Blizzard found guilty
 

Well the saga finally ends,she was found guilty of charges but no loss of license.

Wmur
 

It is sad that she has really gotten away with this.

no kidding
 

I doubt very much there would be too many "Free Erica Blizzard" signs in peoples front yards

Is it common to lose one's license for a negligent driving conviction?

Very sad.

You would think that she would have to kill somebody to lose her license.

Oops......we sadly know the fallacy of that assumption! :rolleye2:

Poor Erica...it's never her fault. Wouldn't it be nice if she could simply stand up and admit she was wrong and apologize?

I agree with Secondcurve,however her actions show just how shallow and spoiled she is.

No its not common, people usually pay a fine similar to the one she got. I think people are upset because of her past driving history (boating) and this happened a day after her trial ended.

Once again, her blizzard of B.S. got her off.

$$$$$ talks and BS walks...my wife did 20 days and lost her license for killing a tree,guess she used the wrong lawyer :eek:

The Union Leader said she slowed down when she saw the officer. How fast was she traveling, if he clocked her at 84 MPH.

Money and political knowledge helps a lot. If her phone was broken, can't they check her phone company and if false claim she lying under oath?

Yes they can,I would have thought they would have had that info before going into court. But as stated before $$$$ talks.

I must disagree. This saga has legs! It will continue for years. It is even possible we have yet to see the most bizarre.

Blizzard found guilty
 

Both the boating case and the driving case involving Erica Blizzard exhibit what is so very wrong with the legal system and why the general public (people like you and me) deeply distrust "the system". You and I, my friends, would be under the jail with no key in sight.

As previous posters have said (paraphrased), "Money and political connections pay off every time".

In “The Citizen of Laconia” online news there is an article about the hour-long trial Monday morning. One thing that stood out is that Erica Blizzard does not know that speeding is not safe.


Here is what she said: “Blizzard responded, "I don't know," when asked by the prosecutor whether she would agree that speeding is not safe for the motoring public.”

OMG she still doesn’t know that speeding is not safe! Who will be the next one to suffer the consequences of Erica Blizzard’s uncontrollable desire to speed whether in a car or boat.


Department of Safety Attorney Diane Dubay, who prosecuted the case, holds up two fingers in front of Erica’s face during the trial. I wonder what that hand gesture means?

Here is the photo:

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcsi.dl...f=AR&MaxW=8250

She doesn't know,have a clue or care what her actions cause as a consequence and never will. It is a very sad day when our justice sytem is visibly shown to have two different sides,one for everyday people and one for those of priviledge. Very easy to tell where she sits

I am sad to say that in many cases, especially her negligent homicide case, you are correct.

I would also add that normally I find a lot of the comments attached to Union Leader articles fairly foolish. In the story today I wholeheartedly agree with probably 99% of the posts found there.

There is absolutely no scorn great enough for this particular felon. :mad:

Erica Blizzard drives a 3 ton vehicle down the highway at 85 MPH, weaving back and forth, doesn’t use her directional light, talking on a cell phone, and putting other vehicles that are near her in great danger. That 3 ton vehicle has the potential of killing many people if it goes out of control. So what does Erica get for a penalty????? A $250.00 fine plus court cost.


Then a hard working farmer from Moultonborough is on his own posted property and tells someone to get off it because they are not welcome… and what does he get???? 3 to 6 years in the slammer.

And it's only a he said she said case!!
http://www.gifs-paradise.com/animate...ustice-006.gif

I heard Erica was also doing her nails and eating a Big Mac while driving over a hundred. . Disgraceful. Just Disgraceful.

I wonder who is more HATED....Erica...OR Sarah Palin ....in this HATE Crowd ...on this board. NB

How things change...
 

What I am about to write is easy to verify...anyone can just look back in the forum and find it.
I think it is so funny how people flip/flop.
When her boat thing happen years ago, there was this huge outpouring of support...sympathy...poor Erica..no matter what,she will suffer forever...blah blah blah.
And I chimed in..."wait a minute. It seems obvious she was drunk, was going 25 MPH in 0 visability, and killed her friend. Let's dial down the sympathy thing"...
And, wow, was I villified. What a bad person I was to not give her the "benifit of the doubt". I did not know her...how dare I??!! She was a wonderful person, who made a mistake. An upstanding local business person who does a lot of good. Wait and see how the trial turns out.
On and on and on it went.
Look back..it's all there.
Well, I'm not saying I was right or wrong...who knows what's in a person's heart?
But this forum did a complete 180, that's for darn sure.
Whichever way the wind is blowing....

