Where can you go to crack a whip? (updated)

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:31 pm

I'm flabbergasted already. In the past two days since I recieved my IOAB whip, I have gone to two different parks to crack it. Mind you, these parks are similar, if not bigger than, the park situated right next to the Queen Mary, where 15 people (including one then-active cop and one retired cop) were cracking whips for upwards of two hours last November with no problem whatsoever.

Both times, in both parks, after about a good 30 to 45 minutes of cracking, I have been approached by the police. It was the same situation both times.

"Drop the whip! Get on your knees! Put your hands on your head!"

You'd think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Thank God I wasn't shot.

These parks were big. There wasn't anyone near me for at least 30 feet. EVERY TIME before I cracked, I looked around to be sure no one was near enough to me to present a problem. I was completely safe with the whip. I may have whacked myself in the back of the neck a couple of times, but that's irrelevant.

Both times, the cops calmed down once they realized I was harmless, and I narrowly avoided a ticket both times. I explained to the officer that I live in an apartment, and don't have a backyard to do this in, and that it's a hobby of mine. Pretty much, the long and the short of it is, some yuppie soccer mom called to whine and complain, probably made me out to be doing WAYYY more than I was (again, I was no less than 30 feet from anyone, was not near a sidewalk, and looked around EVERY TIME I did anything to be COMPLETELY safe), and the cops intervened. The part of the park I was doing this in the second time is used for soccer games during the summer, if that gives you any indication of the size of the field. There are homes accross the street, but those homes are 50-100 feet away from where I was.

I don't want to give up cracking my whip, but I don't want to go to jail, or be accidentally shot, either. What can I do?

Thanks for any advice.

cokewithvanilla · Post by **cokewithvanilla** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:48 pm

Wear a police officers uniform... they seemed to have gotten away with it.

I do not know anything about whip laws.. so I cannot offer any deceant advice.

You could do it like children do when they are doing something wrong... go into a clearing of the woods where no one is likely to find you

Oh.. you could carry a white flag...

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:56 pm

Hey Strider,

Man, sounds brutal. I have no idea where you live so I can only speculate on a place to practice. Are there any forest preserves near by that may have a clearing. The only other suggestion I could make would be to practice during off hours. Early sunrise or around sunset. I am lucky and have Water district property close by that is almost always uninhabited. It also helps that I know the Police Officer in my area. Good luck man.
G-MANN

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:20 pm

Strider, I would recommend bringing a friend with you that might like cracking too. Sebastian, the founder of the Whip Enthusiasts, made a comment once to the effect that when people see one person cracking with a whip, they think you're a nut but when it's a group or more than one person, they aren't as bothered or scared by it. You could post over at the Whip Enthusiasts Yahoo Group page to see if there's anyone there in your area that could recommend a park and/or go out there with you.

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:23 pm

Update: Here's the link for the yahoo group and I just saw this post about a San Diego practice and they had a practice yesterday from noon-2pm:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhipEnthusiasts/

Post by **Dalexs** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:53 pm

The other thing you can do is contact th local police dept and talk to them about it.

Also, don't go about trying to crack your loudest cracks.
Its the "gunshots" that get people all riled up.

In a number of instances, I would start off in public places just doing some light duty stuff. Swing it around a bit. Let people see what I'm doing. They would notice, but not be alarmed. More curious then anything.

I take the same approach with my neigbors.
If I start cracking gunshots and my new neigborsa have no idea what I'm doing, I would half expect the cops to come a knocking.

And I live across from an elementary school. So I have to be really careful.

If anything use common sense.
(And of course, if you have any state parks or forest around, that always helps!)

