I wonder how many deer he killed when he developed that land and increased
man's encroachment upon the deer's native habitat.

Someone should shot this guy before he kills more deer, if not shot him at
least pin him down with a truck so he can't do any more damage to our
environment.

"Charles" wrote in message
...


Harry Krause wrote:

He's got a pretty little farm, and the hope is it stays in his family as
a farm, and isn't turned over to a "developer."

Oh, you mean someone like yourself who described himself as just doing a
little real estate development? Not that I believe that for a second,
but the hypocrisy you ooze out of every pore makes you something of a
one man freak show.

-- Charlie


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Jack Meholf wrote:

I wonder how many deer he killed when he developed that land and increased
man's encroachment upon the deer's native habitat.

So, how much did you say you got for that wakeboard skiboat?

--
Email sent to is never read.

I don't believe I discussed a skiboat or a wakeboard boat.


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Jack Meholf wrote:

I wonder how many deer he killed when he developed that land and
increased
man's encroachment upon the deer's native habitat.

So, how much did you say you got for that wakeboard skiboat?

--
Email sent to is never read.

Jack Meholf wrote:
I don't believe I discussed a skiboat or a wakeboard boat.


Not under your current ID of Jack-Me-Off.

--
Email sent to is never read.

swatcop,
Just can't beat common sense. To Protect and to Serve is what's it's all
about. You sound like a good cop to me.
Paul

"swatcop" wrote in message
...
Looking for a little bit of direction here. I've been recently assigned to
my department's Marine Unit. I've been a cop for 15 years. I lived in NJ
at
the shore around boats most of my life, but never owned one. I rarely even
went out on boats except for fishing or waterskiing. I moved to Florida in
late 2000, and I'm still working as a cop (just in a nicer place). As a
result of some administrative changes in my department, I was assigned to
the Marine Unit. I've completed the necessary training and such, but one
thing is lacking: experience. I'll try to get to the point - I'm open for
comments and opinions. I know what the law says, and I know what my job
is,
but I try to use more common sense than what the law may actually say in
black & white. What do you (as boaters) feel the most important issues are
for the Police to deal with on the water? Would you like to see more
O.U.I.
enforcement? More vessel stops for no wake zone infractions? More safety
inspections? More after dark patrols of inlets, channels, and harbor
areas?
You tell me. I'm asking for your honest opinions here. As a rule I use
more
common sense than anything on the job. I treat people fairly, and as a
result I rarely ever have to appear in court. I would like to do the same
on
the water. Here's your chance to make a difference, because I will take
every opinion into consideration. Thanks for your help.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I'll bet you a 6-pack that anyone stupid enough NOT to have one also has
no
idea what the coast guard requirements are. You could probably tell them
they were required to have a can of Spam for each passenger and they'd
believe it.
Actually, he's correct. By USCG standards an anchor is a "suggested" piece
of equipment, but not mandatory.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 22:55:36 GMT, "swatcop"
wrote:
Would you be offended if the
cops did a safety inspection on your vessel while you were waiting in
line
to launch at a boat ramp?

======================================

Absolutely offended. This is intrusive enforcement with no probable
cause. Leave people alone unless they are doing something stupid or
annoying.

Just F.Y.I., my personal definition of a safety inspection is not to be a
jerk and have a citation writing contest. I was thinking more along the
lines of pointing out to the boaters what equipment is old or missing,
trying to help out, not be an ass with a ticket book. I just figured while
you were in line at the boat ramp and I was walking by I could do a quick
equipment check. YOU may have everything you are supposed to have and
everything might be up to date, but the boaters in front of you and behind
you may be a different story. My idea of safety checks is not to be
intrusive (or trying to establish probable cause to search your boat for
other stuff), but to help. You may have had bad experiences in the past with
other officers, but my outlook is a little bit different. Thank you for your
input, though. I will note you response.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."

"Charles T. Low" wrote in message
...
1/ We have a great program in Canada, which I think exists in many places
in
the U.S. too, of "courtesy" inspections. However, I don't know if the
police
offers them - I get mine from the CGAux. (In fact, I think the police have
a
formal "zero tolerance" policy.) There are no penalties - it's just
advisory. The "advice," if you found to be in violation, is that if a
police
officer ever stops you, you will be fined.

Luckily I'm not like that. I don't think that a fistfull of citations is the
answer unless the driver/operator is a disrespectful assclown with
absolutely no respect for the safety of others.


So, responsible boaters who have done their best and think their boat is
adequately equipped can have it checked by an authoritative source without
fear of recrimination, and without occupying police resources which
perhaps
could be better utilized elsewhere.

The check on my boat takes a good twenty minutes, so I'm not sure how you
could do that in a boat-ramp line-up. (Are they that slow?)

Well, actually sometimes they are that slow. I've seen 10 to 15 trucks with
boats on the trailer waiting their turn in line.


