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honest opinions/thoughts please

Old_Me

SAINT
ok, so i belong to a public range, and a private club.

at the range, i do not have to clean up after myself, but i do, as i want my brass.

at the range we are REQUIRED to clean up after shooting as there is no one else such as a janitor or custodian to clean the shooting area.

we simply turn on a "red flashing light" to warn anyone, the range has someone out there, for whatever reason(s)

so the club has been getting "newbies" that do not seem to want to comply with the rules.

i have "had to" sweep the range, and some of the shooting ports, as there will be casings, target scrap, shrapnel on the floor.

now, let it be known, if there are tiny bits and pieces, i don't mind sweeping, it's inevitable, that some stuff gets missed.

but i am talking like at least 2 full medium sized coffee cups full of garbage, i am sweeping.

this takes away MY time to set up, shoot, then clean up my own mess.

i have told the exec officer about this nonsense 3 times now, last time, i said, anymore and i am outta here.

today, it happened again, i had to email him.

he said they will look at the video, and pursue this other member.

so, if this crap was happening to any of you, what would you do...????

right now, i am really setting myself up to leave the key-fob (that opens the door electronically) and walking away

it's one thing to sweep up your own crap, but the crap of others..????

over and over again..???
 
I think it’s understandable to be frustrated with that. It’s annoying like when someone leaves a shopping cart out or in a parking space. I have 3 tiny kids and still my shopping cart gets put away correctly.

Anyways I think you handled it right they need to find out who is leaving the mess and correct it. Perhaps that person should lose privilege of shooting there if they do not correct their behavior.

As far as whether or not you stop shooting there. That’s up to you, is it a place worth you time and investment to shoot at even if it includes potentially cleaning up someone’s else’s crap? That’s up to you.
 
Just clean up after yourself. Take a pic of before you shoot and after you shoot--should look the same. Do this in case someone turns you in for not cleaning area. It sucks that you have to clean up after grown adults but that's the way it is these days!
 
Slip on a spent casing and get hurt in a fall ...who’s at fault? Management needs to attend to this for that reason alone.

Indoor rules are clean up your mess, brass, targets, cleaning patches and splatter...the even the bathroom sink after washing dirty hands.

In some cases, some are just incapable of housekeeping or unable to bend down.

If I shoot 100 rounds, I pick 100 rounds. If I were a reloader (I‘m not) then I’ll take as much as I can find laying about.
 
At my club they ask and have it posted but it’s not mandatory, we always clean up after ourselves, as for your situation, honestly, I would just clean up your stuff, and leave the others there, it’s a shame that others are so immature. Hate to say this, but today’s generation are lazy and figures others can do it so why should they. Like @nmedge said take pictures before you shoot then afterwards, they should look alike
 
The club I go to is typically really clean anytime I go which is usually at least twice a week. The members are responsible for cleaning their own mess in the shooting bays and in the field. My club allows any member to collect as much brass as they can find so there's usually no excess brass laying around.

We have two what my club calls utility ranges where you can setup your own targets that can be pretty much whatever you can drag into the field and take away yourself aside from chemicals, glass, or other items that can contaminate or be hard to clean up and these fields are always clean as can be.

Irresponsible members or leadership can ruin a good clubs experience.
 
I was always taught to clean up after myself and many many times at the range I help anyone nearby clean up but like you there are many times some people leave their garbage around. Case in point when I run our Police Qualifications everyone from the Chief on down has to help clean up the areas of garbage and brass no exceptions. Like others have said here since the management knows I personally would still use the range and until the matter is rectified I'd just clean up after myself. Just my two cents.
 
Club needs to enforce members cleaning up after themselves.
If its convenient, I would stay.
At this point since you have made it known to those who manage the club, i would stop cleaning up after anyone but myself
that would be next to impossible, to only clean up after myself, since there would be no way to actually separate the messes. as we all know, shrapnel goes all over the place. then too, if i leave say a "partial mess", then i can be told i am not cleaning up...it is convenient, as it is exactly 2 miles from my house, but the convenience wears thin, when i walk into the range and see a mess. it is in the club rules.

at one time, this club was nearly exclusive to who they let become members. now, it's like any other club that needs membership.


