No wonder why they hate us!

[semperfish]

My wife’s parents came down from Washington State and we went to Fort DeSoto beach today. They have a fishing pier and a nice beach as well as dog beach and dog park, as well as the old Spanish fort. There was a group of people with a couple kids riding Seadoos from the beach no more than 50 yards form where the pier meets the land. I started telling my wife and her parents how they shouldn’t be so close to the pier. At the end of our stay I saw a middle age woman take off with two kids in front of her on one of the Seadoos and I though to myself, “This aint good.” I saw them ride alongside the pier not even parallel to it and then I saw a man pick up a pole and point it to the Seadoo like he had caught it. Well the Seadoo stopped for a brief moment and then idled in to the shore. One of the guys went out and he started talking to the female on the Seadoo still by herself, the kids had come ashore. I said to my wife, “I have to go over and tell them they cannot do that and to stay away from the pier and to idle in and out of the beach area. Well, I went out to educate them and found the woman had been hooked by a lure in her leg. I went to my truck and got a pair of pliers and a pair or wire cutters and pushed the barb through and cut it and freed her leg of the lure. I then saw them start pulling in lines attached to the Seadoo, (Two lines in all and a lure with a leader in her leg, so three in all) A really big guy who was pulling the braided line in and asking, “What the heck is this?” I said, “See that’s why you have to stay away from all beach areas and fishing piers, you just took that guy’s $5 lure and $20 worth of braided line!” and he says, “Well, he deserves it! It all public beach!” Ok, I had to keep myself from going crazy on this guy, hoping the hooking had taught them all a lesson, so I just told him what the law was, and I hope they educate themselves. No wonder they hate PWC owners, it’s because of ignorance and the common mistake of constantly blaming the other person. We just had a horrible accident by the Rocky Point lagoon in St Pete in which a young man died after renting a Seadoo with another guy who cut right in front of him. Education is the key. I pray they make it mandatory to have a license soon. I believe this will cut down on alot of the idiocy, do you agree?

 

[Slug-O]

You make a very good point...

 

[JoeZ]

Man there is one thing that drives me crazy, and that is ignorance. I agree that there should be a license and class for the PWCs. They did it for motorcycles now where you are required to take the training class in order to get the license (instead of just taking a test).

The story you mentioned about rocky point is really tragic, and you hear it all the time. I suppose idiots will be idiots until there is some mandated education.

I'm going to move this thread over to Off Topic as it seems more appropriate there.

 

[Star_Burst]

They get it from their parents raise your ken correctly america !

 

[thulman]

Wow, what a story. It is true. Th ignorance and lack of common sense of the few that spoil it for the rest of us. Too bad that everyone can't be polite, smart and safe on the water so we can all have fun and enjoy ourselves but then I suppose that's a lot to expect, it doesn't happen on the road, why would it happen in the water.

 

[flash 800]

as much as I agree with you 110% I don't see how this guy having a licence prevents this from happening. Up here in Canada we already have mandated licencing and has done absolutely sweet F-all for making the waterways safer. A license will never eliminate this kind of behaviour

 

[scooper77515]

I agree. We all need licenses to drive cars, and yet stupid people do stupid things in their cars that kill themselves, and worse, injure and kill others.

A license just gives you permission to ride. Not to ride smartly.

 

[seadoosnipe]

License?...

Though I agree, it's really not going to change anything. We too have a mandated license requirement. You have to take a marine course and go to your local DMV to take the test and get your license (or endorsement).

But, if you look at laws, how many of them are on the books and how many of them do you think is adhered to 100%?.... None. It's illegal to drink and drive, they do it. It's agains't the law to shoot and kill someone, they do it. It's illegal to run a stop light, they do it. It's illegal to have sex with someone under 18, they do it.

Not that I don't disagree, I'm only stating what is factual. This "education" scenerio might have played out a lot different had you gone to educate a couple "dudes" between the ages of 22 and 30, 6 ft and 220 lbs. I learned a long time ago, I ain't the law and really, can't enforce them. If there is a problem like this, the best advice I'd give is .......... take the hull number down and report the incident to the local Marine Police department. Taking matters into your own hands can get you or others seriously hurt or killed.

Here where I live, riding along our piers isn't something you see PWC's do. That's because they know they "WILL" get a ticket. Our beach Island area is well patrolled. I know, in my river alone, I'll see two or 3 any given weekend. So, maybe in your area, a lack of enforcement is to blame.

 

[voodoo]

I agree with the license idea, the coast guard here gives a free primer class, the power squadron only charges 25bux and teach you anchoring-flags-whistles, this is all good info when you can not walk to a phone booth or drive closer to a tower for a cell signal.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Navigation...

I agree with the license idea, the coast guard here gives a free primer class, the power squadron only charges 25bux and teach you anchoring-flags-whistles, this is all good info when you can not walk to a phone booth or drive closer to a tower for a cell signal.

Our test is pretty much based on navigation and "right of way". Your taught the principle of port and starboard, lights and bouy's. Your taught who has the right of way inside shipping channels and outward in open waters. Your also taught the responsibilities of safe boating and marine laws. The most important laws they try to get sunk in are the PWC rules for safe operating. Which is where I usually give the advice here in the forum about speed.

Here, just because your ski can do over 70 mph, mean you can do it. If your at WOT in the river for example, you might get a ticket for unsafe driving (not speeding). That's because of the boat traffic and all the residents who live along the river. There are areas on the river you can go and run WOT. These areas are the less traveled. The areas where you'll find the Allison's beating the water at 100 mph.

My idea of the law though, sometimes isn't the way the law is perceived. For instance, the sign on the road that says, "slower traffic keep right". Well, to me, this means if someone comes up on your tail, you need to move over. Many people think just because they are doing the speed limit, they don't have to move over. My idea is that, the sign doesn't state "slower traffic keep right, except if your doing the speed limit", it only states to keep right. Many feel these kind of mis-interpretations of the law cause delays in allowing emergency vehicles or traffic from getting to their destiny on time.

The same is true with boaters. The law states you can't drink and drive. If your operating a boat, you can't have an open alcoholic beverage. But, if your at anchor at "hippie beach" with a beer in your hand, totally blitz and the Marine police comes by, he can't do a thing. I feel that the Marine police should have the power to at least ask the people of that boat, who the driver is. This way, at least he knows there won't be anyone driving that boat while someone is under the influence.

The laws reguarding piers. That must be regulated. Here, we have so many piers and marina's, I don't see how anyone with a PWC would want to ride near. You can't do very much near them. They did have a problem years back from PWC's riding inbetween the pilings of the Dauphin Island fishing pier. This is a very long pier and has some of the Islands most strongest currents. You really can't ride between them without being pushed into a piling. It is also illegal to beach a ski on the public beaches. Only those who own property beach their skis.

I think this is also a geographical problem. Places like Florida and California probably have some of the most PWC owners in the states, where laws might be a bit lax........ but it's responsibility by the drivers to ensure others safety as well as their own.:cheers: