Matt Romanowski

The problem is the instructors in this thread.

I instruct flat out. That's how I instruct. Flat out.

Land Jet

I was that guy not so long ago. I had no idea how much I didn't know. Still have plenty to learn.

kurt M

We all were at clueless at something at some point. The key is to inform and instruct without insult. Not too hard to do with most people. Based on the OP there was no insult. A 0.0 green student said a funny in the tech line. This funny was shared without names being used. There was no mention of him getting razzed at the track. The student also got the services of a seasoned instructor for the weekend

Bill N

Great Wikipedia article, thanks to all who posted it. I particularly like the Bertrand Russell quotation:

"One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision."

Hey...wait...that couldn't apply to any of us, could it?

paradisenb

^^^^^^+1

kurt M

Someone needs to put on some latex gloves and hip waders and post this in the P&C forum.

garrett376

Does it matter if a Mazda could "kick his ***." In a Driver's Educational event? And this comment comes from a "PCA certified instructor"? Sounds like this would be discouraging new students from joining the PCA and learning to drive their car on a track versus the streets which is a safe move, and purpose of the PCA DE program, no?

sleder

Perfect!!! Thanks Bill.

TheOtherEric

You don't think that the student would feel insulted if he came and read this thread? He would obviously think, and rightfully so, that PCA national instructors are a bunch of dicks. (and yes I'm a certified PCA DE Corps member)

If you wanna make fun of a student, that's fine we've all done it, but for god's sake do it privately.

p.s. great message to send to potential new enrollers. "Hey come to a track event and we'll skewer you mercilessly behind your back once it's over!!"

jumper5836

You can still have a blow out with street tires. I remember being concerned about this when the car was new. I still occasionally think about it. Obviously the guy didn't really know what would be involved in driving and the speeds that would be obtained but I think the comment really isn't that funny.

garrett376

Especially when the comment is made to a Club Technical Chairperson, in the tech inspection line?!

Gary R.

Only if the instructor is a Rennlist member....

Skewer, it's what we do.

Mark in Baltimore

Especially at a first DE, humility and and objectivity are greeted with open arms. Arrogance and preconceived notions, however, are sent running by pitchforks and wooden stakes.

carreracoupe997

To all that interpreted my post to be an insult or degrading to the student. You are wrong...period. Read my post again. Nothing is said negative and I would never post anything negative about a student. Your inaccurate interpretation of my post as being degrading does not make it true, so please lets move on.

garrett376

So what is the point of your original post then?

My point of replying to this thread is that the guy who you wrote about may take it the same way as I and the other people on here. My interpretation when I read this initially, without even knowing who you are (beauty of the internet!), is that the head-honcho technical guy for the PCA region, who owns 6 cars and is a certified instructor, is making fun of a student who has a car that in the original poster's opinion he shouldn't have at the track in the first place.

That's the great part about posting stuff like this on an internet forum - you can't control the reader's interpretation no matter your intentions, still of which I am not sure what they were if not to criticize a student's comments and actions while trying to learn about his car.