Mean trick at swildons sump 1

[VivB]

And no, I have not ever, never, played atrick on someone.  I'm the one who always had the trick on them.  how did they know eh?  And you're the one who points and laughs.  We are a different species you and i.  Spent my childhood in tears from being picked on, worst years of my life, guess thats why i got mad.  I wish with all my heart that i could have done what you suggest, that adds to the shame.  I'm not a caver, i'm not hard, i don't pretend to be.
And whatsisface did apologise, and i accepted it. 
Nuff said end of.

 

[toni]

Hi Viv  I'd like to say well done for naming and shaming. Like you I am at the start of what I hope is a long and fun caving pastime. I have only done 4 trips myself, Peak Cavern, P8, Giants and Heron Pot in the Yorkshire Dales. All very exciting and fun for their own reasons! I can say that they were exciting and fun because I was made to feel very secure and and never taken too far out of my comfort zone. There were challenges for me, but made to be enjoyable, with a shot of adrenaline added, and I can thank my partner (JB) for that.
I'm sure your husband has learnt his lesson and is mortified that you have been made to feel the way you do, no doubt feeling the same emotions as you do, for very different reasons!
Please don't allow other peoples warped sense of humour ruin what could be an extremely enjoyable time, time spent with your husband. I'm sure he will choose more carefully in the future.
Like you, i have never 'played a trick' on others and especially not to the detriment of their feelings. Life is a Bitch, but it doesn't mean we need to go out of our way to make things harder!!! I feel that the people who choose to take the piss out of others, do so to cover their own insecurities, unfortunately, at the expense of others.
My first thought on reading your log was, you should have hit the f****r over the head with that stone to see how funny he found it then... But then i thought, I wouldn't bring myself to his level!!!!
I'm inviting you to come on a trip with Jules and I. Let me know when you are free, you are more than welcome to bring your hubby, if you've calmed down enough 
I'm personally in the process at looking at caving clubs to join, so i can be independent of Jules and he can spend time with his caving buddies. Having someone at the same level of experience would be a massive help. I have to say, I'm finding it hard because it is a testosterone based past time and that comes across on the web sites or its for people who want to go out and play silly games and get completely arse holed, maybe this is the nature of the beast  :blink:
Don't give in Viv,
Hope to hear from you soon.

 

[Downer]

And no, I have not ever, never, played atrick on someone.  I'm the one who always had the trick on them.  how did they know eh?  And you're the one who points and laughs.  We are a different species you and i.  Spent my childhood in tears from being picked on, worst years of my life, guess thats why i got mad.  I wish with all my heart that i could have done what you suggest, that adds to the shame.  I'm not a caver, i'm not hard, i don't pretend to be.
And whatsisface did apologise, and i accepted it. 
Nuff said end of.

Oh dear. Is this the same Viv with those shining eyes in GB? You're having a bit of a reaction aren't you? As we all used to say, "Don't let the bastards grind you down!"


You know, not everyone here thinks the same way as Sewer Rat. There is no way the victim of a trick, underground or anywhere else, is under any obligation whatsoever either to see the funny side or to have a row with the perp to clear the air. Why do people think that caving, or should that be Caving?, sets aside all normal rules of behaviour? Same mind-set as takes ridiculous risks underground that they wouldn't dream of taking on top, I suppose.

I can't help but wonder how you all managed to get to Sump Two and back to One in less than an hour. Experienced cavers would but not someone on their third ever trip unless they're being rushed off their feet. A comfortable pace for beginners is about an hour and a half to Sump One without even going through it! Another black mark for the leadership, I'm afraid. I can't see how you'd even have time to lifeline the Twenty properly at that rate, let alone look at anything on the way. There again I'm old and slow and always have been

As for being 'ard, I regularly cave(d) with dainty little females who don't appear to have a single molecule of testosterone in their blood. I don't care what other people say, going underground isn't a matter of proving you have balls, it's just trecking about with a lot of obstacles that need skill to manage safely and confidently. Sure it can take some bottle but that's different. But in one respect I do agree with SR. If the guy is the one I think you mean, he is quite well known - as a skilled caver, not merely as a prat. I imagine he is feeling well-chagrined now.

 

[darkplaces]

I hate 'pranks' and see no point in them anywhere, its just bullying plane and simple. It cant be excused.

You would have been perfectly in your right to give the chap a good kick in the balls!

 

[ian.p]

I'm not a caver, i'm not hard

if being hard was a prerequisit for caving then there would be a lot less cavers in this world. determination and a wish to face new chalanges and see new things are far more importent and from your previos posts id say you apear to have a plentifull suply of both.

one of the things i realy like about caving is that it is a non competitive sport and theres a lot more to being a good caver than how 'ard a trip you can do in the end people will tend to judge you more on wether they can realy on you to help them when they need it then they will on wether or not you can get to sump one and back in under 10 minutes.
ive also heard of the trick you describe i dont think its a perticuly nice one theres a big diference between painting somones face with mud whilst theyre stuck in a squeeze or faking a pothole in astreamway and making somone think theyre about to drown whilst theyre still trying to gain there confidence.    

its a shame youve had a bad experiance with somone but the vast majority of cavers are realy nice people (though i may be biased!).

