The Joey Dunlop Injured Riders Fund made use of the Hailwood Centre this TT week to try to sell goods to raise money for what I consider to be a good cause. Unfortunately, if my own experience is anything to go by, this was a bad move.

I had arranged with a prominent member of the committee, who I know personally, to go to the centre to pick up and pay for some goods I had asked to be put aside for me.

As I approached the path to the Hailwood Centre on Friday (Senior Race Day) I was stopped by an official who said I couldn't go any further without a Paddock Pass. I tried to explain that I had business at the Hailwood Centre but was simply ignored and informed that, no matter what, I couldn't go further without a pass but would be allowed in after the race had finished. She employed that well worn phrase, "I'm just doing my job."

I returned when the race had finished to be told, by the same person, that I couldn't come in without a pass. All attempts at rational discourse with this person were fruitless. In a less than happy state of mind, I was just leaving when someone who knew me came and asked me what was going on. They gave me their pass and I went to the centre where the staffed but, obviously, very unbusy JDIRF stall had my goods.

Had the Fund opted to have a "pitch" in the traders area, they would have had to pay a pretty hefty site fee and compete, in terms of visual prominence, with all the commercial traders. At least, however, it would have been permitted to have custom during the racing period.

The really stupid part, in my mind, is that the precious pass that I was supposed to have to reach the centre can be obtained by just about anyone on any pretext as long as they know someone involved in the racing or its organisation i.e. they serve no useful purpose in keeping the paddock secure and the riders free from autograph hunters and sight-seers. They DO stop riders' charities getting bothered by customers when you have "jobsworth" security geeks, however.

I know what you mean. At UK Superbike events i get the very same thing. It's over stupid things too. I even got stopped when i had my paddock pass; the stupid idiot said i was "too young to have a real pass" and said it was a fake. It wasn't, and i had to try and prove this to the stupid chimp on the gate.

They do their best to take the fun out of motorcycle racing, and think just cos they havea nice yellow jacket and are in control are suddenly amazing humans with superior power to any other human on the planet!

I hear what you are saying Damon but the downside is the amount of racers gear even bikes that used to go missing without the "jobsworths" on the gate at BSB meetings ??
cheers Stella.

Jobs worths are necessary...

I guess nice, agreeable, useful people tend not to go for security jobs (no offence to any doorway gorillas reading this).

The man was doing his job-
-It was the choice of venue that was the problem---How CAN the general public possibly buy items for such a cause when it is in "the Cage" ? It is about time that such a charity be set up somewhere where the general public of fans can access it and spend their money.

It was no good where it was--

Here is just another exaple of someone in uniform going over the top.

TT99 - Just been out from practise on the beloved sidecar. Came in and was dying for a pee, was hot and sweaty and generally covered in all sorts of snot...lol.

Well secruity guard who had seen me walking round all week told me that I could NOT use the tiolet block unless I had a pass on me.

Normally very placid, I quite politely told him that if I did not go into said block I would have no hesitation in relieveing myself on his feet...needless to say there was no further discussion on the subject.

Just goes to show that if you give someone a uniform they suddenly become god.

That said I have always found the officials of the ACU to be very helpful and efficient but I suppose it depends on the way you treat them to start with.

Regards.

Fitz.

I am not a committee member of the Joey Dunlop Injured Riders Fund but I am in a position to be familiar with much of the Fund's business and therefore feel qualified to speak on its behalf on this occasion.

I feel it is necessary to remind everyone that this was the first year of ACTIVE fund raising at a TT meeting.Last year was a non-event,of course,although the JDIRF did maintain a daily presence at the Hailwood Centre selling its items to raise funds and generally making those who did bother to visit them,very welcome.

Obviously then ,this year,with the added pressure of security companies making their presence felt,there were bound to be mistakes and misjudgements but ,more importantly, lots learned for the future.

I have been informed by committee members that for TT 2003 they will no longer be operating from the Hailwood Centre, but from a retail outlet situated within the general trading area as visited by many fans without any interference from security personnel.The committee are fully aware of the anger and frustration felt by many members of the public whilst trying to access the Hailwood Centre, and wish it to be known that the situation will be much improved next year.

Speaking once again off my own bat,I fully agree with the thoughts of the originator of this thread. If the security people are there to prevent undesirables stealing from vans etc,thats wonderful,but to be constantly challenged by the same person half a dozen times during the same practice session whilst you are running round trying to get a stubborn bike fired up is very annoying.After a few days of practice at the TT or MGP ,the same familiar faces are present at every session,yet the security staff can't or won't show common sense and let them get on with what they have to do.ie,get out to practice in the right frame of mind without going out there wound up because of petty-mindedness.I can also state that I DID see others in the paddock on many occasions who had obviously slipped the net by obtaining a pass from someone--probably in the beer-tent--who have most certainly been in trouble with the Manx police more than once for crimes of theft,burglary or dishonesty.What the hell were they doing in there? Looking for autographs????

Anyway Im getting on one now.Sorry! But I just mainly wanted to post to say that the situation regarding access will be different next year for those fans who wish to purchase from the JDIRF and thereby contribute to this effort.

Thanks to all those who have responded. I'm not going to drag this out with blow by blow argument so I'll round up with a final statement.

Firstly, on jobsworths:

A jobsworth and a person who does their job are two very different things in my book. A jobsworth covers stupidity by hiding behind the old "just doing my job / more than my job's worth" response.

This person wasn't doing their job because:

She told me I would be given access to the Hailwood Centre after the racing was finished but then refused me entry until the roads were open.

She let someone else through who had no pass on some pretext or other. This person was wearing motorcycle gear and I wasn't. Maybe she thought that it made a difference or maybe she wanted to demonstrate her limitless powers to me - either way, she was not doing her job.

I was given someone else's pass right under her nose. It wasn't my pass and I had no right to be carrying it but the fact that I was carrying it made it okay with her. That is the stuff of comedy sketches.

On security:

Yes, there should be a secure area for the riders' equipment and that means that if security passes are to be issued, they should be restricted to those who NEED to be in the secure area. I reiterate that I don't think I would have any problem in getting a fully authorised pass issued to me if I wanted one, despite having no good reason to go into the paddock.

On the siting of the stall:

I think we all agree that the stall should not have been in an "off-limits" area and I'm sure that had the JDIRF been aware that the access to the centre formed part of the restricted area, they would not have wanted it. There has been a break-down in communications somewhere along the line. I'm not trying to lay blame on anyone for this - the TT takes a lot of organising and things can easily get overlooked - I'm sure that the Hailwood centre was made available with the best intent. As Barry has told us, the lessons have been learned and things will be different next year.

Thanks Barry.

Yes, scumbags do still take things from riders, and like all walks of life, ruin it for everyone else.

But it was the fact that I had a pass, a real pass, and second he'd seen me on the back of a racers' scooter all that day, even passing comment to us once or twice.