Dalexs

Mola Ram · Post by **Mola Ram** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:21 pm

Dalexs,
I live near a school and I've never had any problem.
Regards,
Adam

Rusty Jones · Post by **Rusty Jones** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:32 pm

Strider wrote:yuppie soccer mom

I do believe MOST of the world's problems are caused by these people...

anyway, I would recommend Dalexs' Idea of talking to your local police or Sheriff's department, perhaps there is some kind of permit you can obtain, or you may even be able to do it without trouble on state hunting grounds, however you'd want to be careful there (I don’t want you to be the next victim of the Vice President ;c)

if all else fails, and you have a friend who owns property, I’d do it for short periods of time in his yard if he doesn’t mind

Mola Ram · Post by **Mola Ram** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:39 pm

Rusty Jones wrote:
Strider wrote:yuppie soccer mom
I do believe MOST of the world's problems are caused by these people...

Like the homeless man who left the flashlight in the starbucks thought to be a pipe bomb ?

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:41 pm

I haven't had a chance to crack my new whip at all because the weather has been lousy.

I can't believe you had this problem at all. I don't know how you could have been bothering anyone if your in a large area in the park. I would have thought that would have been the best place to do it.

The only other place I would sugest is maybe somewhere outside of the city where there are no people or houses around, OR.....

You could take it to a grave yard. Your not going to disturb anyone there and if you do then that's when #### of a crack!

PITFALL

Paul_Stenhouse · Post by **Paul_Stenhouse** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:49 pm

Strider,

As dumb as this may sound, I'd go right back to the park as before, since the cops already know you're a nut

.

Seriously, I'd do it. I'd also give them a call just before you go, and tell them who you are, where you live, how to in touch with you (cell), and where you are going and what you're going to be doing there. That way when the complaints role in, they'll already know.

Sounds like the cops are way too caffeinated.

Best Regards,

Paul Stenhouse

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:33 am

Rookies.

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:51 am

### strider that stinks lol, and i ahve teh same whip as u, hope i dont ahve issues. With my older ebay whip my cracks echoed through the neighborhood like gun shots, but only a neighbor who was outside bothered to look, but otherwise didnt care. I didnt hold bakc either, i was going for the loudest crack i could get lol. Cant wait for the snow to melt this week so i can crack all next week when im off.

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:28 am

I like the graveyard idea! LOL!

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:19 am

Dalexs wrote:The other thing you can do is contact the local police dept and talk to them about it.

I actually did this, but it was after the fact, so they already "knew who I was", but not in a good sense. When I called, I was met with a smart aleck dispatcher, who actually told me that I should find another hobby. She also suggested that I go to a place like a horse ranch, where my "otherwise abnormal behavior might be considered normal". I hung up, at that point.

Thanks for the link to the Yahoo group, ITG. I'll check 'em out.

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:25 am

Hey Strider, sorry to hear about your experiences, unfortunately it’s sometimes an unavoidable problem. You’ve gotten good advice so far though. You might want to search the archives; there are others that have encountered this problem in the past.

I would definitely suggest checking with the local police departments, Including ones in other nearby areas, since it sounds the locals aren’t going to be very corporative. Let them know your intentions and where you will be practicing but also to find out if you are be breaking any laws by practicing in a public location. In most places whips are classified as agricultural instruments, but you can see how they might be considered a weapon. Most likely as long as you’re not cracking it in a threatening manner, you’re probably not breaking any laws. But since individual laws vary from location to location its better to be safe then sorry.

Always keep it friendly and polite and have your facts and information. Inform them about the sport of whip cracking and the organizations like the Wild West Arts Club (W.W.A.C.) and the "Whip Enthusiasts". As you’re representing the sport you want to put on a positive image, so try to be as diplomatic as possible. As mentioned, The more people you can have with you, the better and having a membership card to the W.W.A.C. wouldn’t hurt so you can show the local law enforcement or anyone for that matter you’re a serious “performer” not just some crazy yahoo with a whip.

Since your practicing in public its good to have structured training regiment so it actually looks like your trying to accomplish something rather just swinging a whip wildly and making a lot of noise. Try not to make too much noise, i.e loud power cracking, I know it can be fun, however; it’s annoying to others and unfortunately we have to take them into consideration too. You don’t want to appear threatening in any manner, so sometimes things like props, i.e. a target stand and a cowboy hat can go a long way. Another suggestion is to get a copy of Andrew Conway’s “The New Bullwhip Book” and keep it with you, that way if the police bother you, show them page #13 that deals with pesky police.

