Lightning guidelines

[Rich]

I had a confrontation at a park about a month ago when some idiots decided that the thunder *surrounding* the park wasn't adequate to stop the game.

No, I wasn't the umpire. I was the parent of an 8-year-old player. The umpire finally "ejected" me from the vicinity of the field (when I couldn't get the coaches to do anything, I grabbed his attention between innings against my better judgment) and I had a subsequent confrontation with the tournament directors, who have no clue about lightning protocols, only that "we didn't see a lightning bolt and we can play until there's visible lightning."

They didn't like my reply, "You know, it's all around us. The first one you see could kill everyone on the field."

All this to keep on schedule for a tournament for EIGHT YEAR OLDS.

I don't go to many games anymore because my daughter's coach is a moron who sided with the umpire and the tournament staff and sent me an email telling me I was completely out of line. My wife, though, sided with me and has promised me that she will pull my kid to the car if anything like that ever happens again.