Sunday 30 March 2014

CARP SPEAKS OUT ON BEST BEHAVIOUR POLICIES

Best behaviour at bridge sounds like a very admirable thing. Indeed , all players should have a legitimate expectation to be treated in a civil , polite and respectful way. I say " legitimate " in that if a player rudely snubs an opponent , then he or she cannot legitimately expect the abused person to turn the other cheek..... and be  " nice " in return. 
As a consequence irrelevant emphasis seems to be placed on greeting players warmly , and being prepared to congratulate them should they display a moment of great skill in defence or declarer play. So yes ,  cracking down on rudeness and bullying are worthy goals, but not if players are barred from engaging in witty sarcastic banter , making sharp critical remarks , and dishing out a few home truths. If a mother is entitled to verbally reprimand a small child for disobedience , then why can't a player do the same to his partner for a flagrant breach of the agreed convention on their system cards.
But all that aside,  my real beef is this. Best behaviour policies completely overlook the kind of behaviour which really does annoy decent folk and newcomers alike ,  far more than rudeness and bullying.  Yes , I'm talking about....
elitism
sexist attitudes
snobbery
smugness and smirking
unhygienic personal habits
patronising and condescending attitudes
divisive system cards
targeting ( psyching against weaker opponents )
pomposity
inflated egos
seething contempt
superiority complexes
arrogance
Where does the best behaviour mission statement refer to the eradication of these sickening character traits ? Nowhere !  And it is my contention that players guilty of the above do far more damage in putting people off playing , than any outbursts of rudeness and condemnation. These are distasteful aspects of the human condition which are truly cancerous ,  and as such ought to be included in the remit of problems which best behaviour policies should be addressing , especially if the appeal of bridge is going to be restored. 
But dear oh dear.....I still haven't mentioned the two biggest evils of all.....the two foremost reasons why people are put off from enjoying the bridge experience. Two aspects of the game which best behaviour policies , along with weak committees , conveniently ignore and refuse to address
SLOW PLAY and
CHEATING
So I find myself attending clubs where false bon hommie and hollow compliments are now common place. Where volatile players have trained themselves to hold their tongues and to pick their time and place before saying what needs to said. But of course slow play and cheating still enjoy a kind of immunity , along with all those other unsavoury aspects of the human condition , which as a result leaves me in a state of disbelief and despair. 
Best behaviour policies , like ZT , are totally misguided and hopelessly inadequate in terms of both scope and prioritisation. Even worse is the fact that they often target the wrong people , namely highly strung players who unfortunately over-react to behaviour far more obnoxious and provocative than theirs.    


   



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