[ Closed ] PATRIOTIC DUTY (Page 1 of 2)

they're so broke, they can't even afford lower case letters

I PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR HELP CONCERNING ARMY SOLDIERS AND YOU WANT TO REPLY ABOUT MY LACK OF PUNCUATION         YOU FORGOT TO CAPITALIZE.
For you I will explain why.
Due to an accident   I now only have 9 fingers   thus making it difficult to hit the shift key .
IF YOU HAVE NOTHING POSITIVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS THREAD   YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE YOUR CRITICISM FOR SOMETHING ELSE.   DOBEY

Yikes this is getting rough.  First of all, please thank your son for his service.  Please realize that running a "$500" Lemons race is expensive.  Figure bare minimum $1000 for a car and safety equipment, but a best case scenario would be closer to $1500+ with spare tires and brake pads.  Then the gear is a minimum of $500 for each driver.  You have to have a minimum of 2 sets of gear for fueling.  Entry for 4 drivers is $1200.  Add this to lodging, travel and weekend expenses, you are looking at $5,000 for a "best case scenario".  I think you would be better served to pitch this idea to their COs and maybe they could get a military sponsor.  Or you could ask that they be able to join an established team as a driver.  I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do.

And to DRC, realize that if it were not for these volunteers, we would have a draft.  I don't think you should get any more respect for going voluntarily than being drafted

As a matter of fact, we've had quite a few teams with active-duty military guys driving. Maybe one of them has a seat or two available.

We have had 8 different National Guard guys in 3 races so far.  The good news is defensive driving techniques learned in OEF/OIF situations work pretty well at Lemons.  Lemons is a lot more fun.

Wow this thread went down in flames pretty quickly.

If you want to see if they could get in the race it would be best to just contact jay and nick directly, they will decide that. 

I'm assuming that since you have run inthe past you know the costs of these cars and the emotional attachment you can get to them so it might be hard for anyone to give the keys to the car over to some people they never met.

Don't you already have a Lemons car that you're selling in the FS section?

I knew this thread was going to be a train wreck.  Just try and look away.

This, "you know what you signed up for" stuff is kinda buggin' me.  I think we are just gonna have to agree to disagree.  First of all a soldier wasn't asking for a handout, the soldier's mother or father was.  Second, you guys act like being a soldier is just a job and don't whine because your career choice sucks and gets you shot at.  Our soldiers are at war.  Getting shot at and dying.   If anyone is deserving of any special treatment, it's those men and women.  By special treatment I don't mean a $5,000 ticket to Lemons, but getting your fat duff off the couch and attending a welcome home parade instead of watching Oprah get fatter or just saying thank you when you see a soldier.   It's the least you can do for people that put their lives on the line.

Basically, you should be pursuing a sponsorship for your friends to be in the race. Many corporations would love to add a few thousand dollars to the "goodwill" section of their 2009 balance sheets. If, without a sponsorship, your friends cannot afford to race in Lemons... then they probably should not. The cost overruns are usually quite significant, and frankly they shouldn't be "barely making ends meet" and entering a stupid car race. There are other more responsible ways for them to spend their disposable incomes. That said, they can (and should) do whatever the fuck they want with their money.

Also, if they are not in the correct mindset, the emotional rollercoaster associated with a Lemons event may be quite the blow to their self-esteem, especially if they are about to ship-out.

Now to the flammable points associated with what you are trying to do;

You are posting this request on a site full of people who have busted their asses forming a team, planning and building a car, and perhaps gone through the crucible that is Lemons before. These people have accomplished all of the tasks necessary to plan and sign-up for a Lemons race ahead of time, without asking for special arrangements. While your friend's service is commendable, what makes them exceptional? For example, Speedycop and his friends put their lives on the line every day in the interest of public service. They pull over a speeding car without knowing if it is a yuppie on his cellphone or a meth addict about to put a bullet in their head. Does he deserve a special accommodation, maybe, but he isn't on here asking for one. What about Firemen? Border Patrol? IRS agents?

The fact your friends did voluntarily sign-up for their service certainly doesn't take away from the fact that they are putting it all on the line for something that they may or may not understand. It is a very honorable profession, and I'm sure most people wouldn't mind extending them a helping-hand as a gesture of thanks from time to time.

Their only fault in all of this is that they got their friend to post a message in an open forum, in all caps, and expected to be taken seriously. Their friend should have contacted the Lemons staff directly via information gleaned from the site that directed you to the forums (www.24hoursoflemons.com). It also sounds as if this request is a bit premature, since it appears that they (and you) might not understand the extent of preparation it takes to successfully run a Lemons event, and the mindset needed to enjoy said event.

Good Luck, and thanks to your friends for their service.

How has ifb_mole managed to stay out of this quagmire so far?

OMG   I CAN NOT BELIEVE SOME OF THESE POST

FIRST OFF  FOR DRC   GET A BAR AND PRY YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR A$$.   ON EACH ITEM  CAR AND EQUIPMENT I WROTE  "BORROW OR DONATE"  THAT DOES NOT INSINUATE THAT I AM WHINING TO YOU FOR A HAND OUT OR SYMPATHY.    SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE EXTRA EQUIPMENT THEY DO NOT MIND LENDING OR DONATING TO THIS TEAM.  I WOULD SAY SORRY BUT I AM NOT ONE BIT FOR ANNOYING YOU.   YOU IRRITATE ME.   OH YEAH  THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.

YES I HAVE A FULLY PREPPED Lemons CAR    I AM IN CALIFORNIA   .  GEOGRAPHY KIND OF PREVENTS ME FROM GIVING IT TO THEM.   AND IF THERE ARE ANY MILITARY OUT THERE THAT WOULD WANT TO USE THAT CAR TO RACE AT ANY RACE NEAR HERE I WOULD TURN IT OVER TO THEM. 

THIS WAS TO BE A REAL SIMPLE REQUEST FOR HELP ..
I DO ANOTHER FORM OF RACING AND IF SOMEONE NEEDS SOMETHING YOU GO TRAILER TO TRAILER  AND YOU WILL USUALLY GET WHAT YOU NEED FROM YOUR FELLOW RACERS.   NEVER HAVE I OR HAVE I BEEN REDICULED  LIKE SOME OF THESE POST.

SO ONCE AGAIN  I STATE   IF YOU CAN HELP   IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED   IF YOU CAN'T  SO BE IT.

BY THE WAY   I'M SURE JAY AND NICK GET ON HERE FROM TIME TO TIME.  THUS   THIS WOULD BE MY REQUEST TO THEM AS WELL AS TO ANYBODY ELSE.   I DID NOT WANT TO BOTHER THEM DIRECTLY.