Doug Kanter wrote:

"Dave Hall" wrote in message
...


Like I said, BUI is a no-brainer. But why tie BUI operators with
speedboats? You are coming off like you're stereotyping the typical
performance boater. I find that somewhat offensive.

I'm surprised. You, Dave "I wish I was a Vulcan" Hall should see the logic
here. If a speedboater's a mile away and not breaking any rules about speed,
wake or channel, nobody cares and nobody notices.

A new corrolary on the old "If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody
sees it...."?


My main point of contention here is the subtle attempt to link drunk
boating with speedboats and the people who run them. That smacks of
stereotyping. Are performance boaters really that more likely to be
driving drunk?


If he's drunk and hits a
wave the wrong way, flipping the boat and killing everyone onboard, so what?

No one should be operating a boat while drunk.


But, here's a REAL LIFE SCENARIO that I see just about every time I take my
boat out: There are a few areas where boats commonly anchor, at least a mile
or two from the channel, and usually behind islands. Very fast boats, which
have the whole world to play in, come flying past these groups of boats,
sometimes as close as 100', and the same boats sometimes do it repeatedly,
as if they just want to be seen.

Have to considered the possibility that these boats are housed in a
small anchorage or marina, which they get to by taking the path that
you've outlined? Why would people buzz back and forth in the same small
area, when they can venture into more expanse? These aren't jetskis
which are usually based at a land location somewhere close.


Now, let's pretend that these boats made absolutely no wake, and that there
was no speed limit in the area. So, they're breaking no laws. But: A
mechanical or operator failure at high speeds could cause quite a disaster
if that boat is too close to other boats.

And a meteor could strike the earth or I could win the lottery tomorrow.


Therefore (and here comes the
logic, Dave), it is perfectly reasonable to assume that someone doing this
is exercising very poor judgement, and might very well be drunk.

It is common for people, who don't know all the facts, to make incorrect
assumptions about a person's motives. Just like you guys on the left are
always doing when it comes to world politics.


Whether they're breaking any laws or not, they deserve a visit from the authorities.

If they are truly operating in a reckless manner, or pose a very real
potential for danger, then there are laws which address this, and at
that point I would agree with you. But, if your only judgement criteria
is that it "bothers" you, then you can go flap in the breeze.


In a motor vehicle, vague offenses are routinely put in the "reckless
driving" category. It's not a problem. You know that.

If, in fact, the operator is operating recklessly. The criteria for
determining that is fairly well known, and not normally subject to a
wide interpretation.

Dave