Nobozo comment reply

Unless you are afraid of Sarah Palin, then I don't think you have to desert her.

She certainly seems to speak her mind. Is that what people hate about politicians? I don't think so! If you are are conservative ask yourself, am I being manipulated by the liberal media as to how I percieve a woman who speaks her mind and agrees with most everything I believe in. Search deep in your mind conservatives, don't be embarassed by supporting this woman.:cool: The liberals are very afraid of this Woman!:cool:

I Am a Conservative. Tonights State Of The Union SHOW ....I don't want to watch the Liberal BS......But I HAVE to.... OR.. watch the State Run Media tomorrow.... tell me THEIR Version of what went down......NB

Derailing this thread, But...........
 

How about just STOP DERAILING THE THREAD!!!
 

Meanwhile back on Erica "Extreme can mean a lot of things" Blizzard. Like I'm EXTREMEly self absorbed and I'm EXTREMEly arrogant and I'm EXTREMEly confused about why everyone's so PO'd at me.

I just hope she doesn't have a snowmobile.... She could be going for the Trifecta!

Funny and sad at the same time
 

I am sitting here thinking about group dynamics play into a frenzy. This is being built up more and more every posting. Sad too. I just took a trip up to laconia a couple weeks ago, and the actual traffic speed was right around 78-80. I had it on cruise, and was not passing more than a car or two every couple of minutes, though I was being passed probably more often. I could have made my speed 100 mph on cruise, and I might have been deemed unsafe at that point I guess. But 84? nah. I would have been still steering with one finger on the wheel, tunes going, and sipping on my water. Get real. 84 mph is not some radical speed that is unsafe and dangerous. On 95/128, it is traffic speed on most days. In Maine, I had a cruiser pass me without even a glance, and I was at 105 mph on my bike. I guess it all becomes relative at some point.

I know people feel being on the bash Blizzard bandwagon right now, but doesn't it get old? I sure think it does. Just my opinion though.

point was missed...
 

...I think my point was missed.
A sort while back, the outpouring of sympathy for Erica was unreal. 4 to 1, for her, than against. Before everything came out. And then the breeze blew, and the sheep were lead the other way...
For people, for or against, the hugely debated other case, on this forum...just wait and see. Maybe one day, he will lose favor with everyone. Who knows. Other than MarkNH, who has stated he knows him well, everyone else seems to have a favorable opinion, of a man they have never met. So be careful. You may change your mind.
I won't do it, but can call out two well know members right now who posted stongly in favor of Erica...how much she must be grieving, and just made a mistake....whatever.
And now they are bigtime negative Erica posters.
When I suggested many moons ago, Erica may indeed be guilty of murder...wow, talk about PM's. And then, never a retraction.
Here comes the breeze...get ready to switch sides...

not support
 

I'm not going to be put in a position of supporting Erica...because I don't, and thought she was going to jail...but for $$$ and defense team.
However, when driving the 65 miles to the lake, on a clear day...my speed is always between 75/85...as is everyone else. Normal flow, once past the Hooksett tolls. And, cell phone often in use.
The same is true for most poeple...how do I know? It is plain to see...as I said...normal flow is always over 75closer to 85.
But don't put me in Erica's corner...I am not there. I believe she thinks she is above the law.

I'm sorry, you were going 105 and the trooper did not look at you? I find that difficult to believe (maybe you were such a blur he did not see you!)

Not a blur
 

Believe it or not....it happened. And no, I was not a blur. He passed me. It was on 95, north of Bangor, heading towards Houlton. I realize this is a widely unpopulated area, but at 105, he blew by me three time in two trips. If I had to make a guess, he was around 125 mph once, and the other two times around 110-115 mph, in his blue crown vic. No lights. No sirens. This was just his cruising speed I guess.

In Mass., they keep their non-call speeds around 90,or so. Oh..I forgot, they are trained, so it is not unsafe I guess. I don't know how many times I have pulled to the right doing 75 or 80, to let a cruiser pass me on the left.

I believe it. That area of Maine is no-man's land, really. If you lose control of your vehicle you're more likely to hit a tree or a moose than another car. That's a little diff than doing 85MPH in several lanes of traffic, with other cars around.

