Excuse-me-itis

[CanadianAdult]

I don't know her name but in my mind she is Miss Excuse Me. I'm twenty feet away and I hear EXCUSE ME as I'm doing some complicated spin that's tricky to bail but I do so because I might be in someone's headlights. She's doing her solo and I might be too close for her tiny toe loop. A two minute solo and seven excuse me's. There are eleven skaters on the ice, mostly doing doubles and none of them have Excuse-me-itis.

There's that's bothered me for a while, I'm glad to have shared that. ;)

[techskater]

OMG, I laughed my head off at this post! Been there, done that with the annoyance at it!

[dbny]

We've got one (a teenager) who bails if anyone is within 20 feet of her approach to a (most likely) failed double. Then, when you get off the ice, her mother comes after you telling you how much she is paying for the lessons and the ice time, and you have just caused it to be wasted! I feel sorry for the kid.

[Skate@Delaware]

Sheesh! I get nervous when the little kids get on club ice...I bail out of jumps when I thought they were getting tooooo close! I used to yell "MOVE" because it was quicker than "excuse me" and got their attention, but mostly at my daughter and her friend...who decided that the center of the ice was the best place to stand and chat :evil:

but THAT'S funny!

[teresa]

I have one of these folks at my rink too. Does every rink get one?! Some days I do silent screams over these antics. =-0

teresa

[Sessy]

I don't know her name but in my mind she is Miss Excuse Me. I'm twenty feet away and I hear EXCUSE ME as I'm doing some complicated spin that's tricky to bail but I do so because I might be in someone's headlights. She's doing her solo and I might be too close for her tiny toe loop. A two minute solo and seven excuse me's. There are eleven skaters on the ice, mostly doing doubles and none of them have Excuse-me-itis.

There's that's bothered me for a while, I'm glad to have shared that. ;)

Yeah we have one of those at the rink as well. She's like 8 years old and already thinks she's the future world champion just because she can land an axel, and her parents think she's the queen or something.
The funny part about that is that even the girls who do nationals at our club only see reason to yell "excuse me" when they're doing a last programme run-through before a MAJOR competition, or when they're doing a backward change-edge biellmann spiral. Getting in the lutz corner doing a MIF pattern all focussed and oblivious, causing somebody to bail on a bigass double lutz in programme is not even going to get you glared at the first time (though after that you are expected to get a clue.)
But no, not our little ms. Excuse Me. Who's actually more of a ms. You're In My Way and a ms. Move! She thinks that if the rest of the world revolves around her, so should the ice rink.

[BuggieMom]

Have you ever noticed that these same Ms-Excuse-Me's haven't learned anything when it comes to getting out of someone else's way? We have a few that get SOOO peeved if someone gets in their way when they are setting up for their 112th WALTZ JUMP, but won't move when the other person is in the middle of their program. If you want others to move for you, pay them the same courtesy....:roll:

[Clarice]

My coach used to joke about making T-shirts that said "When your jumps are as big as your ego, THEN I'll get out of your way!" Seriously, it is annoying. When one of our kids starts pulling that stuff, I usually mention it to the coach so they can give a little lesson on ice etiquette. It works some of the time, anyway. We don't currently have any diva-itis going around, but I expect another outbreak eventually. It seems to be a stage a lot of them go through.

[double3s]

We have one of those - she's about 11 I think, and while she expects everyone to move for *her* she won't move for anyone else, even when the other person is in lesson. My coach simply continues our pattern, purposely coming scarily close to her. And don't get on my coach, this is after months of aborting patterns for LittleMissIceQueen, and he is plenty skilled to pull this off without hurting anyone.

[CanadianAdult]

The funny part about that is that even the girls who do nationals at our club only see reason to yell "excuse me" when they're doing a last programme run-through before a MAJOR competition, or when they're doing a backward change-edge biellmann spiral.

Normally at our rink too these are the only people who yell an excuse me, in the case of back edge blind moves, and it's a run through the coach will skate through everybody first saying "bielmann!!!!" and we run for the boards.

I really think this girl has her excuse me's choreographed into her program and/or that she's done it so often it's become second nature. I'm totally pumped to see at our next competition if she lets one fly while out on the ice all by herself.

