Water balloon Slingshots!
 

I was on a friends boat going through the channel between Mark Island and Bear Island. When I saw three people that looked like they were working on the three new docks on Mark Island. when we got closer I noticed two kids holding the ends of the slingshot and one pulling the business end. It looked to be about 7-8 feet from the fixed points. Before I could say look out the balloon went from the dock between my friend who was driving and my 11 year old daughter.
The balloon would have hurt someone or at least knocked my friend away from the controls of the boat. Everyone on the boat could've been severly injured.

Marine Patrol was notified.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Just Water Balloons
 

It may be rude, maybe a little annoying, but knock someone away from the controls? Have you ever been hit by a water balloon? Harmless fun.

Sounds like kids being kids to me.

Calling Marine Patrol because someone threw a water balloon at you... Surely they have more important things to worry about. Water balloons are harmless.

Dan

Wouldn't it be nice if the water balloon sling range was less than 150 feet? Then no foul would be possible :laugh:

Experts beg to differ
 

Interesting information here:

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=1312091

I have never been hit, but IMHO, if I was piloting a my boat and hit or nearly hit I wouldn't consider it "harmless fun".

Shooting water balloons at unsuspecting strangers is a very bad idea.

The only people that seem to really like the whole idea of water balloons is this bunch..
They even have a Toll Free number you can call..:rolleye1:

http://www.injuryboard.com/topic/wat...lingshots.aspx


On the other hand, If was a willing participant in a "Water Balloon Battle" I can see that it might be allot of fun.

The issue that Pipeline reported would have me calling the MP also.

Here's my standpoint...I'm young and all is fun to me. I know for a fact that those water balloon slingshots can be pretty dangerous if they connect with someone a ways away. I know from experience. So, is it really harmless fun? I know for a fact if I got hit, I'd be pulling up on shore with my paddle in hand more than likely.

For reference, friends of mine used to drive around neighboring towns a few years ago and just throw water balloons at people walking the streets. Needless to say, someone reported what they were doing and they got pulled over...all got arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

FYI, water balloon slingshots are EXTREMELY more powerful than throwing a water balloon at someone. The can hurt quite a bit.

come on...
 

For those that think it is harmless fun...

I don't care what it is you don't through or fire objects at someone while they are operating a boat.

Besides who knows the circumstances on board the boat, forgetting the fact that it could hit the driver, there could be a baby or elderly person on board that if hit would likely not enjoy the "harmless fun"

Get a clue

How about going over to the kids and telling them to knock it off BEFORE you call MP? Perhaps even tell them you'll be back to check. I would imagine getting hit by a water balloon by a slingshot could hurt a lot but you probably wouldn't be in any immediate danger. What could be in danger is the loons. Pieces of balloon in the lake could be fatal to a loon, fish or other wildlife.

bad idea
 

I dont remember all the details but im sure some of you will recall that this USED to go on all the time in Braun...well on a day I was there someone turned around in time to get one in the face and ended up getting rushed to the hospital because it seperated the retna in his/her? eye (i think it was a girl).....Harmless all right

At a moving boat
 

A water balloon thrown by hand might be harmless fun (or annoying rudeness) but one from the launcher mentioned into the face of someone on a moving boat is going to sting. I'm not sure I'd have called the MP but I'd have stopped and had a few words with the kids manning the slingshot.

Seems like I should put off my Cow I invasion and take the shore bombardment to Mark. ;)

Getting the message across.
 

Or use a 150' water balloons on the Capt. Boneheads who are invading your zone! :laugh:

If the MPs are called, they will have to respond. It is illegal to discharge plastic into Lake Winnipesaukee. I'm not too sure about frankfurters. :rolleye2:

I'm sure M&M can give us all the same numbers presented here for water balloons as they would translate to hotgogs. I suppose the variable may be frozen or cooked hot dogs?

"In field trials, maximum water balloon velocities ranged from 38 to 41 m/sec (85 to 92 mph) with kinetic energies from 176 to 245 J; by calculation, maximum velocities ranged from 42 to 54 m/sec (95 to 121 mph) with kinetic energies from 141 to 232 J. In a field demonstration a 300-g water balloon launched horizontally from a distance of 20 ft exploded a 12-kg watermelon. Classic physics calculations are presented to explain the complex bio-mechanical interactions between the water balloon and the eye. " :confused:

With a deadly weapon? Come on. There's a police report I'd have to see to believe.

I understand the concerns, and agree this sort of activity shouldn't be done. But the severity of the concerns/responses is just something I don't share.

And yes, I have been hit with many a water balloon, both thrown and slingshotted (is that a word?), and it is FUN.

To me, telling an adult on scene that the kids are doing this would more than suffice.

