View Full Version : Help me not be a jerk
I'm a lame day hiker, done a few overnights, and moving into section hiking, but I absolutely love being on the trail. I live pretty close to the AT in southern Virginia, and try to get out on local trails (AT and other) a few times a month. Unfortunately I haven't been about to get out for a month or so because life and work has been in the way.
Here's my dilemma - I "mostly" have off from work this Friday, and am really dying to get on the trail. Unfortunately I have to do a conference call for work at 11am. I know the trails around here well enough to know areas that have good cell coverage that I could hike to in time for my call. I also like to think of myself as respectful of other hikers, and don't want to be a jerk.
So here is the question, do I:
1. Go on the hike Friday to the location w/ cell coverage, try to step off the trail a bit and do my call, at the risk of disturbing other hikers with the outside world.
2. Skip another week of hiking to take this stupid call.
The rest of the weekend I have family commitments, so Friday is my only shot. What do you think?
peakbagger
05-09-2019, 09:36
IMHO Go for it, bring a headset and avoid sitting a scenic view where other folks may want to be.
Agreed. Just step off the trail a bit as you said so that you won't be right on top of people walking by.
fastfoxengineering
05-09-2019, 09:53
Noone will care. People take phone calls on the trail all the time.
Best to bring a set of earbuds and just go somewhere quiet.
Honestly. Most people will be jealous your getting paid to work from the trail lol.
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Old Hillwalker
05-09-2019, 11:04
Just the fact that you asked this question in the manner you did marks you down in my book as not at all a jerk. Many happy days of hiking to you.
illabelle
05-09-2019, 11:10
I am SO OFFENDED that you feel entitled to talk on your phone while out in the woods. How dare you infringe on my enjoyment of the wilderness!
Just kidding!!!!!
:D
LittleRock
05-09-2019, 11:38
First, day hikers are not lame!
Second, if you find a can find a nice place to sit (maybe bring a camp chair) out of sight of the trail, I doubt anyone will even notice you're on a call, much less take offense.
Heck, if the trail is easy enough you might even be able to do the call while you're walking.
Christoph
05-09-2019, 12:21
Take a hike, pal! No, really. You can step off trail a bit for a call, people do it all the time. Right now, there's not a huge influx of people (which in itself can be more annoying than a phone call), so you should be good to go.
MuddyWaters
05-09-2019, 13:05
I didnt have service in southern va...so your provider must be bettern mine
Why you want to rehike trails you know...instead of that you dont?
No one care if take a call. Use earphones.
Thanks for the feedback everyone! Friday's hike is a go!
Teacher & Snacktime
05-09-2019, 14:06
Is it offensive to others if I have to take a call from home while hiking? Do I care? Being courteous to others is easy enough as you suggested.....keep out of the way and volume modulated...but who has the right to tell you not to live your life as you need or want to do?
Take the call....enjoy your hike....don't worry about those who might present themselves as "trail police" and critique how you choose to HYOH.
Alligator
05-09-2019, 14:24
Take the call at trailhead parking area or quiet parking nearby, hike afterwards. You'll enjoy the hike more without interuptions. You'll just be thinking about the call until you make it. Less possibility of external interuptions or accidentally being outside of service.
Take the call. Everyone talks up and down the trail with and without a phone. There's no difference, talking is talking.....
The only time I've stepped on an US based LD trail, it happened that I was with a nice American couple, he being kind of a consultant who had to perform several telefone conferences.
He did it in a way that I would never had noticed what he really was doing had he not explained it expressedly. He just timed the hikes and his business in a way that he could do the later without disturbing the former, or any of his co-hikers.
OTOH, I had been in the Middle East on a mountain hike with a mixed group including some locals one of them being a "male Alpha-type", who, after having finished the hike and finally back in the camp, started to make phone calls, speaking (shouting) straight into the group so everybody had to stop talking because you couldn't understand your own word.
The fact you are asking here indicates you sure are not of the 2nd type.
