Opinions on the bar

TheDoughAbides

TheDoughAbides

Active member
Story time: my cousin is in town from norway riding in Colorado for the first time ever. In norway most people ride the lift with the bar down. I usually don't ride with the bar down but I don't mind the it as long as people ask or warn me before they pull it down.

Today we were riding a lift at a resort in summit and I asked if we could put the bar down for my cousin. A person sitting on the other side of the lift says "no, it's fine" and I'm like "uh ok well we're putting the bar down."

Person proceeds to tell everyone on the lift about how badass of a server they are (letting everyone know that theyre a local).

then when we go to put it up she's still making a big stink about it being down in the first place.

After we get off, my cousin and I are like "man, I've never seen people get so bothered by the bar." Person then skis past is and says "if you don't want the bar down don't ride my chair."

I just laughed and said "ok have a great day." And that was the end of it.

What do you guys think? Does the bar get you triggered? Did we commit a serious faux pas? Do you ever try to deny people the bar when riding the lift?

/rant
 
People who bitch about the bars or post "OMG WHY DO THEY HAVE BARS! You like don't even need them!!!!" on facebook are the semi grown up version of kids telling their moms how cool they were for riding with no hands or whatever else.

I generally just use it if I want to rest on it, but I've never had an issue with anyone who wants it down. Provided they tell me before giving me another concussion. That's common courtesy though. Alert people that you're putting the bar down and do it. It's not a big deal.

I've seen little kids ask their instructors "Can we leave the bar up this time?!?!?!?!?!?" all excited. That's how I view those people. Except the kids are like 8 and these people are grown ass adults most of the time.

I think it comes down to people wanting to feel special. "I don't use the bar and I've never fallen off a chairlift!" Like who gives a fuck, do you want a cookie?

I've ridden with the bar down hundreds of times and it's never killed me. It's just a fucking bar, deal with it. If a 1 inch diameter piece of metal sitting in front of you for 5 minutes ruins your day, you're probably a fucking asshole.

Also people do fall off chairlifts sometimes. I'd rather people have the bar down if they want it than have somebody riding next to me fall off and die. Sure, I get that it's not that easy to fall of a chairlift, but I'm not trying to bring that scenario to my day on the slopes so I can yell at them about how I've ridden 10 times the lifts they have and never fallen off once!

It's just a bar, deal with it.
 
topic:TheDoughAbides said:
Do you ever try to deny people the bar when riding the lift?
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Anyone who denies people the bar is an asshole. If im riding with other people on the chair, i might not put down the bar and just leave it up to them instead. If they wanna put down the bar then fine. If they dont then its also fine.
 
lol they only have T bars in norway... I pretty much always put it down if there's a footrest but otherwise I don't see any incentive. I really don't care if someone wants it down though. Also it's state law in some places.
 
Yeah. One of those things that really doesn't matter.

Personally, I really don't like having the bar down. I've had too many people whack me in the head without warning, and I'm really bad at sitting in the right part of the chair, I always feel like the divider thing is coming down on my crotch. But the biggest thing is that I have the worst shape body for the bar ever. My legs are too long to rest on the foot thing comfortably, and too short to hang below it comfortably.

But none of that is a really big deal. If you want the bar down, I'm happy to put it down for you. Just don't slam it without saying anything. Slamming the bar down without warning is the same sort of dick move as running over people's skis in the lift line. Do your best not to do it.
 
13903896:cydwhit said:
Yeah. One of those things that really doesn't matter.

Personally, I really don't like having the bar down. I've had too many people whack me in the head without warning, and I'm really bad at sitting in the right part of the chair, I always feel like the divider thing is coming down on my crotch. But the biggest thing is that I have the worst shape body for the bar ever. My legs are too long to rest on the foot thing comfortably, and too short to hang below it comfortably.

But none of that is a really big deal. If you want the bar down, I'm happy to put it down for you. Just don't slam it without saying anything. Slamming the bar down without warning is the same sort of dick move as running over people's skis in the lift line. Do your best not to do it.
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I agree I get annoyed when people don't give me a warning before they put the bar down.
 
Not a fan of the bar, but the people that want it down usually just rarely ski/old af/little kids/southern so cut them some slack and let them enjoy their day.

Beyond the unannounced bar, every once in a while someone (usually the person that wanted it down in the first place) gets their shit tangled and I feel like we won't be able to exit in time.
 
