[Kims Robot]

This thread saddens me...

At FLR this year, we had a bit of trouble with the scales and with our weight, sure it was only 3 lbs, but we had taken 20 off before we shipped... there were very few holes to drill, very little left to take out... We weighed our robot thursday at 7:55pm... it was 1.2lbs overweight. We thought we knew where to take it out, but just for caution's sake, I had the team reweigh right when we got there at 8am... all of a sudden it was 3lb overweight!! Amongst the jokes of our robot eating too many ice cream sundays, we were a bit bewildered, but we were determined.

We pulled off the camera to make weight for our first match(and finally passed inspecition), and then hacked at it until we took 3lb of wire, pieces, holes, bolts etc off... we went back and asked for an official reweigh with the camera on, and made it. After that the inspector thanked me for coming back to reweigh!! Thanked me?!?!?

Thats what saddens me. In FIRST, it used to be that EVERYONE would do that, it wasnt rare, it was honest and expected. There was no guessing, no "I think that equals out." Every team wanted the challenge of meeting all the rules... sure we all grumbled about the scales, or about this or that rule, but in the end, we NEVER tried to skirt any of them especially weight.

FIRST is based on an honor system, its based on GP... we shouldnt have to go to "mandatory weigh ins" for each match, we shouldnt have to "anonymously" turn eachother in... we are all in this together, and there is no reason to try and go around the rules, or beg the inspector to pass you. But maybe thats just my "old age" talking!

::sigh:: Ok I just had to say that...