Speed Limit Challenge Today

[Lakesailor]

The legal process to test the Windermere Speed Limit legislation starts today

BBC News

Bit of a cleft stick for the LDNPA.
If they prosecute it will start a legal battle set to go all the way to the EU courts, if they don't prosecute having collected evidence what does that say about their resolve?
If they don't collect the evidence or even turn up that shows they are intimidated by the prospect of legal action.

Await with interest.

 

[DeeGee]

At first sight, a typical underdog fighting back situation... especially with supporting quotes like: [ QUOTE ]
But campaigners, including some businesses, said it has affected the local economy..

[/ QUOTE ].

I have sympathy with the campaigners, and with local business, in the same way that I have sympathy with the fishermen affected by EU decisions on limiting or banning fishing, in order to give the fish a chance to avoid complete extinction. The French fishermen who are blockading ports in order to pressurize the gov into abrogating the treaty obligations on fishing are worthy of sympathy, but unfortunately, their own success in the past is the problem today, and the fishing has to stop or be suspended. In the meantime, they have to get alternative employment, tough as that may be.

In a similar way, why should the rights of the individual, to have fun or to make a business succeed, have precedence over the right of society to try to preserve something special to hand on to its inheritors?

Special cases are always made on the back of emotive pleading - and yet if a car-worker loses his job, 'cos the British don't like 'Made in England' anymore, nobody really bats an eyelid, and the gov can even send in the troops (sorry, police) to put down any dissention.

Bottom line - I think the Lakeland people should hold their nerve, and arrest this guy, blind or not.

(Now taking cover in Anderson shelter......) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[BlueSkyNick]

[ QUOTE ]
Bit of a cleft stick for the LDNPA.


[/ QUOTE ]
'Rod for their own back' springs to mind.

 

[Colvic Watson]

Hear hear!

Just one look at the lovely cuddly picture shows why there is a 10mph limit. I despise the nanny state, but this isn't nannying, no one is saying that a one legged blind, deaf and 104 year old shouldn't go water skiing (though kudos to her if she manages it) just don't do it at lots of other people's expense, there are plenty of places to water ski, but Windermere isn't one of them.

As for the blatantly emotive use of a blind old man, why not be honest and break the law with a 30 year old city boy water skiing, that is after all the main clientele the business's are trying to get back behind speed boats on Windermere.

 

[jimi]

hear hear. Plenty of other places to water ski and the beautiful tranquil lake district ain't one of them. If the businnesses want to attract Essex grandad then they should move to Blackpool oh and BTW ain't Gummer the guy who forcefed hid daughter beefburgers in front of cameras to prove CJD did'nt exist? Never really had a great respect for his judgement after that!

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
hear hear. Plenty of other places to water ski and the beautiful tranquil lake district ain't one of them.

[/ QUOTE ]
What about room enough for all? Windermere is a huge lake and whilst I'm not a moboer or a waterskiier (tried it once, got a very warm arse) I understand that ppl do like these sports. I'm sure they could, as in Poole harbour, have designated areas for waterskiiers....
Afterall, what is next? Well - them racing dinghies are a menace ... better slow them down. Them yachties with big genoas are dangerous - can't see what is the otherside of them, so lets ban them. Engines are noisy - lets ban petrol engines. Batteries from electric engines may contaminate the water - no more electric engines ... kids splash about too much in row boats ... lets ban them too....

 

[Lakesailor]

We shall see what happens.
There plenty of other lake in the Lake District (the clue is in the name) that have a naturally quiet and peaceful nature. Windermere is the only lake with extensive lakeside residential development, with a lakeside town and with a well-developed lake-centric economy.
If the heritage of the area is a consideration, then speed boating on Windermere is the heritage.
The lovely little piccy of sail boats put-puts and row boats is of <u>this</u> area

which is Bowness Bay where there is a 6 mph speed limit anyway.

The rest of the lake has become a dead and empty stretch of water. You can go to Ullswater, Coniston, Bassenthwaite, Derwent Water, Thirlmere, Haweswater, Buttermere, Crummock Water, etc, for that.

Oh. If they really want to make the place more pleasant they could get shut of the amusement arcade, burger bar and stop bikers parking their machines where they like. As in this pic.

Talking of governments trustworthiness. When the speed limit was introduced on the other main lakes the future of Windermere as a place for powerboating and water skiing etc, was "secured".

Until they changed their minds, that is.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Wasn't the speed limit also a reaction to several nasty power boat related accidents, including the beheading of a young girl by a water skier?

 

[kds]

This article takes some beating for "HYPE" !

eg.
"waterskiing is the best sport to become available to disabled people"

What nonsense !


"Mr Price says he has been "robbed" of his enjoyment of Windermere"

Travelling at 30mph over water, behind the engine of a motor boat -and blind - how the hell does he know whether he is on Windermere or Vaal dam ?

But all those people living or walking in the area for miles around will be able to hear him, whether they want to or not. He seems to have interest only in his own welfare !

"Bit of a cleft stick for the LDNPA"

It certainly is - but you and I will be paying for it, either way ! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I am getting a bit tired of the increasing power base of the "disabled" lobby. One thing they never show any interest in is the rights of the "able".

