Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear Islander
As usual you are taking my comments a lot further than I ever intended.
There are many lakes where this "cowboy attitude" does not exist. Where 280 HP bowriders and canoes exist in relative harmony.
Many people on this forum think that is not possible on Winnipesaukee. They have "given up" and accept the cowboy mentality as inevitable and unalterable. This is pure BULL! I have not given up. This destructive attitude can and will be changed. I place "No Limits" on what we need to do to end this insanity.
I have given the extreme example to prove a point. If there were a 100 HP 25 mph limit on this lake then you would not have this cowboy atmosphere. Therefore it IS POSSIBLE to legislate away the cowboy attitude on this lake. My extreme example will not be necessary. However I am in favor of increased regulation and enforcement until things change. It seems your answer is to throw up your hands and say the task is impossible. I don't think that way. Besides, I love a good fight.
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OK OK I took your post quite literally for sure. Still though there has to be some middle ground. Every activity we do outside sitting in a bubble has a risk to it. I believe in reducing that risk on this lake. I just don't believe that Speed was the risk. It is that Cowboy attitude we speak of. The carelessness of the average boater. While it is POSSIBLE to legislate away the cowboy attitude by limiting boats to 100hp it is ludicrous to even talk about it because it won't happen. Besides even at 100hp limit you could still put a bonehead behind the wheel of a 25hp dinghy and he could kill someone in a kayak.
While you think I may have taken your comments further than you intended I don't see how I could have read it any differently. You actually suggested we keep pushing until we have a 100hp limit and I feel my rebuttal was as extreme as your statement. Where does it end? 0hp? Wind and paddles only? By your own suggestion you have a "No Limit" attitude towards fixing the problem and I think the only true way to eliminate all risk is to wrap everyone in life jackets within 100 feet of water and only allow paddles and wind power and even THAT doesn't guarantee safety.
My focus is and remains on correctly addressing the problem and not throwing law after law at the problem to see what sticks. Lets step back use the data and make and enforce laws that actually target the dangerous drivers on the lake.