I love it when I just sat down and I'm looking down while fucking around with my boots and I get the bar to the back of the head. Just warms me up inside

And yes also the bar is there for a reason and if people want to use it that's fine and fuck anyone who gets up in arms about it

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2018 at 2:01:58am
 
Shoulda fallen off and sued the douchefuck for not allowing you to put it down.

Jk.

But actually you could probably win that case in America
 
13904111:mr.tibbles said:
Not a fan of the bar, but the people that want it down usually just rarely ski/old af/little kids/southern so cut them some slack and let them enjoy their day.

Beyond the unannounced bar, every once in a while someone (usually the person that wanted it down in the first place) gets their shit tangled and I feel like we won't be able to exit in time.
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Ive ridden full lifts with bardown a ton and never crashed ito the load ramp with it down.
 
13904132:theabortionator said:
Ive ridden full lifts with bardown a ton and never crashed ito the load ramp with it down.
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I've never crashed either. Just like I said, I feel like we won't be able to exit in time. That part bugs me. Safety gone mad.
 
13904117:Diento said:
In australia the lifties yell at you and possibly even stop the lift if you dont put the bar down :P!
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I've not ridden a single chairlift without the bar down.

Everyone in AUS puts it down as soon as they sit.

It's a habit
 
As a european at first I was intrigued by this tradition you americans have to not put the bar down, as, around here, I've never been on a chairlift without the bar down.

But then after a bit more investigation, I found out that your chairlifts mostly just suck, because in Europe ALL of them have footrest. This tiny thing is such a relief, because if I let my feet hanging it's ok for a few minutes at most, but I couldn't imagine riding the chairlift like that all day.

So when there are footrests on the lift, are you still trying to play the bar-up-badass? And wtf is wrong with lifts america for not having this seriously?
 
Chiming in from Europe. Here the bar goes down ALWAYS. I can't remember ever riding without it. Lifties will straight stop the lift and yell at you if you don't put it down.
 
I've never minded it at all and sometimes I even put it down to rest or if its real windy. Those east coast winds will blow ya right off.
 
13904136:mr.tibbles said:
I've never crashed either. Just like I said, I feel like we won't be able to exit in time. That part bugs me. Safety gone mad.
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*ive never come close to not being able "to safely exit in time"
 
13904155:SPK_ said:
And wtf is wrong with lifts america for not having this seriously?
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Some do some don't. A lot of larger mtns have them on all the lifts. Some of the smaller ones just on some.

They've been around in the states forever though.
 
13904158:ESB said:
Chiming in from Europe. Here the bar goes down ALWAYS. I can't remember ever riding without it. Lifties will straight stop the lift and yell at you if you don't put it down.
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which is funny since theyre so laissez faire about most other stuff on the hill

OP that girl sounds like a tool, i dont need the bar down but who cares? and the footrest ones are so nice. wouldnt bother me if they mandated the bar being down everywhere
 
I noticed this when I was in Colorado. Bar up 95% of the time. I don't care either way. I'm from east coast so it's usually the opposite with the bar down 95% of the time. Some states even have laws for it. Anyone who cares about it being down and throws a fit like that is a douche. I prefer the bar on some lifts, especially ones that are really gusty or high up, or if the chair is all snowy and slippery. I also enjoy the foot rests and some resorts even go as far as to out maps on the bars that you can read when they're down.

The only issue I have is when someone slams it down without announcing bar coming down. My fucking brother did it this year and the bar caught me and my buddy in the back of the head (helmets for life) and really pushed us down.

To the guy talking about not having enough time to get off the lift, are you serious? Have you ever learned to use a chairlift? You raise the bar at least 1 or 2 lift poles before you get off. It's never a problem unless people somehow forget to lift it up. The only time I had it sooner was when I was riding with a bunch of kids and the instructor waited til the very last second. Still wasn't an issue.
 
Real talk though I've learned my lesson with having my head down checking my phone on the lift at PC because 9/10 times the couple next to you from somewhere on the East Coast is going to slam that thing down so fucking hard on the back of your head.
 
13904175:TrippTermini said:
Saw a guy fall off the lift. Have never ridden the chair with the bar up since.
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I rode up a chair at Squaw earlier this year with a guy who witnessed a guy fall off Siberia, iirc the guy was a talented young racer and is now a quadrapalegic.

