"I am a mahjongg enthusiast and instructor, and I run a mahjongg social at a public park. We have a group of 20 to 50 players who meet up and use tables reserved for our group. Everyone knows how to play, and we welcome all levels of players. We do not, however, provide lessons, as it is a complex game to learn."
"A young woman approached me as the leader of the group and demanded to be placed at a table, although she did not know how to play. She had been playing a matching tile game on her phone which calls itself mahjongg but has nothing to do with the actual game, in either its Asian or American variant. I told her I would be unable to place her, but she was welcome to observe, and I could provide information on where to take lessons."
"She said, Well, that's not very inclusive, and became insistent that she could just sit down and pick it up. When I told her it was too complex to learn that way she began to berate me and ask me personal questions about whether I have ever been excluded. I referred her to the park staff, who spoke to her. When I was leaving, I saw that she had bullied one of our players into giving her a free lesson."
A mahjong social meets in a public park with 20 to 50 players using reserved tables. Players generally know how to play and the group does not provide lessons because mahjong is complex to learn. A newcomer who had only played a phone matching game demanded placement at a table, insisted she could learn by joining, and accused organizers of being exclusionary. The newcomer berated organizers, questioned personal experience with exclusion, and coerced a player into a free lesson. Organizers should clarify whether beginners are welcome, define what constitutes a beginner, and set consistent rules about lesson requirements.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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