Discussion: GUILTY! - Caught in the Act

Yes, I know, "It didn't actually touch my lips". But, it looks really bad when you get caught on film. Please consider the impression this makes on others. And no, I did not set the camera with the intent of "catching" people. But I thought it hilarious when I saw what developed.

Ha ha! I was just about to post the same photo of Nikolai!

I'm pretty sure that drinking from the container is against the rules but I always suspected it was ignored and that's why I generally open a new jug when I get to a waterstop and want a drink.

Unfortunately, I believe the violators will continue to swig from the jug so it would be nice if all those that think sharing their spit is fine would use the same jug. I know it's more work to designate one or two jugs for those people but maybe just marking the jug with a permenant marker will do the trick. Of course, I would be interested to know how many that think it's fine to drink straight from the jug would use the designated jug and not grab a fresh one that they know isn't contaminated.

This was a pretty exciting thread back in the day.

http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

If anyone goes to that thread and actually wants to see the OUSA rules, they're now located at:

orienteeringusa.org/about/rules

having moved a couple of times since 2008. :-)

The rules don't specify that the competitors must use cups, but they say that they can't drink from jugs in a way that contaminates the water. However, the rules also specify that the water must be offered by the organizer in a manner that does not realistically permit the competitors to drink from the jugs.

What would that mean in practice - chaining each jug to a kettleball so it's too much work lifting them to lip height for anyone to be willing to do it?

Although it's often referred to as the "chaining the jugs down" rule, there are at least two obvious alternatives that I have seen used:
1) Water is in a larger container with a tap (e.g. "Gatorade jugs", or 2.5 gallon containers with taps)
2) A volunteer is at the control pouring water into cups.

Stringing a thin rope between the handles of all the jugs at a water stop would do effectively the same thing... and a thin rope is a lot lighter than a kettleball. ;-) But this is orienteering, so if you did that people would complain about something, like having to squat while pouring. It seems like it's worth the minor effort to remind people that it's a minor public health hazard to drink from the jugs.

3) set up a camera at the control and publish the photos on attackpoint.

+1

Woh woh woh. I am clearly not drinking directly from the jug in this photo.

It's unfortunate that the jug is obstructing my left hand... The hand that I use to hold cups for drinking. Furthermore, when I arrived at control 72 I was still uncertain whether to cut out to the trail to #4 or take the more direct route through the forest. Thus my intent study of the map in the photo. In order to pour water into a cup, while studying a map, it is necessary to lift the jug high and close to your face. So close in fact, that an observer might mistakenly assume that you were actually drinking directly from the jug when you were not.

I admit however, that it is a very unfortunate photo.

Guilty of what?

I have never drink water sucking on someone elses bottle, jug or other container. Whether it is in the forest, or sharing a water bottle with someone.

Pouring from the jug is as hygienic as pouring in a cup. And no I am not wasting and spilling away water.

Could we get a little benefit of the doubt. We might carry a 305 but surely not use it to navigate by it.

Lest I be misunderstood in my comment above (citing the rules and the way they have been traditionally viewed with respect to the organizer's responsibility), I'm a guy who uses a cup maybe half the time. Maybe more, I'm not so often in a hurry these days. I have good enough aim to hold the jug about 20 cm from my face and hit my mouth accurately, and I have no qualms about doing so.

Thank you, Mike. A few more organizers having the guts to put their camera where their meet notes are and this long-standing problem should solve itself.

Complainers note Mike's comment up top: it looks really bad when you get caught on film. Please consider the impression this makes on others.

Public humiliation. Nice. Effective. Whats next? How about a feature on AP where we can turn each other in for all kinds bad behavior.
- Cheating with GPS
- Swigging from the jug
- Following

How about forcing them to append and "S" for swig to their AP name?