Nataly

Shroppy... You should know me well enough to realise I accept pearl necklaces instead of diamond ones... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

A man brings his beautiful date to a jewelry store just before closing time on a Friday and offers to buy her a gorgeous diamond necklace. She is over the moon... When he gets to the counter, he starts writing a cheque... The clerk looks at the man and politely says: "I'm sorry sir, but this is the first time I've seen you in my store. I mean no disrespect, but if this cheque bounces, you've just walked away with a very expensive necklace!" "Not to worry," the man said, "I understand your concern... I tell you what: you hold on to the cheque and to the necklace. On Monday morning call my bank and once they have confirmed the funds are available, you may cash the cheque and send the necklace to this lovely lady." Satisfied, the clerk takes the cheque, they shake hands and part ways. On Monday morning, the clerk discovers the cheque will bounce!! There is no money in the account! Outraged, he calls the man and starts yelling at him, at which point the man says: "Whoa... Calm down... You have lost nothing - you still have the necklace... I, on the other hand, have had wild kinky sex all weekend, so thanks for your help!!!" "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Is buying used a gamble? Not really. It's like anything... Keep an eye open and eventually you will find what you want. I got my rig from a guy who bought new, put less than 20 jumps on it and decided skydiving wasn't for him. Which is not so surprising... A first rig is something a lot of people want to move on from quickly (either to downsize or even to quit the sport) - so "almost-new" (and much less expensive) beginner gear is not all that hard to find unless you're feakishly tall/short/fat/skinny. In my case it was an awesome deal because the guy didn't care about money - he just wanted the rig to have a happy new owner

For me, I had a lot of reasons for wanting something smaller - not all of them good reasons... One big problem I had as a light jumper was being at the mercy of the winds and not being able to control my big student canopy. On almost every jump I was landing backwards and then once on the ground I would get dragged back by the canopy... I also had an extremely hard time flaring... Riser turns?? Forget it - I lifted *myself* up, rather than pulling down the risers... Not to mention the rental rigs were big. I was scared to fall out of it!! Maybe an unreasonable fear, but nonetheless, I felt uncomfortable with the equipment. I went too small, but I did need to downsize in order to get a reasonable amount of control when flying my canopy. Aside from this, I will not deny that "peer pressure" is out there to get something smaller... As a newby, it's easy to get tempted. The same way it's tempting to get a more powerful bike when everyone makes fun of your dinky little 250cc. The same way when you're new to running you get sucked into the excitement of everyone around you in a race and forget to pace yourself and run WAAAAY faster than you ought to. It's easy to get ahead of yourself... As you are not susceptible to peer-pressure and not interested in swooping, down-sizing has very little interest. Because like you said: the purpose of your canopy is to land your ass safely. Some people use their canopy for more than that (like trying to prove they have testicles). "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

At just over 20 jumps, I bought myself a Sabre1 135. I weighed less than 100 lbs at the time because I had been quite ill and lost a bunch of weight. The rig was a tad on the large side, even. On the whole, it seemed a reasonable idea until I started playing around under canopy. Fuck me, it scared me senseless. Over the years, I have gained and lost weight again, and all I can say to someone is this... Good work for losing the weight, but DO NOT base your canopy size on a weight that is not your "natural" (or sustainable) weight. Like many have said, I can personally attest to the FACT that a 135 is very responsive at any wingloading. Even more so when you gain back the weight you lost. And it goes without saying that you may one day end up gaining MORE weight than you lost. Do yourself a favour: base your decision on your skill level, not your diet achievements. I was very lucky - many have been a lot less lucky. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

