Drink boating- e petition, anyone?

[Seagreen]

OK despite a few rants about it, sobering up at my laptop at 1am, I realise that an E petition on the No.10 website might work nicely. Yet paradoxically, being moored at home, I'm unsure of my facts..

If someone can put up a coherent petition against the proposal for a drink boating law, which is already covered by existing legislation, and marshal the arguments, I'll sign it pronto.

Let me point out that I'm a professional driver who never drinks and drives, nor drinks and sails. BUT, I cannot stand wandering Policy Wonks, and if left unchecked, they'll legislate that boat out from under you before you can say.. "Of course, this exception does not affect the offence (under section 80(2) of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003) of having the ability to navigate impaired because of drink or drugs."

Thats it - I'm turning in. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Sixpence]

Might be better if you did a petition asking for the end of the nanny state which we seem to be in the middle of . Let people make thier own choices and live with the mistakes afterwards . We all make them , just sometimes it takes longer to get over them

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Did you sign a petition about smoking in public?

 

[pessimist]

Suspect it may make you feel better, but I very much doubt it would have any effect. Ever heard of a politician who gave a shite about the views of others?

 

[TiggerToo]

[ QUOTE ]
Ever heard of a politician who gave a shite about the views of others?

[/ QUOTE ]

of course they do. They are elected in and out. Did it ever dawn on you that perhaps there might a majority of others who might actually be in FAVOUR of prosecuting drink drivers as well as drink sailors?

Happy to be nannied on this one!

 

[Flossdog]

Petitions don't work! The biggest ever petition handed into No. 10 was against the closure of sub post offices. There were some millions of votes I remember but has it made any difference? Absolutely not. Petitions are just a way for the ruling government to make the masses think they have a democracy!

 

[Moonshining]

How much sympathy/support is a petition for the right to sail while pissed likely to get? Being realistic, not much.

 

[pessimist]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ever heard of a politician who gave a shite about the views of others?

[/ QUOTE ]

of course they do. They are elected in and out. Did it ever dawn on you that perhaps there might a majority of others who might actually be in FAVOUR of prosecuting drink drivers as well as drink sailors?

Happy to be nannied on this one!

[/ QUOTE ]

They are elected/not elected on the basis of the promises they make.

Of course I am aware that there will be some in favour. I did not state my position. I explained that I did not believe a petition would make one iota of difference.

I'm happy that you would like to be nannied, you are living in the right country.

 

[steve_cronin]

NO. Because I supported the ban.

My reason:-

Second hand smoke kills vast numbers of people in it's present form. It still will kill a significant number afterwards.

The proposed, nay SOON TO COME legislation has absolutely NO supporting evidence for it's introduction. Even the RNLI have stated that they can see no need for it's introduction.

But you guys carry on and spoil your sailing environment for ever. I, although willing to help destroy this nonsense have no personal axe to grind as I sail in Greece where even the coastguard can be seen having a few beers before taking off in a cutter - yes even one conveying the President of the Republic!

Moderation and common sense SHOULD be what it's all about but all our modern law-makers know is CONTROL - openly taught in current "Management" undergrad. courses!

Steve Cronin

 

[steve_cronin]

Errmmm?

Any particular reason why your signature omits:- "Brown"?

Steve Cronin

 

[fisherman]

I'm sorry, I think some people have to be forced to be sensible. On the other hand, there has not been a rash of drink-fuelled incidents, or has there? Have any ill-considered navigation/safety decisions been caused by alcohol?
I've been handling boats all my life, and as a fisherman of course I have an immense capacity for alcohol, but after only one pint I have some difficulty with harbour work.

 

[pessimist]

Re: Errmmm?

It will, it will.

 

[TiggerToo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ever heard of a politician who gave a shite about the views of others?

[/ QUOTE ]

of course they do. They are elected in and out. Did it ever dawn on you that perhaps there might a majority of others who might actually be in FAVOUR of prosecuting drink drivers as well as drink sailors?

Happy to be nannied on this one!

[/ QUOTE ]

They are elected/not elected on the basis of the promises they make.

Of course I am aware that there will be some in favour. I did not state my position. I explained that I did not believe a petition would make one iota of difference.

I'm happy that you would like to be nannied, you are living in the right country.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes that is why I am here. In fact it is a great place to be. Does this make me patriotic? Dunno. Don't care. I refer you to Fisherman's response.

 

[Bergman]

"On the other hand, there has not been a rash of drink-fuelled incidents, or has there? Have any ill-considered navigation/safety decisions been caused by alcohol?"

It would be interesting to know how many MPs had been drinking when this (and other) pieces of legislation were passed.

Perhaps we should introduce a no drinking law into parliament. They can do more damage with their mouths than I can with my boat.

 

[awol]

As I understand it the new legislation basically applies the alcohol v. urine/breath/blood levels to leisure sailors. It doesn't create a new offence, just applies objective limits rather as the breathalyser did to drink/driving and does away with the rather nebulous concept of "impairment".

 

[Bergman]

It also brings with it the question of enforcement and the question of penalties.

While the existing law would only be applied following an incident there is no reason why this new law cannot and will not be applied proactively. That is random "fishing trips" by some as yet undefined "enforcement" organisation.

SO if you are keen to have big booted "officials" stick a breathaliser under your nose then fine, no doubt this law will make you happy.

Perhaps even happier when you have to pass some sort of sailing test and buy a sailing license so that they have something to threaten you with having taken away from you when you break one of their rules.

And before you accuse me of wanting to drive a boat when pissed - I don't drink alcohol - at all.

I go to sea to get away from the pathetic dictatorship of Blair's Britain with its reams of regulations and armies of mindless burocrats to enforce them. And even now they can't leave me alone they insist on wanting to impose their nannyism over the sea.

I detest this.

 

[EdWingfield]

Re: NO. Because I supported the ban.

Sadly, the evidence is building.

Two or three years ago on our river the drunken skipper of a fast rib was prosecuted without the need for the new law. His passenger was killed when he slammed into a moored vessel. They used manslaughter.

More recently in a neighbouring port a ships master was heavily fined for being too drunk to stand, using the new legislation.

 

[HoratioHB]

Re: NO. Because I supported the ban.

[ QUOTE ]
Sadly, the evidence is building.

Two or three years ago on our river the drunken skipper of a fast rib was prosecuted without the need for the new law. His passenger was killed when he slammed into a moored vessel. They used manslaughter.

More recently in a neighbouring port a ships master was heavily fined for being too drunk to stand, using the new legislation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh come on! a couple of incidents that you know of - hardly statistically significant and lets face it, new law or not this is always going to happen on occasions. I agree with other sentiments here - where is this all going to stop? Its totally unenforcable unless a complete new 'police force' with draconiain powers is invented. I'll be,long gone by then!!!

 

[fisherman]

Come to think of it, my daughter told me of some people she knows on the Avon late at night. The main engine failed, along with all the electrics. One of the party, who had 'drink taken' got the outboard and stepped off the boat with it in his arms. He stood on the bottom, convinced he could swim back up with it, until circumstances forced a change of plan. Nearly a disaster.

 

[fisherman]

[ QUOTE ]


It would be interesting to know how many MPs had been drinking when this (and other) pieces of legislation were passed.

Perhaps we should introduce a no drinking law into parliament.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is so completely logical and right, and should be brought about immediately. Seriously.