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There seems to be an ever increasing number of people leaving their ( generally black) phones on the (generally black) matting at The Depot bouldering wall in Manchester.
They're usually fairly well back from the wall, so I've not yet landed on one, but it's only a matter of time before someone does and an altercation ensues.
What's your view on this? Would you expect someone to pay for your phone if they stepped or landed on it?
What do you plan to say if you do end up crunching a phone as you stumble from the landing zone or wander off absentmindedly after failing on your project?
Would you expect someone to pay for your phone if they stepped or landed on it?
No, absolutely not. If someone is stupid enough to put their phone in the fall zone, it's on them. That's what lockers are for.
What would I say?
'Oof, that looked expensive'.
I have no doubt that the staff would back up the faller, not the idiot. They would treat it as more of a risk to you, like a bottle.
I'm more worried about the parents who let their toddlers hare around like it's soft play. I'd rather hear the crunch of someone's Iphone than the crunch of little bones.
It's like this at my local wall too!
at mine there's signs EVERYWHERE saying "don't put anything on the mats" yet still people leave bags, drinks and phones directly under where others are climbing! So yeah, I'd have zero sympathy for anyone who got their stuff damaged, I'm sure staff would too (beyond making the appropriately commiserating noises!)I have no doubt that the staff would back up the faller, not the idiot.
What would I say?
‘Oof, that looked expensive’.
Probably a lot more polite than me! I've not really climbed since smartphones took off - are people like zombies staring at them instead of paying attention when belaying/spotting?
As above comments, it's annoying having phones and stuff left all over the mats. Zero sympathy if they get broken. I don't get why people so desperately need to have them out when bouldering.
They shouldn't leave stuff on crash mats, period. It's a hazard to climbers, that's what the bloody mats are for.
If I saw it, I'd shift it. If I saw it twice I'd hand it in to staff, "someone must've lost this, because they no-one would be stupid enough to leave it on a crash mat would they."
I need to get back into bouldering, I miss it.
my local's mats are grey so its more obvious. stuff gets left but it is generally put in a sensible place - not right in the fall zone.
our wall has an app where you can tick off which routes you have done, plus there a quite a few good climbers that put their climbs on instagram so others are watching for tips.
Almost all the people I see actually on their phones are doing one of the above.
No phones,food or anything to be left on our mats.There are open store boxes on the unused wall spaces,leave your shit there.
Would you expect someone to pay for
youra phone if they stepped or landed on it?
No chance.
I landed on one with my heel a month ago after fluffing a high rock over and totalled the screen, owner looked irate, I pointed at the sign that essentially said "do not leave thing on the CRASH mat", owner got increasingly angry, wall manager threatened to revoke his membership due to unsafe practices following a prior warning. Everybody else laughed at them.
Pretty much how it should have gone IMO.
our wall has an app where you can tick off which routes you have done, plus there a quite a few good climbers that put their climbs on instagram so others are watching for tips.
The wall I have membership at floated this idea on a recent customer survey. I'm very negative on phones on mat as it's not only a landing hazard it also distracts people from their surroundings. Why does everything have to be on Instagram ffs?
If I landed on someones phone I'd be pretty annoyed as it shouldn't be there. No sympathy, period. Food, drinks, very annoyed. If it was the reverse I'd be embarrassed.
Apps for ticking are fine, if you don't like them, don't use them. Separate discussion altogether to leaving stuff on mats.
(Correction , there would be sympathy, that they had made a mistake that resulted in their phone being damaged. Emphasis on them making a mistake)
Why do you need a smart phone within arms reach when at a wall? I remember thinking people were extravagant taking a brush to my local wall when I first started (way back then).
As everyone else has said, tough luck if you’re daft enough to leave it on the mat.
We have 1 simple rule when bouldering indoors. You NEVER ever risk yourself to save damage or injury to others when falling. With that i mean if a 15st bloke is falling off the wall and lands on your 5yr old kid who is blissfully unaware. Well the fault lies with the parent, not the climber. I have been heard many times telling my daughter to go for the crux move and not worry about landing on someone as it will be their own fault. Funnily enough they tend to move....
Its the same with phones. No reason for phones to be on the mats. Either start using a bouldering bucket or do as our local wall who has the gryptonite app (I assume this is the one you mean) where they have the little tags on boards away from the walls for climber to buzz.