[Isk8NYC]

I really think this girl has her excuse me's choreographed into her program and/or that she's done it so often it's become second nature. I'm totally pumped to see at our next competition if she lets one fly while out on the ice all by herself.
ROFLOL!!!! Let us know if she slips and yells "Excuuuussssmeeee!" during her competition. (Love it: Choreographed ... too funny!)

[Summerkid710]

We had a Russian coach where I skated as a kid who would stand (and skate around) in between the hockey circles in the middle of the jumping pattern. I have not idea why anyone would want coach from there but it was so frustrating. He wouldn't move if even it was your program and would, I swear, skate at you as you were going into a jump. I thought about learning "Excuse Me" in Russian to see if it would work.

[peanutskates]

thankfully, I haven't noticed anyone like that at our rink. I generally try to get out of the way for dancers/programs/lessons, and if I see someone practicing a move in a circle (jump or spin), I generally go somewhere else. Sometimes people do shout 'Excuse me' in their program, but it's not really that annoying.

I disagree with the idea that it's better to keep moving if you think you may collide with someone. Isn't it more sensible to stand still to let the other person decide how to pass you? Otherwise you might both go for the same corner/side and BANG...

p.s. on, and some people ask nicely: "I'm going to do a double here, could you please move?" and in that case, I do, and I warn other people if they're about to come into that area. SHARE the ice... :D

[Sessy]

I thought about learning "Excuse Me" in Russian to see if it would work.

I think you'll have better luck with the significantly less polite "Blia! Nie (like in "niente") lez (bit like "lace") pod nogi!"

[fsk8r]

I disagree with the idea that it's better to keep moving if you think you may collide with someone. Isn't it more sensible to stand still to let the other person decide how to pass you? Otherwise you might both go for the same corner/side and BANG...
:D

I was told that it's better to keep moving, they can tell where you are going then, unless you suddenly change direction. I struggle with people who stop dead as they then panic and generally move in the direction I've picked to go in. I've also come to the conclusion that if you're good enough to do x move, you are good enough to skate around me and not through me and hopefully you have breaks which work!

There's one girl at our rink who is insisting on learning to dance and can do the first three basic dances, but has decided that she doens't need to learn how to stop because that's what her coach is for. She nearly took half the rink out tonight because she can't control and edge, couldn't cope with me doing my moves pattern and they're not that exciting it's semi-circle after semi-circle but I doubt this girl knows that moves tests exist yet, so I 3-turned and found her barrelling down on me, and then she managed to carry on and nearly take out two kids who were spinning, they managed to dive in different directions to avoid her. She's not started on the excuse-mes yet, but I'm sure if anyone is going to, it's her.

My biggest problem is that I go around the rink apologising to everyone for being in the way. I'm forever shouting sorry and that is including when I'm in lesson.

[FlyAndCrash]

My biggest problem is that I go around the rink apologising to everyone for being in the way. I'm forever shouting sorry and that is including when I'm in lesson.

That's so me also. I feel bad about getting in people's way. However, the only girls on my ice time that don't know what to do (aka get out of the way especially when someone cannot see you...) are the very young ones. It bugs me even more when people don't announce themselves!!!

A young girl who just started privates was doing edges or wiggles or something on the line I was using to line to do 2loops on during my lesson (she was on lesson too). Her coach loudly tells her about five times to stop and move, except the only person who can hear her appearently is me.

[Mrs Redboots]

My biggest problem is that I go around the rink apologising to everyone for being in the way. I'm forever shouting sorry and that is including when I'm in lesson.
Oh, so am I! Or I yell "Mind X!" at Husband, and poor X thinks I mean he or she should mind out.

The worst is when you and another skater are doing moves and you end up on colliding lobes, and somehow no matter how hard you try you can't stop being on a collision course with them....

Our worst ice princess is actually a guy in his 30s or 40s - it doesn't seem to have occurred to him that other people won't get out of his way, so he just proceeds blithely around with his head down, totally unaware that anybody else is on the ice, never mind has just had to abort their pattern so he can proceed serenely on with his.....

