Re: throttle
Some people are like the proverbial "bull in a china shop" and need to be reminded that a little cautious observation is required. Get in, sit down, stay still and for gosh sakes shut up (if that becomes necessary). If there is enough slack in the cables, by all means secure them. If not, then passengers should be warned. If the outer sheath is broken, then yes, pressure can alter the length and control is compromised.
Words of wisdom, indeed. Last year a guy who's sort of related to me asked if I'd take him and his kid (7 YO) fishing. I agreed. Now, my boat is a 12' tinny, so two adults and a kid is a load. Legal, but a load.
The kid was great, behaved himself, and I put him on lots of sunnies and crappies, so he was overjoyed. Dad, on the other hand, was restless and uncomfortable. He was too cheap to buy a fishing license, so he wasn't fishing. He was sitting on the middle seat in my little boat, and kept standing up and rocking the boat. I told him that it wasn't safe to stand and move around in my little boat, but he just couldn't stop himself. He refused to wear a life jacket, too, even though I had one on, as I always do when there's a kid on board, since I make the kid wear one.
I cut the trip short because of him. The kid caught a bunch of fish and was happy enough, but I wasn't comfortable with the dad and his restlessness. On shore, when the kid wasn't nearby, I told him that I'd be happy to take his son fishing again, but it'd have to be just the kid and I. He wasn't happy, but there it is.