 

[bru]

just got back from work and read this thread through and had a chat with viv.  :bow: very touched by the kind and considered responses from everyone, thank you.  Just for the record we passed sump one for the first time about 1hr30 into the trip so no one was racing (this time) and I did not expect anyone I was with to be mean to my wife while I wasn't looking.  still, you live and learn eh 

 

[Peter Burgess]

I have little time for anyone who thinks 'get over it' or 'life's a bitch' are helpful comments. I suspect nobody here really thinks that, but nobody should be excusing the perpetrator's actions either. If it had been me, I would be feeling about 6 inches tall after reading this thread through.

 

[Elaine]

Most people have been very supportive, and as Martin has apologised, there is very little else that can be said don't you think? However, this Sumbucca stuff sounds very interesting. I've just been to a bbq with much schnapps (peach and strawberry). Very nice it was too!

There was a thread a while back about bullying at school and it turned out that a lot of us had suffered the same fate. There is much satisfaction to be had from caving when you had had such a childhood (me included). I personally have always been stupidly tall and ugly and therefore a victim of being picked on at school. I know full well what it was like. The only advantage I had was that my height meant that I never felt intimidated by others. Especially as having a couple of brothers made me perfectly capable of looking after myself. Having a ridiculously low self esteem is something I will always be stuck with, so Viv, if you do like caving, please give it another go. Do not give up. Look at all the things people have said on this thread to you. Look at all the support you have had and all the offers to go caving with females or in couples (me and Hugh will go with you and Bru, as well as Jules and Toni). Martin meant no harm. He just did not think.

But what is this Sambucca stuff? Do tell?

 

[Downer]

[quote author=Anne]
But what is this Sambucca stuff? Do tell?
[/quote]
I'm sure Viv will be delighted to give you the full story when she has recovered but I also was intrigued, so I looked for an article on Wikipedia. Apparently it's an aniseed liqueur with about 35% alcohol. "Most of a bottle full" would be a GREAT DEAL, even for a hollow-legged old soak like me. I have to hand it to Viv for being so coherent when totally rat-arsed. The aniseed would add to the hangover too - it sounds like hell in a bottle.

 

[toni]

Anne, Stay away from Sambucca, It's evil  Unless you have 4 or 5 days to recover in bed!
Great respect to Viv for consuming such a large quantity of it, that is hardcore  :bow:

 

[grand-moff]

Great post Viv I too have heard of this prank and have always thought it stupid even on experienced cavers. I hope this gives a clear warning to others who might think of tricking people in caves especially in sumps TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

 

[kay]

where do you draw the line

Perhaps when someone is knowingly pushing someone else way outside their comfort zone for no justifiable reason this would count as beyond the line. 

Yes - there's a world of difference between extending someone's comfort zone and pushing them beyond it.

Viv - your consideration for others and sensitivity for the cave in my book make you a good caver. Btw I've pm-ed you.

 

[Downer]

:ras: The ability to consume 20 units of alcohol and then write a good trip report - that's what makes Viv a good caver!

 

[Hughie]

I vaguely remember being involved in a bit of session drinking Sambucca flamers, ie they're ignited.

As I said, the memory of it is a bit vague, but if I remember correctly we were using them as chasers.

I suppose todays society would say we were binge drinking.

 

[cap n chris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ye3ZGPJY-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRQxV-PchwA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt-8ZLKNyx0

or get it wrong....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ1kAmLrnKk

 

[grand-moff]

Mmmmm flaming Sambuccas = great night and the mother of all hangovers :thumbsdown:

 

[barrabus]

I'm glad he doesn't live round my way...

He sounds like a bit of a bully to me.

Let me know if he's going caving in Yorkshire and I'll go and let all his tyres down and shove a potato up his exhaust. 

 

[eastwater]

Hi Viv really sorry to hear what happened to you . It was a mean trick  to pull on a new caver though sump one . The person that pulled this trick could not of imagined the psychological implications that it would bring on to a person that had no idea of it coming and was new to caving . There is no place for this trick with new carvers . One  has to know the caver very well to pull this stunt .
The mind is very powerfull and will create very strong emotions and feelings it  can leave permant marks on a person who has had a bad experience .

Please don't give up on the caving it can be a lovely and rewarding sport when done with the right people. The  unwritten code of trust is never broken and your trips will be rewarding and most of all good fun.
all the best

 

[james]

If it "Too hot keep out of the kitchen". Probably not the best advice in this case, but caving is not for wimps. It is for hard men. "If you are not ‘ard, you shouldn’t have come". Perhaps in this case, Val would be better off in the kitchen, doing womanly things.

This section of post removed by the moderator it was offensive and uncalled for.
A warning has been sent to James.

If you can’t take a joke Val, then stay at home.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Well there's one person I never ever want to meet, underground or anywhere else come to that.