GO off trail if you are familiar with that area. Go far enough and talk as low as you can. Never miss an opportunity to be in Nature. You're not a jerk. A jerk wouldn't ask this question, they would just assume they could talk on the trail as loud as they need to. Have fun!
MalloryMalarkey
05-10-2019, 11:41
Why not just go after the call? I actually don't mind either way, but just saying, one phone call doesn't make the whole day wasted ;)
Treat the call like going to the bathroom: Be discreet, do it in private, and continue on when you are done. Nice compromise that works for everyone, I think.
Night Train
05-10-2019, 11:48
Hokies rule!
RiverbirchHiker
05-17-2019, 22:26
double post----deleted.... :)
RiverbirchHiker
05-17-2019, 22:28
1. Go on the hike Friday to the location w/ cell coverage, try to step off the trail a bit and do my call, at the risk of disturbing other hikers with the outside world.
I hope you picked Option #1 and I hope you return to tell us about your amazing hike that day and how you were then able to carve out some more hiking time in an otherwise hectic schedule...
Thrifty Endurance
05-18-2019, 08:18
I'm a lame day hiker, done a few overnights, and moving into section hiking, but I absolutely love being on the trail. I live pretty close to the AT in southern Virginia, and try to get out on local trails (AT and other) a few times a month. Unfortunately I haven't been about to get out for a month or so because life and work has been in the way.
Here's my dilemma - I "mostly" have off from work this Friday, and am really dying to get on the trail. Unfortunately I have to do a conference call for work at 11am. I know the trails around here well enough to know areas that have good cell coverage that I could hike to in time for my call. I also like to think of myself as respectful of other hikers, and don't want to be a jerk.
So here is the question, do I:
1. Go on the hike Friday to the location w/ cell coverage, try to step off the trail a bit and do my call, at the risk of disturbing other hikers with the outside world.
2. Skip another week of hiking to take this stupid call.
The rest of the weekend I have family commitments, so Friday is my only shot. What do you think?
It's Saturday a week too late to chime in...BUT you are NOT a lame day hiker. I was a day hiker turned section hiker and now a future AT thru-hiker who will be going SOBO. There are many "day hikers" who turned section hiker and thru-hiker...like Jason AKA FROZEN on Youtube. He first fell in love with the idea of thru-hiking the AT when he was section hiking in VA. He completed the Virginia Triple Crown on that trek. Flash forward, he is in PA with his tramily and they all plan to finish together on Mt. Katahdin! Happy trails! ATStrong.
FreeGoldRush
05-18-2019, 18:57
It's Saturday a week too late to chime in...BUT you are NOT a lame day hiker. I was a day hiker turned section hiker and now a future AT thru-hiker who will be going SOBO. There are many "day hikers" who turned section hiker and thru-hiker...like Jason AKA FROZEN on Youtube. He first fell in love with the idea of thru-hiking the AT when he was section hiking in VA. He completed the Virginia Triple Crown on that trek. Flash forward, he is in PA with his tramily and they all plan to finish together on Mt. Katahdin! Happy trails! ATStrong.
He’s way past PA. We’ve passed each other a few times. Frozen and his tribe are beasts out here. They are hitting big miles.
Thanks everyone for the kinds words and suggestions! I did in fact take the hike and do the call. I did pass about a dozen-thru hikers, but don't think any of them minded. I took the opportunity to turn on video on my call for just a few minutes to show everyone else on the call the awesome view I had to make them jealous before moving into the woods. So everything worked out well.
fastfoxengineering
05-21-2019, 09:41
Thanks everyone for the kinds words and suggestions! I did in fact take the hike and do the call. I did pass about a dozen-thru hikers, but don't think any of them minded. I took the opportunity to turn on video on my call for just a few minutes to show everyone else on the call the awesome view I had to make them jealous before moving into the woods. So everything worked out well.Bahaha....
If only i take business calls from the trail. Im jealous
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