Another midair in the pattern

I don't think it is helpful for a guy on the ground to be trying to
act as a one man control tower.......

Cookie

I was number 2 in the pattern, not 'one guy on the ground trying to
act as a one man control tower', but you miss the real issue which is
to keep the ships separated. In my example I had seen red tow near the
airport, but he hadn't called down-wind and I wanted to know where he
was. All of my examples really happened, I'm not making them up. I say
again, any transmission that helps prevent a midair is in no way
misuse of the radio. Asking if anyone is in the pattern at XXX or any
gliders up near YYY may result in no reply 95% of the time, but what
harm has been done? Every now and then the asker will be alerted to
someone he hadn't seen or knew was there. I see this sort of call a
lot from pilots that regularly fly near gliderports. I see no harm in
being extra vigilant.
JJ