Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

[Brian 26]

At my local ramp people tying their boats to the launch dock and blocking the ramp is a chronic problem. It's probably the busiest ramp on the busiest lake in the state. However it is a great ramp, 3 lanes, tons of parking and ample tie up docks. For locals, I'm talking about Grays Bay launch.

The problem is so bad that the city has put up signs that say you cannot tie up, not put cleats on these docks, added 3 very nice large padded tie up docks about 15 feet away, and even send police officer on busy days to tell people they can't tie up there.

I handle these people in one of three ways:
A) Ignore them and wait until another ramp opens - if it's not busy or they are not blocking me specifically I usually go this route
B) Calmly and polity tell them "just so you know for next time you can't leave your boat there"
C) Flat out say "you can't leave your boat there" - this one I rarely do and only do if it's obvious I'm about to launch in that lane and they are directly blocking me

With B and C I usually get some kind of a deer in headlights look along with a response like "I'm only tying up here until I _____" fill in the blank.

My end goal here is to help educate people and keep the ramp moving along for everyone. Sometimes I stop what I'm doing and help people load/launch and show them how to do it so in the future it moves faster for everyone. Although admittedly I'm a little OCD and seeing people doing something the wrong way when they could easily be doing it the right way drives me nuts.

The problem is that I just bought a shiny red Glastron GX235 and actually said to my wife on our first drive to the ramp with it - I can't really say anything to anyone at the ramp now because I'll look like some rich a-hole. Plus confronting people is really not the way I want to start my day on the water so option A has ruled for a while...... Until last week when a husband wife was so blatantly blocking me and my family I had to politely say you can't leave your boat there. The wife (who was standing about 24 inches away from the sign that says don't leave your boat at this dock) jumps in and yells "WHY DON'T YOU TAKE A CHILL PILL!"

My question to you guys is should I just give up and keep my mouth shut so I don't look like a pushy rich a-hole? Thanks for any input and letting me get it off my chest.

(gratuitous new boat pic)

 

[JB]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Yes, Brian, you are being too pushy. If you want to launch at Gray's Bay you will have to put up with what you describe the way you put up with bottlenecks on the highways.

Go to Waconia or one of the ten thousand other MN lakes.

 

[quad59]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Unfortunately you can try all you want but society being what it is today people just do not care, all about me attitude. I would say suck it up and ignore them, start your day off on a good note. Back your rig to the waters edge and wait, maybe someday they will get the hint, insert your cliche now " cant fix stupid", " lead a horse to water......" etc.

 

[kungpaoshizi]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

The ramp I use near here, has 4 lanes.
I was once waiting at the top of the ramp for a guy to pull out. As soon as he pulled out, I walked to hop in the drivers seat, and another guy pulled up in between me and the ramp, and did a 90 degree back-up down the ramp, effectively "cutting in line"... lol

 

[ricohman]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I have learned to mellow out. If some dude is going to take 5-10 minutes out of my day, then it is what it is.
Maybe someday I will do the same for some odd reason? Either way, it just isn't worth the frustration and I accept it as I would any traffic problem.
I adopted this attitude after watching a fist fight break out a couple of years ago. I never want to be like those guys.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

With option B & C you're wasting your breath.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

The ramp I use near here, has 4 lanes.
I was once waiting at the top of the ramp for a guy to pull out. As soon as he pulled out, I walked to hop in the drivers seat, and another guy pulled up in between me and the ramp, and did a 90 degree back-up down the ramp, effectively "cutting in line"... lol

the guy did nothing wrong... you should have already been in the driver's seat, engine running and in gear before the guy cleared the ramp if you intended to go next... if you weren't ready to launch you should have been back in the staging area if there is one of expecting to be passed if there isn't

EDIT: unless he bypassed the entire line... in that case he was wrong... it should have been the guy right behind you doing the passing

O/P you are right and wrong... these people are retards just as much as (one of my biggest pet peeve's) people on on ramps expecting highway traffic to yield for them and the retards in the slow lane that swerve in front of faster traffic (me) making me nail the brakes so the other retard on the ramp can meander into 70 mph traffic at 40 mph without any effort or planning whatsoever.

The problem is that rich or poor..... you can't fix stupid, unreasonably ignorant, or inconsiderate people..... they outnumber us 1000:1 and 99% of the smart people are indifferent so those of us that do it right and get bothered by the retards are outnumbered 100,000:1

Note I used the term retard in the popular slang meaning for lack of a better term and meant no disrespect to those people with developmental disabilities.


On a positive note a friend and I took out two of my jetskis yesterday and had em tied up at a marina while we sat outside eating a pizza... two guys in a bass boat came by plowing at the worst possible speed 5 feet away from the skis and knocked the hell out of them on the dock and tied up at the fuel pump... I was nearly fighting mad right away but I sat there and finished my piece of pizza and calmly walked over... I very nicely said " Hey bud, I'm not trying to start any trouble but,... and explained about wake damage and how "going slow" but faster than idle was the worst thing you could do. We had a very pleasant conversation and I explained a few other things for him... he was a novice boater and was very thankful and apologetic.... I also explained that while my skis weren't damaged that next time the same action could cost him thousands of $$$ and again he thanked me and said it had never occurred to him... last I suggested a safe boater course and he indicated he didn't know such a thing existed and would take one asap.....

