Just a little venting

S

Stepen

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May 1, 2011
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My daughter and I were on the river, and a thunderstorm was coming in. We made a run for the launch, along with several other boaters, and we all got there ahead of the storm. We pulled the boat in the trailer, and pulled up in to the parking lot.

A couple other boats did the same. While I tie up the boat and strap it down, my daughter goes over the trailer for weeds, in Minnesota you get a fine if you have weeds on the trailer, same in Wisconsin. I pull the weeds off that my daughter cannot get to, she has some mobility issues because she has cerebral palsy. I notice that one of the other boats has a ton of weeds hanging on their trailer, from the cross members, the wires and the fenders. I told the guys, there were three of them, and got a curt " Mind your own effing business." from one, "What, you think I am going to stand out in the effing rain to clean weeds?" from another, and I forget what the third guy said, but it was along the same lines. They take off their rain gear and head out, weeds flapping in the wind.

I know that the DNR guys cannot be everywhere at the same time, but I wish they had been at that launch that day.

Nothing we can do about it, just irritated at the attitude and rudeness.

Thanks for listening and letting me vent.

Stephen
 
Bob_VT

Bob_VT

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Re: Just a little venting

I can appreciate your effort and frustration. You can't save them all.

Here in VT there are people who inspect your boat/trailer both before launching and after you re-load.
 
LippCJ7

LippCJ7

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Re: Just a little venting

Your a better man then me, I could not have let that one go in front of my daughter/s
 
bigdee

bigdee

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Re: Just a little venting

Use manners to overwhelm their rudeness. Ask them this simple question: "Am I offending you somehow? If so, I am really sorry, no offense meant." Most people will be taken back by this approach and will quickly backtrack to reassure you that you have not offended them. Now that I am older and wiser I try to use my critical thinking skills but in my younger days they probably would have had to deal with a redneck response and I would probably end up calling someone to go my bond.
 
produceguy

produceguy

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Re: Just a little venting

Somtimes I think its human nature to just get offended if a stranger trys to give advice. Sad but you handled it great.
 
southkogs

southkogs

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Re: Just a little venting

Yep, you did great. You did the right, neighborly and "sailorly" thing to attempt to be a help to other boaters. When they responded by being nit-wits (polite version), you let it go and turned your attention back to what matters more ... your kiddo. Fortunately, they went their way without further incident and you can trust that eventually they'll get "theirs."

Though it is nice to confirm that by passing them and the officer that pulled them over :D
 
slag

slag

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Re: Just a little venting

Weeds on a trailer is an offense? Thats a new one to me. What about rust or bird poop or whatever. I can't understand the logic on this one. Is the weed going to fly off at highway speed and kill someone?
 
j_martin

j_martin

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Re: Just a little venting

slag said:
Weeds on a trailer is an offense? Thats a new one to me. What about rust or bird poop or whatever. I can't understand the logic on this one. Is the weed going to fly off at highway speed and kill someone?
Click to expand...

What rock have you been hiding under?

Trailer and boat contamination is how invasive species get spread from lake to lake.
 
slag

slag

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Re: Just a little venting

j_martin said:
What rock have you been hiding under?

Trailer and boat contamination is how invasive species get spread from lake to lake.
Click to expand...

I've always been told to make sure there is no water left in the bilge, but nothing about weeds, etc. Then again, its not pushed very much where I boat in Kansas. We already have zebra mussels, but there are no boat inspections or anything else like that here except randomly done by parks and rec on the water.
 
LippCJ7

LippCJ7

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Re: Just a little venting

slag said:
I've always been told to make sure there is no water left in the bilge, but nothing about weeds, etc. Then again, its not pushed very much where I boat in Kansas. We already have zebra mussels, but there are no boat inspections or anything else like that here except randomly done by parks and rec on the water.
Click to expand...

Different parts of the country have different issues most of the time but the same issues some of the time, here in Colorado its similar to KS except we have the inspections for mussels and the like, I don't know of many lakes that weed up very bad around here either.
 
Icyharp

Icyharp

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Re: Just a little venting

j_martin said:
What rock have you been hiding under?

Trailer and boat contamination is how invasive species get spread from lake to lake.
Click to expand...

I agree with this, so many issues now in our waterways because of this.

Back to the topic at hand, you did great and even though they got a tad defensive I would suspect that after a little time to think about it he knows you were right, but you will never reap the rewards with a "thank you". I suspect more laws will follow in WI and MN as time goes on, since the DNR bought them new pressure washers for the boat ramps the local law enforcemnt will slowly become better, and I have been asked if I woould wash my boat if a pressure washer was available here in WI, course I said yes.

My sons use to get the weeds off the trailer by crawling around, then I was handed one of them grabber things to reach the weeds off the trailer, works fairly well and my kids fight for the use of it....lol With that I have gotten to know the inspectors quiet well at our boat launch and I have asked them if they ever get grief from boaters, they reply was. "no most are very understanding and open to the inspections". Anyway great job with trying to inform, and I will agree with the "polite manners response", lol takes a lot of people by surprise.
 
LippCJ7

LippCJ7

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Re: Just a little venting

bruceb58 said:
That's troubling!
Click to expand...

I found it surprising as well, I have only boated in Kansas once in the last year and probably never will again but thats because I had sailboats that were faster then my 454!!(WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYY)

But they never even blinked an eye, no invasive species protocol that I saw
 
S

Stepen

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May 1, 2011
Messages
10
Re: Just a little venting

Thanks every one for your response. I was as surprised by the attitude and language as anything. It seems that some young men in an particular age group cannot say one sentence without using that expletive.
Most other boaters have been extremely kind and helpful. If they see weeds on my boat they let me know, and thank me if I let them know if I see some they missed on their boats. Kind of a team effort to help each other out. And, some boaters help when they see my daughter is having a tough day, but on the other hand, well, I best stop now, that would lead to a whole new rant:)

Thanks again,
Stephen
 
mnypitboat

mnypitboat

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Re: Just a little venting

Next time make it look like a law thing. Just say, I didnt clean mine last weekend and there was a wildlife officer sitting down the street inspecting trailers and handing out heavy fines. Maybe money and law will convince him. Whatever it takes. No need to get into a shouting match in front of your kid.
 
skargo

skargo

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Re: Just a little venting

Even though it is not required where I boat(yet) I pull the weeds from the trailer, which can be a lot! Like today, I had to clean the weeds off after I launched, and retrieved, was a weed infested nightmare!
 
aspeck

aspeck

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Re: Just a little venting

I clean the weeds off my trailer, but there is no law or protocol about it in PA. I am not surprised there is a law that says you have to remove all weeds from your trailer when leaving the ramp, but I did not know about it. I would have been glad is I was boating in WI and someone informed me of the law ... or I would have just said, "thanks, but I will get them when I get home and out of the rain."
 
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