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Good or Bad P.R.

Ron Miller

Ron Miller

Well-known member
We are all guilty of both . If we dis like something it is very easy to cut it down because we humans seam to thrive on negative information.. Bad news travels faster and is talked about more than good news. Unfortunately our Airboat Sound (noise) is the only thing we hear about other than an occasional unruly operator. We never hear that an airboat is probably the most environmentally safe boat on the water because their is no scag or jet suction or gas and oil damaging the water ways. We all have to practice Good positive PR ( Public Relations) in everything we do as airboaters. From how our Airboat looks when it is parked in our yard to courticy when we have it out and speaking positively and calmly about our sport. We all may say -- well I always do that --- But have you honestly asked someone That is not afrade to tell you the trouth as to how they think you sound when confronted with a negative question? This is not easy to do and it dose take a lot of self restraint but in the end it will be well worth the effort. Because the negative questions come from those that do not really understand what is going on in the airboating world. You have to become a teacher. Yall know that I am the northern rep for Alumitech and my wife and I go to 3 or 4 shows a year with the Airboat to promote Airboating -- Bowfishing and Airboat rescue work. We can bet thatat each show their will be at least one MORON that comes up and is negative toward airboating.. two weeks ago when we were at Cabela's store with the Airboat inside for two days Sunday that non-educated gentleman showed up.. I was busy with some people so my wife when she finished with the ones she was talking to turned to this man that had been standing their for ?? 10 minuets and asked him if he had any questions he replied ( Ya so this is one of those D_ _ noisy airboats ) My wife looked at him and smiled then she said -- Yes sir you would have been right a few years ago but let me show you the improvements that have been made in the airboating industry. Then she went from the new props -- reductions and exhaust system as well she covered how they are the safest way to do ice rescues and the most environmently safe boat on the water... Boy I love watching that guy walk away with his tail between his legs after he got educated.
What I am trying to say is we all have to think -- do --and say positive -- about Airboating --- If we get a chance to speak before a group about airboating don't say I can Not do that.. But instead get on S/A and ask for help setting up a statement that you can read to that group and tell them this is your first time doing something like this and you are nervous --- My first time speaking I had to back to my seat because my other seat was wet with sweat from fear. You can practice every ware you run into people that ask you a question about airboating.
 
Ron, that's a very important post. We ARE airboating, and the way we relate to people can have a big effect on our future.

I took my old barge over to a local fish camp a couple of nights ago and as it would happen there were a lot of out of State people there. While I was tyin up a group of maybe 7 or 8 adults and a few children gathered at my boat.
At least a couple of the adults commented that mine was the first airboat that they had ever been up close to, and they all had questions.

One lady, probably without realizing how important it really was to me, said, " I don't understand what we hear about these boats. We've always heard about how noisy they are. We hardly heard you pull in."

Thank you Sensenich, and Dynomax. I think we made some friends this week.
 
Great post Ron !

Super viewpoint too. It goes a long way when ya take the time to teach. The uneducated are like sponges once ya get past the pre-conceived notions.

Good show man !

Scotty
 
Good stuff Ron. Thanks.

I think we should be pointing out the fact that our boats are more eco-friendly than any other powered boat out there.

We often fight with tree huggers and the environmentalist whackos. They often claim they are saving the world and we are destroying it. We need to point out to everyone that as a usergroup, we do more to conserve nature than they do. We need to more often point out that they "say" while we "do".

By having a craft that is capable of getting out into the nature they are trying to protect, we are better able to learn from it, and better able to watch for changes and dangers. By basing our recreation and enjoyment on "getting out there", we become higher stakeholders in keeping the natural areas in good shape.

matt.
 
Good post Ron.

It takes a lot of work to educate the non airboating sportsman & public to the strides we have made to quiet our boats down and the valuable conservation & public service returned to our communities. Every time someone hears there is a long term effort for less noisy airboats, we make a new friend or at least gain a sympathizer.

This message needs to be told to the non-airboating public, sportsmen, elected officials, journalists and anyone else who is interested.
 
I think what everybody forgets when tempers flare, is that there are hundreds of thousands of more people who do not know anything about airboats who may see these dialogs. That means that we are automatically outnnumbered and the only exposure some of these people have to airboating is by stumbling onto this site while they were Googling something about manatees or spotted owls or something. Having said all that, ignore me if you want, be we all need to make a push to keep this forum positive.
 
Ron your story has touched my heart....Here's keep'n it real!!!
I can remember back in the days. My trips to the lake. Swing'n by the ABC to get a
bottle of lord calvert.Boy those were the days. I can remember chasing deer til 2am in the morning drunk as a skunk. Talk about being in touch with nature...Well as we get older thing change...Keep up the positive talk about airboats!! :thumbup:
 
Great Post Ron!

