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Unread 31-03-2013, 23:55
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TheOtherGuy TheOtherGuy is offline
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Re: Petition to end the shouting of ROBOT

The pits are historically a very chaotic place, and for good reason. The shouting of "Robot!" is, as already pointed out, a degenerative practice that does little to increase order in the pits.

The way I see it, there are several factors at play that can be manipulated:
  • Overcrowding can be reduced by limiting the number of persons allowed in the pits
  • Space can be allocated more efficiently: add aisles dedicated to robot transportation
  • Teams can take it upon themselves to reduce the noise and disorder.
The third bullet, IMO, is the easiest to undertake, as it is a simple behavioral change that doesn't affect the grandeur of the pits. I'd like to add some more thoughts as to how you can achieve more order with the polite method of robot transportation:
  • As stated, send one or two members a few feet ahead to begin clearing space.
  • If you are able to maneuver the robot + cart around a group, do so, and without voicing your intent. This is my #1 issue: teams generally call "Robot!" without thinking about the path they're taking through the pit, as it they should have a straight-line trip to/from their pit. If it is possible to avoid someone, quietly and politely do so.
  • Be patient! If there is a roadblock, wait for people to move and thank them for doing so afterwards. Common courtesy goes a long way.
  • To aid in many of the situations mentioned in this thread involving extremely crowded pits, I would suggest everyone takes trip time into account. I realize this can be hard for teams trying to make it onto the field, but this is where your path-clearing members come in handy. Make sure people are well aware that a robot will be coming through in a moment, but again, do so in an amicable manner.

I'm going to try to speak with the safety advisors at our next event on Thursday morning and convince them to help with the endeavor of keeping the pits as quiet and professional as possible. I think this is a good short-term solution, if at least someone at each regional has a courteous discussion with the nice green-shirted folk
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