Once law enfocment knows your there and if it continues to be a problem you may just need to find a more private area as suggested, like state land or private property for example. As for other places to practice, Gyms are sometimes are accommodating, or racquetball courts as they have smooth floors are often sound proof. An indoor barn with a high ceiling is good if you can find one. Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes.

Dan

Ark Hunter · Post by **Ark Hunter** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:58 am

Well, like many said, talk to the PD.
My other idea is post a couple signs around stating "Whip Practice in Sesion" (don't shoot me)

Maybe not the last part, but I think that might be good at least for approaching police or pedestrians. If it's the people in the houses that are calling, that won't help, but I guess you could talk to them, or stick flyers about what you are doing in their paper box or doors.

I just noticed Bullwhip's avatar, use that.

Nah, WARNING may scare people too.

Herr Jones · Post by **Herr Jones** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:09 pm

Strider,

Sounds like what happened to me and a few friends but instead of a whip it was with a paintgun. I was shooting at a friend when I saw two cops at the corner of my eye one with his hand on his holster with the tab off. "Put the gun down" he said, I turned my head to him, "Put the gun down. . . ." There was no "Get on your knees! Put your hands on your head!" but kind of scarry as you know. A neighbor reported us.

It depends on the people, place, and mostly the cop who can cite you with disorderly conduct. But if you want some back up I'd be happy to crack with you some time. Then I'll have my girl bail us out lol.

Best,
Herr Jones

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:10 pm

Well.. good thing people are ok with whips here. (never ha a problem withpolice) .. but I can't wait to get my whip from Molorom

thefish · Post by **thefish** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:58 pm

"Put the whip down" ?????

Like they're SO much more dangerous than a gun?!

What @#$%!

I've thrown whips around in the late evening on a college campus, and I've had no problem. I've done full-on combat in public parks with swords and armor. Apart from the police approaching because they thought it was cool and wanted information, I've never had a problem.

Seriously, not to raise a stink, but there's no difference in whip cracking of football or soccer or tennis, and I'd have told the bloody dispatcher that. Now, that's certainly not the thing to say to an officer who has a hand on a sidearm and is telling you to get on the ground, but calling a dispatcher and EXPLAINING to them what you're doing shouldn't be a problem. I can't think of ANYWHERE in this country that the whip is classified intrinsically as a deadly weapon, (if it's used as such in Ohio, it is, but then so is a pencil.)

And then, to be so dismissing of someone TRYING to practice their hobby in a law-abiding way. Sounds like you've got too many Starbucks locations out there, and the police need to grab some decaf.

I think your best shot is to go with Holly's suggestion. Find a crackin' buddy, er even better a group to practice with. Not only is there a bit more safety in number, but you'll also learn a lot faster.

Good luck!

-Dan

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:18 pm

strider,

Strider, I would recommend bringing a friend with you that might like cracking too. Sebastian, the founder of the Whip Enthusiasts, made a comment once to the effect that when people see one person cracking with a whip, they think you're a nut but when it's a group or more than one person, they aren't as bothered or scared by it. You could post over at the Whip Enthusiasts Yahoo Group page to see if there's anyone there in your area that could recommend a park and/or go out there with you.

I have to agree with this, stick in groups.
sorry to hear it, but I have to say trouble follows you.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:04 pm

Update -

I called my local law enforcement office, to ask questions about cracking. The person I talked to was nice, and was able to hold a discussion, so I didn't have to worry about that [dishsoap] of an operator that I talked to last time. What I was told is that the whip is classified as a weapon, and as such, even notifying the police ahead of time that I was going to be doing it, that I was completely safe with the whip, and knew what I was doing would not stop an officer from coming out if they were to recieve a call. I was told that it would be at the officer's discretion in regards to how I am approached when they respond. The operator likened my use of a whip to the use of a gun or a knife in public. I was pretty much told that there is no distinction made between weapons, only that it IS a weapon, and that's all that matters, whether or not it is a projectile weapon.

