Riveter (Asheville) changes and new management

FrankPS wrote:

Ha! Once it's posted on the Internet, it applies to everybody. Including you, apparently.

Happy New Year.

It's been my home gym for years, so yeah I'd say it absolutely does. I no longer have a welcoming home to climb indoors. They never excluded anybody, and with these changes many people are going to feel and be excluded. That's not what this city is about and is not what any climbing community should be about. You have no meaningful input on this topic as it relates to the WNC climbing community. Can't you go run for the HOA board where you live or something?

Yukon Cornelius wrote:

Yeah, I sometimes go to the Riveter when I visit friends in Asheville. Or at least I used to. Unsure if I will continue to support a business that operates this way. 

AVL has been through a lot lately, and a lot of people are leaving the area, either because their home got destroyed, or because the housing market is now fucked because so many homes got destroyed, or because their jobs are gone. The community at large is really going through it, so it's really extra shitty that the new management doesn't want to keep the staff around or continue group meet ups that can be so important to people.

This, exactly. Frank doesn't care at all about what we are going through here, but I appreciate your attempt to squeeze some empathy out of the old goat.

We've been dying for our community to reunite and mourn together, but also to get back to normal. The new owners are just extending the pain for those of us who found real community at Riveter. Removing groups that allowed people who aren't traditionally seen to find community in climbing together is awful, no matter how you spin it. Firing all your employees is awful, no matter how you spin it. Forcing a small business owner to give up their livelihood and passion is awful, no matter how you spin it. Frank is happy tho, because those dern liberals are upset. In a place he's never been, will never be, and that which will never affect his life. Supporting bigotry for the sake of the bigotry. 

There's probably a GREAT german word for the intense second hand embarrassment that I feel from reading frank's posts in this thread.

T Lego wrote:

Supporting bigotry for the sake of the bigotry. 

How did you work bigotry into this discussion? I knew you'd find a way to bring racism into this!

FrankPS wrote:

How did you work bigotry into this discussion? I knew you'd find a way to bring racism into this!

Seems to be the liberal equivalent of "woke" being used by conservatives. Just throw words out there that sound cool at the moment. I get that what happened in Ashville and surrounding areas sucks, lots of loved businesses are changing or closing. Maybe Frank isn't being sensitive but I feel like bigot is a reach. Pretty long armed one.

Franks trolling and subsequent feeding of said troll keeps this post at the top and more people see it, strokes chin,  hummmm do i engage hummm

frank ps the Troll, changed terms from “bigot” to “racist” which is projection lol

If you look back at any history you will see a lot of bigotry in well… any organized religion

Bunch of dirty pink hairless monkeys on a rock cruising through space, one monkey gets hit in the head and says he can now talk to giant sky monkey all the dumb monkeys follow him around, hail sky monkey talker! 

Builds hut full of petroleum based pho rocks attached to a wall.  Only believers in sky monkey talker are welcome to pay to touch our fancy petroleum pho rocks!! Absolutely no funky monkey juice, fumigating swamp grass or non monkey missionary position. Only touching pho rocks and hailing giant sky monkey.

Franky ps boy, talk to the giant sky monkey for me, i’ve got an itchy rash on my uhhhh “knee” I want to go away 

Ti ck wrote:

Franks trolling and subsequent feeding of said troll keeps this post at the top and more people see it, strokes chin,  hummmm do i engage hummm

frank ps the Troll, changed terms from “bigot” to “racist” which is projection lol

If you look back at any history you will see a lot of bigotry in well… any organized religion

Bunch of dirty pink hairless monkeys on a rock cruising through space, one monkey gets hit in the head and says he can now talk to giant sky monkey all the dumb monkeys follow him around, hail sky monkey talker! 

Builds hut full of petroleum based pho rocks attached to a wall.  Only believers in sky monkey talker are welcome to pay to touch our fancy petroleum pho rocks!! Absolutely no funky monkey juice, fumigating swamp grass or non monkey missionary position. Only touching pho rocks and hailing giant sky monkey.

Franky ps boy, talk to the giant sky monkey for me, i’ve got an itchy rash on my uhhhh “knee” I want to go away 

You talk a lot of shit behind that shield of anonymity.

This thread is about the gym in Asheville. I think you guys are looking for this thread:

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/200359014/thread-drift-beef-argue-here-instead-maybe

Brie Abram wrote:

According to multiple staff and published communications, the formerly silent partner of Riveter, Eric Macleod, has pushed out beloved owner/manager Elizabeth and plans to remake the gym into a more conservative/christian image. Reported changes include a conservative dress code (like no exposed belly buttons), the cancellation of organized BIPOC, LGBTQ, women, etc groups, closing the bar, and closure on the Sabbath (Saturdays). The upstairs yoga area is being closed and converted into an apartment for Eric. Few if any of the staff will return when they reopen.

