MSF Course conduct

[cstilt]

Okay guys here's the story,
At my suggestion a friend started taking the MSF course in Bristol TN before getting a motorcycle. The classroom portion was last night and they spent a lot of time on the bikes today despite the pouring rain. He was practicing making a proper turn which was timed for speed. Being new he went a touch slow and the instructor told him "this isn't a f**cking leisure stroll". Call me crazy but what's up with that?  Then later in the afternoon they were practicing getting used to the feel of the bikes leaning in a turn. (novices on wet pavement again) A girl in the class gets scared mid turn and grabs a handful of front break and lays it over on herself. Instructor man gets the bike off her and tries to start it. When it doesn't start he just lets it fall back over on it's side. WTF if up with that? Those bikes are largely donated to the school and this asshat is abusing them? People pay I think 225 for this course and have to put up with instructors cussing at them and then purposefully damaging the equipment your supposed to ride. One guy had rode a bit and covers his break the way I tend to on the highway. 2 over the break and 2 around the throttle. Instructor said he didn't want to see any of that sportbike sh*t going on.

I'll be honest. I've never taken the MSF course but have been really wanting to because I'd heard it was great even if you knew how to ride. However I don't think I want to after hearing this story. Me and the instructor would have a heart to heart discussion after he cussed me for making a simple mistake...

Anyone else have experiences like this?

Here's the link to the schools class: http://www.appalachianridered.com/index.html

So yeah, I spent a few hours this evening showing my friend how to do figure 8's and U-turns in a parking lot so someone would actually take the time talk to him and tell him in a human manner what he did right and wrong.  He and the GS got a long pretty well.

Chris

[XealotX]

Wow...the two guys running my class were 50 year old Vietnam vets and couldn't have been nicer or more professional. I'm too lazy to look myself but I bet there is somewhere on the MSF website to report this behavior.

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

Definitely needs to be reported. The guys at my class were awesome, and most of them take pride in MSF and wouldn't put up with crap like that.

[cstilt]

I told my friend he definately needs to find a way to report them when the class is finished. What he told me so far is appalling and uncalled for. I'm curious to see how the final class goes tomorrow. Hopefully it'll shape up and be something worth going to.

[ke7syv]

REPORT! Everybody here, myself included, had great teachers. To have some ass like that teaching the class makes people want to pass on a class that should be required. Report that POS as soon as you can. Not only should you report him, try to get a refund!

[Caffeine]

He definitely needs to report that kind of conduct.  Asshat instructor might have been having a bad day, but if it's a pattern, he needs to be gone.

[ohgood]

Sounds like a rookie cop that lost his job for being a dickhead.

Oh wait, I think I smell episode two about to play for him.

[natedawg120]

when i took mine we had two very kind instructors in the 50s i would guess.  They were very patient with the complete newbs, you know the kind with to many firsts on one day.  And in the end not one  person in my group failed and i am pretty sure the group before us all passed too.  I would defiantly report behavior like that, even if it just gets looked over i wouldn't feel right if i didn't let someone know.

[Toogoofy317]

Yeah,
Report that idiot. My instructor was awesome we had a couple of guys that had a bit of trouble with English so he would give them instructions in Spanish also. He didn't have to but he did. We had one girl that would have tested every nerve I have! She could not handle the little Rebel so he dug way back in the storage shed and found a scooter so she could get the balancing part then he would go back and forth with her on the Rebel so she could get used to the clutch braking all at once. When any of us had a problem he would come over and speak with us one on one until we got it!

Sooo, yes most MSF instructors are great!

Mary

[ATLRIDER]

I think you need to report this sucker b4 he turns people off from riding.  My MSF class was great.  I even took my two sons there afterwards to learn how to ride dirtbikes.  Very friendly and supportive folks.

[wladziu]

Sounds pretty much like the course I paid for, also.




Wet pavement instruction?  Wow.  Actually, that's better than the course I had. 
Mine mainly composed of "emergency" braking once I passed a line spraypainted onto tarmac, riding over a two-by-four about three times, and 3 days of harassment for not riding a Harley. 
Any line of questioning that I gave was rejected on the grounds that I was "obviously" trying to learn to "get a knee down". 


Taught by Mega-B!tch 5000 and get this: (not kidding in the slightest) a guy so incredibly stupid - he fell into an open man-hole. 
Broke a leg and two ribs.  Guess who was doing the instructional riding (yes, with a cast on his leg)....

[Juan1]

1.  Context is everything and we weren't there, but if the instructor was a hard ass that simply taught the class like a drill instructor, that is not a problem. Some people, like myself, actually learn well in those conditions.  On the other hand, dropping an F bomb may have been a bit much.  It is all about context.

2.  Trashing the equipment definitely isn't cool.

3.  Report the guy.

[wladziu]

He'd be wasting his time.  You think he'd be the first to file a report? 
The dude's practiced that line so many times, by now. 
Guys like that are just like the drills that you mentioned; get their rocks off by yelling at folks under the guise of "life-saving instruction", with management approval.  Why do you think so many of the ex-military are hired to teach the course? 




Management:  Okay, retired Sgt Bully-that-doesn't-want-to-train-for-another-job (making you the cheapest person to hire for the job, yet only qualified in that you have a loud voice and have mastered "the cold stare"), you've got to keep control of that course!  It's the only chance we've got to make an impression on those crazy youngsters.

Sgt Bully:  Hear that, squid?!  Now, go practice riding really, really slowly - as if you were cool enough to ride my Hog around on Veteran's Day!

Soon-to-be-squid:  D@mn you, universe!!!   (While shaking fist at the sky.)







Of course, he could put little pebbles in the valve stem covers of all four tires on authoritarian's car, screw them back on, and leave a note. 
"Dear A-hole, 
  Perhaps instead of driving, you should take a leisurely f-king stroll."

Sometimes helps me feel better.   

[cstilt]

well guys, my friend decided to not report them. despite me saying he should. I was glad to find out that the instructor was better the next day and didn 't try to tear stuff up or cuss any of the students. My friend figures he was probably having a bad day before having to teach a class in a rainstorm.  Maybe the rain just pushed him over the edge.
On the bright side. My friend passed the course and picked up his license today. Soon he'll be picking up his Ninja 650 and I'll have a riding buddy. Well, as soon as Buddha finishes my bike. Getting a Kat FE, dropped her off today!

Chris

[Toogoofy317]

I pulled out my MSF course book and realized that in the back of the booklet has a survey. If you would like I could scan it and e-mail it for you! It is a generic you fill in the school etc. etc. and goes to MSF
Mary

[cstilt]

Mary,
I truely appreciate ther offer, but I'll have to decline. He said he didn't want to push the subject so I guess I'll leave it at that. I wish he would have reported it though. The dropping the bike was just a bit overboard. 
I still plan on taking it eventually and it'll have to be at the same place. So we'll see how my go-around turns out when I have a chance.

Chris