Frederick Burroughs wrote:
donquijote1954 wrote:

Darwin proposed the "survival of the fittest." I think he also proposed
"size matters," though this may have been proposed by his wife. And
both laws fit our roads and waterways quite well.


Niche is as important, or more so than competition. While the bass
boaters are restricted to a two or three mile stretch of river behind
a dam, paddlers have a couple hundred miles of quiet, remotely
beautiful and largely unspoiled river.

But, that short stretch of river frequented by the bass fishermen is
an economic engine for the state, with boat registration, fishing
permits and fishing guide businesses.

Let the muthaboaters have their piers and concrete ramps. Paddlers are
happy to have a dirt or graveled pull-off from any state road that
runs near the water. There is little that can rival the beauty of
silently gliding on a waterway unassaulted by the hand and removed
from the noise of man. In fog-shrouded morning or gold and red-hued
evening, these quiet places become transcendent.

A canoe or kayak is the best time machine invented. It takes you into
the distant past (or far future, beyond the reign of man). It is not a
question of survival of the fittest. It becomes an appreciation of
aesthetics, an exercise of our brain's highest functions. No longer
anchored by primitive survival requirements, we progress into levels
of metaphysical beauty. We flow on currents of expanded consciousness.


Beautiful piece of writing indeed, but rather weak in justifying the
lion. Where's that money from motorboats going if not to pay THE
MACHINE, rather grinding I'd say...

Where's the law?

Things get more difficult all the time...

Beautiful day for kayaking. Perfect where I live, since I live here, in
a human jungle, mostly because I can walk to the bay, barely one block
away. So I just walked my kayak there until I heard someone--the park
guard--screaming. "No kayaks here!" "Why!?" I said. "Well,
regulations," he barked back. "But is there any law?" I insisted. He
informed me that the Parks Department doesn't want any legal suit from
people hurting themselves on the rocks... According to that logic, the
medical profession would be banned because you can bring suits against
doctors... And then I asked him if he didn't do anything about a
homeless couple near us, a common sight at the park. He challenged me,
"do they bother you?" And I say they don't bother me in quickly passing
through the park, but they sure scare the average family. In effect,
most of our parks remain no man's land.

Anyway I didn't take "no" for an answer, and I had him call the police.
But, of course, lion helps lion, and I was almost swallowed. And they
say they serve the community... I asked them why they don't take care
of the homeless in the park, and they anwered back that that was a
different issue. Thinking to myself, "shouldn't the issue be a clean,
safe park?" And then I asked, "where's the law that prevents me from
launching a kayak at this park?" They clued me in there's no law, only
the law of the guard, and roared at me to get lost at once or else...
And I say, I know that law, THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE...

NOTE: I called the Parks Department later and they confirmed the
prohibition. So a member of the community trying to have fun out there
is restricted by the "law"; the homeless though got the law on their
side. Where's the law?