My boyfriend went to visit his friend when he was working in London... At the time, the guy was flat-sharing with a bunch of girls... They all thought my bf was so sweet until a couple of weeks later they saw the pictures of some of their drunken antics and one of the exclaimed in horror: "oh my god, did he put his willy in our toaster???" "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Well, moving in just about any kind of way could cause an obese person to have a heart attack... So they should *all* be banned!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Your opinion is biased due to your location. For the rest of France, people living in the south east area are 'specials'. So true!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Rules?? They have (had) rules over here?? News to me!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Roundabouts RULE. To all the people who have hinted that yanks are too stupid to learn how to use them... Rest assured, there are stupid people EVERYWHERE and over here they cope with roundabouts just fine. ETA - I can confirm that in Froggyland, people who hesitate lose their right of way!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Apologies if this has already been mentioned... Say you buy your own student rig... Who are you going to sell it to when you are done with it? Nobody, that's who. The only people who want/own student rigs are dropzones. Note you yourself will not want a student rig any more in just 10-20 jumps... Your first rig after that, however, could easily keep you happy for 100 or more jumps. In my case, for example, I may *never* downsize from the first rig I bought and still jump with!!! More importantly, once you are tired of this (non-student) rig, someone else will happily buy it off of you so you can change/upgrade yourself

I lightly toot my horn to warn people I'm there, if I think it's necessary. It's not very loud and it does the trick. Otherwise I don't need to be noisy. I admit I have on a couple of occasions revved up to show my discontent at nearly being run over on a roundabout when I had the right of way, but to be honest this is simply a show of anger/aggression and I could just as easily have honked my horn. It should be noted, however, that revving the engine of my Ninja 250 does not produce a hell of a lot of noise... In this case I chose revving as a less loud alternative to honking. The point being that whatever you do, you don't need to be excessively loud. You especially don't need to be loud ALL THE TIME. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

My hair was just past my belly-button and was one length (save for the front, from a couple of years ago when the hairdresser decided I needed layers - argh!!)... I had to stand up for her to cut my hair... She combed it back and I couldn't see what she was doing until out of the corner of my eye I noticed a loooong bit of hair on the floor... But it was too late... She worked fast and was already half-way done. Now it barely covers my boobies... AND she cut it in layers - ARRRRRRGH. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Seriously. It grows slowly. I know for two reasons: 1. I used to colour my hair and it was *ages* between touch-ups. 2. The last time I cut my hair short it took over seven years for it to be nearly as long as it had been before I cut it ... This is why I hate going to the hairdressers. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Since when is hacking off 5 inches a "trim"??? That's like 2 years of growth!! [/end rant] "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

http://www.haynes.com/ "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Exactly what I was thinking. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

As usual, I agree with NWFlyer and Wendy (no big surprise there!! ) Also like this above... Nobody is right all the time, but if you try to be the best approach is probably to do nothing!! Yeah... I'm quick to own up to my mistakes/errors. In fact, I've had to learn NOT to always accept responsibility too quickly because sometimes it takes time to properly digest/understand exactly what happened and if you immediately step up and take all the blame, some people are all too happy to deny responsibility when it turns out they were partly or indeed entirely at fault. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Ja... Och jag är en biker!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Sounds like you are describing the difference between a 4-stroke and a 2-stroke engine. Are you aware of the differences between these two designs? They are old, cheap 50cc scooters deliberately modified for maximum noise (cutting the muffler, after market exhaust, or the cheaper alternative of just drilling/poking holes in the exhaust ). Driven by kids too young to legally get a proper bike and too stupid to realise they are annoying as shit and contribute to people hating bikers. They make everyone miserable because a lot of stupid rules/restrictions exist because of their dumb/wreckless riding. And I don't believe that "loud pipes save lives"... Car drivers don't listen for bikers... If all vehicles were quiet, people would get used to it and be more careful about looking before crossing. Lots of cars are very silent. Bicycles are silent. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I'm not saying it's the fault of the guy in the SUV, but that we don't see how it escalated. I have my doubts about the SUV driver behaving 100% "correctly" in the situation before the video starts. Even if he did, and all he did was yell at the bikers that he called the cops, this is NOT a clever idea when they massively outnumber/surround you... Again, I'm not playing "blame the victim" but in some situations, it's better to keep a low profile. As for the busted tire - could have happened when the SUV drove over 3 bikers... Again, not saying he was wrong to escape - when a mob surrounds you, staying put can be way worse than trying to get away... But we do not see much activity at all when everyone initially stops... For sure the bikers behaved abominably, but the trouble is when things escalate in a highhly-tense situation, no good can come of it. The right thing to do would have been to stay well clear of the mob in the first place (and then call the cops). "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

