Out of control

just wondered and also a recommendation for eos/parents, after watching some footage i filmed at an event it brought back something i was concerned about.

if anyone else has had thoughts about out of control kids in the pits? i always make sure my 9 year old daughter is always kept under control, i appreciate us parents are busy fixing robots etc..but i can see a accident waiting to happen, i came back to my fw robot at one event to find kids picking it up looking underneath it and stuff. would hurt if it landed on the foot!

i agree, i can get abit annotying and in cramped areas a bit dangerous too

One thing I have noticed is that no-one has actually explained to me the rules in the pits in terms of safety.

Maybe there should be a requirement for new roboteers to arrive half an hour earlier than everyone else and undertake an induction prior to their first event. Or at the very least a sheet indicating dos and donts.

Its on the web sites in the event rules but how many kids read them?

Andy

All event organisers give a prep talk to roboteers before any event. This should include health and safety at their event.

I had a slight issue when a few kids where running through the back of the arena when I was filming with the expensive camera equipment at Robots live Leicster.
I just asked them nicely if they could play some where else and that was that.
There are many places where kids can play at events , but I agree the pits shouldnt be one of them.

I noticed a similar situation at Thinktank in December, kids running behind and in/out of the black curtains round the side of the pits. All it needed was for a kid to trip on the curtains and land on a robot or other sinister implement used in roboteering for an accident to occur.

However I dont expect the EOs to constantly be aware of the situation especially considering that theyre busy keeping the event running smoothly and punctually. All it needs though is for us roboteers to be vigilant and help prevent any accidents by warning the kids of the dangers of running about in the pits. Yes theyre kids, its in their nature to be hyper and expend energy but echoing posts above, the pits isnt the place for it.

i agree jamie, i had a hot soldering iron in my hand with a kid consitantly driving a remote control car around me and into my legs. but i am a parent and keep an eye on my daughter at events, sometimes i dont feel its my place to tell off someone elses child

(Message edited by promo robots on February 12, 2008)

I agree with you all there -these things havnt gone un-noticed by event organiser. At Thinktank these people were told alot of times to stop it, but we cant see it every minute of the event. And at Robots live, they were told aswell. There is only so much event organisers can do, i feel the parents should keep their children under control in the pits - im sure it does state somewhere in the rules that no one under the ages of 16 is allowed in the pits without parental control.
The other thing we will be clamping down on is people playing with these K-nex robots in the gangways. It keeps happeneing at all events now and its not just young kids doing it. I have no problem with them playing with them, just not in any gangway in the pits.

Every show, I go through the rules with my 10-year-old son Zack, about not touching robots, not running in the pits, or causing any obstruction or interference to other roboteers in the pits.
If anyone finds him infringing on any of the rules, please let me know as I can guarantee he will be sorry after I have spoken to him. He knows access to the pits is a privilege most people don€™t have, and I can and will remove that privilege from him if he misbehaves.

Thanks

I agree with that Craig, I explained the be careful, no running rule and I believe that my 9 year old abided by those rules, and if he didnt then I wouldnt mind if he was told off, or brought to me for a telling off.

He was a little confused when, after telling an adult roboteer dont worry that you lost to be told in return get lost, but I suppose thats one of the side effect of mixing with loads of adults.

The event guidelines state Children under the age of 16 must be supervised by parent/guardian at all
times. The pit is a working environment - failure to do so could result in disqualification and/or you being asked to leave the pit area.

Well I respect that rule, but constant supervision is a little tricky, although I did have my eye on him 80% of the time.

Simon