The scanner mega-thread

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally posted by scorch
What are people's feelings about the other common distractions? ie. radios, mobile phones, camera's etc...

At a recent meeting I had a marshal on post with me who continuously had her mobile to her ear. After a couple of sessions, I reiterated my morning briefing.......no mobiles except between sessions, provided that duties had been carried out first!
She kept taking calls throughout the morning and I aksed the IO to talk with her again.
After lunch just before racing commenced I had to (For the very first time in my role as an observer)take her to one side and point out the dangers to her and others and that I would ask her to leave post if the darned thing rang again.

Another distraction (Same day, same marshal)the "Family" turned up for the afternoon. All through racing there were cries of "Mum, can I have an Ice-Cream - Mum can I have......"
I took the unpleasant steps of reporting her to the Chief Marshal. Had I have had enough marshals on post I would probably have had her stood down.