Yup, 100% positive that's what they got charged with unfortunately...I'll see if I can hunt down somethign for you. They had to do A LOT of community Service.

Thats what I meant to say.........show-off :)

Ok, someone has to say it,,,

Its all fun and games until someone looses an eye!!!

Sorry I couldn't resist.

But seriously, I would be pretty PO'd to be hit by anything while driving a boat, and with kids on board no less, ya really PO'd!

Thats not fun, that reckless and it sounds like they could use a bit of "the fear of god" (or MP) to wake them up.

Willing players can all throw water balloons at each other till the cows come home and I happy to see them outside and enjoying themselves, but intentionally shooting water balloons from a multi-man slingshot at someone driving a boat with children on board, ya that as criminal as just about anything I can think of.

Sorry, I hope no one has to get hurt to make this point,,,

It's a simple question of weight ratios ...
 

And I suppose there would be some dependance on whether it was an African or European hotdog. Indeed one can reasonably ask if they even have hotdogs in either of those 2 localities. I strongly suspect that in the former you'd actually find places where the name is a more accurate description of the food product than it is here in the US. But I digress ... so what is the capitol of Assyria ?

XR700..the quote I have seen is: it is all fun and games until someone loses an eye, then it is a sport. I don't think this is very funny either and neither is the water slingshot attack described.

This picture was taken after we had a water ballon battle on the beach a few years ago. Slingshots at more than 100 feet. If you don't think this hurt, you're crazy!

Yes, it was from a balloon (and no, it isn't me! :rolleye2: )

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...vanmar/hit.jpg

I have one of those sling shots. They are lots of fun if used properly. With that said, the balloon parts leftover are potentially dangerous to the lake fowl and/or woodland creatures. Be careful with them and pick up after yourselves if used in and around the lake.

I don't know, but my favorite color is blue...no yel...auuuuuuuugh!!!!

You guys aren't thinking creatively enough
 

Apart from the rubber remnants, this is all good fun as long as everyone is playing. I suggest you carry one with you so you can return fire next time. Try to lob a couple through the dining room windows.

There were some kids hanging out next door at a house that is under construction. They were not from that house, but I think I know where they came from. If you were in the cruiser that came in and talked to the people at the next house down, that was me. I believe they came from the house on the other side of those docks.

We found today that our hot tub had been messed with: the temp was changed, the screen view was changed, it was full of pine needles and there were empty Budweiser cans laying on the ground. I think they came my way after we left that day as we left about an hour after talking to you.

What happened to having a chat with those kids explaining to them the potential harm to the lake and the fact that could scare boaters, and if they happened to hit me I might just kick their asses?

Running away and calling the Marine patrol???

The {removed} of America continues.......

:rolleye2:

While hitting an unsupecting person with a balloon can be dangerous or at least distracting, the rubber in the lake issue is really overblown. Balloons are made of latex. It's usually natural and very biodegradable.

:confused: Me thinks you live about 30 years in the past,,,

"have a chat and explain the potential harm,,," and then "kick their asses"

Hummm,,, in 2009 one guess at who would go to jail if you tried either and/or both???

Sorry, other than calling the MP, I dont see any other choice except to do nothing.

It would be easy to blame the young people for a lack of manners, respect, and common sense, but it seems pretty clear to me that we have a lot of adults who are happy enough to dismiss these actions as harmless.

I'm not sure which in more troubling,,,:(

I stick by my original comment "intentionally shooting water balloons from a multi-man slingshot at someone driving a boat with children on board, ya thats as criminal as just about anything I can think of." :fire:

Hardly living in the past....thats the excuse that consistently leads to how YOU acted...

Ripping kids a new one for acting like jerks would result in JAIL TIME???

Being afraid of the kids, Then running to an online blog for validation?

"I dont see any other choice but to do nothing"

There ya go.

:rolleye1:

Thank you.

How about a Marshmallow gun? Then if you miss all the fishy's could get a meal out of it. :D Seriously this is kids having fun but I do see how this could piss you off also. To weigh in on the debate I probably would not call the mp but I wouldn't like it either. :laugh:

african vrs european hot dogs
 

i for one would first want it explained to me how an african or european hot would end up in the lakes region in the first place.

and as for the capitol of assyria that would be rahgieria up until 500 bc when it was changed to argeronia because it was a much more tourist friendly name in their language as we all know.

What color ballon?
 

Blue no yel_____


Have the afore mentioned water ballons been placed in a freezer before being fired?

Please translate that phrase into conventional English. Growing up as a city/ghetto kid, I have an idea as to what you mean. And if my idea is right, well, let's just say if you were to do this today, you'd be spending way too much time with your friendly barrister.