In a nutshell - Sure, it's your hobby, but if you do it in public, you will most likely be threatened at gunpoint in less than an hour by uniformed officers. Unless, of course, you do it on your own property. I totally forgot about that! It's just so evident that everyone who lives in San Diego, California has a nice house with a big backyard suited for doing whatever they want. How could I have forgotten?

After this phone call, I am not even sure that going in a group would do anything. If someone called and sounded scared enough, or hyped the situation up to more than it is for an assured police intervention, I'm sure the police would respond just as fast and in the same manner to a group of people as they do for one person.

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:14 pm

Strider,

Man what a raw deal, if I were to type my actual thoughs about this here I would burn out the expletive filter and be kicked off the site. So i'll just say sorry man I can't think of a single solution unless you have a buddy with a back yard large enough to use for practice.

Cheers,
John

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:18 pm

Ragingblues wrote:I agree. I would tell you to just go fly a kite, but heaven forbid it have sharp point on it. Then you would be flying a weapon in public, which can't be good either.
Ken

Not to make light of Strider's situation but dang Ken that's a good one.

Cheers
John

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:49 pm

G-MANN wrote:Not to make light of Strider's situation but dang Ken that's a good one.

No, 'Blues is right. That's pretty much how I feel about it, too. One of the cops I actually talked to in the field said that sometimes people hype a situation up over the phone to make it sound like more is going on than there really is when they want the police to intervene. They'll say things like "he's brandishing a whip close to children!" (impossible), or "he's getting really close to people" (again, impossible). In today's day and age of uber paranoia, restrictions on free thinking and opinions, and blame-everyone-but-myself rhetoric, you really can't do anything anymore without worry of being harassed by authority over it. What really fries my hide is that it's immediately dismissed as "abnormal behavior", and I am blown off as a crazy person. These people with their holier-than-thou attitudes scoff and go: "What is he doing out there with that thing anyway?" Uhm, having fun? Heaven forbid. I suppose I should just go home, get drunk, and beat my wife. That would be normal.

The more I talk about this, the more political it's going to get, so I had better just quit while I'm ahead.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:57 pm

Strider,

One option that I would pursue in your situation, is to write a letter to the State's Attorney for the jurisdiction where you live. I would explain that you want to practice the sport of whip cracking and that you have been told by the local police that it is a weapon. I would point out that as far as you know, in all other jurisdictions, it is considered an agricultural tool.

I would explain some of the types of cracks that you want to practice and list the names of the whip organizations that have already been mentioned. I would state some of the safety precautions that you intend to take.

I would state that your reason for writing is that you would like a legal opinion concerning your desire to practice this sport in a wide open area in a park or field. I would tell them that you would like a written explaination of what the laws concerning the sport of whip cracking are in the State of California.

I don't know if the person that you spoke to has ever had to answer this question before, and unless they looked up the answer in the criminal code, they may have not known the correct answer and just gave you their opinion and stated it as fact.

If an attorney is going to put this answer in writing, he is sure to actually look to see if there are any laws on the books making a whip a weapon. If he can not find anything and tells you in this letter that as far as his office is concerned, it is not a weapon unless it is used as one, and that practicing the sport of whip cracking is legal, then you can keep this letter with you when you crack in the park. If you are approached by the local police, you can show them that the States Attorney's opinion is that it is perfectly legal to practice the sport of whip cracking.

The police look to the State's Attorney's Office for legal opinions, and if you show that this opinion has already been given, they have no recourse but to abide by it even if it differs with their personal opinion.

G-MANN · Post by **G-MANN** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:01 pm

Hey Strider,
If you wanna blow off some real steam just use my email address and we can let the expletives fly

Cheers,
John

racerx · Post by **racerx** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:02 am

Hey Strider,
all I can think of, is try checking out your local Highschools or YMCA's and so forth, explain to the principal or owner about the whole sport cracking deal. See if you can use the gym floors for practiceing on,
that way you don't have to worry about weather or people,

.

