PEAX Equipment

Venting - encounter with a butthead

Gellar

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Joined
Jan 31, 2014
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6,202
Location
The Driftless Area
Sorry, I’m going to vent about something that happened to my wife and I last night while we were out to eat at a very nice supper club. It’s long and I don’t have any pictures to include.

In March I was the lead instructor at 2 hunters safety field days. For the field days the majority of the class is held online at the students pace. When the students finish with the online portion they can sign up for a field day to complete their certification. At the field day things are taught like shooting positions, safe zones of fire, carrying position, etc.
The first field day was in the morning and all went well. All 30 kids passed the final exam with flying colors. The second class was to begin at 1 pm. All the kids were arriving and getting checked in. Both of the classes were preregistration only through the Iowa dnr website and were filled within a day or 2 of being posted to the website. Another instructor was checking students in and getting their materials while I was working on something else. The instructor comes over to me and says this kid does not have a voucher for the online portion. At every step of the registration it says the student must show proof of completion of the online portion before taking the field day and they need to print and bring with them a voucher stating such. So I start talking to the kids dad and the kid is next to him. At first I figure that they just hadn’t printed the voucher off, no big deal. But I find out he has not taken the online portion. Not even started it. The dad claims it did not say anywhere on the registration page he had to complete and bring the voucher. He’s getting mad! But finally they leave and we complete the field day. We get everything packed up and I left. 2 of my instructors are still at the facility talking and this guy comes flying back in and starts screaming at them that they had a hunt planned in a couple weeks and the kid needed hunters safety and is pissed. The instructors deescalate the situation again and the guy leaves. On Monday while I’m doing my paperwork I call the safety officer for the DNR and tell him what happens. He says we handled it correctly and reiterated that it is very clear the kids need to complete the online portion. I helped with 3 of these field days last year for about 90 students. He was the only one that had this problem.

Now, fast forward to last night. Our kids were staying at grandmas and we had dinner reservations at a nice supper club. We were seated and had a drink and appetizers, followed by our meal. I had a 12 oz prime rib, my wife had a 8 oz filet and we split steamed asparagus and garlic crusted Mac and cheese. It was all very good. The whole time the table next to us had a couple our age, an older couple and a kid probably 12 or 13. The guy about my age looks familiar, but I can’t place him. After we payed our bill we were finishing our drinks and start talking to the table next to us. By this time we are the only tables left on our area. It’s the usual, from the area? Where do you work? Etc etc. as soon as I say where I work the younger guy screams that is where I know you. You are the one that wouldn’t let my kid take hunters education. At this point the kid is off the outside deck texting or playing a game on his phone. The guy and his wife are screaming at us and he calls the kid back over. He says to the kid, while pointing at me, “remember him? He’s the one that ruined our hunt and we had such a terrible day.” The guy’s wife is literally climbing over the table vigorously pointing her finger at me, yelling while the older couple is just looking at them like what the hell? I put my drink down and look at my wife saying we gotta go, have a good night while they continued to scream as my wife and I walked away.

unfortunately it was a bitter ending to a very nice meal and night. It took me a while to calm down. I’m trying to explain to my wife that I don’t make enough money to deal with shit like that while I’m not working. I thought about the whole situation on the way home and after I got home until I fell asleep. This morning I wake up over it and my wife is like that guy was such an ass and I’m right back pissed off again! 😂
I just can’t seem to understand why some people are such asses and feel they are entitled to benefits others are not. I feel really bad for the kid because his mom and dad are obviously not from the best stock.
 
Sorry. That sucks for you. Honestly, some people are just idgits and either can’t take responsibility for not figuring out what 99% of the world is apparently able to, or think the rules don’t apply to them. Either way, not your fault. But makes for a crappy day.

Reminds me of the Little League parents that think their kid is in the World Series or something…
 
Thanks for serving folks in that capacity. You’re doing a good work. Unfortunately, some people are impossible to work with. Say a prayer for them and whatever is really their problem (it isn’t you!) and don’t let it rob you of another moment of mental energy! Thanks again for serving!
 
Sucks man. Sorry. I think we’ve all had moments like that. I bet I can guess all the things running through your head that you’d have liked to say. Situations like that it’s best to just hit them with this face:

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It seems to be rampant these days that folks seem to think that , as you said, they are entitled to whatever they want (heaven forbid anyone get told "no") and that being loud/a bully will get them those things as well. Every so often we get folks like that in the gun shop.....mad about background checks.......mad about the short ammo supply........mad that we currently can't do special orders. Thankfully the overwhelming majority of us in the shop are prior military and it simply does nothing for them. These are symptoms of the over-indulgent, every body gets a trophy, never say no parenting in folks my age and younger.
 
Yeah, nothing worse than having a day(or two) ruined by an ass wipe
I would be more concerned if it didn't bother you.
Had a situation like that last Fall...I even had the cops notified. It puts a guy on edge....thank goodness for the presence of wives.
 
Easier for that clown to deflect the blame on you that he’s too incompetent to follow simple online instructions in front of his kid than accept blame for a simple mistake.

I’m sure the kid is embarrassed.

All that psychological mumbo-jumbo aside, some people just need to get whooped a few times in life to learn how to treat people with respect.

Sucks, sounds like you do good work for (mostly) good people. Hoping it doesn’t sour you. The rest of us appreciate you!
 
Thanks for mentoring to our youth and as they say, don’t let the assholes get you down. As someone who has coached at various levels for nearly two decades all I can say is been there/done that. 90% of the parents (more so people in general) out there lead by example, the remaining 10% will test your resolve at every step! Hold your head high and you do you!
 
I deal with folks like this once in a while...isn't complicated in my mind.

I just tell them the rules apply to everyone and they aren't special.

If they don't like it...I guess they can either get over it or die with it.

Following basic rules and instructions isn't complicated until you try to bend them.

Finally, as per always, no good deed goes unpunished...sorry you had to put up with that guy. Somebody needs to bust that guy in the mouth once...
 
Sorry you had to deal with that. As you said, you helped 90 kids through these classes and this was the first one with this issue. Assholes like this are on the fringe, they shamefully occupy the tails of the bell curve of decent human beings, and it’s a damn shame they live among us.

It’s hard not to feel emotions, particularly when confrontation is involved, but I hope you can brush it off by accepting the very true and tautological fact that Idiots do and say idiotic things.

Don’t let it get you down
 
Here to the say the same - no good deed goes unpunished. If it makes you feel better, think of all the kids who got to experience their first hunt because you were there to instruct them towards their certification (and because their parent/guardian isn't a non-reading dipshit).

Also, I appreciate the fact that you took a slight detour from the narrative to describe your meal. Sounds like it was pretty tasty!
 
.

Reminds me of the Little League parents that think their kid is in the World Series or something…
Yes, exactly. I coached and I got a lot of that. I understand how Gellar feels. Just consider the source and remember stupid people don’t know they’re stupid. Don’t let it bother you too much.
 
Also, I appreciate the fact that you took a slight detour from the narrative to describe your meal. Sounds like it was pretty tasty!
The prime rib was outstanding. Had a good crust on the outside and was tender on the inside. The Mac and cheese stole the show, but I’m a sucker for good creamy Mac and cheese. I told my wife the only way the Mac and cheese could be better is with some hot dogs in it!
 
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