Am I biased ? Well - I was getting fed up of the noise from powerboaters on Windermers 40 years ago.
Just look on me as being ahead of my time ! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Ken

 

[Twister_Ken]

""waterskiing is the best sport to become available to disabled people""

Not as good as the hop, skip and jump.

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[jimi]

Had a mate who's brother lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. He went waterskiing on one of these circular things, lost his balance and plunged in headfirst, however he had the deathgrip on the bar and was dragged through weed silt etc etc losing his artificial leg in the process .. when he was dragged from the murk festooned in weed, dipping with mud and legless there was absolute pandemonium .. two girls fainted when he dived back in screaming "my leg! my leg! I canny find my leg!"

 

[Lakesailor]

I think the waters have been muddied by using a disabled skier to promote this action.
It does make it look like a disabled mafia hit.
When we first came here we were in favour of the speed limit as we sailed and were fed up with the jet skis and sports boat drivers whizzing aimlessley about. The noise of the jet skis is a major intrusion.
In the intervening 2 years we have seen the lake become a desolate body of water, losing it's character and yet not gaining a new one.
Although I don't hold with compulsory licencing or training on principle I can see that a managed solution comprising of banning jets skis and compulsory RYA training for power boaters would have been a better solution.

And don't forget, when talking about noise pollution, we only live 100 yards from the lake across a field so we would be the losers when it comes to continued noise.
But noise pollution has not been removed.
We still have cruise ship discos, RAF low flying and model boaters and model seaplane pilots (and they are noisy) to contend with.
The issue here is not speed on the lake, it is the policy of the LDNPA to remove everything that a certain sector of society (Friends of the Lake District) wish to remove with not a nod to the rest of us.
4X4s, mountain bikes, and yes, even fell walkers are on their hit list.

Wedge, end and thin spring to mind.

 

[benjenbav]

When I were a lad there were waterskiers on Coniston. We used to swim and potter about in our sailboats without much of a problem - other than the odd idiot.

Later they were restricted to Windermere. I should have thought there was still room there to maintain a designated area for skiing and jetskis. Not my scene, but sterilising the lakes for the benefit of earnest chaps with their copies of Wainwright has always seemed a bit much.

 

[fireball]

Any update on what happened? Did the "authorities" stop him? If so, did they use a blue flashing light which he couldn't see?! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Lakesailor]

Yes the skier and his driver broke the limit and were stopped and details taken. He told them he would be skiing again straight away, and did, and they stopped him again.
I saw this on the North West News, so anyone who can get Granada (978 on Sky) could watch it between 6.30 and 7.00 tonight.

I didn't venture out on the lake myself as I've been a bit busy today.
Westmorland Gazette.

 

[DinghyMan]

It was nice and busy out on the lake today - sun shining and no rain. I'm fully in support of the speed limit given the number of non-sailor sailing & moboing & acting like lemmings on the lake plus all the hire boats and rowers, its like dodgems at times. Watched someone try to reverse off a pontoon turn port and then starboard to exit but managed to nearly bump into everything else that was there and could only use two throttle positions - full speed forward and full speed backwards. He did manage to shout and blame his wife for it all though. There was also a bunch of kids watched by parents swimming and playing on the launching ramp with boats passing them to get on & off the pontoons.
Need to get a bigger boat as the Windermere colregs are a bit different to the proper ones - my other half was amazed watching two yachts motoring at full chat from the pontoons both making for the exit at the same time barely a foot apart and with both of them dead set on not using any common sense.
There was an accident on the lake this afternon needed two lake wardens ribs at full speed plus lights and sirens plus an ambulance to take the casualty away.

 

[Lakesailor]

Ah I can help there. It was a nice old guy on our moorings with a beautifully kept Etap. I thought the wardens were all adrenalin-rushed after the water-skiing excitement this morning. But no, they arrived at full chat with blue lights flashing at the bottom of the field and I (with my binos) saw Keith (I'll keep the rest secret) being helped into the rib and whipped off back to Ferry Nab.
I know him quite well, but not well enough to ring and ask after him, more of a moorings friendship. His boat is still on the moorings, but the main is only flaked down and secured.
He was walking so I guess it's not too serious.
Strange the lake was busy today, especially as it's a Tuesday which is normally the quietest day of the week.
Something to do with the sunshine and warm weather I'll bet.

I didn't get out today as I'm full steam ahead with my launch trolley for the trimaran.

Colregs on Windermere do have mention of the importance of keeping clear of the ferries, but I think that the RYA training boats have annexed that as well as anyone who obviously is considerably wealthy than yow.

 

[DinghyMan]

The weather probably had something to do with it being so busy as it was the best day we've had for quite a while.

Having had several of the larger mobo's and a couple of yachts turn directly towards us or across us I assumed the Windermere colregs were just priority to those who think they've got more money than us - there are quite a few people on the water who are completely unsafe to be out there. I've seen one of the small ferries stand on against a large mobo who did not seem to know what he was doing or where he was going and some very close quarters passing. Its also interesting watching the hire mobos going right up to the red bouys and danger marks to see what they are.

I assume the ferries have had a few of the idiots on the lake over the years?

 

[Lakesailor]

There is an amusing book written by an (ex) ferry skipper who tells of the points system they had for running over rowing boats.
Ironically the ferry company own the hire-rowing boats.