All the best.

Jim J.

midwestwhips · Post by **midwestwhips** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 4:56 am

Strider,

Not that I suggest or condone this way as the way to do it, but personally I would keep going back to the park and being very carefull, and the more the cops get called on you the more the cops will get to know you, and know that you aren't being a threat, and aren't a threat to public safety. And eventually you will build a relationship with the cops and they will know you as a person and not just a freak with a whip. Especially if you are extreemely nice an personable to them. And I agree with the others who have said that you shouldn't try to crack as loud as you can, if you go the park, work more on technique and style than loudness.

In the times I have gone to the park to crack, the most trouble I've ever had is a cop or park ranger coming out and saying, "Oh, your the one that people were calling saying they heard gunshots." And after a couple seconds of talking they'd say, "Ok, just be careful" and they'd leave.

And when we had the whip-nic's with a large amount of people cracking each time, there has always been cops driving by pretty frequently, but I am sure it was much more to make sure we weren't acting in any dangerous manner.

The main thing is always being very polite and explaining about the sport of whipcracking, or telling them that you are just practicing for an up coming wild west arts club competition or such.

And if anyone asks you to stop because you are bugging them, then stop of course.

I must say I was extreemely surprised when I started reading this thread that you were told to get on your knees and hands behind the head and all. I've never heard of any whipcracker being approached by the cops in that way.

And I'm not sure how far away you are from San Fransisco, but I believe there is a whip enthusiast group that meets there.

And for everyone you can always check this site:

http://whip.know-where.com/whip/

Good Luck, and let us all know what happens.

Regards,

Paul Nolan
MidWestWhips

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:36 pm

Ragingblues wrote:
Ragingblues wrote:
G-MANN wrote:Hey Strider,
If you wanna blow off some real steam just use my email address and we can let the expletives fly
Cheers,
John
Just be careful where you "point" those words. We know how harmful the tongue can be. Sorry, it's late... and I had to go for another one.

This is an unfortunate side effect of the whole demasculinizatin of our culture. You can't be a man and enjoy manly things without offending some group. How do people think this world was built, conquered, pioneered, farmed, engineered or defended? It wasn't done by "Metro-sexual" men, so concerned with their hair highlights, Botox injections or fashionable clothing, that they had no time to learn how to use a shovel, plow, gun, hammer, or God forbid... a whip!

Where have all the cowboys gone? I'll tell you... Brokeback Mountain. (And they took their whips and spurs with them).

Ken

Disclaimer - If I offended any gay cowboys or metro-sexual men with my comments.... tough cookies!

I hope that people can read the sarcasm into what I wrote above. I do believe it's true, but it was meant to be delivered in a "Phil Hartman on SNL" kind of way. It was late when I wrote it, so it seemed funny to me, but the tone could be misunderstood. I like the truth delivered with a touch of humor, and didn't want it to lose that with text alone.

Ken

I happen to agree with what you said humorous or not it's the truth.

The thing that makes me laugh is all these little "titles" our culture gives to every group.

Who the heck came up with "Metro-Sexual"? You know what it sounds like to me. Someone who enjoys having sex while using mass transit!

I guess if I belong to any sub-group it would be called "Broke-Sexual" because "I likes the ladies but I'm to broke to make them like me"

My wife would be "Pitty-Sexual" because she is attracted to men that are pitiful.

PITFALL

Snakewhip_Sable · Post by **Snakewhip_Sable** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:43 pm

This is nutty. First time I ever heard of such a thing. I can see noise being a problem, but no more than a pesky dog barking in the same park.

I'd invite one of the cops to crack the whip himself if you run into them again. Then they'd see why one might enjoy such a practice as well as realizing the excercise it gives a cracker. The invite might be enough to 'break the misunderstanding barrier' as well.

