Longer hours for town-power on Thames locks

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Mike M

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I was asked my views on the introduction of locks being left on out of hour power for 24 hours.
I believe this is a bad and unsafe idea.
1) It would enable those without a licences to travel freely reducing the chance of being challenged by a lock keeper.
2) Lock sides are not well lit and it would be a health and safety risk, and someone will most certainly get injured.
3) It would mean boats moving through the night disturbing the sleep of those moored, as those travelling late at the moment are often travelling to fast creating uneccessary wash. It would also disturb the lock keepers sleep as boat engines are often noisey and people use raised voices whilst comunicating in locks and more often than not leave their engines running during self service.
4) It would encourage those who like a drink ( no I'm not anti drink I'm anti drink and drive boat or car) to stay until closing time or later at the pub and then dash for their home berth.
Sorry folks just found earlier threads on same issue, I was only asked my views on Friday so that is the reason for this mesage.
I do appreciate some times people have to travel to catch tides if going beyond Teddington but we have managed for some time with the present hours of power so why risk someone being hurt or boats being damaged by this change. I can only see problems with these proposals and think they require a lot more thought and discussion.
 
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Mike M said:
I was asked my views on the introduction of locks being left on out of hour power for 24 hours.
I believe this is a bad and unsafe idea.
1) It would enable those without a licences to travel freely reducing the chance of being challenged by a lock keeper.
2) Lock sides are not well lit and it would be a health and safety risk, and someone will most certainly get injured.
3) It would mean boats moving through the night disturbing the sleep of those moored, as those travelling late at the moment are often travelling to fast creating uneccessary wash. It would also disturb the lock keepers sleep as boat engines are often noisey and people use raised voices whilst comunicating in locks and more often than not leave their engines running during self service.
4) It would encourage those who like a drink ( no I'm not anti drink I'm anti drink and drive boat or car) to stay until closing time or later at the pub and then dash for their home berth.
I do appreciate some times people have to travel to catch tides if going beyond Teddington but we have managed for some time with the present hours of power so why risk someone being hurt or boats being damaged by this change. I can only see problems with these proposals and think they require a lot more thought and discussion.
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When I was on the Thames I always wanted the power on later. I always leave the pub at closing time if it's an after work trip, and therefore always had to wind the locks.

No power will not stop people navigating. It just makes it easier if it's on.

So I think all your points here are negative and nonsense. Maybe I'll come back again this winter and do some nocturnal terrorising of moored boats :)
 
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Totally Agree with Mike M, excess alcohol, boats, river,AND AT NIGHT= recipe for disaster. surely there are enough accidents at the moment,when you can see clearly,and perhaps not under the influence.Also it will allow/encourage people to get away with speeding, being drunk in charge of a vessel (yes that's an offence under the Thames Conservancy Act) navigating without lights,etc,and no one to police the goings on of the more shady characters that frequent the river.At the moment people don't use the river so much at night due to having to hand wind the locks, therefore keeping the river the tranquil place it should be during the hours of darkness
 
If I ruled the wurld

Perhaps a shut off tween 10pm - 6 am would be nice .
Gives the early starters a chance to get going and stops the "must press on mob" ruining a good nights kip.
Must confess that on reflection the thought of boats coming past all night long would disrupt the tranquility of the river and of course the temptation is to get a bit of a move on late at night when no one is watching !!!

Man the locks from 6am and shut them at ......say around 3pm sounds good to me:)
 
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I think its a good idea to have the power on 24hours, its not like the locks are closed to the drunks and unlicenced speeders as they can still navigate when the power is off! It would just make it a bit easier for them.
 
Riverleak said:
Totally Agree with Mike M, excess alcohol, boats, river,AND AT NIGHT= recipe for disaster. surely there are enough accidents at the moment,when you can see clearly,and perhaps not under the influence.Also it will allow/encourage people to get away with speeding, being drunk in charge of a vessel (yes that's an offence under the Thames Conservancy Act) navigating without lights,etc,and no one to police the goings on of the more shady characters that frequent the river.At the moment people don't use the river so much at night due to having to hand wind the locks, therefore keeping the river the tranquil place it should be during the hours of darkness
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Total nonsense.

