Wow ,people really hate my idea of having a paintball field

[Fuji]

I know one of the local fields that I play at uses a certain type of Big Ball brand paint. (Or so they say) It is definintely NOT tourney thick/staining paint. In fact, it seems to go translucent quickly (About 35 mins or so).

http://www.westworldpaintball.com/large.html

Under fields / splatter ranch.

According to Ron, the field owner, it has to do with using state trust land. They have to use a non-staining quickly degrading paint, due to the Saguaro cati out here.

[phantomhitman]

Originally posted by Methylphenidate

it really sucks how ignorant red neck country folk are

hey take it easy not all of the country people are ignorant

i also hope that you get everything worked out. it is great to see everyone here trying to help out and offer support. GOOD LUCK!!!!

[Sir_Brass]

I know of some paint restrictions placed upon this field out in the Arizona Dells. White fill ONLY, and the reason is so that the paint doesn't mar the look of the area. White paint won't do that, where green, yellow, red, blue, etc. fill paint will. I don't think it's the field's choice to do so, but something put on them by the Forest Service to be allowed to continue using a portion of National Park land.

[ogre55]

Originally posted by raehl


No, I can't, because it's not true. Well, they may have a law on the books that does it, but no munincipality in the US can ban the possession of air guns by adults. They can ban the discharge of them (and you shouldn't be discharging airguns willy nilly anyway) and they can ban their possession by minors, but any charges filed against you for having an airgun are quick fodder for a lawyer.


- Chris

Chris, you know the laws in New York City. You know for a fact that this sort of thing can and does happen. The question is, will anyone have the time and energy to devote to actually challenging a law like that in a Court.

Ogre

[Ace_paint]

What?!

That whole deal about the raping thing is crap. Anybody could comit a crime like raping any where. It happens more often on unfamilliar property than paintball feilds. If that statement was even true it doesn't stand a chance against logic.

They need to come to their next meeting not high.

[raehl]

Originally posted by ogre55
Chris, you know the laws in New York City. You know for a fact that this sort of thing can and does happen. The question is, will anyone have the time and energy to devote to actually challenging a law like that in a Court.

Well, the way I see it, there are two possibilities: 1) You're an individual, in which case you just ignore the law because on the off chance you're unlucky enough to run into someone who both knows the law AND wants to enforce it on you, you can challenge it at that point. If you're a business, legally challenging the law is just pat of business like getting permits, zoning, insurance, etc. I wasn't trying to imply that laws like that don't make the books, just that they're not valid.


- Chris

[BillyB]

Ignorance rules...

So sorry to hear about yout trouble, Stick with it and WIN. I think people here have added a few good thoughts to help you. If you get this going I will come from NJ to play @ your field and see this town, FIGHT man don't let them win!

BB

[darwin]

good luck

[Adrenaline0520]

It's Sad........

This is sad how the image of paintball is being regarded, but true. My friend (and Teammate) Nitroduck is working very hard on trying to start a field in Ohio where paintball is miniscule, but we have a team that is trying and sacrificing lots of money to help try to spread the wonderfull sport of paintball that has a bad image to many and many don't unerstand this sport, and many of us here at AO or any other paintball message board don't see this and many do. Any help to further Nitroduck and his field will be greatly appreciated for I am his teammate and want to help him build this field and back him on it. Nitroduck helped me into this sport 5 or more years ago and deserves a right at a chance for this field and ignorance should not be a cause in determining it. Thanks AO

[Enigma4you]

Reply for the uninformed

When people first hear of paintball they get the image uncontrolled violene in thier minds. I have found that to get the pint across to the uninformed that as players and suppoters of this great sport we must first listen with compassion to the concerns of the ininformed and then dispell the mythes they have.

Let the people know that way more injuries occure every year in little leuge baseball than organized paintball. Thats even when you dothestatistics of players vs injuries.

Let the people know that saftey is always stressed.

Let them know that most of the group type bussiness that comes to a field is from church youth groups. and birthday parties.

Then get into the inpact on the field you will use, that if you were to stop using it within a moth with normal wheather one would be unable to tell that the fild had been used for paintball.

The thing you dont everwantto do isfoster the fears that the people thatdont play have, above all be kind, understanding and informative, Im sure you will find that in many cases those that oppose you will become you best customers.

After all, soccer is not a year round sport, and the socer mom crave for a safe and sane place to unload the kids on saterdays and sundays.

[Nitroduck]

Thanks for all the encouragement/info/help guys! We need all we can get!

[.tMan]

all I have to say on the matter is
Mean/Ignorant People Suck!

Which in this case fits quit well

good luck man
hope you can pull it off

[~WarpedRT#2~]

mmmmmm...soccer moms

[Duke of advil]

N-Duck
Keep us at Ohio CPPA up to date on how things are progressing...I also could write some thing for you if needed. The Responce Dan mentioned would def. help out your cause.

[Hasty8]

You have to politely attack their arguments against.

If they say there was a girl raped at a field ask them to provide details of the account. Most likely they will not be able too. If they can provide details of the account, you thank them, take any materials provided and say something along the lines of "While an occurance like this is a billion to one shot in the paintball community we will review the facts of this case and implement procedures that will help make sure this will never happen at our facility."

They claim that the paintballs will ruin the local environment. Be pro-active and already have letters from three or four of the major paintball manufacturers of what their paintballs, fill and shell, are made of. Also try and get a letter from a local environmental agency or private organization stating that those chemicals, which are mostly natural, will not have any significant adverse reactions when introduced into the local environment.

If they claim that paintballs can travel 300 yards or some other insane number, again, ask them to substantiate their claims. They will most likely not.

Also, do not turn it into an argument with the objectors. In fact, never directly talk to them if you can avoid it. If they make a cliam, you address their ignorance by talking to the board or officials heaing the meeting and explaing the true facts and not the hyperbole.

Suppose they say that paintballs can travel 300 yards and would hit their house. Address your response to this wholly ignorant fob to the board members and inform them that paintballs, by laws of physics, have a very low probability of traveling over 150 yards, much less 300 yards.

Never make absolute guarantees to the board unless you have verifiable proof from a reliable source to back it up and even then put it in the frame of "...according to the research/facts/ information supplied by the XYZ organization this is not possible because..."

The best way to prepare for these arguments is to first sit down and think of every possible story you could imagine. Do internet searches for negative stories about paintball and research all of them. List what the mitigating factors of the stories were. Were these renegade fields? Where these non-paintball players who bought a gun at the local sporting-goods store and went wild on their community?

I'm sure that most of us will remember the story a few years ago about he individual in CA who was rollerblading and fell after being supposedly shot by a paintball gun. Turns out he was never shot by one at all. People will certainly have preconceived notions about paintball simply by what they have seen of it on tv ala, 6 Feet Under, The King of Queens and the stupidity of "Hunting For Bambi". Explain to these fools that what they see glorified on tv is not paintball and stress how safety, fun, team-building and community cooperation will be emphasized on your field.