Water safety

[artburr]

Last Spring, my 84 year-old buddy (now deceased) and I (age 76) took my new (to me)16 foot Alumacraft out for a trial run on the Willamette River here in Oregon. The 40 hp Nissan pushed it pretty well in fact it was down-right exciting because I had never had more than 15 hp before. Since it was early in the year, there was lots of water and a strong current. After we tooled around a bit, I decided to head for shore and ask my wife if she wanted a ride. As we approached shore, probably a little too fast, I spotted a large jagged rock just under the surface that the current was pushing us toward. My reaction was that if I just gave it a little more throttle, I could miss it. The next thing that I knew, the boat was mostly on the beach, narrowly avoiding a State marine safety officer who happened to be watching. "A little out of control, weren't you?" he said. I explained that I had just bought the boat and wasn't used to the controls yet. "Ok", he said, "show me your registration". I said that I didn't have one, just a bill of sale and that was at home. He just shook his head and walked away. And, oh yes, my wife had decided that she didn't want a ride.

 

[Winger Ed.]

Re: Water safety

Originally posted by Art B:<br />He just shook his head and walked away.

If you'd been a young guy doing that--- that Warden would have been writting tickets for 30 minutes.<br /><br />But in your case:<br /><br />Retired guys tend to appear in court instead of just mailing in the check, like violators are supposed to do.<br /><br />When the court date comes up; they'll put on all their neck braces, Oxygen gear, walkers, canes, maybe even in a wheel chair, and the well practiced, "I'm on a fixed income ya know" speach, and have a nurse bring them in for the court apperance.<br /><br />Once in Court---<br /><br />When they get done with various routines like:<br />"I can't pay a big fine and still be able to eat for the next few months". <br />"Does the Jail have handicap access"? <br />"Does the Jail have hospital beds, or should I arrange to bring mine from the nursing home"?<br /><br /> <br />It all makes the Officer look he's a nasty old bully of a Cop, and is just picking on old folks because they can't run fast enough to get away like the high school kids drinking beer that he should be out trying to catch.<br /><br /><br />After a Cop has been suckered in like that once or twice,,, Most of them tend to leave old folks alone.<br /><br /><br />Ed.<br /><br />'Old age and treachery, will overcome youth and skill'.

 

[JB]

Re: Water safety

Hey, Art!<br /><br />At last I found a member older than me!

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Water safety

Originally posted by JB:<br /> Hey, Art!<br /><br />At last I found a member older than me!

But you are an ICON. What does Icon mean?? Is it a bad thing?

 

[cbnoodles]

Re: Water safety

I<br />Censor<br />Online<br />Nitwits

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Water safety

LOL

 

[cbnoodles]

Re: Water safety

Bump. Because I liked it. That's why.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Water safety

Wow! If you'd done that here you'd have been breath-tested, licence-checked, rego-checked and fined for violating the "4kts within 30m (100ft) of the shore" limit. Young, old or in-between, our Maritime guys are fair... they fine EVERYONE!

 

[Seamus]

Re: Water safety

No, I'm afraid Winger is right. God, how I look forward to being a crotchety, old fart. I'm oly 34 and already am going bald, have grey in my beard, most of my lower joints don't work right in the winter (usually starts a day before the wind shifts to the north - no kidding) and my hands occassionally go numb when my back won't straighten out right, so I figure I'm nearly there! I'll go into court with my cane(already have one I use sometimes in the winter) and stare distractedly around and address the bailif as "yer honour" and make half assed excuses. Oh it will be sweet...

 

[Winger Ed.]

Re: Water safety

Originally posted by Seamus McFadden:<br /> . Oh it will be sweet...

I'm 50, and am rather looking forward to 'Geezerdom', and the added benifits it brings when talking with 'kids' under about 40.<br /><br />I've been having fun with various law enforcement Officers for about 10 years now on matters that sort of fall into the 'Gray Area' of the law. <br /><br />I pulled into the gas station the other day. There was about 6 Police Officers inside having their coffee break or something. We all looked at each other a second, I asked the closest one, "Who's in charge of this un-ruley mob"?<br /><br />They were stunned. The attendent turned pale, and looked like he was going to swallow his tonuge......<br /><br /> Finally one Cop said, "Well, It's the Sgt. but he's in the bathroom at the moment".<br /><br />We all had a big 'Yuk', but it wouldn't have been so funny doing that when I was 17 or 18.

 

[demsvmejm]

Re: Water safety

Winger, that's hilarious. I don't have the equipment to be able to that I have to admit. And it's sad but true that you couldn't have gotten away with your stunt when you were 17 or 18. You'd have been on their "Get him" list for quite some time.

 

[silenscurator]

Re: Water safety

Originally posted by Triton II:<br /> Wow! If you'd done that here you'd have been breath-tested, licence-checked, rego-checked and fined for violating the "4kts within 30m (100ft) of the shore" limit. Young, old or in-between, our Maritime guys are fair... they fine EVERYONE!

I have to agree with Triton II on this one. Around here the Ontario Provincial Police, our equivalant of the State Trooper, does the water policing and if you so much as don't have a copy of your registration or insurance, and they stop you...your boat gets towed, you get fined and man oh man do they lay it to you. One time i saw an officer empty his citation book to one guy...i don't know what he did (plural) to **** this guy off, but i wouldn't have like to have been on the recieving end of those tickets...