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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:15:20 PM EDT
[#1]
Tenacity. If you believe in yourself and it's what you want, you'll do it. Lots of people fail the first time, you learn from it, then do it again, only better.
That being said, if you can, I'd ask an instructor what their thoughts are. |
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:18:14 PM EDT
[#2]
Doesn't seem like you failed academically or anything that would prevent you from going after a sponsored position. Try to get more experience at the skid portion. Give it another shot
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:21:38 PM EDT
[#3]
Go to another department..
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:24:01 PM EDT
[#4]
I once did a background on a fellow who washed out of three different police agencies. I noticed one thing about him, every time he fell down, he picked himself up and got better. This was his pattern. I realized he had a lot of potential and was firmly convinced that he would be an asset to any agency that hired him. After finishing writing up his background investigation and my recommendations, I prepared the hiring papers for him. I then told the chief to sign the hiring papers before I would let him read my report. We argued and I told him that we could not afford to let the candidate get away. Anyway, he shined like I predicted and after a few years, went onto greater things. He died on the operating table for a so called simple procedure. RIP FF.
Moral? Be that guy. Get better everytime you fall down. |
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:39:33 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I once did a background on a fellow who washed out of three different police agencies. I noticed one thing about him, every time he fell down, he picked himself up and got better. This was his pattern. I realized he had a lot of potential and was firmly convinced that he would be an asset to any agency that hired him. After finishing writing up his background investigation and my recommendations, I prepared the hiring papers for him. I then told the chief to sign the hiring papers before I would let him read my report. We argued and I told him that we could not afford to let the candidate get away. Anyway, he shined like I predicted and after a few years, went onto greater things. He died on the operating table for a so called simple procedure. RIP FF.
Moral? Be that guy. Get better everytime you fall down. |
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:48:20 PM EDT
[#6]
It's kind of trite but:
First Attempt In Life Power through, be that guy that is not afraid to hear critiques, in fact be thankful for them. IF you sucked nobody would give you the time of day. |
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:50:31 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Doesn't seem like you failed academically or anything that would prevent you from going after a sponsored position. Try to get more experience at the skid portion. Give it another shot I guess what's holding me back from diving right back in is knowing I can do everything so well only to have it all go away in the blink of an eye. Not sure I can put my family through all of that again. |
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Posted: 7/5/2017 10:51:15 PM EDT
[#8]
My brother was laid off during the 2008 crash as an autocad engineer (does shit on autocad).
He was having trouble finding a good job but refused to sit on his ass, so he got a job working 3rd shift at a convenience store rather than sitting around on unemployment "waiting for the right job". After about 6 months he interviewed for a position with a competing company. They asked him why he was working at a convenient store and he told the guy that he is the best at what he does. He was the best autocad engineer when that's how he could support his family and if it takes a convenient store job to support his family he will be the best cashier. The guy hired him over the other 30-something people that applied. On his first day his boss called him into the office and flat out told him work ethic is the hardest thing to find in an employee and that anyone that would get off their ass and work 3rd shift at a convenient store rather than getting free money on unemployment was the person they wanted regardless of the fact that there were people way more qualified than him. He is now a manager. Moral of the story: Bust your ass at whatever you do. You will fail, you will get fired some day, you will suck at something some/most/all of the time, but there is no substitute for busting your ass every day at everything you do. People notice. TLDR: Get off your ass and do it again until you pass or move on to something else but bust your ass and make yourself successful. |
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Posted: 7/5/2017 11:18:17 PM EDT
[#9]
one is always better to try and fail than fail to try.... but in this scenario, I say, try again.... is that not an option? Tenacity is 80% of life... it will always knock you down... stand back up and earn what you want.... best of luck!
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:17:34 AM EDT
[#10]
Does that academy have a high attrition rate? Washing out at a 6th in class score over, the skid pan seems a bit harsh. Short of rolling the car in the skid pan... it seems like an odd skill to eliminate candidates!
