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hi_vis360
November, 2024

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Bar up on Chairlift

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MPoub
Posts: 479 - Karma: 988
Why do people think that having the bar up when riding the chairlift is cool?
Already seen it a few times kinda ticks me off, especially when i put the bar down and get chirped for it.
Whats wrong with safety?
Nov 30 2019 10:01AM
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Hysix
Posts: 23 - Karma: 143
Helmets as well, just wear one
Nov 30 2019 10:06AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37540 - Karma: 121,590
Its mandatory for my job whenever im in coaches uniform so i dont mind it. Just hollar when you bring it down especially with helmets. Cant tell you how many times someone from the east assumes everyone is on the same page and slams the bar down possibly partly compromising the impact liners in the helmets by slamming metal on it.
Nov 30 2019 10:49AM
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clindblomskier
Posts: 686 - Karma: 5,141
It’s kinda dumb that people think it’s cool to have the bar up. If I’m tired there’s not a lot keeping me from falling asleep and falling off the lift. I just put it down to the dismay of my snowboarder friends that want to look cool
Nov 30 2019 12:02PM
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cyphers
Posts: 1679 - Karma: 18,607
you're literally just sitting in a chair
Nov 30 2019 12:29PM
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MPoub
Posts: 479 - Karma: 988
A chair 30ft above the ground.
cyphersyou're literally just sitting in a chair
Nov 30 2019 12:32PM
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ASSholebomber22
Posts: 6679 - Karma: 70,684
cyphersyou're literally just sitting in a chair


Same reason you don't wear a seatbelt, huh
Nov 30 2019 12:36PM
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eheath
Posts: 61648 - Karma: 123,472
Bar down seems to be a huge east coast thing from my experience, especially since in some states its the law to have it down. I grew up skiing chair lifts with no bars and ill never put a bar down, unless my feet hurt and i wanna rest em.
Nov 30 2019 12:58PM
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eheath
Posts: 61648 - Karma: 123,472
DeebieSkeebiesIts mandatory for my job whenever im in coaches uniform so i dont mind it. Just hollar when you bring it down especially with helmets. Cant tell you how many times someone from the east assumes everyone is on the same page and slams the bar down possibly partly compromising the impact liners in the helmets by slamming metal on it.


i hate nothing more than when some gapers rip the bar down before we even leave the station and i've got a backpack, camera, tripod, etc it sucks haha
Nov 30 2019 12:59PM
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abar.
Posts: 1062 - Karma: 6,889
Yeah no one puts the bar down where I'm from
Nov 30 2019 1:44PM
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CLQ
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 11,261
BiffbarfSame reason you don't wear a seatbelt, huh


Not even close to the same thing. Putting the bar down is like wearing a seatbelt while sitting on your couch. Also no one is leaving the bar up to be "cool."
Nov 30 2019 1:51PM
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SavageBiff
Posts: 3483 - Karma: 14,753
It’s kinda common round here to ask , “ ok if I put the bar down “. That said there’s always those that just bang it down , which for me first thing I do is sit and tilt my head so I dont get my head helmet or GoPro whacked
it’s appreciated to give people a heads up before u lower it and give em a sec to prepare their gear
Nov 30 2019 1:56PM
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MPoub
Posts: 479 - Karma: 988
“Couch”
CLQNot even close to the same thing. Putting the bar down is like wearing a seatbelt while sitting on your couch. Also no one is leaving the bar up to be "cool."
Nov 30 2019 2:10PM
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FaunaSkis
Posts: 610 - Karma: 6,599
A Euro perspective: chairlifts in europe regularly go long distances, high up and over gnarly terrain and so generally I'm pretty happy with even the facade of more safety with having a bar. Also with modern lifts that can run in higher winds I appreciate the bar when the chairs are swinging.

That being said, I'll not bother with the bar on short, low lifts over normal terrain.