My opinion - she's no villain, but it seems she's lacking sound judgement. I have the impression this isn't the end of it. I don't have sympathy for her other than that due to her family for their loss and difficult times because of the accident. If I were in her shoes, I'd be walking the straight and narrow - not even daring to drop a cigarette butt on the ground for fear of a littering violation.

Learning from a mistake
 

I agree wholeheartedly with you on that. I truly hope that time helps to mend all wounds involved. I have met Erica, and her heart warmed watching me and my wife interact (yeah, cuz we are just that much in gooey love) The impression that I got was that Erica has a warm and caring inside, and that is how I judge her, and no other way. To get caught up in one's life is not uncommon, but apparently unforgivable by the common man. If you want to see real dangerous arrogance, deal with some of the Dr.'s where I work. Can't tell you how many times I have saved a pt.'s life from someone's stupidity. We judge those who appear to be 'higher', by whatever standards of hierarchy we create, and hold them to different level of social standards than others. I bet all of this hurts just as much as if she worked at a minimum wage job and the same things happened.

She was involved in something traggic. No matter the blame, it will never change that fact. It is just such a damn shame it happened at all. Hopefully everyone here on this board reading this thread will take away one good thing from it, and never drive a car, boat, or bike with even a single drink in them...you just never know how one drink can affect you because of dehydration from being in the sun, or lack of food in the system, or tiredness, etc.. And if a person has ever knocked Blizzard in this thread, and they do drive a vehicle with even a single drink in them knowing this..then shame on them!

Caring?
 

So warm and caring inside, that she has yet to even approach the womans family that died in her boat that night, to even apologize to them......

The reason this is a big deal with me (and should be with you gslpro) is because Blizzard drove her vehicle negligently a day after being convicted of negligent homicide while piloting a boat on Lake Winnipesaukee that killed her best friend.
There is no doubt that we all go over the speed limit while driving on the highway and probably use our cell phone when we shouldn’t….BUT….if I had just been convicted of negligent homicide while piloting a boat then I would probably stay within the law when behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle or vessel.

Erica Blizzard needs to be criticized for what she did. I hope she reads every post in this thread, it might help her realize that the public won't stand for her nonsense!

I don't know about all of you speeders out there. When I drive I-95 to Mass I set my cruise at 64 MPH, stay in the far right lane and let all you people pass me. No stress on my part. Guess I'm just old school.

In my day we stayed under the speed limit and there was no place to really do over 50. No big highways.

Joe, please stay out of the left lane please....I'll be whizzing by you at 68/69MPH....we'll catch up to the cowboys at the first light on 104 by the old Star Market.

Speeding on the interstate
 

Sure pretty much everyone speeds on I93/I95. Some at more than 80 -- myself included at times depending on conditions and traffic. And I take the risk that I could get nailed by a speed trap.

But in la Extremista's case, she was cited for negligent driving because not only was she speeding, but she was dialing/texting on her phone and failed to see the cop waiving her over when she should have. If she was only speeding, then she'd have gotten a ticket, paid it, and that's it. Negligent driving dragged her into court so the judge could decide the penalty, right? He decided this wasn't horribly egregious, fined her $250 and off she went.

My beef is the attitude and failure to acknowledge personal responsibility. To my knowledge, she has never done that. Instead, all we get are excuses (and lies, I think). She isn't going to appeal this. She got the best case outcome already.

But please, let's take her boating license away for 3 years. She deserves that, for sure. And if it breaks new legal ground on what penalties can be meted out for causing egregious boating accidents, that's great. We can name the law after her.

It's almost painful to see the piling on and hateful comments on these threads.Erica is none of the things that many think she is.She is not arrogant priviliged and disdainful of the law as some have posted.She made a stupid,life changing mistake that is so agonizing that only the family of her friend that died can understand.The traffic stop was not the result of her thinking she is above the law,but due to the fact that she was distracted,understandably,with all that's going on.Just her bad luck that it happened at such a time.....and,of course the trooper,seeing who it was,made it seem as though he had to scramble over a guardrail to save his life.A little over dramatic.
I think that much of the anger comes from the perception that she is a spoiled little rich girl,tooling around town from party to party like Paris Hilton.
Just the opposite is true.She is well liked and respected at work and among people who know her.....she's the first one at work to clean a toilet,sweep the floor or help a mechanic.When I have stopped in to the dealership I have usually found her in the parts dept.....not with her feet up on a desk.
Any one of us,at any time, can make a serious error in judgement that can change our life forever.....she suffered serious injuries,but nothing as bad as losing her friend.
I really think it's time for a little forgiveness.......or at least,backing of some of the inflamatory posts.............just my $.02