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:21:51 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Does that academy have a high attrition rate? Washing out at a 6th in class score over, the skid pan seems a bit harsh. Short of rolling the car in the skid pan... it seems like an odd skill to eliminate candidates! |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:38:03 AM EDT
[#12]
Assuming the OP read my post... therefore deleted.
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:47:19 AM EDT
[#13]
Join the military
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:50:00 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
Long story short, I failed out at the end of week 21 of a 30 week LEO academy. Didn't pass the skid pan test, even though all my practice runs were fine. Anyway, I'd passed all the other tests with ease and was ranked 6th overall in my class so I was obviously doing well and was enjoying what I was learning. Now I'm kind of lost. I'm 32, I have a family, and can't picture myself sitting behind a desk for the rest of my life. Anyone had a similar experience that would care to share some words of wisdom? I can't afford to sponsor myself through another academy, but I'm not sure how I'd come across in an interview for a sponsored spot as I've already failed once before. How bad do you want it? Dont give up if you really want it. I say that as a 13 year cop. You want it, make it happen. I promise you, this will not be the last time you get into a crappy situation in LE. You gonna let some dick head keep you from your dream? |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:53:06 AM EDT
[#15]
I see you are in Ca. Was this the San Bernadino EVOC course? Skid pan is like 3-4 controlled skid recovery's in two directions? Unless it has changed in the past 10 years their EVOC isnt that bad.
CHP is about the most grueling vehicle handling course in Ca that I know of. At least you werent the guy that failed out on the last night of the academy they day before graduation for a failed scenario. Been there seen that. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 1:00:23 AM EDT
[#16]
In 5 years you can be a cop with experience, or not. Every bit of that choice is up to you.
Fall 5 times, get up 6. Txl |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 1:06:20 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Which agency? I see you are in Ca. Was this the San Bernadino EVOC course? Skid pan is like 3-4 controlled skid recovery's in two directions? Unless it has changed in the past 10 years their EVOC isnt that bad. CHP is about the most grueling vehicle handling course in Ca that I know of. At least you werent the guy that failed out on the last night of the academy they day before graduation for a failed scenario. Been there seen that. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 1:13:00 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It was the academy at Butte College. Same basic EVOC skid pan. 3 sets of cones you have to weave through, induces 3 skids that you have to recover from. Seems like agencies that have their own academy have a stronger vested interest with what goes on with the recruits/cadets. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 1:50:00 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Try going for a hired/stressed academy with another agency? Might mean having to move for a few months and sacrifice a bit. Seems like agencies that have their own academy have a stronger vested interest with what goes on with the recruits/cadets. ETA- The academy was stressed academy as well. Inspections, drill instructors, the whole nine yards. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 2:00:57 AM EDT
[#20]
Hiring
Test Dates It's San Diego but they are way understaffed and hiring. Some other options are: Probation Try another county / city agency Don't give up, but get on it right away. Start applying at multiple agencies. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 3:19:31 AM EDT
[#21]
When things like that happen, it feels like the end of the world. However, if you are meant to follow that path, you'll pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going. Persistence is the greatest virtue.
Is it your calling? Only You know for sure. You can't worry about what an interview board might think. I work with guys who have succeeded in a very, very competitive and selective field. I collect the success stories as a sort of hobby. There are a couple of attributes that stand out: Positive thinking. Persistence. Squared away attitude. Networking. Timing. Self determination. Some got lucky early on, and some did it the hard way, but to a man, they all made their own luck. You will do it if you want it bad enough. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 4:29:22 AM EDT
[#22]
Never give up. Never surrender.
If you want it, pick yourself up, find a way, and do it again. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 6:48:56 AM EDT
[#23]
They need cops so bad I am sure you can find a place. It's pretty well known that cities can't get recruits. It's not in the city's best interest to fail for small things. Re-tests should be an option. Did you complain to the leadership?