Just a thought.

The only time I ever ran into the police while cracking whip, it was the fire spinners they were after and they had no issue with me at all.

Then again I live in 'Houston North' where some city cops still ride horses.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:43 pm

Well, after those experiences, it has left me paranoid (to say the least) of going out and cracking my whip, unless it's in a friend's backyard. A friend invited me over, so I did that, and taught my friend some cracks while I was at it; people in the neighborhood complained. The police came out, found out I had been invited over to the man's house specifically for the purpose, and told the caller that there was nothing they could do since I was invited into someone else's backyard, and to stop calling.

I wasn't even cracking loudly, it was just the run of the mill "snap, crackle, pop" kinds of cracks you get when you're working towards finesse instead of volume. Even though I wanted to be a jerk, and let some REAL gunshot cracks fly, just to show them how bad it could have been, I didn't. I'm responsible enough to know.

There's this GARGANTUAN park (a whole day would not be enough to explore all of it) not too far from me that I was considering, but again, I'm still pretty paranoid about being shot over the matter, since guns have been trained on me before for the same reason.

Another friend suggested I go to the huge baseball field at the high school that's down the street from me. I just said: "Are you kidding? I could TOTALLY see some knucklehead drumming up 'weapon on school grounds' charges against me. No way.' "

As for just continuing to do what I want to, I figure that eventually, instead of warming up to me, the police will just get sick and tired of hearing about me, and decide to write me a ticket, or worse, arrest me simply to "teach me a lesson" and get me to quit, so they don't have to come out and deal with it anymore.

I live in San Diego. Not everyone and their mother's uncle has a house, much less a house with a big enough backyard. Out here. houses like that run $350,000-$500,000+ in a slow month. 98% of the friends I have down here either still live with their parents (:roll:) or live in apartment buildings.

On top of that, most people around here (the kind of people who would call to cry and tattle) are not the kind who would approach you first to ask you to stop doing what you're doing, if it bothered them in any way, or upset their children. They would just get out their cell phones and call the police. Simple as that. Southern California is a high profile area, full of high strung holier-than-thou above-it-all types. Like the officer I talked to said, the kind of people who would embellish a little (or a lot) to get a police response.

Now, there are a lot of fine folks on this forum who are from sections of the country/world where the locals are more laid back, and don't care about such things, or the area is just more rural than some, and as such, things fly under the radar easier there. Until you've lived in the big, big city (San Diego, LA, New York, Chicago, etc.), never discount the power of morons with a cell phone, and too much free time on their hands.

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:56 pm

Go out in the wilderness, young man. No one out there to bother or be bothered by you.

It's always best to be amenable to your neighbors.

Pitfall Harry · Post by **Pitfall Harry** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:27 pm

Ragingblues wrote:Shouldn't you change your screen name to "Pitifall Harry" then?

Ken

Actually, that's my wife's nickname for me.

HA!

PITFALL

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:35 pm

Well, I went to the park I was describing, and was there for 45 minutes before it got dark, and I decided to pack it in. No problems. There are a lot of isolated places in that park, so maybe that's where I should go. On top of that, I was just trying to perfect techniques, so my cracks weren't very loud. We'll see.

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:02 pm

i havent been able to try my 10 foot IOAB out side yet but i have been flicking it around in my dorm room, which is just big enough. This whip is a bit differnt flowing, and longer so im getting used to it. ITs already breaking in better and flowing better too. When i was try to do the flick, like young indy does, i wasnt getting it. Then as i just started practicing getting the whip to flow out nicely i started getting cracks behind me before the whip would fully extend. Basically i wouldnt flick my wrist, just throw it forward, and it would create a loop at my leg area and make the crack. I just wanted to know what kind of crack this is called if anyone knows?

:

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:55 am

Strider, doesn't Dan live close to you? Maybe you can coax him into going with ya.