Or doing something just as irresponsible as someone driving a motorcycle at 105 mph or a vehicle (police cruiser) even faster when there is no good reason to be doing so !
You didn't really think you were going to get away with telling us that without somebody saying, Shame on You ! :)

The most frustrating thing about all this, is that two people had too much to drink and used their boats to kill two innocent people. Both of them got convicted of lesser charges and not convicted any drinking while boating charges. So either our drinking while boating laws are broken, our law enforcement is incompetent or both.

And no one is doing anything about it!

Enough is Enough!!!!!!!!
 

SAM,

I hole Hartley agree. I thinks its time to shut this thread down.

I have a question for everyone. Who among us would jump out in front of a vehicle, clocked at 85 mph in the passing lane,at 6:30 pm ( I think it would be safe to say that it was dark out ) and notice she was on her cell phone?

I don't have a dog in this race, but to me, unless he is Super Trooper, I think he was just really p----d off and he was an idiot to pull a stunt like that. They cause more problems pulling a manuver like that. I have seen them do that before and you have everybody braking and having near misses. I think that is why they have cruisers (to chase them down ) and 2 way radios ( when the public safety is at risk ). This is just my .02 cents.

Yes you are right, it was her bad luck and our good luck that she was stopped before she either hurt herself or someone else.

Seriously SAMIAN do you really think that she was speeding because she had so much on her mind that she couldn’t stay within the speed limit? Also how do you know so much about what the trooper did, were you there?

Even in broad daylight with normal reflections off the windshield there is No Way anybody could SEE a cell phone next to someones ear.. (Her hair would have covered the phone) ...and certainly not if she was texting, ...the phone would be below dashboard level..... and the vehicle is hurtling head on AT YOU at 80+ MPH. The LEO ..by his own admission, was headed for the tall grass..not looking for a cell phone. NB

Nope....wasn't there and that is a fair point. I can say from personal experience, though, that I've been on I-93 many times when all traffic was going 80 to 85. Everyone knows that most troopers will give you 10mph over or so......and people stretch it to 80 or a little more....I know that I do and I've not had a ticket in many years much less any boating accidents. I guess that makes me as reckless as you believe Erica to be.
Forgot to mention that I'm also guilty of using my cell phone....guess I better start going to church.

Oh God, Mark, you're right. Maybe people will start a thread about me. Trust me when I say that I am safer at 105 mph than a large part of population is at 65 mph. I think I even made a phone call and talked for a while too. But, I have bluetooth in my car and on my bike, so that makes me not dangerous.

This is all about people enjoying the drama, like watching a reality show. Well, I am glad I don't watch those either. People forget they get edited to skew the truth and shape people's opinions. Huh, do I see any similarity?

[QUOTE=gslpro;149051]Trust me when I say that I am safer at 105 mph than a large part of population is at 65 mph. QUOTE]

That comment (IMO) is no different then the guy who says " I can drive better after a few beers then I can when I'm sober".
I think you know,deep down inside,that driving a bike at 105 mph is dangerous and foolish, you don't need me to scold you.
I am not really looking to bust your cahonies here, I'm just having a little fun at your expense.
Be Safe :)

Sam:

I believe the issue is that Saint Erica has never even said she was sorry for her very unfortunate accident. She should be in every damn school in the state speaking to our youth about the dangers of alcohol. Oh that is right, she really wasn't drunk. Her reading was high because she lost so much blood that the alcohol was a higher proportion than it would have been had she not lost all that blood. Give me a break. Her actions remind me of old Chuck Turner down here in Massachusetts. He can't admit to wrong doing either. Fortunately, he is going to the big house for 3-years.

GAG ME: I think I am gonna choke. :yawn: NB

two words... civil suit

One word... Good

Do you know that?

Yes. If you don't admit to the crimes (drunk boating and reckless driving) you can't be sorry and you certainly haven't apologized. That being said, perhaps you can be sorry for the personal pain that has been inflicted upon you, but beyond that you aren't truly sorry.

You can admit to driving the boat in the accident that caused the death. Can anyone really believe that she "isn't sorry" that people were injured and killed? I am not buying that.