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Posted: 7/6/2017 10:28:10 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
They need cops so bad I am sure you can find a place. It's pretty well known that cities can't get recruits. It's not in the city's best interest to fail for small things. Re-tests should be an option. Did you complain to the leadership? |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 11:58:04 AM EDT
[#25]
Was it a sponsored academy?
There are plenty of places hiring. Look in SoCal for an agency with their own academy or go east a little bit. Everywhere that is hiring in large numbers is having a heck of a time finding candidates. I doubt we would DQ someone in the academy, as long as they were trainable. You would be coming in on your days off to get to the passing point. We do that in everything except for the written tests, testing scenarios, and POST test. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 12:44:39 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Was it a sponsored academy? There are plenty of places hiring. Look in SoCal for an agency with their own academy or go east a little bit. Everywhere that is hiring in large numbers is having a heck of a time finding candidates. I doubt we would DQ someone in the academy, as long as they were trainable. You would be coming in on your days off to get to the passing point. We do that in everything except for the written tests, testing scenarios, and POST test. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 3:32:40 PM EDT
[#27]
I find it odd that you failed a required test and are not being offered remedial and an opportunity to retake the test.
You only failed the test once? |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 3:45:31 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I asked about appealing the decision and was told that they'd never seen something like this overturned, and even if it was the appeal process takes so long I'd still have to redo the whole academy. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 4:01:44 PM EDT
[#29]
OP, there is really 2 ways of going about this;
1. If you KNOW you can pass this places academy (not just think you can) then try again. *if you REALLY want to be with that department* (i see you have to put yourself through it so if $ is an issue.....) 2. Then go to a different agency. see if you can get on with 1 that you dont have to pay your way. I have been on for coming up on 18 years, and i have met more than plenty of people who its taken a few tries to get through. Either academics, physical, or life happens and they get dropped/have to drop. It sucks, but its how you handle yourself now that matters. good luck. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 4:05:24 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Join the military |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 5:30:21 PM EDT
[#31]
Thanks, everyone. I'm actually moving to the Sacramento area in a few weeks and I think I'll explore my options with the sheriff's office up there. Have to see when and where the academy would be and if it's possible to go through and earn a paycheck.
I really do appreciate all the words of encouragement. I've been pretty down since failing out a few weeks ago, and I only have a few LE friends who don't exactly live close so I haven't been able to talk to them a whole lot. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 6:29:15 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks, everyone. I'm actually moving to the Sacramento area in a few weeks and I think I'll explore my options with the sheriff's office up there. Have to see when and where the academy would be and if it's possible to go through and earn a paycheck. I really do appreciate all the words of encouragement. I've been pretty down since failing out a few weeks ago, and I only have a few LE friends who don't exactly live close so I haven't been able to talk to them a whole lot. I decided mine was going to be this..."They", (whoever) dont get to win. I will win. Every. Time. Standing on line in Ferguson being a racist cop. Being baited with horrible threats to my wife and children? They want me to lose my temper, lash out, and do something stupid. Fuck them, they dont get to win. Fighting some young Thunder cat who wants to run from cops then fight when grabbed.....fuck him, he doesnt get to win. An asshole defense attorney who is trying to trip you up on the stand or make you like something you're not...fuck him, he doesnt get to win. Some fucking instructor who doesnt like you for personal reasons or whatever and decides you failed a test and now get flunked out of the academy...fuck him, he doesnt get to win. You wanna be a cop, go be a cop. You'll probably end up in a better place, making more money, working for and with better people, with better benefits. That guy probably did you a favor and neither of you know it just yet. You'll go onto another academy, get hired by the better place, make better connections and retire making more money than he will, and will stumble into a great gig as a retired cop making more money doing less....and he'll come ask you for a job or a recommendation. I've literally seen that exact thing happen before. If you want be a cop...make it happen. If you dont, that's okay too...but you've come so close already, I dont know that I would let some tool keep from doing it. But I'm ornery like that.... 