That is a cool link I never knew about with the locations. I do see some of the info of some of the people is not updated (i.e. old info) so if your emails don't go through that could be why. In fact, I don't think the LA group exists anymore. I know Sebastian was hoping some of the Indy guys would get together and from an LA group a few years back.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:28 am

Strider, I can't imagine having so many problems just trying to have a little fun. It sure isn't like that around here. I live on a cul-de-sac in my neighborhood, but it would take you about forty five minutes to walk the length of my street, with about a dozen or so houses on it. The houses are on three acres or more.

One family on my street has horses, at least two families have bike trails on their property, and one guy has a firing range in his back yard. If I crack my whip in the back yard, I don't even think anybody hears it. From listening to your tale of woe, I now consider myself lucky.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:48 am

Buff, that must be nice!

I'm sure there are neighborhoods like that here in San Diego. However, I cannot afford to own/live in (or even rent) a home with a yard that would be in a neighborhood like that. Yo ho, yo ho, apartment life for me.

What are the locals like on your side of town? High strung individuals, or laid back folks?

That's the problem with SoCal. It's the place to be if you're a young, "on-the-go", yuppie jet-setter wannabe. Anything outside their parameters of "normal" must obviously be "abnormal", because they (quite obviously! duh!) know everything. Even the people who lived next door to my friend with the backyard were all pissy and upset when the cop politely gave them the "click-clack shut-the-heck-up" routine. They must've been in their 40s. Yuppie-ness affects anyone, it seems. That's the price you pay to live in a climate like this one, I suppose.

JEEP · Post by **JEEP** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:26 am

Sorry to hear about your troubles Strider.

It's actually interesting; the neighbours where I lived, before I moved to where I live now, would party from tuesday to sunday, playing loud hip-hop and pop music for more than 48 houers straight, windows wide open (i'm a rock and roll, punk, black metal, blues, jazz, folk kind of guy - I really hate pop-music and modern "gangster" rap) - and on top of that running around in their garden drunk and noisy all night - it was impossible to get any sleep during these "parties" - and complaining didn't help (try arguing with dead-drunken teenagers - or sober teenagers for that matter). The funny part is this; every time I went out in MY garden with a couple of friends to bang a couple of steel-swords together - the same neighbours came over to complain about the noise and our (quote:) "Nerdy and uncivilised behaviour" - It was hard to really tell if one should cry or laugh

The neighbours where I live now are much friendlier (I actually live between two kindergarderns - no kidding

). We have held training sessions (with both steel and wooden wasters) on a weekly basis during the summertime, we have fired full-automatic BB-guns and we have been using electric powertools. We have never has any complaints from our present neighbours - a few of them have casually asked what we are doing with alle these weapons, but no one has ever complained. I doubt that any of our neighbours would pay much attention if I started cracking a whip in our back garden - at least I'm going to find out as soon as I get the money for one of Giovannis Little Raiders bullwhips

:whip:

/Jakob

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:33 am

Strider,

When I was working, I used to live in a similar type of atmosphere as you do. About five years before I retired, I decided to move further out from Washington DC as I was tired of the crime and neighbors being able to control what I did. I figured that I would be able to handle the commute for five years. It was a lot of driving, but it was worth it.

Now, I live out in a more rural area that has communities mixed in with farms and the people are very nice and very laid back. I don't bother them and they don't bother me. About halfway between where I live and where GraveRobberGreg lives, is a huge Amish market. So, we even have a large number of horses and buggies going up and down the road.

The straw that broke the camel's back so to speak, where I used to live, was when the neighborhood voted to give a tow company a contract to tow any car that did not belong to a resident there, without any police authorization. We didn't even have a parking problem. That was it, I had to sell my place and get out of there. I grew to hate homeowner's associations.

Now I do not have a homeowner's association. Even in the winter time when there are no leaves on the trees, I can only see two houses, and I can't even see them very well. No one can tell me what to do on my little space and we have virtually no crime and no problems with neighbors. And, I am retired and do not have to commute. Woohoo!