Just clean up after yourself. Take a pic of before you shoot and after you shoot--should look the same. Do this in case someone turns you in for not cleaning area. It sucks that you have to clean up after grown adults but that's the way it is these days!
i tried taking pictures. but i have an ordinary digital camera, and it does not take good pictures of what's on the floor. it is the same camera that i take pics of my targets, and post them in another thread here. i tried using the flash, but then it "washes" out the object i am trying to take a pic of.
 
I completely understand where you are coming from. I do not suffer fools lightly and probably would have had words with the offenders by now. Frankly, I would get on to Management and make myself well known - which it sounds like you have. Avoiding that exact situation is why you join a private club.

If things don’t improve within an appropriate timespan, then you’re going to have a decision to make. If you leave will you be cutting off your nose to spite your face? Or will the miscreants wind you up too much? Or will a reasoned conversation with the offenders change things. As my psychologist wife would say - Be the change you want to see.
 
The club I go to is typically really clean anytime I go which is usually at least twice a week. The members are responsible for cleaning their own mess in the shooting bays and in the field. My club allows any member to collect as much brass as they can find so there's usually no excess brass laying around.

We have two what my club calls utility ranges where you can setup your own targets that can be pretty much whatever you can drag into the field and take away yourself aside from chemicals, glass, or other items that can contaminate or be hard to clean up and these fields are always clean as can be.

Irresponsible members or leadership can ruin a good clubs experience.
that's what's irksome.....the irresponsibility of the newbies.

it's like, "hey i paid my membership initiation fee's, with my yearly membership fee, i should do as i please"

there is even a 1 year probation before a member can take a guest. the guy that signed in for Saturday, i cannot recall him being there for 6 months, let alone 1 year already.

for me, they had a policy of 6 months probie, and i waited that long. i was one of about 3 that got in under that probationary period. the executive officer was against that, but he was over ruled. now, they "listened" to him and made it 1 year before you can take a guest.
 
I have my own range with ar500 gongs set up for pistol, 100, 200 and 250 yards so it's no issues. My gun club is a couple miles away and there are the same issues occasionally. I only shoot the 400 yard range at the club. Offenders get reported.
 

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I completely understand where you are coming from. I do not suffer fools lightly and probably would have had words with the offenders by now. Frankly, I would get on to Management and make myself well known - which it sounds like you have. Avoiding that exact situation is why you join a private club.

If things don’t improve within an appropriate timespan, then you’re going to have a decision to make. If you leave will you be cutting off your nose to spite your face? Or will the miscreants wind you up too much? Or will a reasoned conversation with the offenders change things. As my psychologist wife would say - Be the change you want to see.
exactly why i joined, to not be involved with the morons at the public range i also belong to. however, when i got there as well, it is at opening time, and during the week, as most of us are retired, and the working "stiffs" can only go on weekends or holidays, when i stay away.

the club offers peace and quiet, and only 2 miles from my house.

this is not the first time i have contacted the exec officer, and they board contacted the offenders, it's always the newbies.

no, it will not be cutting off my nose, i have the public range, about 20 miles from the house, and i also have an application to another private club, that has indoor/outdoor ranges, 365 days a year, with restrictions on outdoor use, early in the mornings, that's doable.

that other club offers NRA instructor training which i wanted to get on with and become one. it has been like pulling teeth at the current club to get this. and they even HAVE an instructor (counselor), and he's been an azzhat about it..

been like now 3 times i been trying to get a class..........

this "new" club i am looking at offers NRA instructor training monthly........!!!!

and the yearly dues are like $65 cheaper (yearly) for all they offer.

but 1 way to get there it is like 40 minutes, and i have to cross state lines, and not be carrying

another way to get there, it is like 1 hour, but no state lines to cross.

and no, it is MASS, and getting a MASS ccw is a PITA, every 6 months you have to apply for a renewal.....at $100 each time. so like $200 a year for a ccw....??? BS.
 
