Roger Long wrote:
I came back to look at the burned out ruins of my once favorite cyber bar
because someone emailed me to say that the arsonist had been exposed. Of
course, I felt initial glee at the news but seeing a human face on this
individual and learning what a truly pathetic and sad story it is makes me
even more depressed than looking around at the wreckage.



I think everyone's missed an essential point here. When you are on
permanent parole, you do NOT go cruising. Remember the fellow who was
posting here a couple years ago who had his summer of cruising with his son
ruined? His son got busted for pot and the probation officer wouldn't let
them leave town. We've all been speculating why the sock puppet never goes
anywhere and the reason turns out to be even sadder than lack of courage,
funds, or proper equipment. I don't imagine parole supervisors of life
sentence sexual predators say, "Sure, sail off wherever you want and give me
a call when you get there." The only positive aspect is that it appears to
be a life he richly deserves, at least according to the judgment of his
peers and the parole board.



I feel the pathos of this because I have more things in common with this
fellow than most cruisers. We are both people of modest means who own old
and inexpensive boats. I plan to be living and cruising on mine when I am a
very old man and I often think about what will happen to me if medical
condition or other circumstances prevent me from heading out over the
horizon. There but for the grace of God and all that.



In this case though, the poor wannabe spent all those years working on the
boat hoping that his circumstances would change but with no real hope that
they would. Owning a cruising boat seems like the essence of freedom but it
isn't when the first Coast Guard boarding or customs clearance would result
in your being zipped back to prison. It would be sort of like having a
picture of a boat on the wall of your cell.



So, he did his sailing in the bar and gradually became an Internet pest with
a few shreds of credibility gleaned from books. I was eager to have him
exposed and chased out of here but, now that the story is known, I wish we
had just left him alone or accepted his ravings as amusing satire.



Killfiles work too but the way this group has evolved over the past couple
of years, mine pretty much just results in a blank screen. I've found a
place where people talk about boats they actually own and stay on topic
about real equipment and other issues. I'm glad I've moved on.


Roger Long


Roger,

A very humane perspective. I found it valuable.

I would only add that, without looking too deep into his history, it
appears that at one time he had the dream or vision of escaping an
unenjoyable life and attempted to do something about it. Many more are
those of us who don't even get that far but are landbound by our own
lethargy or fear. We work in humdrum jobs, we do the "bee dance" in the
AM and go off to the cells of our choosing.

It is easy to "pile on" this guy. And lord knows he, at times, deserves
it. I applaud you for your insight and guts to say your piece and not
take part in the carnage.

Wilbur is a pest. Yet there have been occasional times when he has had
something to say. The real pity is that he seems to bring out the worst
in the rest of us. We have the ability to ignore him when appropriate,
and respond when he is more appropriate.

I would like it if the most vicious response he ever got from the group
was "Oh Wilbur..............Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur!"

I feel the exercise would do us all good.