Why I Am Going to Bridge Day

[imported_Tom Aiello]

Recently, there have been some changes in the way the Bridge Day is organized. These changes are quite unpopular in the BASE community. As a result, many jumpers are planning on skipping Bridge Day, either as part of an organized boycott, or simply in disgust with the situation.

I am not.

I will attend Bridge Day 2002, no matter who organizes it, or what information they want from me.

Losing Bridge Day would be a tragedy for BASE jumping. Let me explain why.

Bridge Day has historically been the largest gathering of BASE jumpers in the world.

It has the greatest concentration of expertise, the most exchange of knowledge, the best access to gear demos, and the largest trade show in the BASE world.

Bridge day acts as a point of entry into our sport. Many jumpers made their first jumps at Bridge Day. The relative safety of the object, the rescue personnel, and the older jumpers to give guidance all make Bridge Day an excellent first jump opportunity. This is especially true for the (unfortunately) large number of jumpers who cannot or will not pay the price for first-rate instruction. We cannot abandon these new jumpers. Left alone, they would be forced to reinvent the sport, with all the attendant injuries and fatalities. Our elders gave us the benefit of their hard-won knowledge. Who are we to turn our back on the next generation?

Bridge Day is a fantastic networking opportunity for old and new jumpers alike. The visibility of Bridge Day in the skydiving world insures that a large number of new and inexperienced jumpers will attend Bridge Day every year. New jumpers learn things at Bridge Day that they carry home, share with their friends, and continue to use all year. New jumpers meet older jumpers who can offer them guidance, help them access other sites, and teach them ethics. This networking is a cornerstone of our community. If the older, more experienced jumpers boycott Bridge Day, it will create a discontinuity in our community. Younger jumpers looking for role models will find only each other, and a few “experienced jumpers” with fifty or a hundred jumps. Bad habits, incorrect practices, and poor ethics will be reinforced. Worse yet, younger jumpers will feel that the older jumpers don’t care about helping the newbies, and this will perpetuate a “screw you” attitude that can only lead to burnt sites, hard feelings, tar and feathers. Experienced jumpers may not benefit as much from Bridge Day, but the BASE community, and it’s future, certainly benefit from having them there.

Bridge Day is our most visible public relations event. Although newer events such as those held in Malaysia may overshadow Bridge Day in the future, they have not yet done so. Especially in the United States, Bridge Day represents an invaluable opportunity to reach out to the voting public. The opportunity to demonstrate our sport for that many voters should not be squandered. We need public outreach to help change government policies. It would be a tragedy to lose our greatest platform.

Bridge Day is also a great opportunity to gather experienced jumpers for discussion of technical issues. Rarely do we have the opportunity to walk down a hallway and find a dozen experienced jumpers with varying perspectives on technical issues. Even where a local jumping community has multiple experienced jumpers, they have generally arrived at a consensus on most technical issues, and rarely revisit and challenge that consensus. Exposure to other jumper’s opinions, and discussion of technical issues invariably increases our knowledge level, and hence our technical expertise. This benefit cannot be had on a road trip with your regular crew—it is only available from concentrations of experienced jumpers who you don’t normally discuss these things with. Although this happens in other places (Lysebotn, KL and cyberspace all come to mind) the mix in each place is different enough to make them all valuable, and the loss of any a mistake.

Bridge Day also presents an opportunity for organization. By bringing so many of us together at the same place and time, it sparks discussion about organization, and can even be the birthplace of effective organizations to promote various aspects of BASE (has anyone else heard the story about Dennis McGlynn conceiving the IPBC while jumping at Bridge Day?).

We should approach Bridge Day as an opportunity for public relations and education—not as a fun jump for experienced jumpers. The priorities of Bridge Day should be welcoming new jumpers to our community in a fun, supportive and safe way, and reaching out to the spectators to explain ourselves to the public. If you are uncomfortable giving your identifying information to the government, you can still help accomplish these goals without jumping, and without giving any personal information.

I will attend Bridge Day not because I want to jump at Bridge Day, but because the BASE community needs Bridge Day. We owe it to new jumpers, we owe it those who gave Bridge Day to us, and most of all we owe it to BASE to keep Bridge Day alive.

I urge everyone to attend Bridge Day, not for themselves, but for BASE.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu

[guest]

Fu(king scab. Maybe you missed the point of not going. If you want to go for your own aggrandisement with new jumpers, a feeling of self involved self importance go ahead. Apply for the directorship, big shot. You seem to know it all, by all means show us the way. Becoming the circus boy peons for the local politicos, bobbing and scraping hat in hand for the rangers as our personal and constitutional rights are violated isnt the way to advancing base. BD has been going on for 20 years and still only the locals know about it. And the vast majority of skydivers going are going for 1 jump, or for their one jump a year, not for membership in the community. Don't you think its curious that the basejumpers have to apply in advance with full information and ssn's but the people crossing the bridge and driving across the bridge at best show a photo ID and maybe submit to a percursory bag search?

