Parris Island

[Mother Natures Son]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

[HikerMom58]

I'd give out his real/trail name and get the word out to everyone possible, NOT to help him out at all. Even with all the help from strangers, trail angels etc.. he wouldn't survive on the trail. It might just be the thing he needs... he'll either sink or swim.

I heard of someone taking their kid, buying their pack, loading it up with gear dropping him off on the trail and saying see you in 5 months.

[WingedMonkey]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

This supposed man is your friend and hiking buddy. Is this the type you usually attract?

It's not like he is your Facebook or Trail Journals friend.

[Lone Wolf]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

his ass would be weeded out the first week of boot. the Corps don't want ****birds

[prain4u]

I'd give out his real/trail name and get the word out to everyone possible, NOT to help him out at all. Even with all the help from strangers, trail angels etc.. he wouldn't survive on the trail. It might just be the thing he needs... he'll either sink or swim.

Was the above statement made by the very same HikerMom who--approximately one week ago--wrote the following posts?:

"If I stayed in shelters, I would vacate, for the same hiker, as many times as needed. I wouldn't be happy about it but I wouldn't be able to sleep at all if I didn't."

AND

"So that's why I say, when you look into someone's face, in their hour of need, it's hard not to respond to them even though you know you might be enabling them OR they are not making wise choices for themselves."

(HikerMom--I am just having some fun with you. Your posts on the previous thread--and this one--were very good).

[HikerMom58]

He he.. prain4u.... you got me, good! If I was in that situation, I wouldn't know that he was a "proclaimed moocher". So yeah.. I would help him out. This is when knowledge= power. Power to say NO! Without knowledge the power goes away..... I prob. still wouldn't be able to sleep, tho.

[Dogwood]

Just wanted to say publicly THANK YOU Mother Natures Son for all the helpful advice you gave me recently while in Alabama thru-hiking the Pinhoti Traili. Thank you also for the trail maintenance you and John C. Calhoun were doing there. The PT through AL was routed, constructed, and maintained well. I enjoyed that section of the PT the most.

[prain4u]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

I would probably do what HikerMom suggested--spread his real name, trail name (and his intentions to mooch) on WhiteBlaze and other AT Hiker forums. (I would also post some pictures of him so we could all recognize him).

I would probably end my friendship with him--and let him know that it was because of his desire to live off of the kindness of others on the trail.

I suspect that--even if I didn't spread any information about him on WhiteBlaze--word about him would spread up and down the trail quickly enough anyway. He would be out of business before too long and/or people would be avoiding him.

[Donde]

+1 to LW. The service is not a substitute for being raised correctly, or a seminar to learn values. Soldiering ( and whateverer the hell Marines call it) is a vocation. Also it's not hard not to laugh at the logic of sending kids with no backbone, or who can't handle authority, or follow rules, to the service.

[Feral Bill]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

Why would you do that? The Marines have it tough enough without this guy.

[rocketsocks]

Tough Love



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UObAOlb8tCk

[Rasty]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

Why would you do that? The Marines have it tough enough without this guy.

Its why the Marines and Army are all anti-draft. They last thing they need is unmotivated troops.

[coach lou]

+1 to LW. The service is not a substitute for being raised correctly, or a seminar to learn values. Soldiering ( and whateverer the hell Marines call it) is a vocation. Also it's not hard not to laugh at the logic of sending kids with no backbone, or who can't handle authority, or follow rules, to the service.

Why would you do that? The Marines have it tough enough without this guy.

I like that....' a seminar to learn values'. The drill instuctors will use him as a training aid.

[Thirsty DPD]

I'd like to think I had a hand in making Marines. All 84 recruits come as .......birds, in one form or another, LW that's ALL recruits, even me & you, no one has ever set foot on the yellow footprints a ready made Marine. A DI can only make a Marine out of sometime with potential, which takes place long before they get to PI. The washout rate is high, a non racker gets sent home to mommy. We're not in the business of fixing other peoples mistakes, .....birds create casualities. DI's are attention getters (not attention givers), those that make it, we got their attention. Send the kid to PI, if all he needs is someone to get his attention, I can't think of a better place for him. If he's a risk & unable to conform, mommy gets back her problem. I like the idea of not enabling him on the AT, given time he'll identify himself as a .......bird, it's a small community.

[dale1627]

Paris Island definitely squared me away years ago. Probably the best decision that I ever made.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[MuddyWaters]

A GOOD moocher, just like a good yogi-er, or a good con artist, makes you think it was your idea to give them whatever you do.

[Dogwood]

I have a friend who hikes with me from time to time. He is lazy and doesn't mind using the system to his own advantage. This weekend he said he wanted to hike the trail. I asked him how is he going to afford that since he works part-time at a nationally-known restaurant. Easy, he said, I'll mooch health care if I need it, food from anyone who will give it to me and anything else I need. By this time, steam was coming out of my collar. I know if he was my kid, I'd grab him by the collar and give him a one-way ticket to Parris Island. What would members of this list do?

MANY, here in the U.S. are now living with this attitude of entitlement and working the system to their advantage on the backs of others but I would say MOST of them do it in a more "quiet" manner. What I think bothers others and you so much is how bluntly and openly he admitted it. This attitude is fostered by the behavior of some of our govts policies.