How does turning off the power reduce any of the above?
 
oldgit said:
Perhaps a shut off tween 10pm - 6 am would be nice .
Gives the early starters a chance to get going and stops the "must press on mob" ruining a good nights kip.
Must confess that on reflection the thought of boats coming past all night long would disrupt the tranquility of the river and of course the temptation is to get a bit of a move on late at night when no one is watching !!!

Man the locks from 6am and shut them at ......say around 3pm sounds good to me:)
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Why 10pm? Winding the locks on the way home from the pub is a PITA.
 
I totally agree with the principal of no public power on Thames Locks, more than is currently available.
The health and safety issue is very important, also the greatest deneficary
would be to make life easy for the licence dodgers and cheats( there are still a great many out there)
There is also the valid argument about peace decending on the river when the power goes off.
Had boaters not pushed for public power in the past I believe we would not be facing the real prospect of our wonderful lock staff being gradually forced from their employment.(This will leed to more and more locks being unmanned during normal hours)
 
Regarding power on the locks I am wholly in favour of 24 hour operation.Coming up from the tideway and having to wind four or five locks is not my idea of a good time,usually after a long day with the prospect of work the following.
This is after all an experiment,let's see how it progresses and if it is being abused the status quo can be restored.
 
captain tomas said:
I totally agree with the principal of no public power on Thames Locks, more than is currently available.
The health and safety issue is very important, also the greatest deneficary
would be to make life easy for the licence dodgers and cheats( there are still a great many out there)
There is also the valid argument about peace decending on the river when the power goes off.
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same argument as riverleak.
same nonesense.

explain how cutting the power helps health and safety, reduces noise or stops cheats? It doesn't. It just makes life harder for the law abiding.

If health and safety is an issue there should be NO public power.
It is baseless to say it gets more dangerous at 10pm.

all the problems could be solved by powering the lock with a card reader - the card is issued with your licence. Make a racket or don't pay and your card is revoked.
Hey they could even charge extra for it.


captain tomas said:
Had boaters not pushed for public power in the past I believe we would not be facing the real prospect of our wonderful lock staff being gradually forced from their employment.(This will leed to more and more locks being unmanned during normal hours)
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I agree totally about your lock staff sentiment. Different argument though and that horse has long bolted.
 
Like your logic but sorry,went down that route with Ileen McKeever
Was politly told that althought a cracking idear it was against peoples
rights.

Whot a load of old bo------.
 
Elessar said:
same argument as riverleak.
same nonesense.

explain how cutting the power helps health and safety, reduces noise or stops cheats? It doesn't. It just makes life harder for the law abiding.

If health and safety is an issue there should be NO public power.
It is baseless to say it gets more dangerous at 10pm.

all the problems could be solved by powering the lock with a card reader - the card is issued with your licence. Make a racket or don't pay and your card is revoked.
Hey they could even charge extra for it.




I agree totally about your lock staff sentiment. Different argument though and that horse has long bolted.
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I believe you have answered your own argument, the less easy it is to travel the river at night the less, people will do it,and as you stated winding the locks after the pubs is a PITA, so therefore discourages people not to use the river as a highway to and from the pubs at night, there are statistically enough accidents during the day around the river/locks when visibility is good let alone at night when you cant see to get onto laybys, lock sides and moorings,its not so bad for some of the larger vessels that perhaps you may own, however navigating a smaller craft at night with poor lighting and that can be greatly affected by flow or wind conditions is a different matter, climbing out of a river or lock with high walls, unlit, cold, wet, half pi*#ed is not my idea of being safe,you may argue that would be your own stupid fault but accidents do happen and the consequences could be dire.
 
Riverleak said:
I believe you have answered your own argument, the less easy it is to travel the river at night the less, people will do it,and as you stated winding the locks after the pubs is a PITA, so therefore discourages people not to use the river as a highway to and from the pubs at night, there are statistically enough accidents during the day around the river/locks when visibility is good let alone at night when you cant see to get onto laybys, lock sides and moorings,its not so bad for some of the larger vessels that perhaps you may own, however navigating a smaller craft at night with poor lighting and that can be greatly affected by flow or wind conditions is a different matter, climbing out of a river or lock with high walls, unlit, cold, wet, half pi*#ed is not my idea of being safe,you may argue that would be your own stupid fault but accidents do happen and the consequences could be dire.
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If what you say is true they should turn off the power at dusk not 10pm.

Your argument is still nonsense.
 
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