The real question is, much like Connecticut, is enforcement.

And not just on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day weekends
either.


Later,


Tom


**************


Failure to carry the education card will be considered a "secondary"
infraction.

In other words, the authorities aren't going to stop you just to check
and see whether you have the required document. If you get stopped for
no running lights, doing 40 in a restricted speed zone, leaving a trail
of empty beer cans floating in your wake, or other primary infraction
the water cop will then ask for the education card. If the boater is
required to carry one, (those born before 1955 will never be required
to carry a card) and can't produce a card that will earn the boater an
additional ticket.

The boater education requirement will also inspire insurance companies
to insist that their
policy holders meet the mandatory state minimum education standards.

How do laws like this work when you come from another state? Unlike
driver's licenses, where every state requires one, the same isn't true of
for boats. I live in California and boat in Arizona and Neveda all of the
time. None of these three states have education laws as far as I know,
but I'm sure its not too far off.


wrote in news:1113750129.412844.114100
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

The real question is, much like Connecticut, is enforcement.

And not just on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day weekends
either.


Later,


Tom


**************


Failure to carry the education card will be considered a "secondary"
infraction.

In other words, the authorities aren't going to stop you just to check
and see whether you have the required document. If you get stopped for
no running lights, doing 40 in a restricted speed zone, leaving a trail
of empty beer cans floating in your wake, or other primary infraction
the water cop will then ask for the education card. If the boater is
required to carry one, (those born before 1955 will never be required
to carry a card) and can't produce a card that will earn the boater an
additional ticket.

The boater education requirement will also inspire insurance companies
to insist that their
policy holders meet the mandatory state minimum education standards.

How do laws like this work when you come from another state? Unlike
driver's licenses, where every state requires one, the same isn't true
of
for boats. I live in California and boat in Arizona and Neveda all of
the
time. None of these three states have education laws as far as I know,
but I'm sure its not too far off.


***********

That may vary from state to state. I believe the new WA State law 1)
recognizes boater education cards from states with similar requirements
and 2) allows a brief "window" where a short term charter customer can
operate a boat, an out of stater can bring a trailer boat here, or a
new boat owner can take delivery of a boat without having to sit
through license class first. After 60-90 days, the rules apply. The
charter boater and the out-of-state trailer boater will be long gone,
of course, but the new boat owner should definitely either be sitting
in class or passing the equivalency exam that proves he doesn't need
the classroom education.

On 17 Apr 2005 08:02:09 -0700, wrote:

The real question is, much like Connecticut, is enforcement.

And not just on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day weekends
either.
**************

Failure to carry the education card will be considered a "secondary"
infraction.

In other words, the authorities aren't going to stop you just to check
and see whether you have the required document. If you get stopped for
no running lights, doing 40 in a restricted speed zone, leaving a trail
of empty beer cans floating in your wake, or other primary infraction
the water cop will then ask for the education card. If the boater is
required to carry one, (those born before 1955 will never be required
to carry a card) and can't produce a card that will earn the boater an
additional ticket.

That's the way it is supposed to work here too, but it doesn't. You
can give boater education classes and require licenses or certificates
until you are blue in the face - a jackass is a jackass regardless.
If you don't enforce the laws that are presented in the class, then
what's the point?

The boater education requirement will also inspire insurance companies
to insist that their
policy holders meet the mandatory state minimum education standards.

Right. That additional 3% goes a long way to pay for my gas and
maintenance bills. :)

Later,

Tom

That's the way it is supposed to work here too, but it doesn't. You
can give boater education classes and require licenses or certificates
until you are blue in the face - a jackass is a jackass regardless.
If you don't enforce the laws that are presented in the class, then
what's the point?

**************

Jackasses come in two basic varities. First is the deliberate jackass-
the guy who really does know better but insists on playing the craphead
anyway. Education won't do anything for the deliberate jackass. The
second is the ignorant jackass- the guy who isn't out to see what he
can screw up in the world, and would change his ways if he knew better.
Promoting boater education will reduce the number of ignorant
jackasses, and therefore make a dent in the total number.

On 17 Apr 2005 20:34:24 -0700, wrote:

That's the way it is supposed to work here too, but it doesn't. You
can give boater education classes and require licenses or certificates
until you are blue in the face - a jackass is a jackass regardless.
If you don't enforce the laws that are presented in the class, then
what's the point?

**************

Jackasses come in two basic varities. First is the deliberate jackass-
the guy who really does know better but insists on playing the craphead
anyway. Education won't do anything for the deliberate jackass. The
second is the ignorant jackass- the guy who isn't out to see what he
can screw up in the world, and would change his ways if he knew better.
Promoting boater education will reduce the number of ignorant
jackasses, and therefore make a dent in the total number.

Get back to me in a year - if it's anything like CT, nothing is going
to improve.

Later,

Tom