From darkness to light...

Hey everyone, it's Ryan the former Mosport medic!

Some of you from Mosport will know me from track days and such. I have watched the marshals work for two years, and always wondered what things were like outside the ambulance. I made the leap at the last marshaling school, and have been hooked since.

I look forward to working with you all, and learning as much as I can.

Welcome to MMS

As they say in fishing he's hooked. As a recent QE and now sporting the offical shirt. It was well worth the long days of heat,cold,cold,damp,cold, weather to get there. Welcome.

I would first like to say that I enjoyed my time in white at CTMP. I met and worked alongside a lot of really nice people, as well as a couple whom I'd like to take this opportunity to say, should get over themselves.

Regardless of the weather, I always had a great time.


This is, however, the end. I am hanging up my whites for good. I know, it is sudden, but, my position has become impossible, owing to an obstinate, and heavy handed individual, who refuses to be reasonable.


I was in the last school of the 2016 season. As a result, there were no events for me to volunteer for. In September, I was drafted in, unexpectedly, to cover lapping days, often with 30 minutes notice. I was always there to answer the call. Despite being new, I was familiar with radio format, and, flags, having worked medical for two years. I settled in quite nicely.

The deal I had with Robb Dobbie, was that I would fill in any empty slots that needed to be filled. Someone doesn't show up? Call me. Someone cancels? Call me. Someone gets sick? Call me. No one left to work? Call me. I was there to learn, and to help wherever, and however I could.

It seems however, my being there as a QE, bothered certain individuals. Big fish, small pond situation. A willing person who can do the work, present so that a full compliment can be on site for the client...and the other marshals, just wasn't good enough.

It seems the "board", came to a decision, which precludes me from working further lapping days as a QE, since lapping days are soooooo "taxing" to the skills. Lord knows, how many times big dumb QE me forgot which end of the flag to wave, or found myself sitting in the stand facing the woods because I couldn't figure out where the track was...duhhhh. More like, a couple of old farts were miffed that I was doing something they DIDN'T do. This is fine, it is their sandbox, they can do whatever they like.

It all comes down to how many "race days" I have worked. Which is none. I'll tell you why.


1) I was in the last school of 2016. Not much to do after that.

2) At some point during a move, my logbook went missing. What's the problem you ask? Well, during our marshaling ejoomikashon class, we were told, if you lose your logbook, you are screwed. You lose what you had, you can't work, and, you have to be issued another one. By who though?

Fast forward to dues paying time, and I send in my $10, and a note stating that I had lost my logbook, and, asking how I could get a new one. My account went down $10, but, an answer never came. I asked around, and no one quite knew who I had to contact. Turns out, they're right there in the chalet, under the counter. A simple reply to my note, months ago would have been great. Better yet, proper information at the school, instead of absolute doom and gloom horseshit misinformation.

It took until June 1st to get that sorted out.


3) So, I did not work the first two events of 2017. 1) because I was told (erroneously) I couldn't, and 2) because I had work of my own to take care of. Yes, I have a life.

In this instance, one of my cars (the Subaru) had a major oil leak, and I was hesitant about bringing it to the track. I had been rebuilding the suspension, and doing a lot of work on the Z as well. I devoted all of my spare time to getting the Z back on the road, so I could have a vehicle to get to the track without pissing oil all over the place. The first event of the year, I was too late to sign up for (it wouldn't let me register), and the second, I was busy trying to get my car back on its wheels. There are no busses from Whitby to CTMP, and I'm not walking it... so no car = no CTMP, lapping OR race days.


The straw that broke the camels back came today, at the end of the lapping event. Now, I am a pretty salty person, I don't offend easily, and, I am rarely shocked by the behavior of others. Today, however, I was taken aback, and appalled by the manner in which I was approached and for lack of a better term, accosted by Peter Bayman. I have grown accustomed to a friendly heads up or a chat at MMS. So, I was taken aback at having the chalet door kicked shut, and Bayman storm across the room, bellowing "WE NEED TO HAVE A TALK."

He then launched into an offensive cross examination, as though trying to convict me of some heinous crime. His tone and candor were in my view completely out of line and unwarranted. He continuously talked over me, and, quite frankly was not interested in anything aside hearing himself dictate his orders and ultimatums.

I had signed up for the next regional race, and, was going to make inquiries for the next MMS school for a refresher (tomorrow as it happens). However, I refuse to be spoken to by anyone (even a paying boss), the way Bayman spoke to me today. I am more than willing to donate my time to a worthy cause, but, I will not have any volunteer organization make ridiculous claims to my spare time, or expect me to prioritize them above my family and financial commitments.

Had that prick come to me and spoke to me like a human being, instead of charging at me like a rottweiler, and, lambasting me as though I had been caught stealing fire extinguishers, I may have stayed. I simply cannot see my way to donating my time to an organization which (like many other volunteer organizations) feels entitled to claim more than their fair share of my time. At no point while signing up, did I agree to devoting ALL of my spare time to MMS, nor did I agree to work every event from that point on till I die. This is the problem with volunteering. It's all easy breezy "its fun, do as much or as little as you can yadda yadda yadda." Once you sign on, they feel they own you. You can't take a shit without them pestering you to account for why you didn't devote that five minutes to them.

Considering bayman's objective was to "convince" me to donate my time, a touch of humility would have been in order. After all, he is the one in the asking seat. However, to shout the odds at me, and then expect me to come 'a runnin', he must have spent a little too much time in the sun today.

Not in this lifetime daddy-o. If you want to throw your weight around and "lay down the law" like you are a somebody, pay up. Till then, you're the one with your hand out. I'm not going to kiss anyone's ass for the "privilege" of working for free...or a hair above minimum wage.





I will very much miss working with some of you, and, as much as I enjoyed it, and wish I could continue, I cannot give my time to an organization which I feel doesn't VALUE the time they are given, or respect those who are willing to give what they can. An organization that has the cheek to interrogate me, and, chastise me for taking care of the commitments I actually signed up for.


Take what you are given, and be grateful.



No flags.

Where to start to answer this, first off I was the one responsible for not answering the inquiry about the log book when your registration came in. (having a lost log book is never really a big problem and would not ever stop someone from working a race event) I will apologize now for that oversight and it seems that this could have averted some of the issues.

I also can not speak for the way you feel you were treated by Mr. Bayman but I assure you the board will be discussing this at our next meeting.

I will be emailing you a list of all your registrations with MMS and I would like to point out that the only events you have registered for are all paid events since you joined the club in 2016.

You also mentioned that you were going to take the next school refresher today, (the next school we have is June 24th and 25th so I am not sure how you received that information)

If you wish to discuss this further please email me at motorsportmarshals at gmail dot com

Thanks, Brian

You could always complain to the the Performance and Safety Director... :whistle: