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View Full Version : What are people thinking?



pogofx
06-18-2012, 11:03 AM
I have come to believe that many people have a water activated stupid switch. I'm sure that everyone on this board could share a dozen or more stories about stupid things they've seen people do on the water. I just had to share this one.

So I'm pulling up to the boat ramp this Satuday at Canyon Lake to pull my boat out. There's a walkway extending out onto the water on the right side of the ramp as I'm pulling up. My plan is to dock along the right side, tie up, and get the trailer. But the problem is that a dozen kids are jumping off the walkway and playing in the water right there. I continue to pull up, and they continue to play undetered by the approaching boat. The adults in the water don't seem to care either. As I'm jockeying my throttle trying to stay in position about 3 feet from the dock (so I don't run over anyone) the kids continue to jump off the dock right in front of me. So I finally yell at them that they can't swim at the boat launch and that they all need to move to the shore. The kids and the adults pause, look at me, and then continue to do what they were doing. I finally get enough space on the end of the walkway to nose my boat in and tie off the bow. I jump out, snake my way through the kids to get to shore, and find the first adult who's standing with their feet in the water. I said, "I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you and these kids can not swim here. You can't swim or play at the boat launch and everyone needs to move. Some kid is gonna get run over by a boat and get cut up by a prop." She's said, "I'm only responsible for this one." Pointing to a little girl about 6 years old that was standing in the water close to her. Then she just turned away. So I turn aound and look to the water to find the some more adults. I spots the two other adults in the water, but now they and all of the kids have moved over to the other side of the walkway and are swiming directly on the ramp. The are wading and swimmin right on top of the concrete slab going into the water. WTF?

I decide to go get my trailer and deal with it after I back down. As I'm backing down the ramp, a few of the kids are getting out of the water and walking straight up the ramp at my trailer. They are young, like 6-8. The adults are watching this and do nothing. So I just continue to back down, kinda acting like I don't see anyone, just to see if anyone will say, "Holy shit, I'm about to get run over!" I take it easy, because I really don't want to get close to any of the children or take any chances whatsoever. No one seems to care. The kids part at the last second so I can get into the water. Problem is that as my wheels are entering the water, there's still about 5 or 6 kids in the water on the ramp, and the 2 adults are with them. They are like 5ft behing my trailer, in the water, on the ramp. So I stop the trailer and get out. Now the adults are walking up the ramp and out of the water. I stop them and give them the lecture. I started again with "I'm not trying to be a jerk" but at that point I didn't care. I pointed to the sign that was 5ft away that said "no swimming" and told them it was for their safety and more importantly for the kids safety. I told them that one of their children was going to get run over by a boat or trailer or get cut in two. They just shrugged, smiled, and walked away. WTF? They were definitely parents of a few of the kids and certainly responsible for all of them as they all left together.

On the way out of park, I grabbed the first park ranger and told him the story. He he headed down to the ramp and said he'd start patrolling it more often. What the hell are people thinking?

brain_rinse
06-18-2012, 11:35 AM
That made me angry just reading that! I think you're right - water activated stupid switch. :)

Salyers
06-18-2012, 12:17 PM
Yep, Stupid switch for sure. I have had this happen several times at the Ramp on the Upper Hawissee River in Charleston,TN. For some reason people think that a boat ramp/dock = swimming area. It really doesn't make sense where we're at because 5min away there is a swimming area on the other side of the river. Not like it would be that much effort for people to go to a safe designated swim area. Just a bunch of dumb people.

kaneboats
06-18-2012, 12:45 PM
They're just waiting for their president to give them your boat.

chawk610
06-18-2012, 12:46 PM
I will gaurantee you they are jet ski renters! That story got my dander up as well!

GeauxTigers
06-18-2012, 12:51 PM
Ran into a similar situation this weekend. Difference being that I was in the water with my boat waiting for my wife to back the trailer down. This couple with 4 kiddies pulls up to the dock, the husband and the kids all jumped out and the wife was left to hold the boat off to the side. She was very preoccuppied by holding the boat next to the dock which was actually blocking me from coming up. In addition, all 4 kids were messing around on the ramp (which is filthy!). As my wife approached, I yelled at the lady and told her to pay attention to her kids because I did not want my wife to run over them. She did not say anything to me but got the kids out of the way. As we were leaving the ramp with our boat, my daughter over heard her muttering something along the lines of No f*ing a**hole will threaten to run over my kids.... etc. I guess I could have been a bit nicer to her but when I saw my wife barrelling down the ramp and her kids in the way, I just yelled at her to get her attention as I knew she was preocuppied with the boat. Was I wrong? I know that if my wife chopped up a kid, I would be looking for a lawyer right now.

sandm
06-18-2012, 12:52 PM
stupid parents. glad there's constant sherriff patrols at the ramps at our lake. the 2 parks and rec ramps have sherriffs there all day sat/sun, and the 3 reclamation ramps have camphosts there 24/7.

on a slow day, doesn't bother me as long as they move out of the way, but on weekends, take your kids to the local pool and spend the day.

I would think not even enough in the gene pool to be classified as jet ski renters :)

chawk610
06-18-2012, 01:30 PM
They're just waiting for their president to give them your boat.

That there is funny (unless it happens)

csm
06-18-2012, 01:54 PM
Was this the launch by the dam? We only go to Canyon Lake once a year, and we've stopped going to the launch by the dam. It's just a zoo, and pretty sure people swimming around that launch is the norm, unfortunately.

bergermaister
06-18-2012, 01:54 PM
They just shrugged, smiled, and walked away. WTF? They were definitely parents of a few of the kids and certainly responsible for all of them as they all left together.

Now don't go calling me something I'm not, but did any of these folks seem like they did not speak English? That seems to be the common denominator for the idiots around here swimming in the launch and jumping off the dock right next to the NO SWIMMING OR FISHING sign.

pogofx
06-18-2012, 02:15 PM
Was this the launch by the dam? We only go to Canyon Lake once a year, and we've stopped going to the launch by the dam. It's just a zoo, and pretty sure people swimming around that launch is the norm, unfortunately.

This was a launch at the Joint Base San Antonio park. It's was one of the launches on the peninsula loacated between what used to be "Army side" and the "Air Force side". Neither of two adults looked like active or retired military. The base allows you to bring guests. I'm guessing this was the case.

pogofx
06-18-2012, 02:22 PM
Now don't go calling me something I'm not, but did any of these folks seem like they did not speak English? That seems to be the common denominator for the idiots around here swimming in the launch and jumping off the dock right next to the NO SWIMMING OR FISHING sign.

I'll say that I understand your point. The two "parents" I spoke to at the end didn't speak back. I don't like to judge a book by its cover, but I'll say that I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that they didn't speak English.

Mobius22
06-18-2012, 02:43 PM
Wow...some people just shouldn't have kids

KSmith
06-18-2012, 02:53 PM
It is getting to the point that we are surrounded by idgets that just don't give a flying fart about anybody but themselves... no common courtesy anymore... it's just sad... And while I'm up here on my soapbox, damn those idgets that are too cool for the rules, and yes that includes no wake zone violators... I get ticked off when I am trying to dock and some jack azz buzzes through and his wakes are pushing my boat into the dock, or worse his wakes mess up the wifes approach to the trailer...

Arr matey, Grind'em up for the fishes.

Well.. okay... maybe not ;-)

Mobius22
06-18-2012, 03:14 PM
I totally agree on the people that violate no wake zones, one of the few times I wish there was a sheriff boat nearby.

wolfeman131
06-18-2012, 08:00 PM
Argggghhhh. . . .

Ole Forrest Gump had it right, "stupid is as stupid does."

I understand your frustration. We had to pull the boat for the 20 hr service the other week and decided to do it on a weekday to avoid any craziness and the bad weather that closed out the Memorial Day weekend. So, it's a quiet Tuesday afternoon, wife drives the truck and trailer to the ramp while I motor the boat over. Good, easy plan.

As I get over to the BOAT ramp, I notice a grandmother and her granddaughter are fishing off the courtesy dock. The little girl, who I later learned was 9, starts waving to me and telling me about the fish she has caught while I am hanging Brian's balls from the side of the boat in hopes that it will clue these 2 in that I'm going to dock the boat. As I ease on up to the dock, I see that they have poles thrown off both the ramp side and the tie up side of the dock.

i ask nicely if they could pull the poles in so I can dock the boat. Grandma decides its time to give me some lip and barks back, "well where do you want us to put our poles?" I wasn't really in the mood to deal with her crap, so I now, not so nicely said, "the fishing dock thats RIGHT OVER THERE might be a damn good place to start. I've got some other ideas too, if you want to hear them."

She gave me an interesting look, packed up their crap and muttered to herself the whole 50 yards to the fishing dock.

KSmith
06-19-2012, 07:09 AM
LMAO... Grandma smackdown!

moombadaze
06-19-2012, 07:15 AM
, "the fishing dock thats RIGHT OVER THERE might be a damn good place to start. I've got some other ideas too, if you want to hear them."

She gave me an interesting look, packed up their crap and muttered to herself the whole 50 yards to the fishing dock.

Thats a awesome statement

KSmith
06-19-2012, 07:23 AM
More stupid is a stupid does...

This one is easy peazy TURN THE FRIGGIN ENGINE OFF

http://norcross.patch.com/articles/lanier-boating-accident-almost-cost-youth-his-leg?ncid=txtlnkuspatc00000003