2/ In our society, we all (almost) know how to drive a car, so a police
officer can take special training in highway enforcement, and even
advanced
driving techniques, and be a good highway patrolman. But we don't all have
much experience operating boats, and a course or two is very good but
nowhere near the experience and expertise that some recreational boaters
have, so that's a problem I've heard about at times: boaters being ordered
to hold station in a cross-wind with an opposing current in a narrow
shipping channel, for example, which just can't work. A Rule of the Sea is
that the captain (even the owner or operator of a small recreational boat)
is responsible for the safe operation of that vessel, and can refuse
orders
from other authorities if he/she believes it necessary. I don't know if
that's written or traditional. And I suspect that you would want to be
able
to convince a judge, later, that you weren't just trying to evade the
officer, but really could not in all conscience behave as demanded. That
can
often be resolved by a patient police officer asking for clarification -
firmly but politely - or asking in what manner could the boater maneuver
his/her boat in order for the further inspection to proceed, etc.

Which is exactly why I am asking for the opinions of people like yourself
with experience.


This should start along the lines of, "I'm sorry officer, but am unable to
comply due to the narrow channel with a cross-wind and current. Could you
suggest an alternate course of action?" Or, "May I suggest an alternate
course of action?" But people are often very threatened and angry when
approached, so handling it professionally I think sometimes requires every
ounce of self-control the officer can muster.

I'm always open for suggestions if I'm not absolutely sure that I'm right on
a certain topic. Some of the "rookies" have that "I'm right and you're
wrong" attitude, but I'm long over that.


I, for example, have had good, long looks through the Nav Rules on many
occasions, and still learn something new each time I inspect them, and I
sincerely doubt that most weekend marine policemen understand them as well
as I do. That need not be a problem if I remain respectful, and if the
policemen doesn't have the insecurity that some exhibit about having about
limitations of their knowledge, as long as both parties are simply willing
to have a conversation and then to gauge what they think about the
accuracy
of the new information and reformulate their plans based on that. I am
also
very familiar with my boat, and understand its capabilities and
limitation,
and don't expect every police officer to know all about the different
handling characteristics of small planing sailboats, large keel boats,
planing power boats with single or double I/O's or IB's, displacement and
semi-displacement trawlers... there's a lot to know, and it takes years
of
boat operation to come to grips with some of it.

Some law enforcers go into bureaucratic mode, and I've heard of, "You're
trying my patience, plead guilty or spend the night in jail," over very
minor stuff that just required a few minutes of calm explanation. From
what
I've seen so far, you're not one of those (and I hope they're the
minority).

I'm definitely not one of "those," and I'm sorry that some idiot with a
badge who obviously had himself confused with an entity berated you. We're
not all like that.


Which is good!

====

Charles T. Low

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it and will note your response.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."

"Capt. Matt" wrote in message
...
Sir,
I am impressed! I have always had positive dealings with law enforcement,
as
a P.S. teacher and as a boat captain. But the fact that I see you not
only
ask but reply to local boaters, I think we have a real asset on the water
with you! If you are in the Naples to E.G.C. area I hope to see you
'unofficially on the water. Be safe, I'll do the same!

Capt. Matt

Thanks, Capt. Matt - I'll be on the Gulf of Mexico in the Tampa Bay area.
And it's not "sir," it's Bill. Be safe.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."

(snip)
You don't sound like the type, but just for future reference:

I went striper fishing one early morning, in the pouring rain, by
myself, in my 14' jon-boat, on the Hudson River. I launched in the
dark, and although I had two approved throwable PDF's onboard, I left
my "wearable" PDF on the launch ramp.

A few hours later, a DEC center cabin comes roaring up, and hooks my
gunwale. My little anchor is holding both of us, against a rising
tide and current, and he damned near swamps me. I disobey his
instruction to leave my anchor set, and pull it before my jon goes
under.

I'm wet, cold, with no fish, and he writes me up for no "wearable"
PDF. Yup, it was my mistake, but he was bustin' my ass, and he was an
idiot. In a 14' jon, the law does not require me to wear the
"wearable", just "have one on board", so what's the difference between
"wearable" and "throwable"? If he hadn't hooked my boat, I wouldn't
have needed the friggin' "wearable". I was the only boat on the river
that morning for miles, so I guess he had to find "something". After
writing me up, he ordered me off the river. Barney Fife.

I paid the fine, and thanked the judge for making it a very small one.
I think the judge was a fisherman. )

You sound like a reasonable guy. People will appreciate that, so do
what you gotta' do. Thanks for listening.
Regards,
noah

Either the guy was a rookie or hasn't figured out what being a cop is all
about yet (at least by MY standards). Sorry you had a bad experience, I'm
definitely not like that. My policy is "I'm nice until it's time to NOT be
nice." I've got no problem issuing verbal warnings, so long as I'm not
disrespected and it's not a heinous crime. I don't believe in quotas and I
won't write anyone for things that I personally do. I appreciate your input,
Noah. Thanks.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."