As a society we are failing..... even many of the really good people wrong others just because they weren't taught any better but DAMN is it nice when someone truly 'gets it' and an encounter goes so well that could have gone really bad.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Grays Bay launch sucks Try the one on the other side of the lake at the Minnetrista park. And just for fun, a new Glastron doesn't make you anywhere near a rich a-hole on Minnetonka (land of the 100K wakeboard boat)

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Well I don't know there's any action you can take that's going to help plus a Glastron on Minnetonka doesn't make you look rich on a rich person's lake. I'd say it makes you look frugal on that particular lake.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Its not a problem other people are going to solve its a problem you are going to solve by finding your inner zen with the boat ramp gods. If it gets crazy busy just sit back and watch the show. Some times it takes me 45min just to tie up so I can grab the truck.

 

[kungpaoshizi]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

the guy did nothing wrong... you should have already been in the driver's seat, engine running and in gear before the guy cleared the ramp if you intended to go next... if you weren't ready to launch you should have been back in the staging area if there is one of expecting to be passed if there isn't

EDIT: unless he bypassed the entire line... in that case he was wrong... it should have been the guy right behind you doing the passing

I was standing there watching the guy loading up (can't see the bottom of the ramp in the driver seat since it's steep)
But ya, he almost my boat there wasn't very much room. And he did bypass myself and the rest of the people waiting.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

don't need to see the bottom.... when he comes over the top you are ready and you go

 

[britisher]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

What goes around, comes around. Remember the boat the a******s were launching and when they wave frantically when they are broken down in the middle of the lake, sail serenely by and wave!!

 

[agallant80]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Few weekends ago I was stuck behind this guy hoggin the ramp. I mean this guy was fixing his trailer at the ramp after he put the boat in, took for ever to park his truck, when he got back he spent another 10-15 min messing around on the boat, everything you can imagine. I was getting so mad at him. the lain next to him freed up so I pulled in there. He looks at me and compiments me at how well I was able to dock. We chatted for a few moments and realised he was not a bad guy just did not know any better. Im sure if I tried to give him an education no matter how polite it would have gone different.

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I think that some of the problem here is simply that many of us have been boating for years and years. I've been boating for 39 years and ramp behavior is second nature. It's tough to watch a seemingly mature adult with a complete disregard or lack of understanding at the ramp. They look like they should know and thus they must be self absorbed. Probably some are but I suppose it's hard to tell every time without a chat.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Play it like you're doing them a favor, point to the sign, and tell them local LEO's are handing out $100 fines if they don't re-tie at the designated tie up docks.

 

['78 Crusader]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

The problem is that I just bought a shiny red Glastron GX235 and actually said to my wife on our first drive to the ramp with it - I can't really say anything to anyone at the ramp now because I'll look like some rich a-hole.

(gratuitous new boat pic)

Seriously doubt anyone would consider you a rich A-hole with a Glastron GX235.....

As others have already mentioned above....either become a little more patient or find another ramp. Ya just can't fix stupid....

 

[britisher]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

I think that many people live in their own little bubble world for the most part and has been already said by another poster we have a me me mentality these days. Without trying to stray off thread, there are 2 other instances which tee me off.
One is at the checkout when the person in front is on the phone and is not taking the slightest bit of notice of anything or anyone around them, including the check out person. They just come over as self-centered and rude.
The other instance is at the gas pumps. How many time shave you pulled into the garage and have to wait for a pump to get free. You watch the 'pumpers' finish (they are usuallu either on the phone and/or smoking at the same time (yikes)) and then you are ready to move, only to find that they've decided to go into the gas store to pay for their gas and do their weekly shop!! Then there is the other type who having finished pumping gas, decides to pay inside and when they come back out , they can see you waiting, but then take their ******g time doing up their seat belt, re-stowing their handbag, adjusting their hair, anything but starting the frigging vehicle and moving off.
The boa ramp is no different!

 

[kungpaoshizi]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

don't need to see the bottom.... when he comes over the top you are ready and you go

Bah, a technicality.. The guy should have seen me easier then

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Boat Ramp Etiquette - Am I being to pushy

Too pushy? If someone's hogging the ramp without good reason (like the TV won't start), then NO, informing someone tactfully they need to get out of the way is NOT being pushy...

I get a kick out of the "rich a-hole" reference... below is a classic example of some gen u wine rich a-holes. 2 pics, time stamps included. Brand new pretty white Cobalt, towed by a brand new pretty while Escalade. Over $100 grand in 2004 dollars, so "rich" applies. This is Memorial Day, busiest boating day of the year. Boats waiting to launch were 20-cars deep past the harbor entrance.

The Cobalt wouldn't start. Should we get off the ramp and fix it in the parking lot so others can launch? HELL no, I'm a rich a-hole, and I'll lose my spot!

27 minutes from my first picture till they finally launched, and they'd been sitting there for a good 10 minutes or more before I decided to take the first pic.

Hog the ramp on the busiest day of the year? "Inconsiderate" is an extreme understatment...

And coming in second place, the blue Reinell on the bottom left of the pics with the drive that won't go down. While he was MOSTLY out of the way, the bow of his boat effectively blocked the first launch lane for, well, a LONG time. At least he was MOSTLY out of the way, but he could've easily moved the boat to the other side of that ramp, and never did. Not so much rich as clueless...