One thing that ground me down were the people, and I'm sure that every gliding club has them, that turned up at 11pm, expected to fly by 2pm, got the best part of the day and left at 5pm; leaving muggins on the winch/retrieval/duty piloting who'd been there since 7am to scrape a couple of five minute circuits at the end of the day. I can't do that, I'm just not thick skinned enough. Some people are. I know glider flights can be short but in my first year as a powered pilot I racked up more hours than I did in five as a glider pilot.
It does happen and usually someone will have a quiet word in that individual's ear if they try it on more than a couple of times. You also have to bear in mind that sometimes that individual will have been up at the club in the week for several days/evenings in a row overhauling the winch/servicing the tug/painting the clubhouse and has managed to escape domestic duties for a few hours to grab a flight. The Chief Flying Instructor may be aware of this and not shouted it from the roof tops.
Most of us get left on the winch a bit too long on occasions and start having homicidal thoughts towards the rest of the club
. I thought it was just me until I mentioned it at ours the other day. It turns out its quite prevalent!
. Don't be afraid to speak up (politely, but firmly) if it happens you. A bitter, sunburnt, dehydrated winch driver is part of an accident waiting to happen.