AITA for not training folks for free?

[cmshoot]

I made a comment a while back, stating that I don't train folks for free, and that I guess I'm an ass for stating so. Apparently, it pissed at least a few folks off.

It COSTS me money to train someone. Costs me money just to take a friend to the range to plink around. Costs me money to take myself to range and just train MYSELF, all by my lonesome.

As a professional Instructor with an LLC, I maintain over $3 million in professional liability insurance, which I pay a yearly fee for. Goes everywhere I go.

I train on a piece of private property that isn't open to the public. I pay to use that.

My paper/cardboard/steel/moving targets, 1x2's, spray paint, batteries, timers, and target frames are all paid for by me. They get shot up/wore out/used up, they have to be replaced. Fuel to get to the range and back, and whatever ammo I shoot while demonstrating.

By far, the biggest expense to me is the time that I expend. Now that I'm "retired", I have 4 jobs. I'm at my full-time job 5 days a week. I try and take care of what I need to do for my other 3 jobs on the 2 days that I am "off".

My go-to plan for my 2 days off per week is to spend as much of that time as possible with my family. If I'm going to do anything for anyone for free on those 2 days, it will be my family, not a stranger I met on the internet. Folks that want me to take time away from my family will have to pay for that time. To do otherwise would mean that I value time spent with strangers as much as the time I spend with my family. Not even close.

I never ask anyone to do anything with compensation. To do otherwise means that I do not value their time, which is an insult.

Semper Fi!

 

[boomer]

Well said!

 

[alexs2006]

No. You aren’t an asshole. Time is money. If you have to spend time away from your family on your “off” day, you should be compensated. Anyone that thinks otherwise is not business minded.

 

[Torn]

Agree 100%.The entitled mentality has crept into every aspect of life including training. I’m an NRA Pistol instructor, RSO as well as a match director and it costs money and time to conduct a match, classroom instruction etc.

Also people that have land are just expected to allow anyone to come on their property and shoot because “they don’t have anywhere to shoot”. Tough ****. Why would I want to take the risk of allowing someone I don’t know to come on my property getting injured, shoot up the place, leave trash (they all promise they won’t) when there are plenty of public ranges available for them to go if they really want. I worked my whole life to buy my property and prior to that I went to ranges and if that sounds harsh I don’t give a flying ****.

 

[Asbestos]

I agree 100%.

I won’t tear down your house for free either. I think I know where all this started. Nobody was mad until it was revealed that he was a 90 year old Super Soldier. Before that info came out, he was a freeloader looking for a free place to shoot.

That was kind of a funny thread to read through… lots of lost aggression in that one.

 

[cmshoot]

I agree 100%.

I won’t tear down your house for free either. I think I know where all this started. Nobody was mad until it was revealed that he was a 90 year old Super Soldier. Before that info came out, he was a freeloader looking for a free place to shoot.

That was kind of a funny thread to read through… lots of lost aggression in that one.

When I stated that I don't train folks for free, I got called:

-someone who has never seen combat (damn, gotta call Kansas City and tell the USMC to take back that Combat Action Ribbon)
-a KKK member
-a racist
- an anti-Semite
-"washed up marine with no skills"..........OK, I am a bit washed up, I can't do some of the stuff now that I could do when I was in the Corps.........

And that was just by 1 member! LOL

 

[Torn]

I’ll add that I’ve paid for all of my training and some of the best “training” you’ll get is when you get involved in various matches at a gun range near you. When you shoot against people that are better than you, it will encourage you to become better, you will learn different techniques, become more familiar with your firearm and I’ve found if you have a good attitude people will go out of their way to help you.

 

[Asbestos]

When I stated that I don't train folks for free, I got called:

-someone who has never seen combat (damn, gotta call Kansas City and tell the USMC to take back that Combat Action Ribbon)
-a KKK member
-a racist
- an anti-Semite
-"washed up marine with no skills"..........OK, I am a bit washed up, I can't do some of the stuff now that I could do when I was in the Corps.........

And that was just by 1 member! LOL

Ain’t it sad? Someone left the gate open and a mainstream news reporter snuck in to the ODT! Damn our bad luck!

Wow

 

[joel2000]

Well….he probably most certainly voted Biden. I mean gimmiedats.

I too am retired. I get consulted often for different projects. I get paid for my knowledge and experience. Not what I physically do.

 

[hhgrove]

Agree 100%.The entitled mentality has crept into every aspect of life including training. I’m an NRA Pistol instructor, RSO as well as a match director and it costs money and time to conduct a match, classroom instruction etc.

Also people that have land are just expected to allow anyone to come on their property and shoot because “they don’t have anywhere to shoot”. Tough ****. Why would I want to take the risk of allowing someone I don’t know to come on my property get injured, shoot up the place, leave trash (they all promise they won’t) when there are plenty of public ranges available for them to go if they really want. I worked my whole life to buy my property and prior to that I went to ranges and if that sounds harsh I don’t give a flying ****.

Reading this I see nothing wrong. But I do have a question. Unless I, as a working 20-something get a lucky, sudden windfall like a lottery win or inheritance or whatever, if we're being realistic, there's virtually no chance I'm owning land right now. Everything costs something, and as cmshoot said, time is the most valuable thing. Got other **** to do outside of training. That said, I'd still like to train when I can. In more ways than just going to the range, or going to the gym. Those things independently are great. But it's also very, very valuable to put yourself "in the field," so to speak, and ruck around, approach target positions and train your shooting fundamentals from a position as if you were in a combat zone or whatever. If we wanna save time, we can just call it LARPing lol. So, aside from just already knowing someone with land who is willing to allow that sort of training, what can someone like me, or someone in my position do to prove that we are trustworthy to perform that kind of training on someone else's property? Unsupervised or even alongside the owner if they feel like attending and taking part (training with people is always welcome.) Because on one hand, yes, you should do as you please with your land. On another hand, I think in the current world climate, it's valuable to have people who are training in these disciplines as much as possible. Again, that's not to say you owe anyone else the land, but it'd be nice to build a community of people who are capable of respecting another's property while being allowed to use it. Because not everything is about business, and one day our dollar will likely amount to nothing, but training and being an appropriately prepared and skilled citizen amounts to a whoooooooole lot. Oh and as a barrier against sue-happy morons out there, I would even encourage a landowner to draw up a detailed release of liability form and review it with anyone they deem worthy of using their property, just as a little extra security.

Anyway sorry for the essay. This is something I'd like to see seriously discussed a little more. I think it'd be okay to allow others on someone's property with appropriate vetting and precautions, and a system of building trust, and ultimately understanding that the property owner has the final say when all is said and done.