I agree with you entirely. I have met Erica on several occasions and she is not the person that is depicted here, in the media and in other threads. It is easy to pass judgement on people that you do not know and have no contact with. This is also at times what makes this type of communication very distastefull. It is easy to be critical and self righteous when you are not communicating face to face or at least verbally.

Just my opinion.

Secondcurve.....To say that she has never even said she is sorry is totally unfair. To even put that out there is inflamatory and also untrue. That is information that you wouldn't have unless you know her or the family of her friend.

This is what Erica said before her sentencing: "I couldn't possibly be punished more than the loss of my best friend and the anguish her family feels," she said. "All of this is secondary. I lost my best friend and that is something I will have to live with the rest of my life."

That comment from her brought tears to my eyes.

I have tried to stay away from any personal attacks against Erica and if I have said something to the contrary then I apologize.

I have some personal reasons for commenting about the accident but have tried to stay within the actual accident and not get personal. I feel she is a good person and I'm sure in time she will get her life back together.

As others have stated, she probably can't speak pubicly about this, as there might be a civil lawsuit. Anything she says in public WILL be held against her. With a civil lawsuit, the burden is on you to prove your innocence.

Not saying I'm Sorry
 

I saw an interview with the family of the girl who died in that boating accident. It was in that interview that the parents said that they had never even received a sorry from Erica and they were quite upset because of it. Maybe she hasn't apoligized because like others have said, due to a civil suit, but to not ever saying anything to the family...c'mon......she must of been a real good friend

Today's Sept 2, 2011 Laconia Citizen has a terrific report written by Bea Lewis, google "N H Supreme Court to hear Blizzard boating license revocation appeal." It's a very complicated and detailed article and most all of the legal stuff goes way over my head. If you don't have an IQ of at least 140 then do yourself a favor and don't bother trying to read and comprehend it. I know I sure couldn't figure most all of what they's talking about?

All I can say is that James Moir(pronounced Moy-er) sounds like one heck of a very very smart attorney!

And, considering that the fatal collision between the Formula boat and the Diamond Island granite outcropping took place on June 15, 2008, at aprox 2-am, on a foggy & rainy night, and that the 45-30-mph boat speed limit is still very much the law here on Lake Winnipesaukee, it seems like the dynamics that powered up the general interest in this legal case have changed? Whatcha think?

Like now that the speed limits issue, 45-30 mph on Winnipesaukee, has come and gone, does anybody really even care all that much whether the defendant can drive a boat or not?

It is a very safe bet that any decision handed down by the five NH Supreme Court justices will, unlike public speed limits perception, be totally based on interpreting the NH rules and laws as deep legal thoughts which, well-well-well, can get very deep, and go beyond the understanding of Joe NH Citizen..... or something!:eek:

Facts and numbers
 

Doing some basic digging, I don't think the driving offense she was charged with was warranted and should have been a speeding violation.

Just because a person has a badge on doesn't change the laws of physics of vechicles traveling down the highway vs a human body. From previous readings it certainly appeared to me the cop was putting way more drama into things.

But, here's some numbers to ponder. The last couple years the State Police have stopped around 165,000 - 175,100 cars are year and issues about 50k tickets. These numbers don't inlcude tickets from local agencies which puts the numbers way higher.

What I have never understood is why I-93 and I-89 does not have 70 MPH speed zones. The 70 MPH zones are all over the US, in way more populated areas than I-93 and they work. Imagine that;)

Isn't this boating certificate revocation based at least partially on her having a blood alcohol level high enough to be legally D.U.I. at the time she drove her luxury liner into the solid granite, island shoreline. It was a case of solid granite outcropping vs Grey Goose vodka, and the granite stood strong! That's why NH is called the Granite State, as opposed to the Vodka State!

she has payed her dues let sleeping dogs lie :(

Not for nothing, but she was not convicted for DUI. So no, her boating certification revocation had NOTHING to do with her blood alcohol level.

How sure are you about that?

http://www.concordmonitor.com/tags/erica-blizzard

As far as I know, sailing a sailboat or paddling a kayak are still allowed uses when the NH Dept of Safety revokes your certificate to pilot a boat, as long as the sailboat or kayak has no motor.