Aggresive bar users can gtfo though. check everyone's paying attention before you lower it, its just common decency.
Nov 30 2019 2:23PM
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zoinked
Posts: 240 - Karma: 1,356
Either way is fine to me but when I’m minding my own business and some mother with their two racer kids slams the bar down on my head without any warning of doing it really grinds my gears
Nov 30 2019 2:55PM
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crustyboot.420
Posts: 989 - Karma: 4,275
Where I'm from if you leave the bar up people will think u are some dumbass gaper who doesn't know how to use a chairlift
Nov 30 2019 3:10PM
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grifrowl
Posts: 200 - Karma: 471
The ones with footrests are money. The footrest free bars with hella knobs that got installed at Alta several years ago can go fuck off though. I swear they were specifically designed to smash clothing, thighs and testes.
Nov 30 2019 3:25PM
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BayAreaJerry
Posts: 332 - Karma: 1,138
my mom got a concusion from a lift guy slamming the bar down on her head while she was trying to sit down. No idea how she got slammed that hard but it really goofed her speech and memory for a couple months
Nov 30 2019 3:38PM
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SKRockies
Posts: 606 - Karma: 1,689
Amount of times I’ve hit my head on the bar when it stays up: 0
Amount of times I’ve hit my head on the bar when it comes down: almost every time
Nov 30 2019 3:56PM
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OCoffey
Posts: 648 - Karma: 3,697
HA

where I ski there are no bars
Nov 30 2019 4:05PM
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B_K
Posts: 723 - Karma: 1,293
Bar down = - 500 points
Nov 30 2019 4:17PM
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
Not a fan of the bar personally, but have no problem if someone else puts it down AS LONG AS THEY SAY THEY ARE DOING SO.


Cannot count the number of times some once-a-year skier in rental gear has slammed the bar down on my gear
Nov 30 2019 4:42PM
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hi_vis360
Posts: 5104 - Karma: 51,801
anyone who thinks that putting the bar down makes you less cool is under the age of 15 guaranteed
Nov 30 2019 5:28PM
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Mr.Lumpyjumbles
Posts: 157 - Karma: 1,442
If I'm with other people I just leave it how they want it. I don't feel any less safe either way as long as people say if they are putting it down. I've almost been knocked off of a chairlift after getting hit in the head with the bar coming down.

If I'm by myself I sometimes put it down and sometimes don't. The leg rest is sometimes nice.
Nov 30 2019 5:56PM
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gbparkrat
Posts: 2 - Karma: 18
dont care if you use a bar but at least say something first. i dont use one cuz my home mountain doesnt have them and ive never seen anyone fall off. if there isnt a footrest i dont use it. when im with snowboarders i dont wither cuz its annoying and uncomfortable for them. no ones doing it to “look cool” it just doesnt seem very hard to stay on a lift when all it is is literally a chair
Nov 30 2019 6:25PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37540 - Karma: 121,590
eheathi hate nothing more than when some gapers rip the bar down before we even leave the station and i've got a backpack, camera, tripod, etc it sucks haha

Its worse with gear, man. Way worse. Id hate to lose a bag of expensive camera stuff like you got. It sucks anytime and especially when people get pissy when you call them out for it.

Footrests are chill for anyone whos got bad knees or ankles/feet but i keep it up and its not a cigarette smoking type of "im the shit", its just that its not too hard to sit down in a moving chair that does the work for you.

**This post was edited on Nov 30th 2019 at 6:47:19pm
Nov 30 2019 6:45PM
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b0ss
Posts: 798 - Karma: 6,307
"im too tall"
and
"its too heavy to get back up at the top"
works on moms everytime
Nov 30 2019 7:23PM
4 0
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ASSholebomber22
Posts: 6679 - Karma: 70,684
CLQNot even close to the same thing. Putting the bar down is like wearing a seatbelt while sitting on your couch. Also no one is leaving the bar up to be "cool."


Ever ridden on the bench seat of a caddy? Pretty much a rolling sofa.

Anyways, yeah you're simply sitting and yeah you're only goin a few mph and yeah odds are you'll be fine by a long shot BUT people still fall off the damn things and the bar is peace of mind for many.

