Bill Gribble wrote in message ...

Compare that to the $7000 financial cost and clear personal trauma

Change the word trauma to "personal disgust with the human race", and
it might be more accurate.

Approximately 1/3 of that cost was tiedown fees, annual inspection,
and insurance, but still money that I should have put somewhere else.

Instructors, I flew all but four flights with the same perfectly
lovely lady in the back seat. Had everyone else been half as good as
she, I would probably still be flying. Unfortunately, there is an
extremely egocentric and vocal minority to deal with. I chose not to.

The problem in soaring is not attracting new people, the problem is in
keeping them. The work of many can be undone by a few that think
their opinion carries more weight than just being their opinion. IOW,
"there's one in every crowd", but that one is more than enough.
"Sorry if my lack of sophistication has offended your champaigne
tastes. If I take my toys and don't return, will that make you
happy?"

The time to stop the irritating idiot is before he starts grinding on
someone, once he's made even a scratch, nothing anyone says or does
will make any difference. You've lost that one, and it's only a
matter of time.