Ski Lift Etiquette

Damn kids.

tjf1967 wrote

Relax, is it worth it to get upset?  Why yell at uniformed customers.  

Because there was a 30 minute line and I was not going to let these people stand there and block me and everyone behind me from filling the cabins up.  The people the mountain sent to load the gondola that day were not the usual ones and were overwhelmed so I helped them out.  I told them nicely the first time and became less amused each subsequent time and after about 3 times I gave up and went around them.

My take is if you don't know how lift lines work you probably aren't a good enough skier to be riding the gondola at Whiteface.  It's not for skiers that are just off the magic carpet.  It's a serious 2.5 mile run and the highest vertical you can ski off of one lift in the east, and you'd better know what you're doing or you're in for a very unpleasant and possibly dangerous surprise.

timbly wrote

Do:
Get an AT or Tele setup, climbing skins, and a few like-minded friends
Go explore natural snow in the mountains
Keep loving skiing
Take an Avalanche Awareness course or two

Don't:
Keep getting annoyed by resort skiing
Expect everyone to conform to your rules (it simply won't ever happen, despite your best intentions, no matter how correct you may be...)
Need fences, lifts, electrical power

I'm leaning more and more toward this

JTG4eva! wrote

Seem someone whip out their Johnson and slap a a kid upside his head with it.

Wtf!!  

SnoJohnsonSlapped!  

SIAWOL wrote

.
. I'm ALWAYS last one in as my skis have to go in the snowboard box so I want to be last in-first out so it's easier for everybody else to get their stuff. Anyway, I did that and there were maybe 4-5 folks already in the cabin, I looked at the punk sitting right at the door position and said "you wanna move in?" He said "No." and just stared at me. So I clumsily climbed over him and took a seat and once settled in the following short conversation took place:
Me: "seriously? you couldn't slide over one spot?"
Him: "No. I have a leg injury and can't move very well"
Me: "Then maybe you shouldn't be skiing"

That guy seems like didn't want you to get in the Gondola. Maybe he wanted to smoke up, maybe he wanted to ride up with only his buddies, who knows? Maybe he was telling the truth.

But it seems weird that you have your own rules for how you ride the Gondola ("I ALWAYS am the last one in"), but you don't want other people to do things their way (sitting on the outside because they might have a leg injury).

And what if he did have a leg injury? What if he has a prosthetic leg that he has to swing as he exits the Gondola, and the edge seat is the only one that makes that comfortable. What if skiing is the only sport he can do, and you just told him to stop something that brings him joy?

Maybe you should have just taken the next Gondola, telling that group that you are ALWAYS the last one in, and that they must respect your rules, while you shit all over their enjoyment.

Ah yes--- the what if game

You can never know anyone's full story, so assuming things is stupid (particularly if you have your own dumb rules about always "having" to get in a Gondola last and snagging the window seat).

Maybe the dude was super hungover and wanted the window seat because he thought he was going to vomit, and he didn't want to vomit on the other people in the Gondola. I've played that game before.

I agree, it is against proper ski etiquette to vomit on others.  

I always do my best to avoid doing so.

I remember a trip up the summit quad at WF ----- I thought my buddy was going to hurl ---- I couldn't get far enough away from him. I brought up the what if game because you busted my balls about it last week. FUCKER!

Now I'm picturing myself trying to puke out a gondola window. Not sure I could do it now but when I was in my prime...

Would've served anyone who skied the lift line right if he hurled on them.

The com line for that lift is on the ground and if you cut it with your edge the lift will shut down and need to be unloaded and closed.

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I bet you're fun at parties.

lol

A few things bug me about other folks being dicks on lifts. Lowering the safety bar without announcing it and before I am ready is one; a head wind of smoke from the chair in front of me is another.

But good grief, the day that the rules lawyers have folks sign a contract before they board the lift with the do's and don'ts is definitely the day skiing has gotten too sterile.

whoa whoa whoa. Easy there MC! Didn't think my post reflected my practices as those of a self-righteous and entitled elitist. Would like to think I'm one of the good guys--generally positive and pro-Gore....

was just sharing my own story. kid was maybe 15 tops. by himself. and another group of about 3 friends were the other ones in. and no prosthetic leg. I wasn't rude to him, didn't swear, didn't hit him on purpose, none of that. A leg injury that permits one to ski but prohibits them from sliding over 14 inches? Please.

OP was about etiquette. I'm one of those jagoffs that has skis too wide to fit in a standard ski slot, so I have to put them in the snowboard box. If I load first and put them in the snowboard box, then everyone behind me has to fumble to get theirs in the ski slots. So, I go in last--I assume all responsibility for futzing around trying to find room for my stuff. And then I'm first one out for the same reason (in reverse). That's proper etiquette.

How wide are those skis SIAWOL?

I’ve got two pair I use regularly that don’t fit in a 4 slot gondi rack, but usually fit in a 3 slot.  On rare occasion there isn’t an appropriate 3 slot available and I’ve had to go with the snowboard slot.

I also hang back a bit to evaluate the rack arrangement before I load.  Not for my benefit but to be considerate to others loading their skis.  I don’t want to be one of those guys who pisses Z off by taking up 2 slots.  That said, if 2 are available it’s easier to do that than to load the skis one at a time into the same slot, working the angles to squeeze the tips of the second ski into the slot with the first.

I'm always f'ing things up at Gore. My skis don't fit, even with only one per slot.  I use the snowboard slot.

Brownski wrote

Now I'm picturing myself trying to puke out a gondola window. Not sure I could do it now but when I was in my prime...

I had an emergency once and had to pee out gondi window!  Truth story

SNO : Such small ball , pedantic , FIRST WORLD problems !!  

How bout you just shaddup n ski ! get an FN  life  . This is  a fun activity not an anal  retentive whinefest .

ScottyJack wrote

Brownski wrote

Now I'm picturing myself trying to puke out a gondola window. Not sure I could do it now but when I was in my prime...

I had an emergency once and had to pee out gondi window!  Truth story

One foot on each seat?

How often does one have to piss that urgently that doesn’t involve drinking?

Bet that was one dicey maneuver.  Did you ask Sno’s permission first?  That must have been the time he got slapped up side the head.....