I picked just the right time to move in 2000. Since I have lived here, the market value of my house has almost doubled. If I wanted to move here now, I wouldn't be able to afford it.

GraveRobber is in the same situation. About a year after I moved, he was looking for a new place and I told him about a new community near me. He bought a house there, and if he would have waited until now, he wouldn't be able to afford it, either. We are both very lucky.

Speaking of lucky. Out in the back of GraveRobber's property, an American bald eagle has built a nest. It is not a uncommon sight to see an eagle soaring over his house. So cool.

Snakewhip_Sable · Post by **Snakewhip_Sable** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:47 pm

One could always crack in an industrial park - often they're abandoned after 5pm and throughout the weekends - plus all the concrete around makes for a nice crack report or reverb.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 3:58 pm

Check the quote. I said it was an American bald eagle. The symbol of the United States, even though it almost became extinct. No mistake about the species, we have too many friends and family members that are into birds.

Of course, they had to tell me, 'cause I wouldn't know an eagle from a 747.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:24 pm

All the eagles I've seen wear wigs.

Snakewhip_Sable · Post by **Snakewhip_Sable** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:53 pm

binkmeisterRick wrote:All the eagles I've seen wear wigs.

Why wear a wig when you can wear a fedora? Silly eagles.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:34 pm

binkmeisterRick wrote:All the eagles I've seen wear wigs.

I thought that they sang and played instruments, but what do I know.

genexs · Post by **genexs** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:33 pm

Hi Strider

I highly recommend people take a proactive approach to dealing with whips in public. OTOH, I think contacting the police right in the beginning is not the best way to start.

I think your first contacts should be the people who supervise the park. Park officials want their parks to be utilized. Taxes pay for parks, and they want to show the community that the park is being utilized. Explain to them that you are a whip artist and was wondering if anyone had any problems with you practicing in the park. Stress being safety conscious. Make sure you mention your red safety cones, caution tape, and first aid kit. (Of course, you have those things, right? ) Have a list of safety guidelines (goggles, ear protection); present it to the park official.

Once you have permission to crack in the park, who cares what the police think or say? But if someone complains, be polite and leave. Be proactive in this as well. When you go to the park, approach the people around you and explain what you are doing. If anyone objects, just leave. If you are polite about things, and people see that you are not a nut-job, you'd be surprised how accommodating people can be.

If I see there is a big event (a big party, a graduation), being held at the park, I try not to practice that day. If a conflict is unavoidable, I find the person in charge of the event and ask them if they mind the whipcracking.

Fortunately, I live in a rural setting. If people hear a few cracks go off in the distance, they think 'hunting'--not 'drive-by'. I heard one or two horror stories, from big-city parks, when someone mistook whipcracks for gun shots. So, if you are someone who lives in a large urban area, you just might be told "no" at every park.

I hope you find a place to crack.

Best,
Gene

Indakin · Post by **Indakin** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:21 am

strider i was cracking my ioab with no nerighbor problems this week. Lots of fun, except for a double sore shoulder from doing shoudlers at the gym and then whipping all afternoon. My leg also had lots of lashes lol

Otherwise i love our whips, i got the front crack form down, its my favorite now.

Lindiana · Post by **Lindiana** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:22 pm

wear a gun holster, then the police won't bother you about the whip. Might not appreciate the gun but chances are they'll over look the whip.

Rusty Jones · Post by **Rusty Jones** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:28 pm

Lindiana wrote:wear a gun holster, then the police won't bother you about the whip. Might not appreciate the gun but chances are they'll over look the whip.

heh I would imagine that it would make them way more sketchy about everything your doing because if they say "What's the whip for?" you can say "Hobby..." but if they ask what the holster's for? "Looking intimidating..." "To be more threatening than the whip..." "makes my waist look smaller?" ;c)

Where can you go to crack a whip? (updated)

Where can you go to crack a whip? (updated)

Re: Where can you go to crack a whip?

Re: Where can you go to crack a whip?

woooooh

Re: Where can you go to crack a whip? (updated)