I also have young kids so the bar goes down, always with a warning that the bar is coming down, so I don't catch anyone's helmet.

The bar is good!

The bar is great!

Long live the bar!
 
13904292:IsitWinterYet17 said:
I noticed this when I was in Colorado. Bar up 95% of the time. I don't care either way. I'm from east coast so it's usually the opposite with the bar down 95% of the time. Some states even have laws for it. Anyone who cares about it being down and throws a fit like that is a douche. I prefer the bar on some lifts, especially ones that are really gusty or high up, or if the chair is all snowy and slippery. I also enjoy the foot rests and some resorts even go as far as to out maps on the bars that you can read when they're down.

The only issue I have is when someone slams it down without announcing bar coming down. My fucking brother did it this year and the bar caught me and my buddy in the back of the head (helmets for life) and really pushed us down.

To the guy talking about not having enough time to get off the lift, are you serious? Have you ever learned to use a chairlift? You raise the bar at least 1 or 2 lift poles before you get off. It's never a problem unless people somehow forget to lift it up. The only time I had it sooner was when I was riding with a bunch of kids and the instructor waited til the very last second. Still wasn't an issue.
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Sounds like you're talking about me, even though that's not what I said. Let me tell you exactly what happened to me this season: I'm riding Chair 12 at Telluride solo going to hike the bowl. It's a high speed quad with a footrest. I get on with three people, all foreign no clue from where but seemed European. They put the bar down without saying anything. I don't care I was expecting this and it doesn't come close to hitting me. We get near the end, beyond where I think the bar should have come up, and I say "Bar up?". No response. They haven't said anything beyond a couple words the whole ride. All seemed spaced out. Maybe they flew to Colorado because weed is legal. Maybe they don't speak English. Immediately I say it louder "Bar up?!?". They go to bring the bar up and the guy 2 spaces over has his poles tucked under his legs. Footrest smacks right into them and the bar can't come up. At this point we're getting real close to the off ramp and the guy starts scrambling to get his poles out. They all start yelling at him in some language I don't even recognize. At this point I figure we're going into the off ramp with the bar down, so move my skis from out under the footrest to the side. Seemed like the safest maneuver. He finally gets his poles clear, and we get the bar up right at the very last second right before my skis touch the snow. Lift operator hits the stop button.

Like I said, I have no issue with people putting the bar down. Just say something and don't smack me in the head and don't do something like that guy.
 
13904310:mystery3 said:
I rode up a chair at Squaw earlier this year with a guy who witnessed a guy fall off Siberia, iirc the guy was a talented young racer and is now a quadrapalegic.

I also have young kids so the bar goes down, always with a warning that the bar is coming down, so I don't catch anyone's helmet.

The bar is good!

The bar is great!

Long live the bar!
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my favorite at squaw is watching anti-bar hardos suddenly become okay with it being down in the middle of the Red Dog lift, that thing is way the hell up there
 
13904310:mystery3 said:
I rode up a chair at Squaw earlier this year with a guy who witnessed a guy fall off Siberia, iirc the guy was a talented young racer and is now a quadrapalegic.

I also have young kids so the bar goes down, always with a warning that the bar is coming down, so I don't catch anyone's helmet.

The bar is good!

The bar is great!

Long live the bar!
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sad story...guy had a seizure and fell off. Bar could have saved everything there.

13904316:SofaKingSick said:
my favorite at squaw is watching anti-bar hardos suddenly become okay with it being down in the middle of the Red Dog lift, that thing is way the hell up there
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also my favorite thing. so funny when they hit that exposure and throw that bitch down.

saw a dude downloading red dog the other day.....no fucking clue how....downhill side is a solid 50 or 80 feet above uphill side over the canyon.
 
13904333:Profahoben_212 said:
sad story...guy had a seizure and fell off. Bar could have saved everything there.

also my favorite thing. so funny when they hit that exposure and throw that bitch down.

saw a dude downloading red dog the other day.....no fucking clue how....downhill side is a solid 50 or 80 feet above uphill side over the canyon.
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dude we always said we'd like to make an excuse to download on red dog, that side is fuckin sky high haha
 
13904155:SPK_ said:
As a european at first I was intrigued by this tradition you americans have to not put the bar down, as, around here, I've never been on a chairlift without the bar down.

