potty mouths!! (Page 2)

I was officiating the Dutchman Half in Pella this summer and we actually penalized a guy for this.  He had forgotten to put his nutrition in his transition area, so as he came out of the water he asked his lady friend (not sure if a girlfriend or wife) to get a plastic bag out of the car and bring it to him.  She did and brought him the wrong bag (there must have been two).  He realized that he wasn't clear what bag he needed with her and was angry at himself.  He yelled, rather loudly, a few swear words and started to get on his bike.  He was so upset that he hollered a few more times and he could be heard from over 100 yards away back to transition. 

I had never faced a situation like this before, so I asked the head referee afterward.  We both felt  that it violated the rules, but wanted to leave it to the race director, who was an experienced triathlete that had raced Kona twice.  Without hesitation he said "penalty". 

After the race was over, the athlete came over to talk to us about the penalties (he got one for accepting the nutrition from his friend on his return to T2 as well) and we explained the rule and the fact that on the course - way out there in sparse areas, we would probably let it go, maybe come talk to the athlete after the race, but his comments had people around the transition areas making comments and thus portrayed the sport in a bad light.  By the end of the conversation, he agreed with us, or at least accepted the penalty, which was never appealed.  he also accepted the outside help penalty, and as he and I talked about it, we agreed that it was probably better to take the time penalty than to bonk out on the course. 

I have often wondered this myself. Who exactly are the language police and how did they decide what words are "good" and what words are "bad"?  I swear like a sailor usually for effect not because it is directed at someone. My kids have heard every word in the book just by entering the school yard! I have taught them  that if they use the "bad" words the wrong way there will be a price to pay. They know when that kind of language is appropriate and when its not, and where it can be used and where it can't. Swearing happens get over it; you can't control other people only yourself..its called freedom of speech and all that.

Abusive?

Who defines abusive?

If I told my brother "Go F@$K Yourself". He would laugh.

If I told my mother "Go F@$K Yourself". She would be very offended.

If I told my brother "Go F@$K Yourself" in front of my mother I don't think she would care one way or the other.

If I told my brother "Go F@$K Yourself" in front of a race official I would be penalized? Even though it wasn't abusive in intent, or taken that way?

^^^^^^ 
I agree and use this same line of reasoning as to why I don't curse,, have a brain, some imagination, come up with a new catch phrase.  What cracks me up is when people only curse during stressfull times and when something bad happens, then use the reasoning that it's only a word.. but if you are only using it when something bad happens instead of a part of your everyday vocabulary are you not admitting that it's a "bad" word.

My old business partner had the incredible ability to curse all day long in the course of normal conversation, during meetings with bankers, and other such "important" meetings. If he wasn't cursing then something was wrong

Do you say "pi$$ed" in front of that 7 year old daughter too?  Seriously, sometimes people are not aware of their surroundings.

This reminds me of something that happened to me once...

I was once in a bar with some friends, and one of the guys actually brought his daughter to happy hour and was upset that I was using curse words... in a bar... that smelt like an ashtray from all the second hand smoke, and definitely lots of carrying on.  Pretty retarded and hypocritical if you ask me.

I don't normally just throw curse words around, but when it's time to unwind, don't tell me what I can or cannot say.   You know the way to the door!

It depends.  Maybe they'd just come up with something like, "If I could do that, I wouldn't be here directing this race; I'd be at home falling off the couch." 

I agree with this to an extent although I think it's somewhat of a contraditction.  We ban smoking in most public areas.  Why, because people don't like to be around it and the whole 2nd hand smoke issue.  When it comes to language around our kids, well, you just need to expect that is what this says.  Now I'm not necesarilly saying that potentially getting cancer from 2nd hand smoke is the same as my son or daughter hearing an f-bomb being dropped. Ee generally as a society (although in decline) feel like it's not healthy for kids to be around this kind of language and yet parents are just supposed to deal with it where when it comes to smoking, by law we have decided that can't be tollerated.  Apples to oranges, I know, but just got to thinkin' and no I'm not saying that people's language should be baned like smoking has been - and also - I'm not a smoker.

This is the section of 3.3 that was violated:

I'm just curious how long a person will stand in a spot with their child, while repeatedly being offended by cussing before the thought of moving away from the area comes to mind.

After about the 2nd time, I'm thinking I would have said "C'mon, lets go between the pool and the bikes so we can watch mommie run to the transition area and take off on her bike".

While I don't agree with cussing in front of children, this day was not about "the kids". I'm pretty sure that during this sporting event, most of them weren't even aware that they were cussing. 

That reads very differently than the one quoted above.

EDIT:

Offensive and Abusive are two VERY differnt things.

Like it or not, adults swear.  I've done it in a tri and not planned on it.  I've done it in front of kids not realizing they were there.  I try to avoid it, but it happens sometimes.  I feel like part of being a parent is teaching your kids that it's not acceptable and those are bad words.  That's what my parents did when I was little and I never swore when I was young.  My mom would have washed my mouth out with soap.

Why do you assume the swearing is out of frustration or anger, and not for "comedic emphasis"?

Let's take the kids out of this conversation.  Frankly, the argument that, "There aren't many kids around," or "I'm not thinking of other people's kids," is just lame.  It is no more proper to curse in front of adults than it is in front of kids.  Here's me, as an adult, requesting you to "Watch your language."

The other disingenuous argument is along the lines of, "Who gets to determine what is profane anyway?"  The answer is simple.. society.  The people around you.  The fellow racers and the crowd in general at a race.  Profanity is a "social more" (or "social construct" and reflects what has come to be generally accepted in a given population.  What makes it 'wrong' is your own awareness that others around you may find it offensive.  Even if you chose to ignore the wrongness of it, you are fundamentally aware of the connotation and general percetion of the term/action.

Note the term generally; it's not limited to your specific view of whether something is profane (unless you're in a society of one).  But by that same token, if you are in a small, limited environment (someone mentioned how he can curse at his brother and they both find it humerous) there is nothing socially 'wrong' with it, since the connotation is not perceived by anyone present as profane.

When you're racing, you know that you are in a crowded environment.  You know that the words we're all discussing are generally considered profane.  I'm certainly not holding myself on a pedestal on this topic.  But for goodness sake, quit trying to rationalize why it should be OK for you to be blatently offending the other people around you.  Man up (or woman up) and admit when you made a mistake.