[Luckster013]

Have you ever noticed that these same Ms-Excuse-Me's haven't learned anything when it comes to getting out of someone else's way? We have a few that get SOOO peeved if someone gets in their way when they are setting up for their 112th WALTZ JUMP, but won't move when the other person is in the middle of their program. If you want others to move for you, pay them the same courtesy....:roll:

I know exactly what you mean. I think just about everyone who goes to my rink is a Miss-Ecuse-Me, and couldn't show the same courtesy if they had to. Whenever I get in someones way, or they get in mine, I always say "sorry," just to aknowledge them (unless they are in a program). Then I get a rude snort and a dirty look and they skate off. However, there is one little girl at my rink who is about ten and she is so sweet!!!! We often get in each others way but she always says "oh, i'm so sorry." I think she feels the same way I do and i just releived to have run into someone who actually shows some courtesy.

[AshBugg44]

Heck, I wish I could get my students to SAY "excuse me" when people are in their way during their program. Not excessively, but they usually just end up trying to go around them which of course makes them late in their program. I'm like "JUST SAY EXCUSE ME! DON'T BE MEAN ABOUT IT, BUT SAY EXCUSE ME AND THEY'LL MOVE!!!"

[Stormy]

I AM that person. My rink is notorious for coaches and skaters who do NOT get out of the way. And the skater doing the program wears a bright orange belt so you know who's program is going. And I'm sorry, if a skater/coach is going to be oblivious, I will yell excuse me. Not to be rude or snotty, but to get their attention. And I always apologize if I accidentally get in someone's way. There's defintiely a difference at my rink between someone accidentally getting in my way, and someone not paying attention at all. And there's too many people not paying attention.

[samba]

Our worst ice princess is actually a guy in his 30s or 40s - it doesn't seem to have occurred to him that other people won't get out of his way, so he just proceeds blithely around with his head down, totally unaware that anybody else is on the ice, never mind has just had to abort their pattern so he can proceed serenely on with his.....

We used to have one like that, the funny thing is that he also drives the same way, totally oblivious to other cars, switching lanes without indicating or indicating after the event, I was unfortunate enough to be driving behind him one morning and when we arrived at the rink, he had no idea what I was talking about!!

[Skate@Delaware]

We used an orange vest last year and it worked well; this year we just don't seem to need it. for some reason the sessions I skate on aren't crowded. We are very lucky, if it's a certain dad, he will "announce" the next skater and we look out.

Most of the time we are aware but it's been a long process. We had this discussion the other day...if some of our kids skated at other rinks they'd be creamed!!!!

Some of you guys should come down here and skate while the skating is good!!!! (we have a new skating director and I'm sure things will change on the ice-right now we are recreationally-geared but the new director wants to go "USFSA-training" who knows what that means to those of us that skate for fun-which is 95% of us).

[Clare]

Oh, so am I! Or I yell "Mind X!" at Husband, and poor X thinks I mean he or she should mind out.

I'm convinced I'm always in someone's way, my coach says it's only very recently that I have finally stopped leaping for the boards when I even think there's a possibility that someone might be about to head in my direction!

Our worst ice princess is actually a guy in his 30s or 40s - it doesn't seem to have occurred to him that other people won't get out of his way, so he just proceeds blithely around with his head down, totally unaware that anybody else is on the ice, never mind has just had to abort their pattern so he can proceed serenely on with his.....

I'm thinking the person you're referring to is the one who managed to collide with me when we were the only two people on the ice one morning...

[CanadianAdult]

And I'm sorry, if a skater/coach is going to be oblivious, I will yell excuse me.

you missed the point but it doesn't matter. It's been a fun thread.

It's been different skating at a rink that uses excuses me's, I need to learn to start using it myself, judiciously but at the same time, to get out of the way of people doing jumps that will kill me if I get in the way.

[sk8er1964]

I yelled "excuse me" at Oksana Biaul once, after she had gotten in my way for the third time when I was in a MIF lesson. She looked at me like I was crazy, but did stay out of my way after that! :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

I'm thinking the person you're referring to is the one who managed to collide with me when we were the only two people on the ice one morning...
I shouldn't be in the least surprised!

[jskater49]

"Excuse me" has become such a rude phrase that skaters now try to say something else like "coming through" or "sorry"

j

[Sessy]

I yelled "excuse me" at Oksana Biaul once, after she had gotten in my way for the third time when I was in a MIF lesson. She looked at me like I was crazy, but did stay out of my way after that! :lol:

:bow: :bow: :lol:

[sk8_4fun]

My biggest problem is that I go around the rink apologising to everyone for being in the way. I'm forever shouting sorry and that is including when I'm in lesson.

