there you go.

And another who when asked for his roadbook, sat there oblivious until the penny finally dropped and then asked all those in the car if anyone had seen the roadbook.  Much searching and time consuming rummaging about in the dark later, the roadbook was produced.

By now, there were about ten cars waiting behind with more co-drivers all leaping out and more chaotic scenes.

It may seem that I'm giving people a hard time but that's not the intention by any means.

David Huddy and I had a brilliant time at the control and that's not even counting the Lambrini experience.

It's just that it may be something to make crews aware of at the drivers meeting in the future to allow crews to get through the passage controls more smoothly.

In the end everything went off very well.

There was no queueing onto the A68, the few spectators that turned up parked in the southbound lay-by as requested and I think everyone had a good time at the control.  At least I hope they did.

If I'm not driving in the next RBRR, I'll be back out marshalling a control.  

It really is great fun!

Jim.

[Alex]

Ok the big question.....how many bottles?

[thescrapman]

31 I think.

And as for what McJim say, I agree. Perhaps a sign at the start of the Layby "Have your roadbooks Open Ready" or similar

[tiggrr1]

At Tebay McJim said he was the PROUD owner of 31 bottles of the stuff


EDIT > You beat me to it Colin.

[Deleted User]

Alex,

Check out the "Lambrini Anyone?" thread for more details and photos.

Jim.

[Alex]

oops ;D

[Nick Jones]

By the time they got to Badgers Holt almost everyone had the roadbook thing sussed and handed them to me open on the right page.  For which I thank them!  The queue was quite long at times!

My youngest son would like to know whether the 2000(?) saloon which he helped push (!!) up the hill out of Badgers Holt actually made it up the hill unassisted after that..... and whether the passenger last seen running after it ever caught it...... we didn't see either on our way out so presumably they did!

Nick

[Deleted User]

Better to be pushed up than have to reverse a GT6 up the hill. :B :B :B

Cheers Nick.

Jim.

[bodders1]

Staying with the theme of what to do at controls...

At the drivers meeting it was quite clearly stated that only ONE roadbook per car would be signed by the marshals.  The reason for this is quite simple - the time it takes to sign the book while other cars are forming a queue behind.  At Sugarloaf we had about half a dozen crews offering more than one book to be signed.
I know it was frighteningly early on Sunday morning, and you were tired, but that is no excuse for overt rudeness from one particular co-driver to one of my fellow marshals trying to play by the rules.  You know who you are, and so do we.

Having said that, it was a great event, and I look forward to the next one, either as a driver or a marshall.

[Deleted User]

Quote:

At the drivers meeting it was quite clearly stated that only ONE roadbook per car would be signed by the marshals.

Didn't know that.

We had about 20 double signings which took up time but we signed them all anyway.

Well they did give me a little present. :)

Jim.

[Tim Bancroft]

All in all I think most of the crews taking part sussed out the event and got into the swing of things.

I was amazed at the enthusiasm of all the Marshals, very appreciated. Some of the banter was very funny.

[Nick Jackson (2)]

It was my first time marshalling and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.  Mind you I was chatting to James Cooper for about 90 minutes so we had plenty to discuss.