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Stop saying 12-Jan-2015 At 6:40:30 PM Wendy

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I don't think the problem is really with the word safe. I mean, safe sounds as much like take as as slack, or mate, flake, rake, cat, jerk or Kate or many similar monosylabic words, which is really, not all that much. The problem is really with a lack of thinking about the context. Would one really be safe at the top of a sport route you expect them to just lower off? And if you say safe, would you really expect to be on belay a minute later without any correction to the situation? If your climber is out of sight but doesn't seem to have gone far enough to be at the belay or if they have been struggling and suddenly you seem to hear safe, well, bloody double check by asking! If in doubt, keep them on.

The suggestions about using names are good - i almost always say "safe thanks, so and so". If I'm going to say take and it's not in urgency, it will be "take pls so and so". My mother must have brought me up nicely. But it's also clear that you aren't going to have said "safe pls"! When I take people off belay, I will tell them i am doing so - "taking you off belay" so they have a moment to say, no, fûck, that's really not what i wanted and "off belay" when they are off. And if you are going to fuss about not really similar words sounding similar, what about the risk of someone hearing "off belay" from their leader and thinking it was "on belay"? Which is really a much more likely thing to expect your leader to say. What if someone said they were impure or found a cure and you thought it was secure???? I don't think it matters what you say. It's about both people thinking about the broader picture and double checking. Saying secure or off belay in this situation would have have the same result. I'm with the just clip in and ask for slack group. And I always say "take pls so and so" when ready to be lowered, then weight the rope before unclipping myself or double check with "have you got me?".

Douglas thinks we should start using a word you wouldn't normally hear in conversation. He suggests pterygium. So then it will be completely clear what you mean when you yell pterygium from the top of the cliff.

And can someone who goes to that gym go and bite their head off? That is one of the stupidest practices in a sea of stupid practices i have seen climbing.