I know exactly what you mean, although I'm not wisp-like by any means, I'm sure I must be invisible most of the time;)

[dbny]

I have no idea if skiers still do this, but 30 yrs ago, when I used to ski, we were taught to yell to the person ahead of us when passing, "On your left!" or "On your right!" That makes perfect sense, as skiers cannot look back and see if anyone is coming, and you do not want to turn into someone's path as they hurtle by you. I think it would work great on the ice too, but how would we ever get it started?

[liz_on_ice]

I have no idea if skiers still do this, but 30 yrs ago, when I used to ski, we were taught to yell to the person ahead of us when passing, "On your left!" or "On your right!" That makes perfect sense, as skiers cannot look back and see if anyone is coming, and you do not want to turn into someone's path as they hurtle by you. I think it would work great on the ice too, but how would we ever get it started?

that would be so fine - I'm just terrible at guessing which way people are planning to go.

[fsk8r]

I have no idea if skiers still do this, but 30 yrs ago, when I used to ski, we were taught to yell to the person ahead of us when passing, "On your left!" or "On your right!" That makes perfect sense, as skiers cannot look back and see if anyone is coming, and you do not want to turn into someone's path as they hurtle by you. I think it would work great on the ice too, but how would we ever get it started?

The only problem is that half the kids don't know their left from their right!

[mikawendy]

Or if someone mishears or things happen quickly, they might think you're trying to say that they should go to the left or the right instead of meaning that you're coming by on their left or right.

[ibreakhearts66]

The only problem is that half the kids don't know their left from their right!

exactly what i was going to say lol

My coach implemented a program that worked pretty well. Her rule has been that if we (her skaters) get in someone's way when they're doing their program then we owe her a quarter. She saves up the money and when we have enough we'll have a mini-party. Most of the time she doesn't actually collect, but we tease each other, so it works pretty well.

We also have an ice dancer at our rink who absolutely does not understand that other people have as much of a right to be on the ice as he does. He will get in everyone's way, and gives people THE dirtiest looks if they come anywhere near him, no matter if they are in a lesson/doing their program. And, if he does stop, he does it inches from another skater. It is ridiculous.

There is also one boy who is either always oblivious to other skaters or just doesn't care. It is really bad. Like, I was in a lesson and was working on double loops, and even after both my coach (also his coach) and I told him to move, he wouldn't. So my coach told him that for every minute extra she had to teach me because I had to keep aborting jumps, she would take away a minute. He moved after that. Finally, another day, I decided not to abort my double loop. Don't worry, I wasn't close enough to hit him or anything like that, I'm not that stupid/obnoxious. But I think he got the idea that I was done popping jumps because he didn't feel the need to move.

But ITA agree that the MissExcuseMes absolutely NEVER move for anyone else in lesson/doing their program. That is what frustrates me the most. I am another one of those skaters who is always saying sorry and who works REALLY hard to never be in anyone's way, so i guess it just irks me to see these little ice princesses demanding that everyone bail on THEIR spin/jump/pattern because they HAVE to do their waltz jump RIGHT along the long axis or wherever.

[Isk8NYC]

The only problem is that half the kids don't know their left from their right!
I tend to always "dance" with people - I can never guess which way they're going to dodge, so I now "signal" by pointing to the left or the right and saying "I'm going this way!" pleasantly. Only works if they actually look at you.

Here's a weird (for me at least) situation: My group was practicing their show program, with music playing, and following me through the routine. Another group instructor was having her students practice back spirals. She absolutely saw my group coming down the ice and knew her student was going to be in the way. She did nothing. I dodged twice and ended up grabbing the kid so she wouldn't fall. Had to stop all of my skaters because they didn't know their routine yet to continue without me.

The other instructor's reaction was that her student had right of way because she was going backwards. Apparently, at their rink, anyone going backwards has right of way on freestyles. New rule for me, I always thought students on lesson with music had right of way. *shrug*

[Kim to the Max]

The other instructor's reaction was that her student had right of way because she was going backwards. Apparently, at their rink, anyone going backwards has right of way on freestyles. New rule for me, I always thought students on lesson with music had right of way. *shrug*

That's a new one I haven't heard before.....