I'm also In a medieval recreatory group. This group recreates most aspects of medieval life that are still legal today. Every thing from calligraphy and needlepoint , to metalwork and falconry, and to archery and foot combat (yes, it's full contact). This is a world wide group with 40,000(?) members. As with any close knit group, people on the outside don't always understand. Years ago some journalist or reporter incorrectly or maliciously labeled us a cult. It has been a problem for 20 years or more. As an outsider I can see how someone that didn't bother to really learn anything about us could come to that conclusion. We hold a ritualized Court with the current royalty (decided by right of arms) where awards and grants are bestowed, and many of our members are young and VERY enthusiastic. The fact of the matter is this group is a nonprofit educational group designed to teach it's members about medieval life, not some nefarious entity trying to brainwash today's youth. I'm sure you are beginning to draw some parallels to the airboating community. One of the things that our group does is reach out and talk to anyone that wants to listen. While everyone has their own little spiel when talking to the public, we all cover the same basic points, and we all know that how we act represent the group as a whole. We also do a lot of demos at schools, boyscouts etc. In other words we go to outside groups and EDUCATE the public, and do community work/service.
I haven't been around this group very long, so I feel a little awkward making suggestions, but here goes. Perhaps one of the more articulate and respected members in the group can come up with some things to cover when individual members are talking with the public, maybe even an official flier. Things like the obvious passion for the environment that is prevalent among airboaters. The desire to pass that on to the next generation. The other thing I suggest is that the group volunteers to go to schools and talk to classes about the marshes and rivers. Show them an airboat and how it can get them out into it with out destroying what we love. Basically the kids today will determine the future (and influence their parents today), reach out to them. I don't know about you but I would have loved to have been able to hear about that in class or get to sit in the seat of an airboat at the annual school fair (who needs blow up jump houses).

Just some thoughts, with respect

Bjorn
 
ive been to a medieval fair, very cool i was floored at how passionate everyone was about it, very dedicated .as far as airboating goes it seems almost every time im fueling up one of my boats or in a parking lot picking up supplys there always seems to be someone interested in the boat i always take the time no matter how hurried i may be to talk to them an answer any ?s they may have because it gives that person a positive experience with a airboat & a airboater . im sure most the good people from this site do the same, Im sure this post may have been started do to some recent treads concerning kayacs and 3a property owners i for one think theses disagreements where solely territorial and not realy about airboats or there operator's, but with that been said we as airboaters are going to have to change the perception of the public and other sportsmen of other passions one at time by operating these wonderful boats we love in a responsble manner when in close proxcimity to others . i say we kill em with kindness a freindly wave eye contact a big smile hell shut down and strike up a conversation, this is the only way they will understand we are real people with a real passion for what we do and just not abunch of renegade rednecks
 
Mud Chucker

Are you talking about SCA, or somehting it has grown into? I used to know some guys in SCA and they were a load of fun to be around.

Plum

I like your thinking. Lets Get Er Dun.

Great thread here. These are the thing INDIVIDUALS can do that cost not one red cent, and will pay untold dividends in the short and long term.

Scotty
 
Thank you for the support on my thread ... Yall have great ideas and understand what I was trying to say. and we all have incidences like OLF had But what do we do when that situations is in the negative way... The same thing as my wife did .. Smile and go by the old sales law. FEEL --FELT -- FOUND
I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL
I FELT THE SAME WAY
BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT

Just practice this at home with some of the negative remarks you have head in the past and you will see how easy it is to turn negative conversation into a positive one.

I too like the idea of a hand out or guide line flyer that we all could prinf off S/A and use -- Then we are all putting out correct information to others.

WE will have to see what our monitors think of this idea.
 
Thanks, Cowboy and Ron ......

What was almost funny about what happened that evening was that while I was talkin to these folks there was some clown on the
other side of the dock in a powerboat that had above water exhaust on his boat, and he'd keep gassin it like he was trying to clear the
plugs or something ...... :lol:

Either them or me would have to stop talking while he was doin that, and I think they all walked away with a much different opinion about airboats. :)

It was fun.
 
Whitebear:
Yeah that's the group. I've been hitting people with sticks for over 15 years now. :shock: You used to know anyone local? The group has evolved a bit. Just here in Florida (Trimaris) used to be if we have 200-300 people show up it was a lot, now we can get over 1200. Over 10,000 show up at wars these days. The bureaucrats and lawyers are taking over. Haven't put on armor in a month and a half and I'm get'n REAL cranky! :evil: Need to do something about that...

Bjorn
 
Back in the early 80s maybe late 70s there was a local BBS that had some folks were members of SCA. They were a riot !

Sounds like its gone big time.

I have always had an interest in the Mountain Man Society but it seems they have disbanded before I could get back and join them. Sad, they were they real deal.

Lots of fun groups around these days. Never a dull moment.

Scotty :)
 
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