Anyways, bar up bar down whatever, just don't be a chode about it and enjoy the ride.
Nov 30 2019 7:31PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7511 - Karma: 36,436
I have to since I am an employee of the resort and now I am so used to it being down I always put it down because I don't want to think its down and lean on it.

Always gotta alert the other people on the lift before putting it down, but there are occasionally some people that still act like its a huge hassle, then its just nice to wait as long as possible before putting it up.
Nov 30 2019 7:41PM
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SkiBoi420
Posts: 27 - Karma: 112
If you can’t sit on a chairlift without falling off, bar or not, you are doing something wrong. Either way if people want the bar down that’s fine but if your the guy that just pulls it down 5 seconds after you get on without saying anything and now my poles and skis are stuck under the bar it pisses me off! Just have some manners and ask the other people on the chair if they mind first
Nov 30 2019 8:39PM
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Done_and_done
Posts: 181 - Karma: 647
Ironic how we have comfort bars on high-speed quads which have the widest/safest seats by far.
Even though for decades they were non-existent on center-pole double chairs (much narrower/harder to load).

I grew up very conscious of how dangerous a fall off the chair was and didn't mess around loading.
So when things got windy, sure as shit I was clutching the back of the double-chair for dear life.

tldr: My grandpappy, my dad, myself and my son have never needed a bar to not fall of the lift.
Nov 30 2019 10:35PM
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marsh874
Posts: 8 - Karma: 22
Honestly I don’t care either way but can’t say the bar’s ever saved me so I don’t put it down but it pisses me off if someone rips it down way earlier and hits me with it
Nov 30 2019 10:40PM
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WoFIowz
Posts: 9791 - Karma: 72,407
Ah yes, the chairlift bar thread. This topic should be stickied so it can be 100 pages long and that way there aren't 100 threads on it.

For real though, I think everyone can agree that no one is going to get in a tizzy if you want the bar down. Just be respectful and let everyone know, hey coming down. Make sure everyone is aware and has the time to get situated. Nothing worse than almost getting smashed in your neck with the bar or pinching your thigh. Anyone who vehemently denies bars and is an asshole when people want it down can royally go fuck themselves.

Some places it's culture to have it up or down. Some kids actually do think they're cool with it up. Others it's difficult such as snowboarders and certain lifts. Many prefer it for an extra sense of safety. If everyone can just be reasonable with everyone, we all can just get along.


The bigger travesty is folks who can't get on or off the lift and are skiing on lifts that primarily access advanced/expert terrain. That's what pisses me off. That's day 1 of skiing level skill. If you fall off a chairlift and are the cause, you are a Jerry.
Nov 30 2019 11:49PM
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BedBugDoug
Posts: 590 - Karma: 2,253
A fun game to play is chicken at the top. Put ur skis on the footrest and pretend you don't notice the top is coming up and people start freaking out. It's super fun to play while lapping the singles line
Dec 1 2019 12:19AM
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elcheapo
Posts: 3449 - Karma: 13,976
Saw the title and was thinking drinks but I think their just an extra hassle but is up to who ever puts it down, I don't
Dec 1 2019 5:03AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51744 - Karma: 163,523
My mom makes us put the bar down but she doesn't ride with us much. Bar down is for noobs. We're cool af. Bar up all the time.
Dec 1 2019 10:20AM
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Lonely
Posts: 6768 - Karma: 62,145
In the midwest the lift rides are so short by the time you get the bar down it's already time to put it back up.

Just a hassle when you're vibing. Don't care if you do or don't as long as you don't smack me in the head with it on the way down.
Dec 1 2019 11:08AM
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d00d
Posts: 2687 - Karma: 7,086
If someone puts the bar down without asking just very politely slap the bar back as hard as you can and yell "rejected". Great conversation starter for the rest of the ride.
Dec 1 2019 11:44AM
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ScarffnBarff
Posts: 10 - Karma: 49
d00dIf someone puts the bar down without asking just very politely slap the bar back as hard as you can and yell "rejected". Great conversation starter for the rest of the ride.