Dont be down...get motivated. 
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Posted: 7/6/2017 7:17:08 PM EDT
[#33]
Go elsewhere.
We just hired two guys who failed the final academic test at the regional academy. They get a day 1 restart at our academy, but at least we know they can handle the bullshit. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 7:30:08 PM EDT
[#34]
Go back.
Find an excuse to win. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 7:48:22 PM EDT
[#35]
I can promise you one thing No agency will hire you if you quit.
Failing the skid pan isn't fatal (I am on our agencies command staff) Quitting is. Dust yourself off...you got this. If you want to wear the badge you gotta recognize bad things will come your way. It isn't the bad things most of the time, it is how you respond to them. |
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Posted: 7/6/2017 9:52:52 PM EDT
[#36]
See if the dept. will retread you. U.S. Border Patrol will give a serious hard working guy another chance. You had to be a 100% guy that tried hard to make it thru the academy. You have to remember that Dept has money invested in you even thou you washed out. Ask to be retreaded.
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Posted: 7/6/2017 10:21:40 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
See if the dept. will retread you. U.S. Border Patrol will give a serious hard working guy another chance. You had to be a 100% guy that tried hard to make it thru the academy. You have to remember that Dept has money invested in you even thou you washed out. Ask to be retreaded. |
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Posted: 7/7/2017 12:08:26 AM EDT
[#38]
Perseverance isn't easy, otherwise everyone would have the skill.
Do you? Any successful person has stories of perseverance. Mine was 3rd shift slinging boxes, 1st shift school, and a swing shift to make ends meet for 6 years. It sucked but now I am in my mid thirties, wife, 3 kids, good job, and what I want to be happy. I get what I want because I work for what I want. Simple. Do you? |
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Posted: 7/7/2017 7:09:27 AM EDT
[#39]
And we wonder why we end up with shit cops...
Fail a dude out for not skidding the right way but hire some idiot that skids better... I half expected this thread to be... Well, different. But yeah. I'd bitch up a storm. Especially if your practice runs were good. |
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Posted: 7/7/2017 3:49:25 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
And we wonder why we end up with shit cops... Fail a dude out for not skidding the right way but hire some idiot that skids better... I half expected this thread to be... Well, different. But yeah. I'd bitch up a storm. Especially if your practice runs were good. |
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Posted: 7/8/2017 11:36:53 AM EDT
[#41]
I know FD academy and PD academy aren't the same, and I am truly sympathetic to your situation. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Try again. If there is one thing we do a lot in fire/ems it is lose. We lose patients despite fantastic efforts, we burn houses down despite doing everything right. We lose. We lose. And then we lose some more. Then miraculously we get a win. And we get that win because we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, learn from our experience and go out the door on the next run. So my advice, much like all the other folks here, pick yourself up off the ground, dust yourself off, learn from the experience (also realize you have a 21 week learning advantage on all the other applicants) and go out the door again. Eventually you will get a win.
To all the other posters on the job, thanks for what you guys do. |
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Posted: 7/8/2017 2:10:54 PM EDT
[#42]
So if you wanna be a cop, fight to be a cop. If one door closes, kick another door open. There are thousands of state and local LE agencies, and dozens of Federal LE agencies. You have options...
If you are content to walk away and say to yourself "I don't think its worth it", then that's fine too. Not everyone is made to carry a shield and a gun. That's a choice you have to make with yourself and your loved ones. But if you want to take that direction, you just need to keep pushing until you get what you want. If that means working another job for a few hours a night and on the weekend to pay your way through the academy, then that's what you do. If it means moving to somewhere to find a department willing to hire you, then that's what you do. I work with guys who took a Fed LE job in NY, while their family stayed at home in texas or Montana or where ever, and they go home on long weekends or vacation time when they can. It sucks, but you do it for the goal at the end of the journey. Its just a question of how bad do you want it? How much are you willing to sacrifice? The only one who can give you those answers, is you. |
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Posted: 7/8/2017 7:14:12 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
And we wonder why we end up with shit cops... Fail a dude out for not skidding the right way but hire some idiot that skids better... I half expected this thread to be... Well, different. But yeah. I'd bitch up a storm. Especially if your practice runs were good. Ignoring standards is what makes shit cops. |
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Posted: 7/9/2017 12:48:11 PM EDT
[#44]
Keep trying and never give up. The worst they can do is say No.