But then after a bit more investigation, I found out that your chairlifts mostly just suck, because in Europe ALL of them have footrest. This tiny thing is such a relief, because if I let my feet hanging it's ok for a few minutes at most, but I couldn't imagine riding the chairlift like that all day.

So when there are footrests on the lift, are you still trying to play the bar-up-badass? And wtf is wrong with lifts america for not having this seriously?
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Our boots fit.
 
Look if you say heads up bar down, fine. If you don't, and just put the bar down, fine. But if you ask if anyone minds, or can you, and someone says they mind, then you opened that can of worms.
 
isnt it required by law in some states to put it down? explains why a lot of dipshits (tourists) slam it down without a warning. i felt really bad and wanted to scream at this dipshit couple who slammed the bar down on a 6-pack at PC and this little kid got decked hard and scared the christ out of his mom and the kid himself by almost falling out. Of course no apology or anything You can get fucked if you're one of those "Slam the bar down because I dont feel safe" people.

its a fucking moving seat, like how hard is it to sit down? shit, even with gusty-ass winds. Most people usually dont ski on lifts that are extra windy, they usually throw them on hold or just close them.
 
im a bar down kinda guy. grow up skiing in Europe so its all i knew. skiing BC it was more 50/50. bar was generally up if riding with borders. last season i took a ride on the single man chair at the top of Niseko. Was fucking terrifying!! it was like sitting on a slippery wooden pizza box swaying in the wind. I had never wanted a bar so much in my life!!
 
A. give full warning before hitting me in the head with the bar.

B. If you put the bar down, you will be putting it up, not me. I'll ride that sucker back to the bottom with you.
 
I did have one time where some people put it down on my legs..with all their weight on it and didnt notice me screaming my ass of for 20s..was full metal aswell..suprised i didnt have a perm indent in my leg
 
13904466:CT_CREW said:
A. give full warning before hitting me in the head with the bar.

B. If you put the bar down, you will be putting it up, not me. I'll ride that sucker back to the bottom with you.
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Perfectly fair! I think I’ve been very lucky in all my loading and unloading of kids starting when they were 3ish we've never yard saled loading or unloading, had the lift slowed a couple times but mostly out of an abundance of caution.

13904488:mau said:
Fuck it..Bubble is the worst tho, hate it when strangers put it down
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Wtf is the bubble?
 
13903891:GREEN_BASTARD said:
lol they only have T bars in norway... I pretty much always put it down if there's a footrest but otherwise I don't see any incentive. I really don't care if someone wants it down though. Also it's state law in some places.
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a lot of T-bars indeed. only the bigger and more popular ski resorts have them at the park. like OVP and Geilo. the T-bars are chill tho
 
Like pretty much everyone else I usually don't use the bar but I'm fine with other people using it.

However, unless I'm chiefin' one I throw an arm over the back of the chair if it happens to be a super windy day. I've actually got in the habit of doing that even when there aren't bad conditions. Also it's chill if I'm with friends because then I am sort of facing them when I talk to them. As a bonus I've also got added security if some sociopath decides to shove me off the lift. Not likely that that would happen but hey...
 
A lot of the little mom and pop hills out west don't have bars at all.

When it got too windy we would wrap an arm around the back of the chair for when you would strike towers.

ABasin is getting a new Pali chair and the big debate was whether or not to add a bar and every local was so heated.
 
Its a state law in Vermont. Didn't understand why i was getting yelled at by lifties if i didn't put the bar down right away. Now I'm used to it and always ride with the bar down.
 
I don't usually put the bar down unless its windy af. But if somebody on the chair wants to put it down I honestly don't care as long as they put it up themselves.
 
Ha I'm in summit country right now. A lot of people don't put it down and they're definitely the "too badass to use the bar" sort of people. Seems kinda silly since the lifts are really high up here sometimes, and it can be windy as fuck.

I feel like on the east coast they'll threaten to pull your pass sometimes. I remember one year where they were super on top of it, and the guys at the bottom would radio the numbers of chairs who didn't put the bar down right away to the top, then they'd complain to you at the top. I mean, my home mountain's biggest selling point is its proximity to new york city so, you can imagine what kind of people go there and how it's managed. You'd get a warning or something, or they'd take your name and pass down to see if you do it again.
 
I don't really care, but I prefer to leave it up because it's just easier. I always sit in the wrong part of the chair and have to scoot around. But it's definitely not worth any aggression towards strangers.
 
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