community and site protection PART II
In the area that I jump in, the base community is very small. Over the past year I have come to realize that our community needs to turn over a leaf. The problem is our group has needed a face lift right from the start. We were even told this from an old fart out at the dz that hadn't done any base in about ten years. We just kinda blew him off. What does he know, right? We had seen all the video of their group doing the same kind of stupid stuff. I would have to guess though that in his case hind sight is 20/20. Something my group needs to realize right now. I will give you one example of some of the crap that goes on. Mind you there are plenty of other crappy things going on. Things just seem to have gone down hill badly.
One night last fall I called up a friend and asked him to go for a jump. So that was settled. Now I am on my way to meet up for the jump. My wife riding shot gun. When I get there I find out that we are going to have the best ground crew you could ever imagine (aka fucking circus). We have my wife... who I feel is very competent as ground crew. Then we have the rest of the group. Well they have had more than their share to drink. Their were two guys that have @ 5 base a piece that have no intrest in base any longer. Then there were to girl basers that have around 15 between the two of them. The other jumpers sister and her boyfriend. So that brings the total to 7 ground crew and 2 jumpers.
This is an "A" by the way.
So anyways while we are climbing the whole group is hooping it up on the ground. For some reason they think this whole thing is like a party. Drinking and smoking talking loudly. My wife felt very uncomfortable by the whole situation so she actually ventured off a short distance from the group and stood by a tree.
We jumped landed and left, no big deal.
So I decided to go out by myself the next night. Same tower. My wife came along for ground crew. After the jump we were on our way back to the car and my wife said to me "Those guys left a bunch of beer cans out buy the corner of the fence last night."
So I asked her what she did with them. Then she told me that she just left them. So we turned around and went back and picked up around 6 beer cans some cigarette butts and a lighter.
I finally came to the decision that something must be done. It is difficult though when you have been a part of what has been going on, to go talk with the group and tell them what is going on is wrong. I felt as though if I were to approch the group they would look at me the same way we looked at the old fart at the DZ. So I came up with my own scheme.
You have to remember that our group is small. And I knew there were a couple of ways this could play out. I told one of the guys that I sold my gear when I haven't. It didn't take long for it to circulate. The way I looked at it was either they would believe it and they wouldn't jump much... because most of the group isn't super modivated. Or it would come out sooner than later and we would all set down as a group and discuss whats going on. My plan for this senerio is that the group will see how strongly I feel about this topic and give what I have to say a chance.
Well I have a hard time lying to my friends so they were suspicious. Any way the jumper that I originally told about selling my gear also has some of the same feelings that I do about the situation. So after a week I let him in on the secret. He was pissed at me for involving him in the lie but understood why I was doing it.
So to answer the PM i just got from a member of the group. Yes, I still jump. In fact 4 or 5 times in the last week and a half.
Also I knew as soon as Jim saw the stash bag laying under the coat in the corner that my cover was blown. I spoke to the other jumper that was "in the know"and we are planning on setting down with everyone and expressing our concerns.
So now everyone knows what a dick I am but Oh well. I hope to still be able to jump in the area for some time to come and it won't happen if things don't change.
Like I said earlier our group is small and my actions wouldn't have impacted most base communities but I feel it probably will have stirred the pot to a nice simmer here.
So flame away let me know what ya think. Maybe some input can help for our group meeting.
Matt
But wearing any camo in an area that doesn't normally see camo, like in a National Park or whilst riding the elevator to the top of a building in a big city, is just asking to get busted. 
