I’m going to ask the mods to delete this once I’ve gotten the information I need for this.
But I got a call from someone I go to field games with. He showed me a pic of what is someone on the field putting their blaster in their mouth (you can mostly see from the pic they were doing it in a joking manner) but as we all know there’s a fair few of us that deal with the black dog and this sort of behaviour shouldn’t ever be allowed on the field. These same people also from what I was told hard a rather sizeable supply of hard liquor at the field too.
What he’s wanting to know is what authority you could go to about this. The sport doesn’t need people like that giving it a bad name or people with those sorts of mindsets around others on the field. I have my own thoughts on where it should go. But I’ve been out of the loop for a little while. (I doubt going to the field owner would help either as I’ve heard that safety and alcohol is very relaxed. I’ve heard of people drinking beer while shooting blasters in the safety area).
Wow… I can see why behaviour like that in a public environment like a game field would be upsetting… and your point about the black dog’s not lost on me.
I wouldn’t know who to report this kind of thing too… apart from the obvious. It’s a bit of a maverick industry. No regulating body as such, and while there are definite regulations concerning the storage and transport of blasters in public areas which are enforcible by the police, what happens at home or at a private playing field with them is unregulated and up to the individual or field management / owners.
How do you convince the general public that gel soft is a safe, family-friendly activity that anyone can enjoy when fields are allowing alcohol and irresponsible behaviour in their safety areas? If I was at a field where I was surrounded by piss-heads with eskies playng Russian Roulette with their gear in the safety area, it would be my last game at that field.
It’s not what the sport needs as a public image, and I guess my opinion expressed above may put me firmly in the wowser camp. You always have to be mindful that while you’re at the field young kids are soaking it all up and learning how to conduct themselves at the playing field by watching what the grown ups do. In short, you’re an unintentional role model to some of them, so sitting around sinking beers and acting like a dickhead with your blaster’s not on.
Enjoy the game, but keep the piss up for when you get home, or take it to the pub.
Hence my and their dilemma. I’ve had many first hand accounts told to me of this field. It’s why I’ve never been to it or will support a place like that in any fashion. I could list a bunch of things about the field itself. But since I’ve not personally observed them in some fashion I prefer not too as hearing second hand information could be a case of Chinese whispers. But with the amount do people that have seen it that I’d trust their word on. It’s unlikely. Hence why I doubt going to the owners would do much.
My only though so far is to get them to go to the authorities and show the picture and ask them to do a wellness check as putting a replica firearm in their mouth isn’t exactly something a perosn who’s well would do. But that could unwind in 100 different unknown ways.
At my old field I played at. Once the day was over and everything was packed away a bunch of us would have a chat and a beer or two. But this is on a completely different level.
Concerning for sure. Different state so different laws and alcohol is strictly verboten while in use of firearms simple as that. But blasters are not classed as firearms therefore the QPS cannot act upon it.
QPS however can act upon your appearance laws which my state does not have.
None the less is concerning and ridiculous and get this sport ground down in to nothing unfortunately with behavior like that.
Alcohol should never be a part of skirmish games. End of. I don’t know any field that allows it, though I am sure there are people that try and get away with it. Even so, any field worth their salt should eject anyone found suspected of it.
As for the photo, I can only imagine it was a joke; even if in poor taste. Certainly not safe behaviour.
I have been at a game and shot in the teeth, and once I was had one go in the open mouth at close range, straight in the back of the throat too. While I can say it hurt like you’d imagine, it caused no issue and an carried on playing. Though I try to keep my mouth closed while being engaged now.
I guess, ideally someone should talk to them and let them know it isn’t safe or a good image; we have enough trouble with image in the media even though most and so many people use them safely and in good spirit.
I haven’t been to any gel fields as of yet but I definitely wouldn’t want to take my kids to a field where people were being drunk yahoos doing things like that setting a bad example for my kids