[Mrs Redboots]

I have no idea if skiers still do this, but 30 yrs ago, when I used to ski, we were taught to yell to the person ahead of us when passing, "On your left!" or "On your right!"
But I never know my left from my right! And I certainly never know other people's lefts from their rights....

We kept getting in the way of one of Coach2's pupils today who was running through her programme - she's suddenly got a lot better and was totally filling the rink, which I hadn't quite expected. And I said "Oh, sorry!" to her, and she goes, "That's quite all right!" without missing a beat.... Husband nearly had a heart attack when I let our local Ice Princess come slightly too close for comfort, but I think she and I both knew we'd miss each other. I certainly knew I'd miss her - which I don't always know, but that time I did.

[Skate@Delaware]

One time I was skating, warming up, and one of the younger (i.e. better) skaters comes up behind...and thinking that I would zig left, she zags right and skooches between me and the wall-which scared the whosis out of me!!! I screamed and almost squished her against the wall!

Luckily, no one was hurt, and I told her not to scare old ladies anymore!

We still laugh about it to day!!!!

If I'm coming up from behind...I usually holler out "DON'T MOVE" or 'BEHIND YOU-DON'T MOVE" just in case :giveup: but I try to steer far enough away.

[black]

I tend to always "dance" with people - I can never guess which way they're going to dodge, so I now "signal" by pointing to the left or the right and saying "I'm going this way!" pleasantly. Only works if they actually look at you.

If I am going the opposite direction to another skater near the boards I'll reach out and touch the boards, indicating that I'm keeping in and they're to go wide.

The worse ones are those who follow you around the rink - seriously the other morning I swear this kid was following me... :giveup:

[Mrs Redboots]

The worse ones are those who follow you around the rink - seriously the other morning I swear this kid was following me... :giveup:They not only follow you, they follow you on the wrong lobe, so you keep on nearly hitting them all the way up the rink!

[dbny]

For a while we had an introduction to freestyle sessions, in which the first two freestyles included a 30 minute lesson on the rules. I taught it a few times, and always gave my kids a test at the end. One of the rules was that faster skaters pass closer to the boards, which eliminates the whole left/right problem. I told my slower students to always leave room for someone to pass them by the boards, but of course, if a high level skater is in a program, they may have to zoom by on the other side.

[Kristin]

Fun thread! I can relate to kids hogging the ice. Another story for you guys that I think you will enjoy: We have a boy at our rink who (I think) is Preliminary level (looks to be around 10 yrs old). He has a wacky axel & crazy 2-footed dsal & dtoe. He is constantly at the glass, getting "coached" by his mother who never skated a day in her life (I am actually concerned for the kid & anyone who gets within 10 feet of him when he attempts these crazy double jumps). "Dan" is constantly looking at his mother, not paying attention to any of the skaters around him EVER. If his mom is not inside the rink with him, he won't practice on his own and just aimlessly skates around not practicing anything ("moving pylon"). It's EXTREMELY ANNOYING. :evil:

One time I was doing my program to music (I had the right-of-way) & he ("Mr. Oblivious") was totally in my way (there was no way for me to move since I was getting ready to do a spin). I shouted EXCUSE ME and then proceeded to do a "fly by" where I literally came within an INCH of him as I went into my camel spin & brushed him slightly as if he wasn't there. He did move (actually got the hint for once....SHOCKING), and my coach took me aside later & told me later that I did the right thing & that she was proud of me for not panicking because he wasn't paying attention! Apparently he does this type of thing all the time (getting in everyone's way because he is completely oblivious). He needs to learn to be considerate of others & apparently his mother isn't helping with her constant talking to him (distracting him) when he is on the ice. :frus: :frus: :frus: :frus:

[Skate@Delaware]

For a while we had an introduction to freestyle sessions, in which the first two freestyles included a 30 minute lesson on the rules. I taught it a few times, and always gave my kids a test at the end. One of the rules was that faster skaters pass closer to the boards, which eliminates the whole left/right problem. I told my slower students to always leave room for someone to pass them by the boards, but of course, if a high level skater is in a program, they may have to zoom by on the other side.
Some of our kids still use the wall...which they should not do as our rule states "must be proficient at forward & backward crossovers"...but whatever.

When i teach 2-foot spins, we move to the center circle and I tell my kids that you are supposed to spin there. Hopefully, they will remember. But kids forget and you do have to repeat things over and over.