TimG Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 From the March 9 Bulletin: Electronic devices, excluding health-relatedequipment, capable of sending or receivingcommunication, including but not limited to,headphones, earphones, cellular phones and minicomputers:(1) shall not be allowed in the playingareas, adjacent hallways, restrooms or accessiblebreak areas; and (2) shall not be used during asession. These restrictions shall apply to all pairs, teammembers, captains, coaches, recorders and kibitzersand shall apply throughout any actual playing sessionor segment. A violation of this policy shall result in adisciplinary penalty of one full board (or 12 IMPs atthat form of scoring) for the first offense. A secondoffense shall result in disqualification from the eventfor the pair/team. Kibitzers violating this policy shall be removedfrom the playing area for the remainder of the session. Does this mean no vugraph operators in the playing area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PassedOut Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I'm guessing that this does not apply to vugraph operators. (Sure hope I'm right.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossoneri Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Does this mean no vugraph operators in the playing area? How grand it would be then :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pclayton Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I'm guessing that this does not apply to vugraph operators. (Sure hope I'm right.) I doubt it applies to directors too. Theres that recorder word again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elianna Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 If (1) is actually enforced, isn't (2) an impossibility? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbforster Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 You mean they actually think that no one will carry their cell phones when they're at a big bridge tournament? I don't know who thought up this stuff, but there's no way anyone's going to follow it... Why don't they just come out and say what they mean - please don't cheat with high-tech stuff either? But of course that was already illegal so this current rule is just stupid/redundant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted March 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 You mean they actually think that no one will carry their cell phones when they're at a big bridge tournament? I don't know who thought up this stuff, but there's no way anyone's going to follow it... I don't carry my cellphone at a big (or small) tournament. I'm not sure why anyone would need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanM Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I asked one of the drafters about Vugraph and was told that the rule was definitely not intended to prevent it :). I'm not sure whether the way it is written at the moment exempts Vugraph operators and tournament directors and other people who might need to have a device that could transmit information, but I think that we will see some "fine-tuning" before Las Vegas to deal with those problems. And yes, I think this means that you will have to leave your cell phone in your hotel room during playing sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSGibson Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 You mean they actually think that no one will carry their cell phones when they're at a big bridge tournament? I don't know who thought up this stuff, but there's no way anyone's going to follow it... I don't carry my cellphone at a big (or small) tournament. I'm not sure why anyone would need to. Call me crazy, but I like to have some way of communicating with a teammate if they are running late. I put my cell phone in my jacket and put the jacket in a non-playing area when the cards start flying, but most of the coat racks are still within the defined area. Do I get penalized for this? Is that reasonable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 You mean they actually think that no one will carry their cell phones when they're at a big bridge tournament? I don't know who thought up this stuff, but there's no way anyone's going to follow it... I don't carry my cellphone at a big (or small) tournament. I'm not sure why anyone would need to. Uhm, at an NABC how else will you find your friends (who might be playing in a different event) for lunch or dinner? [Yeah I know in the 80s there used to be this thing of agreeing a time and place to meet, etc.]I suppose your notion of "big" doesn't quite match a NABC.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 And yes, I think this means that you will have to leave your cell phone in your hotel room during playing sessions. Not everybody is staying at the hotel of the playing venue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I suppose your notion of "big" doesn't quite match a NABC.... What's a NABC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 What's next, metal detectors and no fluids? (3-1-1!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmat Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 What's next, metal detectors and no fluids? (3-1-1!) sequestering. players will be prevented from discussing anything during the event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I suppose your notion of "big" doesn't quite match a NABC.... What's a NABC? National American Bridge Championships, i.e. the event of whose bulletin you are quoting, and for which these rules apply. Sorry if I am missing some dry humor here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I suppose your notion of "big" doesn't quite match a NABC.... What's a NABC? National American Bridge Championships, i.e. the event of whose bulletin you are quoting, and for which these rules apply. Sorry if I am missing some dry humor here... Well, as you say, we were talking about rules that apply to an NABC, so I don't understand why you would suppose my notion of a "big" tournament did not match a NABC. I have been to a few. I have stayed on and off site. I have managed to get along just fine without carrying a cell phone to the playing areas, adjacent hallways, restrooms or accessible break areas. I understand that we don't live in the same world we did 10-15 years ago. And, I don't necessarily think the new rule as proposed is a good one. But, neither do I think that not being able to carry a cell phone to the game is anything more than a minor inconvenience. Certainly nothing that would amount to Rob F's expected mass protest: "I don't know who thought up this stuff, but there's no way anyone's going to follow it... " I suspect the rule will be modified before it is enforced, but I also think there are plenty of people who will adhere to the rule when it goes into effect on July 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inquiry Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Now that they have outlawed cell phones, only outlaws will have cell phones. I plan to go to Vegas. I don't plan to stay at the venue (although i will be there almost all the time). I don't like the idea of not taking my cell phone with me. I can't see why a phone turned off is a problem. I may become a scofflaw because i just can't see how a turned off device is a problem.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I suppose your notion of "big" doesn't quite match a NABC.... What's a NABC? National American Bridge Championships, i.e. the event of whose bulletin you are quoting, and for which these rules apply. Sorry if I am missing some dry humor here... Well, as you say, we were talking about rules that apply to an NABC, so I don't understand why you would suppose my notion of a "big" tournament did not match a NABC. I have been to a few. I have stayed on and off site. I have managed to get along just fine without carrying a cell phone to the playing areas, adjacent hallways, restrooms or accessible break areas. I understand that we don't live in the same world we did 10-15 years ago. And, I don't necessarily think the new rule as proposed is a good one. But, neither do I think that not being able to carry a cell phone to the game is anything more than a minor inconvenience. Certainly nothing that would amount to Rob F's expected mass protest: "I don't know who thought up this stuff, but there's no way anyone's going to follow it... " I suspect the rule will be modified before it is enforced, but I also think there are plenty of people who will adhere to the rule when it goes into effect on July 1st. Well you wrote "I am not sure why anyone would [carry a cell phone]", I found it hard to understand how someone who has been at an NABC would write that...And anyway, RobF wasn't asking for a mass protest, just that for a matter of fact people would not follow it. (People don't even follow the rules about cell phones in airplanes.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elianna Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I, for one, cannot imagine what they plan on doing about this. I mean, if they plan on starting to search people, I can see many deciding not to go to NABCs. Otherwise, how are they going to enforce the "no cell phones in the playing area"? My guess is by when one goes off, orr someone just takes one out, which seems to be a rule "No use of cell phones", not "no bringing cell phones". I agree with Rob, you're going to see a lot of people ignoring the rule. And not just the under 35s, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finally17 Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I actually think it's likely that this kind of rule is/soon will be at least locally illegal. There has been a lot of outcry after school shootings in recent years to allow students to have cell phones...A lot of states have changed their policies regarding this. I don't know that it's too far down the line before at least some states and municipalities start passing bills which guarantee the right to carry a cell phone. In fact, I haven't heard of any such thing, but I would not be at all surprised if some places didn't already have such a law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickf Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 We have phone free events (some nationals) in Australia, where players check their phone at the door (if they bring them to the venue). Doesnt create much drama as far as I know. nickfsydney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I think it's a kind of masked trade obstruction, to keep the Dutch BridgeMates out of the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimG Posted March 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Well you wrote "I am not sure why anyone would [carry a cell phone]", I found it hard to understand how someone who has been at an NABC would write that... You left out the word "need" from my post. You say you need a cellphone to hook up with friends in other playing areas, I say a cellphone simply makes it marginally easier to do so. "Meet me after the session at" works quite well, and the whole way to the meeting place you can be talking to your partner about the bridge hands you just played instead of taking the time to call your friends. (Which smiley is the good natured one?) A few years ago, maybe 10 or more, shortly after the ACBL ruled that cellphones must be turned off in the playing area, Allan Falk wrote an article that appeared in the COI Newsletter in which he argued that players should be allowed to have their cellphones with them at the bridge table and keep them turned on. His case went something like this: some people need to be able to be reached at all times (for work) and we don't want to preclude these people from playing in a bridge tournament. At the time, I thought the argument was silly, surely someone in this type of situation could leave their cellphone off, but check for messages during each "hospitality" break. And, if they really needed to be able to leave the table the moment a call came in, they shouldn't be playing, anyway. (Yes, I know the new rule will prevent even this.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 The term "mini computer" evolved in the 1960s to describe the “small” third generation computers that became possible with the use of transistor and core memory technologies. The term came in fashion about the same time as the miniskirt and mini cars. They usually took up one or a few cabinets the size of a large refrigerator or two, compared with mainframes that would usually fill a room. I daresay nobody these days is going to bring a minicomputer to a bridge event — or anywhere else, for that matter. If as a TD I can't use a computer for scoring, well, I can do manual scoring — but I'm gonna take my own sweet time to do it. <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pclayton Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Take your cell phone to Vegas. Take it to the playing area. DO NOT TAKE IT OUT WHILE YOU ARE IN THE PLAYING AREA. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION. Check BBF later on your PDA later. It will still be here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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