[pct-l] re 10 rules....trail angel courtesies...

[Georgi Heitman]

Dear Jackass,
At the risk of sounding too much like a spokesperson for all and sundry, on
behalf of (45*) trail angles and 100% trail angels, active and retired
alike, I thank you!  You have echoed sentiments posted here, in handbooks,
guides and other publications, and on other lists, but can never be said
often enough IMHO.
The Hideaway (my home) took in our first hikers in 1999, we started
retiring from service last summer, this season we are completely closed,
but from experience I'd like to say, "Thank you all for so many incredibly
unforgettable years, for the many kindnesses you have bestowed and for
being part of the best 'summer' job I've ever had."
While on this personal note, I also say 'thank you' again, to the folks who
watched me drift into a nap one afternoon in 2005 and then tippytoed into
my kitchen and cleaned my refrigerator and freezer, to the folks who
replaced a sprinkler system line that had failed in 2010, to DTA and all
the others who helped us finish the tree house that so many hikers have
enjoyed over the years, to you who helped build our lovely outdoor cooking
platform, to those who've donated tents and other equipment/supplies so
appreciated by all our company, to the (still) unknown folks who left the
most wonderful three-burner campstove on our back deck in 2006 (or was it
07?), to GF and T for the freezer and GF's dad and friend for stocking it,
to countless numbers of hikers who've pulled tons of weeds, mowed lawns,
split and stacked firewood, helped us shop, cook and clean over the years.
'Thank you' to the many folks, some for several years in a row, who've
volunteered their vacation time to come help me cook, do laundry and
whatever has needed to be done to get our job done.
'Thank you' for being there when the call for kitchen or dish washing help,
laundry assistance goes out.  'Thank you' for picking up after others who
don't seem to be able to do it for themselves.  'Thank you' for taking your
shoes off before coming into my house, even if I leave my own on.  Our
neighbors thank you for lowering the noise level after hiker midnight.
I think we all try to limit the number of requests we make of you, beyond
cleaning up after yourselves, requests like 'no drugs, please fill out an
info card, allow us to take your photo, hide your nethers', but those we do
post or announce we take seriously.  'Thank you' for honoring them.
'Thank you' for helping us recycle and or reuse.
If your hosts have invited you into their private residence, 'thank you'
for keeping your feet off the coffee table, etc., for using coasters under
bottles, glasses or cans of liquid, for toting your own containers and/or
dishes to the kitchen or garbage, for vacating  their living rooms before
those hosts begin yawning in your face, for keeping your I-Pod (or
whatever) music at a level that allows conversations, radio or TV  around
you to be heard by others in the room.   All these suggestions are pretty
common courtesies, but too often forgotten in the excitement of interacting
in a 'civilized' world.  Having raised children, I would say that Jackass
is right, treating a trail angel's home surroundings better than you'd
treat your moms would be really good.
Over the whole trail, I think pretty much all angels are ever so grateful
for cash donations. In fact, I KNOW for a fact that most of us couldn't do
what we do without them...it's great to have weeds pulled, but even better
to be able to buy hiker food if cooking is something we do, to pay for the
gasoline it takes to drive our guests to and from trailheads, to shop for
their resupplies, etc, to pay for the extra water,  electricity, and/or
propane so hikers can wash both themselves and their laundry.  Some costs
are obvious to you all, but some are kind of hidden and not so obvious,
bills that show up in mailboxes that hikers never see and probably don't
even realize exist.  So 'thank you', folks, for donating to whatever
donation pot or box may be sitting around hoping for an infusion of cash.
Oh, and there are scads of small trail towns that have no ATM's and the
restaurants, shops, etc. in those little towns don't do 'cash-backs' on
credit cards, so hikers often come in with no cash and no means of
acquiring any.   Just something to keep in mind....
There's one other thing...and this may sound really weird, but 'thank you'
for leaving....  I can't imagine any of us sending a hiker who is either
injured (that includes bad, really bad blisters) or sick off to deal with
the trail ahead, but, we are NOT a vortex, trying to suck you in and keep
you.  We all have jobs, an angels job is to get you as clean and healthy
and as well prepared for the trail ahead as possible, yours is to hike!  Go
do that!  And when you've finished your hike even if it's a sadly premature
ending, you might let us know.  It gives us a sense of closure at the end
of our season, to know where you are and how you've done.
And then, I'm sorry to say, there's a word that has been becoming more and
more frequently heard on the trail, that word is 'entitlement'.  I'm
thinking it's sort of an strange word, I feel I'm entitled to draw my
Social Security...since age 16 when I got my first 'work permit' I've spent
my life paying in to the system.  I've paid ahead so SS can pay me back
now.  That's good.  Entitlement on the trail is another thing entirely.
It's neither paying ahead or paying back, it's a selfish attitude, almost
guaranteed to make a trail angel step back and wonder why he/she is still
doing what they do for hikers.  When it comes right down to it, there
really is no entitlement on the trail, beyond being treated like anyone
should be treated, with respect, until for whatever reason it's become
clear that you don't deserve it.  And feelings of entitlement are
recognized very quickly by other hikers...I've had folks come in and warn
me of some hikers behind them that don't behave well at trail angels homes
or in towns in general. And there IS a pipeline that runs from SoCal to the
last WA trail angel, such info gets passed on, and trail angels are
'entitled' to send unpleasant, demanding folks on their way.  Think
carefully before you decide that since you're walking 2650 miles the world
owes you anything but beyond maybe some respect for what you're trying to
do.  Again, as Jackass implied, if you have an attitude, we thank you for
keeping it and yourself on the trail, not some place where the folks you
encounter may change their attitude toward hikers in general...we love
doing what we do, for as long as we can do it, please don't ruin it for us
and for others.
Thank you....
FireFly, trail angel retired
P.S.  I've almost always felt honored that hikers have chosen to stop and
spend some of their valuable time with us...and I've tried to always thank
them for coming to The Hideaway.  While I've loved my job, I'm glad I'm
retiring while I still feel that way.  Thanks for the Memories....