Times have changed, and not all for the better. Ward and June Cleaver aren't walking through that door. If they were, they'd be divorced, Ward would be addicted to Crack, June would be working two minimum-wage jobs to survive, and The Beaver would have a rap sheet a mile long and be a high-school dropout.

Waterballooning
 

This can be fun IF YOU ARE A WILLING PARTICIPANT! If not, and you are hit, say, on the side of the head or in the face and cause personal injury, I believe that you could be brought up on felony charges.
Skip, can you confirm?

The launcher is only safe if the opposing party is aware of the attack and the incoming balloons. Otherwise the balloons can injure someone if they get hit. I agree with some posts that the marine patrol and the police should be notified; but notify them of a fight in progress, becuase I would seriously beat on the person or persons responsible for the attack if the balloon hit any member of my family.

Funnelators
 

These slingshots were called "Funnelators" up at my college. They can easily break windows from quite a distance away. Now, if the boat is moving and the waterballoon strikes the windscreen the glass could shatter, injuring those in the cockpit.

Though fun to launch, they are dangerous.

Now on the other hand, Potato Guns...

My nephew has one of these waterballoon slingshots and it kept all the kids on the island entertained one summer. But they only used it against each other (and us sort-of-willing adults) and they/we all knew it hurt like h@!! when one hit you. If they were using it against unsuspecting boaters, that thing would have been removed immediately.

There's nothing wussie about calling marine patrol to handle a problem like this. If this boater had pulled into the dock and started yelling, you never know how things might have escalated. Lots of beer being consumed on some of these islands and lots of adults who are overly protective of their kids - even when the kids are acting dangerously and like jerks.

And by the way, my kids recently got a ketchup gun. If any of you get hit by it, you're wwwaaaaaayyyyy inside the 150' area.

Me thinks you have your bloggers confused, I have not "acted" in any way, I was not there, and dont know any of the people involved.

I am simply commenting on what I see as an issue of concern.

You dont have to agree, I dont have to like that you dont agree, its just a forum thread.

If either of us gets too torqued up over it we can just stop reading and posting.

I've voiced my opinion and really have nothing more to say, nor am I likely to have my opinion changed, so I'll take the high road, no more comments from me on this one.

No hard feelings, hope you dont ever get pelted by one of these kids, and wreck your boat or possibly hurt someone else if you lost control.

And I'm seriously hopeful that if you were to have a heart to heart with said kids, that you dont end up paying a price for what "was" the right thing to do (30 years ago) or go to jail for kicking anyones ass, as that is surly what will happen if you do,,,

Best of luck,,,

And Eddie Haskel would be president!!!!!:eek:

Next time I am up I will send a pic of our potato gun. We used a clear PVC pipe for a barrel so that you can see the flames at night when it fires and a large ballcock valve for ease of loading. :D

I have seen biodegradable balloons before for the slingshots. At least that takes the environmentally friendly part out of the equation.

Not President
 

:rolleye1:Real Estate Investor

Ken Osmond - AKA Eddie Haskel

"Where are they now?

He became a cop, an LAPD cop and he was shot 3 times while in pursuit of a suspect. His assailant was about to put a final cap in his ass to finish him off when his partner clubbed the guy with his empty revolver.
After that episode (no pun) he battled depression, which was exacerbated by a rumour circulating that he really grew up to become porn star John Holmes (he didn't). Another Urban Legend had him grow up to become Alice Cooper (also not so).
Today he is a vintage car enthusiast and real estate investor. His stock broker is none other than Leave it Beaver co-star, Lumpy (the jabbering idiot guy) "

The only thing that would have been better would be "Water Balloon Slingshot Inventor" (Just to avoid hijacking the thread)

Hmmm, how many beats per minute ...
 

The gyro and the sate are not native foods and yet they are not strangers to this land. I propose that any hotdog could simply have been carried, perhaps by air, to the local environment.

And what of Assur ?

No big deal???????
 

For all who think its harmless fun,try shooting some out on union av. at passing cars and see what kind of chuckle the judge gets at your arraignment.:D:laugh::laugh:

Geez Coolbreeze, you need to chill just a bit. :D

DPG, I am very "chilled". I am only stating what I would probably do if put in the position. You may turn the other cheek and I respect your choice; but I go for blood when anyone in my family is maliciously harmed.

Friend of mine's neighbor lost his sight in one eye from one of those balloon launchers.

If they can still be sold, we need to bring back Lawn Jarts.

Jarts
 

Oh yes, bring back the Jarts ! When those went away we had to resort to using Arrowcopters ... w/o the "wing". The Jarts were much easier to see and hence dodge. Lawn Jarts, now there's a manly game !!