My biggest gripe at the moment though is rope climbers. They tend to be experienced people too. WTF is it with all the shite they bring. Jackets, belay devices, quickdraws, shoes, ropes etc etc. Strewn all over the place around the bottom of the walls. At Kendal wall they have about 10 lines on the big wall. Sometimes you have to ask what line someone is on due to their shite left all over the place. The other day i took a step back from the wall when belaying and accientally booted someones water bottle across the room. Rope, rope bag, belayer with his gear clipped to harness and climber. WTF else do you need? Kendal wall had to put some signs up recently because idiots were taking mobile phones UP the climbs and taking picks from above. They had a couple of incidents of belay devices and phones falling from 25m up. Nearly as bad as the people who top rope 25m then proceed to pull the rope from the top without warning.
Nearly as bad as the people who top rope 25m then proceed to pull the rope from the top without warning.
Wait... what?!
Aye. With the overhang on the 25m wall you probably have a small window between the belayers on the opposite wall and the 'landing zone' clearly marked on the floor of about 1ft. I get very pissed when i hear the thud of a rope that has been pulled from a top rope from that height. Its not about the argument for and against top roping such a wall. More that you have a distinct responsibility to others when pulling such a rope.
Nearly as bad as the people who top rope 25m then proceed to pull the rope from the top without warning.
Yep not very clever at a busy wall. On a quiet crag knock yourself out (possibly literally) though it does make for a challenge to catch the end. Top roping is a crime anyway though (joking).
Would you expect someone to pay for your phone if they stepped or landed on it?
Quite the opposite, I would be apologising for putting my phone in the way of their fall.
As far as I am concerned all of the crash mat area is there to be landed on so all bets are off regards keeping valuables safe.
I was discussing the same yesterday when we were climbing. Big chalk bags with phones stuffed in them, someone landed on one and rolled their ankle which caused a bit of pushy shouty stuff. There shouldn’t be anything on the mats, end of.
Start a rumor that your phone got stolen out of your chalk bag.
Can't say that I've noticed the phone thing much. We only climb there when it's quieter. The amount of chalk dust everywhere is the real issue for me these days. It never used to be that bad. It was ****ing insane yesterday!
Watching the cloud of dust appear when someone lands heavily does make me wonder how healthy some walls are and whether permanent mask wearing might have advantages.
Wall? Why would you jump off a wall?
Or are you guys are talking about the gym??
🙂
Managing without a phone should be doable during that period. Like previous comments said, leaving your phone lying around on the mats is just negligent, both regarding your phone and other climbers' safety.
The amount of chalk dust everywhere is the real issue for me these days
Pretty much every wall I used to climb at had banned loose chalk.
Pretty much every wall I used to climb at ignored their own ban.
I always climbed with loose chalk and no-one ever said a thing. But I'd break up a lump the size of a a thumb of ginger, not the entire bloody block into a bag you could get your head into - I'm climbing a short top-rope, not the Matterhorn.
Depot was loads better dust wise when most people used liquid chalk between lockdowns and also numbers were limited, now its back to 80,000 capacity in the evenings you can see the dust clouds when you walk in like appearing on stars in their eyes.
Hang on, phone screens are glass yes? Who's stupid enough to put glass where people might fall on it...?
Hang on, phone screens are glass yes? Who’s stupid enough to put glass where people might fall on it…?
You've met 'people' right? There's nothing common about common sense.
When I was able to climb - more enthusiastically than well, the last thing I wanted is people not being aware of their surroundings in a potentially crowded space.
Whether bouldering or roped in, my phone and those of my climbing buddies would be in our locker. We were too busy belaying and/or supporting and encouraging each other to need a phone.
I took out 2 phones, some ear pods and at least 3 bottles the other day when I fell and tumbled like the 50 year old fat **** I am from a route. The phones and other bits were just off the matt but I rolled all the way off and landed on everything plus a young lady. There were a few folk rushing to see what carnage I'd caused to their valuables but they soon acknowledged their error in leaving anything near a thug like me. I've trodden on a good few as well but never really damaged any. My mate buggered his ankle on someone's giant chalk bag that they had left right under a route, he dropped down and rolled it as the bag was full of brushes and tapes, a phone and God knows what else, this did result in a bit of a confrontation to be fair as it should have been well away from the wall.