This is My Hobby!

In the aftermath of the City Council meeting concerning the Master Plan amendment of A Place to Play park, I was thinking about the Park Track and RC in general.  We got very lucky, that the Council voted and passed the amendment.  Although I’m not sure (yet) of what this means to the track, it’s moving locations, improvements, etc …  It does mean the track will officially be part of the park.

My thoughts wandered around from the interesting/confusing/frustrating meeting to RC in general and why it’s not better known.  The Council members (6) acted as if they’ve never really heard of Radio Controlled hobbies, at one point asking “what does RC mean?”  When you are in the hobby, there’s so much we take for granted, so much we know.  It seems odd to us that it is totally alien to those outside the hobbies.

In a prior meeting, one Council Member stated something about a park without basketball courts being un-American.    I do agree that Americans enjoy their stick and ball sports, but little compares to the Nation’s love affair with the automobile ….  In my opinion, RC Cars is an extension of the country’s fascination with the automobile.  (Same could be said for Airplanes and RC Airplanes, Helicopters and now Quadcopters …)

So, why don’t more people know about RC Hobbies?  Not asking why don’t more people do the hobbies, but just know they exist?  After all, people who don’t ride bikes, still know that bikes exist.  People who don’t ski, still know that skiing exists.  Right?   So why is it such a shocker about RC cars, RC planes, etc …

Over the years, Jake’s Performance Hobbies has dealt with thousands of people who enjoy RC hobbies.  Their families must know about the hobbies?  Maybe friends know about the hobbies?  But, why does it seem that the mainstream public is surprised by RC cars and acts like they’ve never heard of this level of “toy Cars”?

The fact that the Council Members didn’t have much of an idea of Radio Controlled Car basics.  Things like who drives them, who enjoys the hobby, this almost shot down the RC Track.  We were not vocal enough, did not attend enough meetings, did not send letters, did not have a petition, etc …  Our voices were not heard simply because no one was talking.  Is this a problem within the RC community as a whole?  No one talks about their hobby with others?  Are we too quiet, living in the preverbal RC closet?

I don’t have all the answers about this kind of big picture thinking …  But, next time someone asks what you do for fun, or what kind of hobbies you enjoy?  Smile and state “RC is my hobby”.  Bring a car, truck, plane, or quad to a family function and state “This is my hobby”. 

I doubt there will be any major changes in the world based on more people knowing that RC exists, but hey, it couldn’t hurt!  After all, the more people who know that RC is a good, clean, fun hobby, the easier it might be to get that track, flying field or whatever we might need next.

Jake
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