I actually think you are quite wrong about the views of the RN regulars Trehorn.
A lot of their disrespect for RNR comes from remarks like yours about "doing their job for fun and more money"
The id of the average Matelot is very very complex. The possessive factor of his nature is greater than you can understand without being one.
You see it all the time in this forum if you want proof.
Example. a chief petty officer retired lets say four years makes a comment about the conduct of serving jack, and you will see a coming together of serving ratings quicker than a heard of elephants protecting their young.(And quite right so)
MY ships a load of shit.......yes it is....... is not the right answer...why? would be better.
You go aboard a ship for a few weeks or even months....its not your ship, it will never be.
You criticise the Navy, you ain't entitled is their view. But they can, its their family. They wont come to your place of work and trash the infrastructure,.
Jack don't give a ****??????? Don't you ever believe that for one second, he gives a **** alright, but you ain't going to see it.
Call your wife a fat ugly bitch. You going to let me join in? Didn't think so.
You may well train to do a job. So did he. You walk on the ship thinking you are as good as him. You ain't he does it 24/7, and when he first started as a regular he was told by the experienced hands how gash he was until he'd been doing it for months straight.
Six months after I left the Andrew, I would have been the handicap in my action station until worked up and into the crew.
Could take months, but I still knew the job like you know yours.
When new ships companies come together they need to work up, and that's after they have done a PCT in their own particular part of ship.
And now you think I'm a ex having a go. No not true, I was an instructor with the RNR as a PSI at HMS Forward, so have seen the view from both sides of the field. I concur the RNR are sometimes the brunt of the joke and the quickest way to stop it is roll with it and laugh at yourselves a tad, jack does it all the time.
Still I suppose opinions are like ********* we've all got one and that's mine.