I heard of a guy that got forced out of the Border Patrol academy. The instructors didn't like him, and screwed him. He came back, they tried to screw him again, and he didn't play their game, he passed and is now a great agent. |
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Posted: 7/9/2017 3:22:37 PM EDT
[#45]
Apply for the fire dept.
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Posted: 7/9/2017 11:41:10 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Was it a sponsored academy? There are plenty of places hiring. Look in SoCal for an agency with their own academy or go east a little bit. Everywhere that is hiring in large numbers is having a heck of a time finding candidates. I doubt we would DQ someone in the academy, as long as they were trainable. You would be coming in on your days off to get to the passing point. We do that in everything except for the written tests, testing scenarios, and POST test. |
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Posted: 7/10/2017 1:48:07 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Everyone has their own method of dealing with things in this job. I decided mine was going to be this..."They", (whoever) dont get to win. I will win. Every. Time. Standing on line in Ferguson being a racist cop. Being baited with horrible threats to my wife and children? They want me to lose my temper, lash out, and do something stupid. Fuck them, they dont get to win. Fighting some young Thunder cat who wants to run from cops then fight when grabbed.....fuck him, he doesnt get to win. An asshole defense attorney who is trying to trip you up on the stand or make you like something you're not...fuck him, he doesnt get to win. Some fucking instructor who doesnt like you for personal reasons or whatever and decides you failed a test and now get flunked out of the academy...fuck him, he doesnt get to win. You wanna be a cop, go be a cop. You'll probably end up in a better place, making more money, working for and with better people, with better benefits. That guy probably did you a favor and neither of you know it just yet. You'll go onto another academy, get hired by the better place, make better connections and retire making more money than he will, and will stumble into a great gig as a retired cop making more money doing less....and he'll come ask you for a job or a recommendation. I've literally seen that exact thing happen before. If you want be a cop...make it happen. If you dont, that's okay too...but you've come so close already, I dont know that I would let some tool keep from doing it. But I'm ornery like that....
Dont be down...get motivated. |
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Posted: 7/10/2017 4:19:10 PM EDT
[#48]
Thank you, everyone. My family and I are in the process of moving and once we're settled I'll be reaching out to all of the local departments to talk about their hiring process and such. Really do appreciate all the words of encouragement and advice.
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Posted: 7/15/2017 4:48:24 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Standards are there for a reason. Are you saying the academy should ignore their standards? Ignoring standards is what makes shit cops. The guy who showed he could do it 8 times and only failed 1 time is more deserving of a fail than the one who failed 8 times and passed 1 time? You pass the blind squirrel but fail the dude who fucked up one time.... Tell me how any of that makes sense to you... If he failed any of the practice runs, I would agree with you... But he didn't. He went 8 for 9. The one failure being the one that counted... She went 1 for 9... The one success being the one that counted... |
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Posted: 7/15/2017 9:24:39 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
But passing the girl who went 1 for 9 on the course but failing the dude who went 8 for 9 is the right thing to do? The guy who showed he could do it 8 times and only failed 1 time is more deserving of a fail than the one who failed 8 times and passed 1 time? You pass the blind squirrel but fail the dude who fucked up one time.... Tell me how any of that makes sense to you... If he failed any of the practice runs, I would agree with you... But he didn't. He went 8 for 9. The one failure being the one that counted... She went 1 for 9... The one success being the one that counted... Do you think the academy should allow ANYONE to not meet standards? |
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