Sailing a sailboat is a lot more challenging than driving a motorboat, which is probably one big reason why high speed motor boating, above 45-mph, used to be a semi-popular thing to do on Lake Winnipesaukee. Boaters just got a little bored with the slower speeds, as they boat faster and got themselves a powerful motor boat, it became all about the speed. With a sailboat, the top speed is about 10-mph, but what with two sails, balancing the boat, and steering, there's probably a bigger challenge there than driving a $200,000 32' Formula sport cruiser through a foggy, rainy night at 2-am.

Going without a boater certificate for three years and having to resort to a sailboat or a kayak could be a great way to reintroduce someone to the pastime of boating.......sort of a three year rehabilitation program....or a way to lose the need for speed....and go boating in a smaller boat that puts you close to the water!

----------------

Yep. 100% To avoid further embarrassment, please read the articles that you post.

I do not understand the remainder of your rant, it is very similar to one of APS' cyrptic posts.

well done thank you


:D

I am very sure, and your link says nothing to dispute that.

This reminds me... I've been meaning to ask the forum members if there is a way to stop threads that seem to be stuck in an endless loop from showing up on my screen? I tried banging my monitor a couple of times but this one keeps going around and around. Any help would be appreciated.

It's pretty simple. If you don't like the topic at hand, then don't click on it. ;)

...motorboating; a right or a privilege?
 

So's under the State of NH motorboat certificate program, which has been in existence since about the year 1999, is piloting a motorboat a right or a privilege?

When you get born in NH, you get a birth certificate.

When you get married in NH, you get a marriage license.

When you pass the boating written test in NH, you get a boating certificate.

When you pass both the automobile driver's written and road test in NH, you get an automobile driver's license.

Is the NH boating certificate a legal instrument that is similar to a license that can be revoked if the state thinks you deserve to have it revoked?

Is motor boating in NH a right or a privilege?

The state can revoke your marriage license? Is marriage a right or a privilege?

NO. The certificate that everyone refers to is a "Certificate of Boating Safety Education." This "Certificate" indicates that you have ..."Sucessfully completed an approved boating safety education course with a Proctored exam". It is NOT a License.

The plastic card you get does NOT have a serial number or license number on it. It can no more be revoked or suspended than your High School Diploma. You took the course and passed the final exam. You're a Graduate. That's it. :)

HOWEVER: You MUST have taken the course and passed the exam in order to go boating with a powered vessel over the prescribed horsepower.

"PRIVILEGE"...is something else. :look: NB

I think it is a curse...:laugh:

Better watch out revitalizing this thread or Bentley Boy (who has nothing else to say other than about this topic for obvious reasons) will resurface.

Seriously, at this point who cares? Most of us don't like the outcome but it is in the past.

I'm thinking the government has too much control over us. We can't breathe without their persmission, let alone boat.

This horse is not yet dead...
 

All above is true except for the renter who simply has to take a 10 question quiz given by the marina renting the boat for a handsome daily fee. Then they can rent a boat with unlimited horsepower and proceed to cause mayhem and chaos on the lake. I fear for my life when I see these unexperienced, untested, CLUELESS boat renters coming my way.

I would suggest that you give up boating if it bothers you that much. It's not good for your health to be fearful to do anything in life.

Fear "is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat".

You fear for GFBL boats and have no fear for those who rent boats without a clue of navigation. You do have a one track mind.

Can you show me (and the audience) where I said I "fear" anything? I don't like some of the GFBL boats but do not "fear" them because I know what to expect from them.
Rental boats should not be feared, they should not be liked for what the inexperienced operator might do.

I think that you have "fear" and "do not like" mixed up a little. In the future please use the words "do not like" when relating to how I feel about some GFBL boats.

"Fear" is for the weak.

There are a lot of guys sitting in the hell hole we call Afghanistan that will admit to their fears. I would not call them weak.

I don't "fear" the renters when I'm boating. I'm a licensed captain and am experienced enough to know how to avoid them and their wakes of destruction. However, I do "fear" them and "fear" for the safety of my family when these inexperienced operators of rental boats come dangerously close (way less than 150') to people swimming.

You WINNFABS guys kill me....when you "fear" fast boats, you lobby for speed limits and have ulterior motives to scrub the lake of performance boats so you can use the lake as you best see fit. But when the shoe is on the other foot and someone else has a legitimate concern about a real problem, your knee-jerk reaction is to tell them to "give up boating". Too bad WINFABS didn't follow this advice.

“I don't "fear" the renters when I'm boating.”

That’s good to hear, you shouldn’t fear anyone on the Lake.

“I'm a licensed captain and am experienced enough to know how to avoid them and their wakes of destruction.”

How many people were destructed due to the wakes of boat renters? Just curious that’s all.

“However, I do "fear" them and "fear" for the safety of my family when these inexperienced operators of rental boats come dangerously close (way less than 150') to people swimming.”

Now you fear them??? You said you were “am experienced” captain and know how to avoid them. So why do you fear them then??

“You WINNFABS guys kill me....when you "fear" fast boats,”

I can only speak for myself and I do not “fear” fast boats.

“you lobby for speed limits and have ulterior motives to scrub the lake of performance boats so you can use the lake as you best see fit. But when the shoe is on the other foot and someone else has a legitimate concern about a real problem, your knee-jerk reaction is to tell them to "give up boating". Too bad WINFABS didn't follow this advice”

Living in “fear” while boating on the Lake is a "legitimate" concern and a “real problem for “YOU” and not for me or any other boater that I know of. You need to give you “Captains” license up if you can’t control your emotions while boating…….that is a "legitimate" concern for me.

And, as I recall, "FEAR" is the biggest reason we now have a speed limit on the lake! All those WinnFabs members feared performance boats travelling faster than 45mph (apparently). They even feared it if it was the ONLY boat on the water!! Go figure.

But the Lake "feels" so much safer now.

I only have one emotion while boating (and flying): pure bliss! Fear was buzzword most often used by WINNFABS and was also the foundation of their speed limit lobby and efforts.

Pure bliss
 

Back in the late '70's, early '80's, my biggest thrill was taking off/ landing in the waters around the Lakes Region in a lake Renegade.

Back at the time, driving a performance boat on the big lake was also a thrill. Today, the only time I feel comfortable in a boat is during the week before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. 'Feel good' laws have taken away the 'pure bliss' of boating that I once had. 'Feel good' laws do not fix the problem, it makes matters worst.

Wrong thread/off the rails???
 

Not sure how this thread got twisted :offtopic: and sorry for adding to it as I don't have anything useful to add to the thread as titled, but one "quick" thought about the last few posts,,,

I am NEVER driving my boat(s) actively thinking/worrying about any other boater (renter or not) And I think we should not be assuming renters are all inexperienced or bad boaters, many are very experienced. I may be the odd man out, but I assume other boaters are in control and know what they are doing until I actually see them doing something wrong. :confused:

I am however more likely to be far too actively thinking/worrying about all the formal rules and that there could be a marine patrol around the next bend. :eek:

There are even times when I have found myself paying too much attention to trying to determine distance to another boat/land/etc and NOT focusing on far more important things like if the kids or dog are sitting down, or that the ropes are all in the boat and not dragging behind, or any other number of things I should be more concerned about other than getting a ticket for being a few feet too close to something or 5 MPH over some speed limit. :eek:

When there were less formal laws/rules boating was a more natural activity, it has become a lot more stressful activity not because of other boaters, but because of all these finable offences that are being introduced by people who probably shouldn't be boating in the first place. :(

I personally think its far more important to understand the basic mechanics of your boat and paying attention to that than any speed limit. Yet we have created a situation where anyone who can make a payment is now driving a boatful of people around and who wouldn't know how to change the prop on their boat if they even know it was bent, but they get laws passed telling me how fast I can drive at night! :mad:

And while I have to admit I don't think I have ever been over 35 MPH at night in my many years of boating, I hardly think a speed limit will make my night time operation any safer, that is one of the last things of concern for me when talking about night operation of a boat. :fire:

Well that’s one persons rant,,,

Sorry,,, Just venting (and using up all the smilies I can in one post),,, :(

....one opinion from state prison!
 

Talk about having the pot be calling the kettle black here, but at least it's always somewhat interesting to read a letter from someone locked away in state prison, and yes, it most definitely makes me appreciate my own freedom, because no matter how bad off things are, things are definitely a lot worse in the state prison. But then again, if you gonna do the crime, then you should do the time.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/articl...ld-be-ashamed?

Agreed. That was one of my main issues all along. There are hundreds if not thousands of inmates in NH that are serving greater sentences for lesser offenses.

Talk about apples and oranges!

Sure I think Blizzard got a great deal from the jury, the judge and the warden, but to compare her crimes to a guy convicted of strangling a woman, is a huge stretch. I'm glad Gary Roy is guilty, remorseful, and in jail.

and again...