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I have my own range with ar500 gongs set up for pistol, 100, 200 and 250 yards so it's no issues. My gun club is a couple miles away and there are the same issues occasionally. I only shoot the 400 yard range at the club. Offenders get reported.
yes, at the club, they WANT to know about problems//issues. however, to me, it's now been on going with the newbies.'


it's like, they pay thier dues and think they have Carte Blanc.

sadly, i live in an urban area. no such luck shooting in my backyard..
 
ok, here are excerpt emails today from me to the XO, and him to me....

Hi Joe,
I stopped in at the club today (Monday at or about 7:30) and yet again, a mess in the range, at port 2 area, and over by port 6

there was a long list of people with guests using that port Sunday.

I will be going back in a few minutes, to practice, but of course, as in the past, I have to clean up someone else's mess.

also, the a/c in the range was left on overnight.

I do not know the clubs's policy on leaving that a/c on all hours, but I'd imagine shutting it off when done is one of them.?

(it was actually saturday this happened, not sunday as it says in the email, i corrected that later to him, and it is a small club, only 6 lanes/ports)

his response to me

Unfortunately, no matter how much we tell members what to do, some just don’t do it.

I’ll spread the word to the board and we’ll look at the Sunday list and make some calls to reinforce what is expected of members after they finish using the club.

Of course the A/C unit on the range should have been turned off but again, some people just don’t pay attention. The clubhouse unit is set by a programable thermostat that I set on the economical mode but I’ll check it to make sure it hasn’t been overridden.

Thanks for cleaning up and keep us informed.

Enjoy your day.

(again, this mess was done on saturday, and they have video recordings)

i actually had a lousy day, with this crap weighing me down, to do what others should have done.

it is sickening.
 
ok, so i belong to a public range, and a private club.

at the range, i do not have to clean up after myself, but i do, as i want my brass.

at the range we are REQUIRED to clean up after shooting as there is no one else such as a janitor or custodian to clean the shooting area.

we simply turn on a "red flashing light" to warn anyone, the range has someone out there, for whatever reason(s)

so the club has been getting "newbies" that do not seem to want to comply with the rules.

i have "had to" sweep the range, and some of the shooting ports, as there will be casings, target scrap, shrapnel on the floor.

now, let it be known, if there are tiny bits and pieces, i don't mind sweeping, it's inevitable, that some stuff gets missed.

but i am talking like at least 2 full medium sized coffee cups full of garbage, i am sweeping.

this takes away MY time to set up, shoot, then clean up my own mess.

i have told the exec officer about this nonsense 3 times now, last time, i said, anymore and i am outta here.

today, it happened again, i had to email him.

he said they will look at the video, and pursue this other member.

so, if this crap was happening to any of you, what would you do...????

right now, i am really setting myself up to leave the key-fob (that opens the door electronically) and walking away

it's one thing to sweep up your own crap, but the crap of others..????

over and over again..???
You’re doing good by leaving it better than you found it. The world needs more folks like you.
All you can do is inform range ownership. Unfortunately, it takes some folks getting a letter from an attorney about their client slipping and falling to get their attention.
 
I was at my local indoor range last week - and when I say local, it is a 7 minute drive, which in DFW is practically the end of the street - and had two morons (really, I’m being kind) who quite clearly had never shot a gun before. They were renting guns and had to ask the guy behind the counter how to remove the chamber flags. As I stepped up to the counter the manager came up and I said to him - how the hell do you let two guys loose on the range who have to ask how to take the chamber flag out? The Manager queried the guy behind the counter who waffled some nonsense and then said to me - We’ll see. I told them to put me at least 5 lanes away from the two numbskulls - which they did. Bottom line, they’re more interested in the bottom line than safety.

I was back in the next day and one of the cretins (who never stooped texting the entire time the first day) was in there buying a pistol, phone firmly clutched in both hands, completely unable to make direct eye contact with the salesman. All I could think was this guy looks like the sort of people we see on the TV after shooting up a high school, people asking how this person got a gun in the first place.
 
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