elchase

Thanks for the civil response Ryan. Note however that the Winnipesaukee speed limit at 12:19 AM is 25 MPH. Both of these boats were exceeding it (i.e. "speeding"), so both were at fault to some degree. Now of course the question will be how much death and destruction a 7 MPH (5+2) reduction in collision speed would have prevented. Neither you nor I (nor anyone else except the Creator) can pretend to know for sure whether or not the victim would have survived had the two boats been going under 25MPH, had the drivers been sober, and had all other safety laws been obeyed. Common sense and science dictate that a slower impact would have improved the victims chances of survival and reduced damage to some unpredictable extent. I leave it to each intelligent reader to make his own judgment. The opinion of your group will of course be that the speed limit would not have made any difference. I'm not going to be so bold as to say it would have saved a life, but I believe it surely would have made some difference on the side of safety and might have saved a life. We each have our own opinions. I respect yours and appreciate that you respect mine, and let's both leave it to the intelligence of the unbiased to make up their own minds.

I don't and never said I did. I think it is part of a package of safety measures that when combined will improve the boating experience for the most people, is a good compromise already, and is the best way to ensure that we can all unselfishly share the lake. I will not try to change your mind or disparage your viewpoint...I just don't agree with it. But this forum is not supposed to be a love-fest. It is for debating.

I quoted directly from the article. Hence the quotation marks. The "cigarette boat" was going 27 MPH after midnight.
And we're off! Back to the personal cr_p. What does my "character" have to do with this? Is this thread about challenging my character or about speed limits? It's a story I found on the internet and pointed the readers to. The messenger is not the problem here. I post the links for the very reason that I also hope the intelligent impartial readers will go to them to read them. I want everyone to draw his/her own conclusions from not only the specifics of each accident, but the plethora of them. And I don't characterize or mischaracterize them. Sometimes I quote from them, but how can a quote be a mischaraterization? I only ask people to read them and tell me why they think they are irrelevant or can't happen on Winnipesaukee if we remove the SL. The "cigarette boat" in this case was going 27 MPH after midnight. That's almost the same speed Littlefield says he was going when he killed Mr. Hartman. The "Sea Ray" (is it alright if I call it a "Sea Ray" Steve?) was going 30 MPH with a drunk pilot after midnight. That's faster than Littlefield says he was going. Intelligent and impartial people can read this and draw intelligent conclusions about the effects of speed in this accident without you or me guiding them. Intelligent and impartial readers would not be fooled if I was "mischaracterizing" the very article to which I was directly linking them. I gave the link just so they could read the same story I did and draw their own intelligent conclusions. If I was a man of seedy "character" trying to mislead readers, I'd have omitted the link and really "mischaracterized", no?
I'd really appreciate it if you would put me on your ignore list and stop talking to or about me. Unless you want to keep your posts limited to your opinions on the SL, it is just going to remain ugly. I have no problems with my "character", and I'm not going to let someone like you get away with "mischaracterizing" it.

Here's an example from a "Poker Run";
http://www.wwmt.com/engine.pl?station=wwmt&id=17789&template=breakout_local.html
Lake Michigan boating accident leaves 1 dead, 1 missing
July 9, 2005, 7:17 PM
HOLLAND, Mich (AP) -- One man was killed and another is missing and presumed drowned after a 42-foot power boat carrying four people capsized Saturday on Lake Michigan as the driver was making a turn, authorities said.
The single-boat accident happened about 9:45 a.m. EDT near the western Michigan community of Holland.
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Craig Lawrance said the men on board were part of a Smoke on the Water Poker Run that included 60 to 70 boats. He said the boat was speeding from Grand Haven to Holland when the driver overcompensated for a missed turn, slowing from about 110 mph to about 70 mph.
Lawrance said alcohol was not a factor.
A 20-year-old Bristol, R.I., man died from his injuries, and the 42-year-old missing man is from Hartland, Wis., authorities said. Ottawa County sheriff's Sgt. Kevin Allman said he likely drowned.
Sgt. Scott Tatrow of the Allegan County Sheriff's Department told WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids that the passengers were wearing life preservers but they came off when straps broke from impact with the water.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and boat were joined by divers from the Ottawa and Allegan county sheriff's departments in a search of the lake Saturday afternoon.
The driver of the boat was taken to Holland Community Hospital for treatment of back injuries, while a fourth man on board was not injured.
Additional information about the men wasn't immediately released.
Lawrance said the poker run involves boaters making stops at various locations on land and in the water to collect cards for a poker hand.
The two-day event is based in Grand Haven and has been held annually since 2001, according to a Smoke on the Water Web site. Boaters take a 141-mile course with stops in South Haven, Holland, Muskegon and White Lake.

Am I "mischaracterizing" this one? Could this never happen in one of crowded Lake Winnipesaukee's Poker Runs if we didn't have a SL? Intelligent and impartial readers can draw their own intelligent conclusions.