[Bob Kuczewski]

Then go after the police in court.

Hands off the good guys, fellas. Eyes on the ball. The concessionaire was responsible. He dragged the cops into this mess.

I generally agree with the sentiment that the police are the "good guys". They work in a very difficult profession - one of the few left today where the loss of your own life remains relatively unmitigated. They deal with some of the most rotten, lying people on the planet ... every day. My hat is off to them for doing that.

But having said that, I did present the officers with these facts which they ignored:

    1. The lease says the public shall not be wholly or permanently prohibited from any portion of the premises.
    2. I had a video tape of the incident which I asked them to look at and they refused.
    3. I cited precedents where previous police officers had told me I had a right to be there and to take pictures of anything I wanted.

I would say that constitutes a failure to perform their due diligence in the matter. I quoted the lease and offered to bring it up on my cell phone. I told them that I had a short video of the incident, and they refused to look at that either. I told them that I'd been told by other officers that I was able to be on the property and take pictures. They didn't care.

Don't get me wrong. Robin Marien and the Jebbs (Gabe and David) are clearly the problem at Torrey. But these particular officers did not exercise good judgement in this case.

[JoeF]

Is it not so that flying kites so near a gliderport is against FAA regulations?
He was flying a stringed kite. "Kiting" instruction must clue one to the fact that kiting was being done.
http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/part101.html
I have many kites that I'd like to fly at Torrey park.
It may be that all kites of the PG type are against FAA regs with respect to nearness to an airport or gliderport;
can we fly kites at the gliderport or not?
Not just one tether but a multitude of long kite tethers!

[wingspan33]

[Edit - Good question Joe! Sorry I diverted things back to the "Good Cop - Bad Cop" (sub)topic. I was still writing up my post when you submitted yours.]

I have happened to deal with some good police officers, but I've also dealt with a significant number that were absolutely corrupt - more criminals than peace officers. So, it doesn't surprise me how the officers conducted themselves in Bob's situation.

As I recall, David Jebb is a retired member of the SD police department. That creates a significant possibility of bias towards the officers doing an old friend a "favor". In the process they "forget" to look at relevant evidence (Bob's video) that would have actually led to David Jebb's son Gabe being the one who was arrested - perhaps other concessionaire's employees as well.

While it is nice to think you can always trust your life to any person employed as a police officer (as long as you're not a criminal) that's very sadly far from the truth. Corruption, bias, ignorance, stupidity, over inflated ego and/or hidden inferiority problems, as well as other power and control issues is a partial list of the things to which many people in law enforcement are susceptible/guilty.

Given their position, it is best to show respect to police officers. If it becomes clear they don't deserve respect, it's still best to show it. As a general rule, the bad ones get much worse when you don't.

Have a good day, all!

[wingspan33]

Kind of in line with Joe's post, . . .

I find it very hard to accept Rich Hass's contention that "kiting" a PG is not the same as "flying" one. The point being, when does a PG flight begin? Seems to me that in a PG you inflate then raise the canopy. That's the beginning of any PG flight. There is also, typically, a middle and an end to a PG flight. At the end of a PG flight once again your feet are on the ground and (however briefly) the canopy is inflated over your head.

If a PG flight does not begin when you inflate then raise the canopy (a seemingly identical process to "kiting" a PG) then when does a PG flight begin? Perhaps it begins when your feet successfully leave the ground. No. That is simple idiocy. The inflation and raising of a PG canopy IS part of flying a PG. The process of doing so is taught (and perhaps practiced?) in order to perfect the first steps/skills in PG flying technique. Part of that learned (and obviously, taught) set of skills includes the initial step of putting on a protective helmet. Proper and valid instruction does not skip such an important initial step. To do so involves a BAD EXAMPLE resulting in a BAD LESSON for the student.

Rich Hass seems to have a feeble and seriously lacking concept regarding Good Examples which lead to an over all Good Lesson. Those two "goods" add to the creation of safer pilots and a safer sport. That, in turn, leads to less potential risk for the pilot - and less potential liability for the organization of which Mr. Hass is the President.

For Mr. Hass to promote PG "kiting" while not wearing a helmet seems to me to be a contradiction of the Safety and Training goals of the USHPA. His perspective of not needing to wear a helmet during the initial steps involved in PG flight can be viewed as leading to increased liability for the USHPA. Such increased liability can lead to sites being closed and how many other negative effects? I think it's time for USHPA's members and Regional Directors to step up and show Rich Hass the door before he does irreparable damage to the sports represented by the USHPA.

Please Consider: In contrast to Mr. Hass, Bob K took a positive step toward changing Poor Examples into Good Examples - at Torrey Pines Glider Port. Bob's positive step could have led to however much lower liability for the USHPA. What happened instead is that Instructors employed at the involved USHPA Certified training facility assaulted Bob - and then Rich Hass went on to seriously degrade Bob's positive action(s). ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Talk about a looney bin! I wonder, do all clowns fly their kites without helmets? Perhaps they only teach the newest clowns that lesson?

As to Joe's comments: I don't think it's a very good idea to fly multiple line kites near or in the same air space where real and serious aircraft operate - even the RC model versions.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Um .... I'm a little bit speechless!!!

I normally have a lot to say, but it seems you guys have covered the topic so well, that there's little for me to add!!

Thanks to:

• RickMasters
• eagle
• SamKellner
• BigBird
• wingspan33
• flyingbrian
• billcummings
• JoeF

Your points are all excellent!!!!      So excellent that I have nothing to add right now.     



I would also like to thank Tad at KiteStrings for his coverage and comments of the event. Tad and I disagree on many things. In fact, Tad has a topic titled "The Bob Show" where he takes every cheap shot he can at me. If you read that topic (currently containing nearly 330 of mostly Tad's posts), you'll find Tad using an unending stream of foul language directed at me and other US Hawks members. But despite his obvious hatred and despise for me, he does speak up on the injustice of the situation. I have to give him credit for that. I do not recommend Tad's site for anyone under the age of 18, but any adults wishing to read Tad's thoughts on the matter can start here:

    http://www.kitestrings.org/topic33-270.html#p6962

Tad's coverage included this photo of the arrest that I haven't been able to see elsewhere:

KiteStrings_arrest_photo.jpg (31.84 KiB) Viewed 7968 times

Thanks Tad.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Yesterday I went with a friend to the local police station to file a police report for assault and battery and false arrest.

Brace yourself. The San Diego police refused - REFUSED - to take the report. How can it be that citizens cannot even FILE a police report?

Of course, let's not forget that the report would implicate Gabriel Jebb - the son of former San Diego police officer David Jebb.

[JoeF]

Does this page relate?
http://www.sandiego.gov/police/crimerep ... ccess.html
It may not, since I am guessing you know who committed the alleged crime.
Then the page directs the citizen to a phone number for filing.
Not sure.
~ JoeF

[miguell]

Yesterday I went with a friend to the local police station to file a police report for assault and battery and false arrest.

Brace yourself. The San Diego police refused - REFUSED - to take the report. How can it be that citizens cannot even FILE a police report?

Of course, let's not forget that the report would implicate Gabriel Jebb - the son of former San Diego police officer David Jebb.

Time to lawyer-up.

Otherwise you are at a gunfight with a peashooter.

[dhmartens]

When the hang gliders were forced on the the advisory council and the legislature wrote it into law and yet it fell through on a technicality like a single character of a code.
This is a miscarriage of justice and involves corrupt ex police, police, judges, mayor(previous), and legislature. The DOJ need to look into this. Who else can.

Doug

[Rick Masters]

Entertain yo'sefs here.
http://copwatch.com/AAAindex.html