Fatal Boat Wreck at Barkley last week

[TR21Bassin]

Not worried about passing another stupid test. Its the fact of another government regulation that some people want forced down their throat. I for one want the government to back off and keep to themselves and quit forcing more crap down all our throats. No matter if its a test or class or what it would have to be enforced, so it would cost more money. Also, how would you enforce it? There are too many bodies of water to have people randomly checked for the boating certification. The only ones that would be checked would be fishermen when they are checked for license and everything else by the game wardens. How many times have you seen a pleasure boater checked for anything? I've personally been checked more times fishing than the total number of pleasure boats I've seen checked.

Also, I've never seen any discount for a boating safety class. Had to have a coast guard class several years ago while in the military in order to rent boats from military recreation services.

As for worrying about others on the water, I don't. I drive with common sense and watch out for myself. No matter what safety class or test a person has to take its not going to stop stupidity. Also, if its your time to go then its your time to go only one person controls that and I don't think he cares if you passed a safety test or not as well. When its my time to go it will happen no matter where I'm at.

As I said before, if it scares you that much then stay at home.

Charlie

[dc chopper]

Not worried about passing another stupid test. Its the fact of another government regulation that some people want forced down their throat. I for one want the government to back off and keep to themselves and quit forcing more crap down all our throats. No matter if its a test or class or what it would have to be enforced, so it would cost more money. Also, how would you enforce it? There are too many bodies of water to have people randomly checked for the boating certification. The only ones that would be checked would be fishermen when they are checked for license and everything else by the game wardens. How many times have you seen a pleasure boater checked for anything? I've personally been checked more times fishing than the total number of pleasure boats I've seen checked.

Also, I've never seen any discount for a boating safety class. Had to have a coast guard class several years ago while in the military in order to rent boats from military recreation services.

As for worrying about others on the water, I don't. I drive with common sense and watch out for myself. No matter what safety class or test a person has to take its not going to stop stupidity. Also, if its your time to go then its your time to go only one person controls that and I don't think he cares if you passed a safety test or not as well. When its my time to go it will happen no matter where I'm at.

As I said before, if it scares you that much then stay at home.

Charlie

Charlie and Woody have both made some good points on this subject that I really cant counter either except to say I still will take one. I am looking at getting our sportmens ministry and Poor boys outdoors to sponsor one at FBC Mt washington . I do hate having the regime of Obama get into protecting the motherland waterways thats why we need to police ourselves and do everything in OUR power to keep them out.

[Duayne]

I'm not really for a bunch of regulations either, but I also know that the busier lakes get, the less you can rely on common sense. I personally have known three people who have died on the water. Two of those were in separate boat to boat hits. In both cases, the person I knew was a very experienced boater. In both cases, the reports say that both boats corrected the same way, then they both corrected again at least one time, always both correcting into each other. There is a proper way to correct so that means in both cases, one boat initially did the right thing and the other did not. I don't know if the people I knew were the ones that acted correctly or not. The person who acted properly then felt the need to go the other way, as did the other boat. In both cases, two people I know might still be alive today if all four boaters knew the protocol. Saying we should rely on common sense simply doesn't make sense. Saying that all boaters shouldn't be required to at least review proper boating protocol doesn't make sense. If it doesn't make sense than you can throw common sense out the window.

[flyfish]

"One quiz, one time, and that's it.......what's the big deal?"

Exactly! We have to have a drivers license to drive a car, a pilots license to fly a plane, so what can it hurt to have a boating license? Let's also think about the possible revenue stream for the state that could assist with enforcement on the water. The test will cost a few nickles, and then perhaps a few quarters every 4 years for a license renewal. That's a bit tongue in cheek, but you see what I'm getting at. Personally, I'd cough up $50 every few years if I knew there would be more enforcement on the water.