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.

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.


I would only be offended that they were squandering police resources for
something that could be accomplished by the boy scouts.

BTW my best experience on the water with law enforcement was a stop by a
Florida Marine Patrol officer who was really looking for fishing violations. In
a very friendly conversation with the officer, who was complimenting me on how
I had my boat rigged, I realized he had seen every piece of required equipment.
That man was a professional. I guess I did make it easy for him since
everything is easily accessible but that is for my safety. My experience with
SW Fla marine officers has always been positive.

On 14 Dec 2003 17:19:54 GMT, (Greg) wrote:

My experience with
SW Fla marine officers has always been positive.

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

That's good to know since that's where I'm doing my boating these days
and we have no shortage of mindless speed zones around here.

"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."

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 21:50:22 GMT, "swatcop"
wrote:
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.

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

Your attitude is commendable but your role is slightly confused. Your
role as an armed, badge wearing law officer is to enforce the law (in
a hopefully reasonable manner), not to offer helpful suggestions to
people who are not even on the water yet. To me that is overly
intrusive, and comparable to stopping someone who is backing out of
the driveway for a quick safety check of their car.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 21:50:22 GMT, "swatcop"
wrote:
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.

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

Your attitude is commendable but your role is slightly confused. Your
role as an armed, badge wearing law officer is to enforce the law (in
a hopefully reasonable manner), not to offer helpful suggestions to
people who are not even on the water yet. To me that is overly
intrusive, and comparable to stopping someone who is backing out of
the driveway for a quick safety check of their car.


Ah - I see what you're saying now. Your analogy made a lot of sense to me.
Point well taken, thanks.
--
-= swatcop =-

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

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 21:50:22 GMT, "swatcop"
wrote:
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.

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

Your attitude is commendable but your role is slightly confused. Your
role as an armed, badge wearing law officer is to enforce the law (in
a hopefully reasonable manner), not to offer helpful suggestions to
people who are not even on the water yet. To me that is overly
intrusive, and comparable to stopping someone who is backing out of
the driveway for a quick safety check of their car.


I can see your point, but on the other hand (and there's always another
hand), the police *do* sometimes slow down traffic to peek in cars for seat
belt compliance. There are occasional complaints about this, but mostly it
goes by without much whining.

(Unbelievably, they actually catch people without seat belts - people who
had a full minute to put them on while they waited their turn to be peeked
at).

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 14:53:16 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:
I can see your point, but on the other hand (and there's always another
hand), the police *do* sometimes slow down traffic to peek in cars for seat
belt compliance. There are occasional complaints about this, but mostly it
goes by without much whining.

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

I always wear my seat belt, as do my passengers. I think it's just
common sense, and don't really understand people who have a problem
with fastening their belts.

On the other hand (as you would say), I think the seat belt law is bad
legislation, and I think that police roadblocks to enforce it is
equally bad law enforcement. Surely their are more important things
for our dedicated and highly trained officers to be doing other than
creating traffic jams and trampling on our constitutional rights in
the process. All of these roadblocks and checkpoints for seat belts,
inspection stickers, DWI screening, etc,, smack of border line police
state tactics and should be seriously discouraged no matter how worthy
the goal. The constitutional prohibitions (actually the Bill of
Rights) against unreasonable search and seizure were put there for a
reason; good reasons. Let's not decide 200 years later that none of
this is important. We walk around as free men today (more or less),
because of the wisdom of our ancestors who learned the hard way.

Most traffic laws and enforcement are only revenue generation techniques,
having little to do with safety. For instance, why do you see so many cops
out with radar guns on highways, when most accidents occur at intersections?
Easier to bring in the $$ that way.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 14:53:16 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:
I can see your point, but on the other hand (and there's always another
hand), the police *do* sometimes slow down traffic to peek in cars for
seat
belt compliance. There are occasional complaints about this, but mostly
it
goes by without much whining.

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

I always wear my seat belt, as do my passengers. I think it's just
common sense, and don't really understand people who have a problem
with fastening their belts.

On the other hand (as you would say), I think the seat belt law is bad
legislation, and I think that police roadblocks to enforce it is
equally bad law enforcement. Surely their are more important things
for our dedicated and highly trained officers to be doing other than
creating traffic jams and trampling on our constitutional rights in
the process. All of these roadblocks and checkpoints for seat belts,
inspection stickers, DWI screening, etc,, smack of border line police
state tactics and should be seriously discouraged no matter how worthy
the goal. The constitutional prohibitions (actually the Bill of
Rights) against unreasonable search and seizure were put there for a
reason; good reasons. Let's not decide 200 years later that none of
this is important. We walk around as free men today (more or less),
because of the wisdom of our ancestors who learned the hard way.

"Keith" wrote in message
...
Most traffic laws and enforcement are only revenue generation techniques,
having little to do with safety. For instance, why do you see so many cops
out with radar guns on highways, when most accidents occur at
intersections?
Easier to bring in the $$ that way.

I'd agree. Each year, before the high-traffic holidays, a NY State Police
spokesperson issues a little recording for radio stations who'd like to use
it. It mentions the most dangerous things drivers can do. Frequently, they
mention tailgating at highway speeds as something which causes more pileups
than anything else, and I'm sure that's true.

In 35 years of driving, I've never spoken to ANYONE who's gotten a ticket
for tailgating on a highway. Give me an unmarked car, and I could easily
write tickets all day long for that offense. But, it can't be measured with
a radar or laser gun, so the cops never do it.