It seems to me, the louder the bike, the younger the driver, and the smaller the bike... The typical thing I see is a teeeeeeeny scooter making a hell of a lot of noise... They deliberately rev up as often as possible and generally ride like asshats. They should be run over. I dream of the day where all vehicles are silent. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Irrespective of your skill level, always ask yourself "why do I want to downsize?" Seriously. Write it down, and be honest with your answers. If you're mostly driven by looks, size of the container/rig or peer-pressure, these are NOT good reasons to downsize. If you've found an amazing deal, this is not a good reason. If you are thinking many, many jumps ahead, this is not a good reason. This is your first rig. You are still learning. Why on earth would you get anything but something you are comfortable with *now*? Build your skills on that, and see about downsizing once you actually can fly the shit out of your first canopy. I still have the first canopy I bought, but only because I was lucky not to kill myself on the first 100 jumps I did with it. I learned to fly what I have because I was worried I'd die... I should simply have gotten a bigger canopy. If I had, I'm not even sure I would have downsized to what I currently have!! Same with my bike... I have a little bike. Every time I ask myself whether I should go bigger, I remember what I use the bike for (commuting to work on little, traffic-jammed roads), and that a bigger bike would actually be more of a hassle in my case. The day I want to use it more on highways, then I will have a good reason for getting the bigger bike. At this stage, your canopy's purpose is to get you safely to the ground. Consider downsizing ONLY when you have mastered this, and you want to progress to something else, where a smaller canopy would be more suitable. Remember... If the canopy is fit-for-purpose, you will learn BETTER, and you are more likely to enjoy this sport for years to come. If it is NOT suitable, at best you can struggle to learn to fly, at worst you could die. Not trying to be over-dramatic, but it's a reality that should not be ignored. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I have read in another article that the guy in the Landrover had called the cops on the bikers because they were all over the road and slowing down all the other cars whiles they did tricks and doghnut burnouts. Victim made the mistake of yelling at them and telling them he was on his ceel with PD. That led to the wolfpack and stopping him. After the idiot brake checks him and the landrover clipps the rear of the bike, the victim stops and the bikers started slammimg there helmets into his LR and actually slash one of his tires. It was then that the victim decided to four wheel over a couple of the barricading bikes. Biggest mistake victim made was exiting... should have stayed on the freeway and waited for PD support. I've watched the bit where he initially stops again and again... It's hard to make out but I don't see any helmets hitting the SUV or people slashing tires (or deflated tires when he gets away)... You also don't hear any yelling (but you do hear the bikes getting run over). It looks like the SUV was surrounded, but no more. If I were in the car at this point, just having lots of people surrounding my vehicle would make me antsy for sure. Like I said, though... We don't see the before. I've seen plenty of drivers in big cars try to "teach me a lesson" by driving aggressively, blocking my way, opening their doors, et cetera when I myself was doing absolutely nothing wrong (filtering being 100% legal in the UK, as long as it's not at wreckless speeds). They often feel pretty untouchable compared to my little bike as there is little I can do to defend myself or retaliate. So we don't know for sure the SUV wasn't being aggressive as well before the biker decided to force him to stop. Things have a way of escalating when people are upset... Being surrounded by 50 people would make me very scared... Seeing 3-4 people get run over would make a lot of bikers furious... My guess is the driver helped to initially escalate things. But even if he didn't, if the reports are correct, it's not very clever to taunt a huge group of people by telling them you've called the cops. Doesn't mean he deserved what he got, but it wasn't clever. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I wonder why the biker pulled in front of the SUV and hit the brakes?? The biker would have known this would almost certainly result in getting rear-ended. I personally have only ever used this tactic (in a car) when an aggressive driver behind me kept riding my ass (despite me pulling way over to the side to allow him to overtake). Note: I would not do this now, because I've heard/witnesses too many stories of road rage... So again... Why would the biker deliberately get hit??? That is my question. No video before this act, unfortunately... So hard to say for sure what the "whole story" is... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss