Helping With Fuel Costs - Can Clubs Help?

[Mark Mitchell]

Some organising Clubs do seem aware that the cost of fuel is a deciding factor as to whether we turn out and marshal for them.

We've discussed, on here, the pro's and con's of car sharing but it's never really taken off - possibly down to the fact that individuals don't want to share phone numbers etc over the internet......or possibly that many tenthers hide behind usernames?

If an organising club were to perhaps, provide you with contact details for other marshals who have volunteered for the same event - and live "Locally" to you (Or en route) - would you be more likely to give it a go?

Not all Clubs provide very good final instructions. I am lucky that the Club I mainly volunteer to sends a list of officials and their duties as standard.
This list however, at present gives me no indication as to who lives near to me. So with a little bit of co-operation from the Marshals, and a bit of work from the Club, perhaps we could work together to help share the cost of our journeys?

I've added a poll - I know that senior Club officials look in here, so who knows.......perhaps something might happen?

[warweezil]

Not sure anyone whould want to travel in the diesel heap with me, especially the way I drive

[aland]

think it should be down to the clubs to make available the info. at kh last weekend I was chatting to one of the lads at lunch and he said that there was a lad from the same town as me on post with him. turns out he stays about 100yards from me but because he wasnt on the net we didnt know about each other. we will now be either splitting the petrol or taking it turn about to drive. there must be dozens of simalar cases

[wild hipo]

Why not each club hire a petrol/diesel tanker in at there expence so us officals can fill up F.O.C. After all at the end of the day us officals donate our services for FREE and in that way it would be a way of a thank you.

[flagwaver]

Mark I think all clubs are aware of the rising fuel costs, the problem is how do we get round it. Car sharing is a good idea and perhaps should be looked at in more detail.
Clubs could pay for marshals fuel, but where do they get that money from?
Just look at other threads on here, about drivers complaining about entry fees. There could be tax implications as well both for the club and individuals.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by flagwaver

Mark I think all clubs are aware of the rising fuel costs, the problem is how do we get round it. Car sharing is a good idea and perhaps should be looked at in more detail.
Clubs could pay for marshals fuel, but where do they get that money from?
Just look at other threads on here, about drivers complaining about entry fees. There could be tax implications as well both for the club and individuals.

Which is exactly why I have raised the question on this thread!

[Stack]

I prefer to travel alone that way I can leave when I like if I fancy having a nose about after the meeting.

I think clubs should give a "donation" to help with traveling costs. If MG, Masters,HSCC, VSCC and top of the list CSCC can do it why can't the "big two" (BRSCC do give you some grub but bogger all from BARC or MSVR)

[Justin Moran]

Must admit, I agree with Stack on this, it appears the smaller clubs seem to do most for us Marshals and the bigger ones tend to offer a food voucher etc. I marshal at Anglesey a fair bit and always found clubs will help as much as possible towards expenses, some are very generous and some even give prizes for raffles too!

But as the price of fuel is not likely to drop in the foreseeable future, sharing is possibly the way ahead, but how sucessful depends alot on individuals good will and flexibility.

[Mark Mitchell]

My original post and subsequent poll is actually borne out of a request from a Director of one of the UK's biggest Organising Clubs - however, sometimes it's frowned upon for them to contribute on public Forums - so I have agreed to post on their behalf.

I'm with Stack & Justin in the fact that I personally like travelling alone (Or with family) and therefore am free to arrive/leave when I like. But saying that, if someone contacted me and asked for a lift, then I would willingly oblige.
Trips to Anglesey could prove to be a little difficult though IMO, as not everyone stays over, or not in the same place anyway! Most Clubs contribute to our expenses when doing Anglesey (Although it's been £10 for 10 years now - yet the disgusting burger van food prices have shot up!), so why not at other venues? (And I can hear organisers yelling that the Circuit hire is extortionate at places like MSV compared to Anglesey).

At the end of the day, if I want to attend a meeting then I will......regardless of the price of petrol. I will make other sacrifices to offset the cost (Not feed the kids for a week!)

What I think we should be aware of here, is that Clubs ARE beginning to recognise our financial concerns and are making in-roads to address the problem.

[danccooke]

The cost of fuel is getting to be a bug bear, however my hobby is marshalling and I have always had to pay for whatever hobby I have been taking part in. I make sacrafices where I can to cover the rising costs. Dee, Mark and I car share. I am always willing where possible to help out. I have driven into unfammiliar towns to pick people up, taken people back from the GP. If i have space and it is roughly on route and you don't mind bad taste in music, bad singing and the occasional iffy aroma born from what I like call marshalling guts (too much bbq food all weekend) then Dee and I are always willing to squish anyone in.

[zakeriath]

I think that after a few meetings, you tend to get an idea of which fellow marshals live in your area anyway, and will get to know who needs lifts and who can offer lifts amongst yourselves.

[Nighthawk]

As said before why did the marshal in front of me in the breakfast queue get his free and I paid £5.40. !!!!!!
I have said in previous threads. If I travel to a circuit and get a free breakfast/dinner then I am more than happy because in a way the price of such meals roughly £5 would go back into the tank therefore the club has helped my fuel costs.

[Stack]

On the subject of burger vans (i know its a bit off topic) I think a mention for the guy at Cadwell is in order. He sees a marshal in the queue, asks straight away what is wanted and knocks 50p off the price. He knows just how short the time we have for lunch is and is also up for a bit of banter.

Makes me think he has marshalled in the past.

[Woolley]

At the risk of this wandering off into a general discussion of how much we get paid, why we do it, breakfasts, etc, etc (about which there are many threads) can I ask that we keep this to the topic - ie, ways of getting to the meeting - would you consider car sharing, would you be prepared for the club to share your details on the volunteering list?

Thank you

[wild hipo]

We can moan,winge, and do what we can but at the end of the day we are not going to get anywhere. Only a so called few clubs are trying to help. It will come one day when circuits will be run by lights and rapid response crews and the humble marshal will dwindle away because of the cost of everything. So who do we blame for that.

[BeeJ]

I would be happy for me details to be shared. I drive a seven seater and if I could fill that with marshals and share the cost it would really help. I have had to cut back this year due to fuel costs so it does impact me.

[Simon Morris]

Originally Posted by Woolley

At the risk of this wandering off into a general discussion of how much we get paid, why we do it, breakfasts, etc, etc (about which there are many threads) can I ask that we keep this to the topic - ie, ways of getting to the meeting - would you consider car sharing, would you be prepared for the club to share your details on the volunteering list?

Thank you

Personally I think this is a great Idea, though it would need control.
Perhaps the volenteering forms should have a box to tick fi you are intrested in car sharing, and then to put a preffered contact details if so.

[Clive]

It's a good idea in principle, my concern would be if the info became 'available' to non-marshals or somehow was left on a train seat or a bus, and came into the public domain? Tricky one, but if thought through properly and with adequate safeguards, it could work

[TFHarv]

As long is it was policed correctly I see no problem but it would definitely require controls as knowing when your home is due to be unoccupied for whole weekends would be an opportunists thief's lotto win.

Why do they need to know addresses tho whats wrong with a town. Most people would be prepared to go out of their way by a few miles to car share if it was available.

However the problems arise with camping. Lots of people take tents and sit in the car till its time to sleep or store there stuff in the car. Its much more difficult to arrange this.

[blueoval2]

I know the clubs only hire the circuit but why can't we use the circuit pumps and get discount.

[thepits!]

All the time we marshal the BGP for £15 for three days when other clubs will pay £20 for one day we are making a rod for our own back

Boycott the GP until the MSA cover our petrol costs and the other organising clubs will have to follow.

(Controversial eh?)

[Woolley]

15 off topic posts now removed, despite my reminder. May I point out once again that this is a thread about car sharing specifically, and the effect of fuel costs. It is not about free breakfast, or who may or may not get them. Please stick to the topic in hand.

[Nighthawk]

Its not about free things but it all helps cut done the costs

[mattt]

I kind of do to most meetings with dad and i wouldnt really mind the clus sharing my information


off topic

Simon - controversial

never