I don't usually post up here, but this situation has put my shorts in a bunch.
What i'm about to describe has happened to four different individuals, in four different locales, all this year.
One of these people is me.
All four of us experienced the exact same thing.
I will use my own experience, but know that it is the same experience of the other three people.
I have been getting ready to get re-licensed soon, and decided to try going to a local ham meeting in order to get to know how things work as well as the people there.
I am on the younger side of the radio hobby (mid 40's), and am no slouch when it comes to talking radio.
i also happen to be a very friendly and personable person (as are the others who experienced this).
What i experienced in this ham meeting almost made me reconsider getting re-licensed.
It seemed as if every ham over 50 was not only uninterested in talking to me about anything, but made it clear that i was eavesdropping on their private conversation and wasn't welcome.
It's not like im some spring chicken CBer with a mohawk and B.O. I look and sound very similar to everyone that was at the meeting.
I ended up talking with two of the younger guys there who were about my age if not a bit younger.
they were there to prep for getting their license because they were into hiking and camping.
they weren't really that interested in the radio part yet, but wanted to be.
Upon bringing up how the older guys acted towards me, they nodded and said they had been snubbed also.
It was like there were two groups in that meeting. one full of old guys who have known eachother for many years, and us younger guys just trying to make conversation with whoever was around.
This kind of attitude was the exact reason i let my license expire 30 years ago! all i got was snobbery when i tried to talk to the older hams. WTF guys???
As i said, this is basically the same experience that the three others i know had. all this year.
I really thought it might be different now that i've grown up, but nope, same old jerks, just different names.
my questions to you older hams are:
Are you aware that you come across this way?
Do you act like this in non-ham social engagements?
Do you ever bring this subject up in meetings?
before anyone answers that it's just normal age difference, two of the people that this happened to are 60+ years old.
to us, it seems like you just want to hang out with the people you already know, and have forgotten that ham radio is about meeting new people and talking to them.
I'm not looking for consolation here, i am just hoping that a few of you are willing to look inside yourselves and ask if you might be part of the reason your ham clubs suck.
LC
What i'm about to describe has happened to four different individuals, in four different locales, all this year.
One of these people is me.
All four of us experienced the exact same thing.
I will use my own experience, but know that it is the same experience of the other three people.
I have been getting ready to get re-licensed soon, and decided to try going to a local ham meeting in order to get to know how things work as well as the people there.
I am on the younger side of the radio hobby (mid 40's), and am no slouch when it comes to talking radio.
i also happen to be a very friendly and personable person (as are the others who experienced this).
What i experienced in this ham meeting almost made me reconsider getting re-licensed.
It seemed as if every ham over 50 was not only uninterested in talking to me about anything, but made it clear that i was eavesdropping on their private conversation and wasn't welcome.
It's not like im some spring chicken CBer with a mohawk and B.O. I look and sound very similar to everyone that was at the meeting.
I ended up talking with two of the younger guys there who were about my age if not a bit younger.
they were there to prep for getting their license because they were into hiking and camping.
they weren't really that interested in the radio part yet, but wanted to be.
Upon bringing up how the older guys acted towards me, they nodded and said they had been snubbed also.
It was like there were two groups in that meeting. one full of old guys who have known eachother for many years, and us younger guys just trying to make conversation with whoever was around.
This kind of attitude was the exact reason i let my license expire 30 years ago! all i got was snobbery when i tried to talk to the older hams. WTF guys???
As i said, this is basically the same experience that the three others i know had. all this year.
I really thought it might be different now that i've grown up, but nope, same old jerks, just different names.
my questions to you older hams are:
Are you aware that you come across this way?
Do you act like this in non-ham social engagements?
Do you ever bring this subject up in meetings?
before anyone answers that it's just normal age difference, two of the people that this happened to are 60+ years old.
to us, it seems like you just want to hang out with the people you already know, and have forgotten that ham radio is about meeting new people and talking to them.
I'm not looking for consolation here, i am just hoping that a few of you are willing to look inside yourselves and ask if you might be part of the reason your ham clubs suck.
LC