Basejumping is about freedom, not about doing things the whuffo way, or the politicians way. If you want to be a pawn, go ahead, son. For those not going, its our way or the highway (to perrine).

[guest]

Chill the fu(k out!

I'm going because I cherish any chance to be around other people who perceive life like I do. That's a large reason why I go. If you don't want to go, don't. If you decide to go, I'll pick you up on the way. We should be happy it's still here even if it's "not like it used to be." Sure it sucks it's not as open and free as before, but it's still here, we are still going to jump. So quit complaining like a little bitch and offer some solutions rather than being an armchair quarterback.
So what if officials want to see my ID? Let them. I know it's really hard to show someone your license.

Sorry but people who only complain and never offer help piss me off.>(

Mike

[guest]

ok, write the governor, the mayor, and the local newspapers to let them know what spangler is trying. Scabbitch.

[guest]

You mention "a member of the community". Who would ever want to be in a community with a classless, gross, discourteous, lowlife like you? Were you writing your letter from stir or from a halfway house? Can you not show respect for a fellow human being?
Make an attempt to be more kind in expressing your opinions. I'm not going to bridgeday either but Mr. Aiello should be given respect for his feelings about the matter.

[guest]

I only know Tom from his postings but he does seem like a thoughtful, intelligent, educated guy and although you may not agree with his views I believe that his heart is in the right place.

However, let's not forget that he, like most of the rest of us, is a frequently acting criminal and as such is a nuisance to society and should be held beneath contempt.

If anyone thinks that BASE jumping is going to be a respected activity then you've gotta be outta your mind. We're fu(ked. There are other ways into BASE jumping without Bridge Day. It works kinda well that only people motivated enough to do the legwork actually get to BASE jump. It keeps the casual jumpers out and currency is the key so maybe that makes things safer. Flailing off of a bridge once a year is not the BASE jumping that I'm willing to protect.

Tom, I respect your opinion but in this case I don't share it.
Perrhino, I enjoyed your response. It was harsh and funny.

I think between the two of you we reached the extremes of the argument.

Now...Who wants to go jump something instead of talking Sh1t in front of a computer all night? I'm off to flick. Let the politicians take up the arguments in between screwing the interns and 12 year old boys.

Another classless, gross, discourteous, lowlife (by popular opinion).

[guest]

Yea, I'd like to jump the bridge and meet fellow jumpers; I'm sure I'd learn some and it would be fun and the community wants us and we would support them and all the other good karma stuff...

But unless someone can tell my how my SSN # or my ID is going to ensure a safe event then no thanks.
If you want a save event then have ranger rick supervise pack jobs and tag rigs so nobody takes a wonderhog full of tnt onto the bridge.
The information is being collected arbitrarily and it isn't going to work in your favor in the future.
If you get pulled over by a cop and it asks "can I search your car?" you dont have to say yes; it must have probable cause, or your permission.

Rights and Liberties succomb to slow inperceptable types of erosion, not earthquakes. One at a time they seem harmless but they add up.

Also, there is no such thing as good press for this sport. As the general public becomes more aware of BASE, specific laws against it will be drafted. It's not bowling, it's not for everyone.

my 2 cents.
MB

[guest]

Wow, Tom--well said. Intelligent and thought provoking--everything I never expected to see in this forum. Maybe there is hope after all................;-)

[460]

We as a BASE community are in serious jepeordy of losing Bridge Day. The NPS would love that! We must fight to retain it!

As irrelevant as it seems, letters do actually make a difference. Politicians measure the mood of the public by the input they get. The more time consuming the input, the more influence it has. For example, to them, an email represents one or two people. By contrast, snail mail represents 500 to 1000 people.

Even if we cannot get over this hurdle regarding security, how would they possibly check the SSNs? Even in police custody (hey only one time in 10 years), I change my SSN slightly, reversing two numbers at the end. If confronted, "Oh, I made a mistake!," or "You typed it in wrong, stupid!"

[guest]

most said. i still am not going. your government at work. ##### them

[guest]

Tom
you have your thoughts on the matter many of which are valid but others will have counter arguments some of which we have already heard in this and other threads.
if you do want to go could i respectfully recomend that you wait till the director of the event has been apointed and the cost and details required finalised. as along the line when they have sorted out their own house the requirements may be relaxed so dont give them the amunition they need by volenterarily giving them information you dont legaly have to give them until its a case of info now or no jump.
i will not be atending as i have no ssn to give them so unless an exit from a speeding suv on the other carridgeway is on the cards i will be in a bar or another site. my level of knowledge is not to a standard where i would be able to assist anyone, also i would not want that type of responibility. i am at the moment an information hoover and read all i can on the subject.
daedalus :+

What is it with you guys? what`s all the anger realy about? I`m not going (long way from Norway) but if you are against it, well just dont go! All the arguments against seems to have the "BASE is freedom", "we want to do it our way" and so on. Quite OK I guess, but then, wy be so ocupied with what others do? I don`t get it!!!:o :o :o :o :o :o

[crwper]

I've met a lot of BASE jumpers who are very much into their own freedom, but not so much into the freedom of others. Oh well.

