Apology to the chemical engineering major i met yesterday at HIdden valley, VA

To that guy I met,
I was wrong, the AMGA cleaning procedure videos do use an overhand on a bight to lower with after cleaning the anchors. 

How heated was the discussion, that you feel a need to issue a formal apology?

did you seriously think an overhand on a bight wouldn't work?

slim wrote: did you seriously think an overhand on a bight wouldn't work?

He's not responding, so apparently it did not work.

I am occasionally the crag safety police.  I really don't want to see someone else die or get hurt from cleaning errors.  I was trying to question why he believed that an overhand was good enough. 

Nick Hitchcock wrote: I was trying to question why he believed that an overhand was good enough. 

Probably because it is. And most people don’t need an AMGA video to know that.

Andrew Krajnik wrote: How heated was the discussion, that you feel a need to issue a formal apology?

Haven't you seen the bowline v figure 8 threads here?

Overhand is perfectly safe, it’s just that a figure 8 is easier to untie after it’s been loaded. I’d guess the same is true for a tie-in knot

Andrew Krajnik wrote: How heated was the discussion, that you feel a need to issue a formal apology?

On MP lol

Nick Hitchcock wrote: I am occasionally the crag safety police.  I really don't want to see someone else die or get hurt from cleaning errors.  I was trying to question why he believed that an overhand was good enough. 

if you want to be the crag safety police it would be helpful if you actually knew what you are talking about.  at best it is irritating, and at worst you can end up giving bad (ie unsafe) advice - which i have seen firsthand from gumbies on numerous occasions...

slim wrote:

... irritating, ... giving bad (ie unsafe) advice - ... gumbies.

That's the definition of a crag safety police.

I'm intrigued that in the midst of the spat you learned that he was a chemical engineering major, but you didn't learn his name.

Nick Hitchcock wrote: I am occasionally the crag safety police.  I really don't want to see someone else die or get hurt from cleaning errors.  I was trying to question why he believed that an overhand was good enough. 

Because it is

So this guy was using the safest method of cleaning a route(rethreading the anchor with a bight) and it still wasn’t good enough? That knot would have to roll 20 times to come free with that 6 foot tail. Sounds like you’re idea of policing is a cross between the Stasi and Reno 911.

Edit: Having been a chemical engineering major for 2 weeks, I’ll accept your apology due to the beating you offered yourself up for here.

Even the crag police need to admit when they are wrong.  Thanks for all of the attention on here.  Maybe he will see it. 

Oh, come on guys! One time someone admits that they are wrong and posts it publicly, you all jump on him?

Obviously this was the best case scenario.

And to make things even better, while the advice-giver was wrong in the first place, his advice was NOT unsafe.

If only all cases were like this! 

Lena chita wrote: Oh, come on guys! One time someone admits that they are wrong and posts it publicly, you all jump on him?

Obviously this was the best case scenario.

The safety police tried to give advice to someone who knew what he was doing; the person on the receiving end of the advice managed to communicate information to the advice-giver in a way that made the advice-giver question his advice; the advice-giver then did more research, learned something, and admitted that he was wrong. 

And to make things even better, while the advice-giver was wrong in the first place, his advice was NOT unsafe.

If only all cases were like this!

No. He gave unsolicited and incorrect information to someone who knew more than he did; then called himself the “safety police.” The reaming he got here is the best case scenario for him, the chemical engineering major could have just kicked his ass instead.

Good for the OP! Way to be a stand up guy! If only the guys that rappelled rather than walked off Chouniard’s Gully would post up an apology!

 How bout the guys that lied about not needing any help to get off Roger’s Rock after their knot got jammed in the rap ring and they pulled the rope with a knot still in the end? Instead they posted what’s better method? We told you what you did wrong. Matt did make fun of you but come on.

Josh Lipko wrote:

No. He gave unsolicited and incorrect information to someone who knew more than he did; then called himself the “safety police.” The reaming he got here is the best case scenario for him, the chemical engineering major could have just kicked his ass instead.

And I got shit for wanting to kick someone’s ass for watching a girl pee? Decaf bro decaf.

The OP should be commended for publicly admitting his mistake. Yes, he initially gave unsolicited and incorrect advice. That's on him, and he owned up to it publicly after doing more research. In today's society it is becoming increasingly rare for people to admit when they were wrong. This is especially true in the public sphere, among academics, political leaders, celebrities, etc. How many times can you think of when the POTUS (current or past) admitted to a mistake or updated his belief in light of new information? The willingness to admit when one is wrong should be encouraged, or else we'll never learn from our mistakes. 

Being able to admit mistakes is commendable.

Creating an entire thread to say something to someone you don't know about something that doesn't really make much difference is really commendable!

Let's all do it, every time!