Along similar lines: big fan of blocking the bar from going down/pushing up on it and passive aggressively saying, "Oh, are you interested in putting the bar down? Okay!"

An alternative hit: 'resting' one's arm in a position that prevents the bar from coming down until people demonstrate appropriate behavior and ask if all are ready for the bar to come down.

I wear a helmet. Unsure how many times it has prevented concussion during falls. Has prevented head getting smashed by bar 25+ times.
Dec 1 2019 2:22PM
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methscratchface
Posts: 1204 - Karma: 4,445
mountains round here have old lifts with no bars. absolutely no need for a bar. more of a hassle. dont be a puss.
Dec 1 2019 2:39PM
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270on420out
Posts: 7514 - Karma: 51,160
If you somehow manage to fall off the chairlift then that’s just natural selection at work (excluding children bc kids have poor spatial awareness).

The bar’s orientation is 100% based on convenience and comfort, not looking cool.

**This post was edited on Dec 1st 2019 at 5:59:02pm
Dec 1 2019 5:58PM
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itzPebbs
Posts: 91 - Karma: 186
I agree that having the bar down is always a good idea and when the chair is super high off the ground I always will remember to put the bar down. Idk tho for me it’s pretty easy to forget to do first thing on the lift.
Dec 1 2019 8:32PM
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CT_CREW
Posts: 671 - Karma: 3,520
Stupid thread is stupid....Again.
Dec 1 2019 8:58PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4814 - Karma: -704
One of the reason I wear a winter hat usually when skiing inbounds is the extra height on the hemlet gets it hit.

Gaper dads are the worst slamming it with extra force and you have to listen to some ridiculously lame convo they are forcing on their kid after talking in stupid voices etc etc.

I put it down with footrests tho to save my legs.
Dec 1 2019 11:19PM
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MPoub
Posts: 479 - Karma: 988
My bad man. Meant for the thread to focus on the 12 year olds that try to insult me for putting the damn bar down.
CT_CREWStupid thread is stupid....Again.
Dec 2 2019 12:17AM
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whackhouse
Posts: 736 - Karma: 939
I like to ride with the bar down. I can also do a kfed. AMA
Dec 2 2019 10:01AM
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skierman_jack
Posts: 1671 - Karma: 17,542
Ngl i straight up forget to put it down 😂

But I think this is just one of many stupid ways that people try to flex how cool they are. Met this guy in the park on Saturday that just blew my head off. He probably spent over 2k on his outfit and magnus 90s with Pivot 18s but he couldn’t even do a rail. He was blowing vape in everyone’s faces and heckling people from the lift while he couldn’t ski well himself. I get in the lift with him and he gives me shit for putting the bar down when my 12 year old brother who is scared of heights ( and could kick his ass in the park) is with me and I literally just stood him up I was like dude cut the shit. It’s people like that that really degrade the sport. We should be working together to get better not judging people based on their safety habits
Dec 2 2019 11:17AM
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JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,179
If there foot rest I pull bar down. If there no foot rest I no pull bar down. I yell bar if I pull down. There no bar where I slide.
Dec 2 2019 12:57PM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 1,115
Nothing is as thrilling in skiing as dodging a quick rip down on the bar
Dec 2 2019 1:03PM
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GrandThings
Posts: 3166 - Karma: 31,947
I only put the bar down when I'm smoking because for some reason I assume that .5 inch metal bar might prevent me from dropping my lighter

...I am aware this makes no sense at all
Dec 2 2019 2:35PM
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SKRockies
Posts: 606 - Karma: 1,689
Was it Steve stunt?
SkylineGTR_R32But I think this is just one of many stupid ways that people try to flex how cool they are. Met this guy in the park on Saturday that just blew my head off. He was blowing vape in everyone’s faces and heckling people
Dec 2 2019 6:38PM
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