Michael

[guest]

> It's not bowling, it's not for
>everyone.

I strongly resent that statement. You obviously have never tried extreme bowling. . . I learned from some guy from Paraguay.

[base311]

Tom,

Like you, I have been concerned about the notion of turning our backs on the good people of West Virginia and the first-time jumpers, too. That would suck and I hate the idea.

But here's where I disagree: you make it sound as if WE would be the bad guys if we don't show up at bridge day. Let us not forget that our absense will be an EFFECT of the BDC's decision to require social security numbers. Let's give credit where credit is due: in this case credit (disrepute) should be placed squarely on the BDC's lap.

If they were really serious about doing background checks then they wouldn't stop at requiring a social security number. I can't believe they haven't considered fingerprinting us. The social security number isn't a magical number for conducting background checks. It might help, but it isn't the end-all be-all number for tracking people's histories. Perhaps they want the number just so they can verify that it is a valid number, I dunno. But I do know that a background check can be performed on a name alone. Furthermore, a driver license number (I realize that some states use ssn's for driver license numbers) would likely be more useful in gathering background information than a ssn.

I've had people ask me what it is that I'm so concerned about that I wouldn't give my ssn to come to bridge day. Most of it has to do with my belief that the entire system of using a social security number for identification purposes is inherently flawed, coupled with the fact that the one remaining bit of power I have left over the BDC is my ability to vote with my legs and my wallet: I'll go elsewhere and spend my money there.

Ask anyone in the field of identification and they will tell you that identification isn't worth a damn without authentication. When was the last time you applied for a loan and the bank asked for your social security number AND your fingerprints?never?

Simson Garfinkel put it very well in an article for an "Inside Risks" column in Communications of the ACM in October, 1995. His article started with the paragraph,

"The problem with Social Security Numbers today is that some organizations are using these ubiquitous numbers for identification, others are using them for authentication, and still others are using them for both."

Let's just say joe terrorist wants on that bridge. It's a simple matter for joe terrorist to find out anyone's social security number then apply to BDA for a jump ticket using that ssn and name. As long as the person whose ssn joe terrorist uses doesn't have any felony or misdemeanor convictions for weapons violations or unauthorized possession or use of an explosive device, he or she will probably be granted a jump ticket. How, exactly, is the BDC going to be guaranteed that joe citizen isn't really joe terrorist?

Identification compares one to many, in essence asking the question, "Who are you?" joe terrorist responds by saying, "Why I'm joe citizen."

Authentication compares one to one, in essence asking the question, "Are you who you say you are?"

I haven't seen the BDC's plan to authenticate anyone. As far as I've seen, they just want identification. HOW WILL THE BDC KNOW?

There are other security concerns besides simple background checks. Now, let's say joe terrorist has gotten his pass to get onto the bridge and he takes a rig, passes the security checkpoint and exits the bridge. Once he is on the ground he can mingle with people, go get another rig (THE RIG). Are they going to have bomb sniffing dogs or explosive detection sniffers at the ends of the bridge? I haven't heard anything about those plans. Have you? Are they going to x-ray all the rigs?

At this point my chief complaint is that their attempts at securing the bridge by requesting ssn's and id's from the jumpers aren't enough to address the concerns they have about the severity of the security problem. They're worried about someone bombing the bridge and so far the only thing I've seen regarding security is their request for ssn's and photo id's. What IS their plan? Perhaps if I had more knowledge of the process they are considering - their Security Plan - then I'd be much more likely to go along with their game. As it stands right now I think it's bullshit.

For the past several years, there has been a push in this country to secure increased privacy rights. Many state legislatures have passed legislation wherein DMVs and State Police can no longer use social security numbers as identifying numbers on driver licenses and certificates of title. Still more legislation has been passed to restrict the sale of information containing ssn's. With Bridge Day we will be taking a step backwards.

The Privacy Act of 1974 requires all government agencies -- federal, state and local -- that request Social Security numbers to provide a "disclosure" statement on the form. The statement explains if you are required to provide your Social Security number or if it is optional, how the SSN will be used, and under what statutory or other authority the number is requested (5 USC 552a, note). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) provides guidance and oversight regarding the Privacy Act of 1974. The text of the Privacy Act can be found at the website www.usdoj.gov/foia/privstat.htm .

What statutory authority will the BDC cite for requesting your social security number? Unless the West Virginia legislature or the Fayette County Commission passes a law or ordinance, I doubt there's any language that says the Bridge Day Commission may request social security numbers for persons wishing to jump from New River Gorge Bridge for purposes of conducting background checks.

Finally, I will ask everyone here one last question: When you fly on any major airline in this country, are you ever asked (or have you ever been asked) for your social security number?

BSBD,
Gardner Sapp