Even if some folks are okay with the changes, the alleged circumstances surrounding Elizabeth’s forced outage through prolonged litigation and the staff’s job losses sound pretty shitty, and I feel like anyone who remains a member is supporting that shittiness.

Lots of people came to Riveter for the community they found on Mondays. With the destruction of Cultivate’s roped gym, the only alternative for those turned off by the changes will be Cultivate’s new Boards and bouldering locations, and those are unlikely to appeal to many non-boulderers

I was able to find on Reddit the email sent out by the new management about the ownership consolidation, etc.  There is no mention of the reported changes you mention Brie.  I also perused their IG, which is a total shit show at the moment, but couldn't find any specific statements about plans to cancel/forbid certain meet up groups, dress code changes, etc. 

I'm not doubting your claims, just looking for concrete evidence in a world where baseless claims are questioned far too little. Do you have more evidence beyond what you have already posted?

You describe a company systematically limiting the visibility and voices of certain groups based on inherent human qualities like skin color gender and sexual orientation- a near word for word definition of bigotry- totally uncool and frankly un-American AND ironically- not at all what Christ modeled during his life according to what's written in the Gospel... if that's what they're going for.  Real bummer.

ETA: The most recent IG post here has the most discussion with some of the ownership. Seems very obvious that many comments have been deleted, some of the threads are barely readable. But there is some direct discussion of some of the changes if you sift through. Brie, I assume the same, asks a lot tough questions- good work.

FrankPS wrote:

The locals are very quiet now. What happened to the pitchforks and torches?

They went here 

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/200359014/thread-drift-beef-argue-here-instead-maybe

where your response belongs.

Andy tried to steer it back but here you are, stirring the pot again... troll gonna troll

BigCountry wrote:

When you look up the definition of bigotry, racism is listed as a similar word so I don't think he "projected" that. I know you think the rest of what you said is cute but it really seems uneducated and illiterate. 2 things that separate us from the monkeys

yes racism is bigotry but there are forms of bigotry that are not racism that was the whole point of what I said. ie an organization that is not friendly to the gay community isn't racist but they are bigoted our troll made the shift from one to the other and they are not the same

big question.

WHY do you think they decided to restructure the organization?

Jake Jones wrote:

You talk a lot of shit behind that shield of anonymity.

nah my names kyle you know me, i've unfortunately met you, still working at the gym? you talk a lot of shit for such a short tick list.

Andy Shoemaker wrote:

I was able to find on Reddit the email sent out by the new management about the ownership consolidation, etc.  There is no mention of the reported changes you mention Brie.  I also perused their IG, which is a total shit show at the moment, but couldn't find any specific statements about plans to cancel/forbid certain meet up groups, dress code changes, etc. 

I'm not doubting your claims, just looking for concrete evidence in a world where baseless claims are questioned far too little. Do you have more evidence beyond what you have already posted?

You describe a company systematically limiting the visibility and voices of certain groups based on inherent human qualities like skin color gender and sexual orientation- a near word for word definition of bigotry- totally uncool and frankly un-American AND ironically- not at all what Christ modeled during his life according to what's written in the Gospel... if that's what they're going for.  Real bummer.

ETA: The most recent IG post here has the most discussion with some of the ownership. Seems very obvious that many comments have been deleted, some of the threads are barely readable. But there is some direct discussion of some of the changes if you sift through. Brie, I assume the same, asks a lot tough questions- good work.

Some of the changes were discussed in now-removed posts by former employees who are now blocked by the account with their comments deleted. Several of those employees shared emails and messages they received on their own personal IG Stories that detailed additional changes and policies. I’m sorry I don’t have screen shots of those stories, and I’m not sure if it would be kosher to share here regardless. I can say that the new management (Katherine, the owner’s wife) literally cited Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby as inspiration/justification

I’m not on MP daily or even weekly anymore mainly due to the increased frequency of low quality posts by users like frank. Sorry for the delayed response. 

FrankPS wrote:

The locals are very quiet now. What happened to the pitchforks and torches?

I and many others have cancelled our memberships, but I’m not sure what I have posted that could be fairly characterized as pitchforks and torches. Your mischaracterization of the posts does make it easier to dismiss or attack our disappointment with the situation 

FrankPS wrote:

What did you hope to accomplish with your original post?

Informing locals who may be unaware of the changes as many folks do not use other social media. An email that management sent to members after Helene offered voluntary continued membership payments to support the gym while it is closed. Anyone who is doing that may be especially interested.