Time to vent...

So the heads of the airsoft team/group I'm in released a document addressed to the parents of "all minors under 18". Basically it was saying that they weren't liable to what could happen, and apparently you can get the following things from AIRSOFTING:

Quote :

injury or illness including but not limited to bodily injury, disease, strains, sprains, fractures, partial and/or total paralysis, eye injury, blindness, heat stroke, heart attack, or other ailments that could cause serious disability or even death.

Uh, what diseases can I get from airsofting? How can I get paralyzed? If my mom was convinced that airsoft could lead to DEATH, there's no way I would be able to play. They're just trying to cover their asses because they don't want to lose a lawsuit. They said that a parent signature (which could easily be faked, by the way) would remove all their responsibility to minors. Then they asked for my home address, phone number, parents' cell phone numbers, names and phones of two emergency contacts, and a lot more info that shouldn't be handed over to a 20 year old.

I rebutted by saying "If the first place I needed to go was home, rather than a hospital; and the first person I needed to call was family, rather than 911, then it's obviously no real emergency. We shouldn't have to give our addresses, phones, and other people's phone numbers especially if those people don't want to give out that information. It's just not necessary in my opinion and shouldn't be a requirement."

I can understand their concerns, but all they really need is to list a couple of facts about airsoft and then get a parent signature to establish the fact that our parents know what we're doing. They didn't need to release a mandatory 3 page document on the "risks" which could put THEM in legal trouble. They told me it was "not a negotiable matter" and said there wouldn't be another word about it.

I come there for airsoft, not law school.

Be realistic..in todays America of some kid stubbed his toe mommy would sue fro 10 mil and probly win.

As for the diseases? Most likly refering to diseases carried by insects and animals...rabies, various things from ticks ect.

Death? agian from various critters..or falling and breaking your nect ect.

Next..you don't have to sign it..but then they can deny access. What you need to do is ask to know how secure it is...if they can't keep your info secure you don't have to fill it out and they can't deny access

In conclusion yeah thier covering thier asses so some pos ambulance chaser can't sue em. (Heck 20 years from now you could get back pain..sue em!!! it's thier fault!!!)<--- This happened to an aunt of mine in SA...some idiot ran into her car..few years later he tried to sue her for back injury...didnt hold there, but in the US...well a burgler can win a law suit becouse he locked himself in the house and was forced to eat dog food...pretty sure they could do that.

Zane wrote:

Next..you don't have to sign it..but then they can deny access.

That's the thing, I've been searching for over a year to find a place where I can play airsoft. The first one I found several months ago, I went to one game and then the neighbors called the cops because the airsoft players were too loud during their SUPERBOWL PARTY. So the field and the organization got closed down...

Now on this group I found a couple months ago, if I don't have the signed paper I can't play. Or at least that's what they're telling me. I don't know why it's such an issue for minors because on my airsoft gun's box, it says, "FOR USE BY THOSE 14 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER". I thought I would be able to enjoy this hobby without concerns or issues like this.

Believe it or not all of those can occur if you're playing airsoft.

Illness and diseases: Like Zane said insect bites, rabies, heck you could be playing a mil-sim game on a cold night and catch pneumonia.

Paralysis: Again using a cold winter example, frost bite, trip over a log and break your neck, unlikely but take one to many shots to the head and it could lead to paralysis depending on the circumstances.

Death: Face it you're playing a very active sport on sometimes unknown or "unstable" ground. Accidents can and do happen.

It's a good thing for them to cover everything just in case something happens. Wouldn't you want the same protection if you were heading everything up?

Yeah it sucks..but you gotta do it, heck even here in Georgia if your under 18 you have to sign a waiver (and im assuming it's much worst in cali)

In fact you can't even buy a airsoft gun here if your under 21....go figure, I can buy a rifle but not a toy ><

Yeah I'm totally moving out of California eventually.

About the paralysis thing, in my part of Southern California (the ONLY area I'd be playing in at this age), the coldest I've ever seen it get is 47F.

I can understand that they want to be "protected" in case little bratty rich kid twists his ankle, Godd forbid. But I at least think they need to ask for Addresses and SEVERAL phone numbers.

I don't know, it's just annoying to me..

It's 18 here in VA to buy an AS gun. I had to sign a release and show ID as proof i was 18 or older when i bought my GBB pistol at an AS store last year.

Yeah excuse me 18 in store, 21 to sign the UPS'es mans little box. But yeah the best you can do is suck it up and fill it out...or look for a different field, ive heard there are manny in cali. Theres alot of private fields as well so try to perhaps get involved with one of the teams on them.

Yeah there's places all over So Cal, but hardly any in my little piece of it (small coastal cities no one talks about). I can't drive for more than an hour or so for a game, so that makes going to places like SC Village or Airsoft Playground improbable.

I'll probably end up filling it out and getting it signed, but I really disagree with the idea of the personal info on there. Especially if it's not necessary. They said it was "like a school asking for emergency info" but I don't trust them as much I would trust a school where I spend almost all day every day there.

DrummerBoyz95 wrote:

Yeah there's places all over So Cal, but hardly any in my little piece of it (small coastal cities no one talks about). I can't drive for more than an hour or so for a game, so that makes going to places like SC Village or Airsoft Playground improbable.

I'll probably end up filling it out and getting it signed, but I really disagree with the idea of the personal info on there. Especially if it's not necessary. They said it was "like a school asking for emergency info" but I don't trust them as much I would trust a school where I spend almost all day every day there.

All SC Village fields (SC Corona, Hollywood Sports, etc.), Airsoft Playground, all Desert Fox fields, and all other established Californian fields will make you sign waivers as well...and more often than not,require you to include contact information.

Its going to happen anywhere you go and on any team you play on.

Well I get it for one-time thing but if your own team is hosting the event and you go to the same place with the same people every time.... it's different.

Whatever.