Yes, they can still be sold. I have a couple of sets that we'd bought for a b-day party but didn't use because it rained that day.

(And no it wasn't my kids on that boat!)

No - your not...Robbery, beatings and car-jackings are what most would call maliciously harmed. Although kids shooting water balloons can harm people, I agree, it's still kids being dumb. The fact that an adult would "go for blood" in such a situation concerns me. I pray for the person that (accidentally) rear-ends you in their car would that warrant a shooting?

Isn't he already president???:D:D

Well, DPG I wouldn't shoot them that is a terrible thing!
I would find out where they boat and launch a surprise attack of water ballons at them with my winger. Then run like hell to avoid getting beat up.
Keep praying DPG, the lord knows we all need it.

And then....
 

Dad, a bigger brother or an uncle kicks your arss-in... and then what, you sue them?

I'll settle this....

Round up the kids who were firing the water balloons and line em up in front of my Hot Dog Cannon. If they survive the 2nd degree burn they can eat the hot dog chum off their clothes and faces.

This day forward I promise not to aim the Hot Dog Cannon at any passing boaters. However, you'd be closer than 150 feet if you got hit and in my estimation the hot dog chunks would be cooled off enough so that you could open wide and eat the shrapnel. Free Lunch, on me. :laugh:
Now if only we could get the Ketchup cannon mentioned in this thread and the Potato gun and put blades inside the Potato gun so they sliced into French Fry sized bites we could be the first drive through super-fast food restaurant on the lake. You guys wouldn't even have to stop the boats. :eek:

As Rodney put it...Can't we all just get along?!?

Thanks for the laugh
 

You must be new here. ;) :devil: :D

Oh all was written with a perma-grin just to get alittle rise out of the bunch. I would never beat on someone unless my life was in danger. I would hold them for 5-0 to book 'em. See ya at the next thread. DPG no hard feelings?

Call the Police! alert the FBI! they are tossing water balloons!!

The horror!! Those things are DANGEROUS!

Like I said, the {removed} of America continues!!

:rolleye2:

balloons harmless?
 

A neighbor had to replace his small 2-stroke engine after a submerged water baloon remnant clogged the water intake and seized the engine.

I dunno, I think I'm scared for life. :eek: :D

balloons & water
 

I knew a group of young men that thought they were having fun. Driving down a road throwing water ballons at unsuspecting people. Well, one of them hit a car windshield going in the opposite direction. Now mind you these were all good kids not looking to harm anyone. The ballon hit the windshield and it smashed. Luckily nobody was hurt. But the driver of the car was charged with attempted murder. Thaankfully the prosecutor and judge with help from the victim seen it as a stupid prank with no harm intended. Restitution was made to the victim prior to even being arrested.

Balloons can do a lot of damage to people.

Give one a try
 

I'll bring mine with me this weekend. If any of you that have not seen one or want to see how dangerous or safe these are, feel free to put a message in my box and I'll get my cell number to you. I'll keep it aboard with me too, so you can look for "China Belle" and ask me about a ballon launcher. I will NOT be launching anything at any unsuspected person, place, or thing. As I stated before, these things can be lots of fun if used properly. I have seen, not caused or had happen to me, serious injury and minor injury and no injury at all from people getting hit by balloons fired from opne of these. I hope anyone using one of these around the lake is taking care not to aim directly at anyone.

Along with the balloons you had better bring your rain gear.

Grenades!
 

Mac, bring the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch or the COW CATAPULT!

Thank god you didn't stop and confront the little "jerks" (for the lack of a better term), you would have brought down the wrath of the parent. You would fast become the aggressor and hauled of to jail for daring to speak to them. Didn't we just read somewhere here where Mom said; "No one yells at my kid without getting an ear full from me"?

The best thing to do: would be to call the MPs and tell them your taking hostile fire from pirates on shore, come quick and bring reinforcements.

Lawn Jarts
 

Mac,
I still cringe just looking at your picture. Those things were the best and worst thing ever invented. I found watching people play with them more frightening than a horror movie.

Below is what I kept expecting. (But for some reason never did...)

I just love how close they show the kids stand in the drawing. Great!:D

I just goggled lawn darts and found a site that sells the parts (disassembled) for lawn Jarts because as they admit, it is illegal to sell the complete product.

Maybe we have another candidate for how to mark the Capitan's boat. The MP can stop the guy with the 15 red darts sticking out of his hull.

Water balloon nightmare
 

About 10-15 years ago when braun bay was wall to wall boats.. I watched an unsuspecting girl sitting in the back of a boat reading a book take a water balloon to the face.. IT SPLIT HER FORHEAD OPEN !! she was taken to the hospital where I heard she got 12 stitches.. HARMLESS FUN ?