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View Full Version : run-in with panama city law..



sandm
09-22-2009, 08:24 AM
well, been here on vacation for a couple days. rented a pontoon boat to cruise the bay and see shell island. stopped to scuba for a minute and the po-po showed up. was probably one of the worst run-in's with a leo that I have ever had. guy was an absolute butt, impolite and treated us like crap. had a diver in the water, 4ft deep with no flag(along a sandbar). I blame the rental agency for not providing/selling us one, but there were 3 other pontooners without them as well, so must be a common thing. granted ignorance is no excuse, but to be an arse about it?? the eco-tour guy got hassled for his as well since it had a tear in it. lectured all of us for almost 40 minutes then left with no tickets. guy on the eco-tour has seen him out here for 10 years and says he's always an arse..

you sure would think with tourism down, leo's would want to remain friendly toward those that make part of their job possible, but not the case here with officer moore..
almost seemed like they wait for the rental pontoons to show up for their afternoon fun. I would wonder why they don't address the root cause with the rental companies, except that I really think they like hassling people..

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e194/sandm01/100_2537.jpg

sandm
09-22-2009, 09:09 AM
hey..
I'll bitch right with ya on the traffic. we have been driving front beach road for 4 days and the number of people that can't seem to do 35, or even 25 pisses me off....
I've had several pull off the road for "pushing" them. and all the dang 49cc scooters down here that only go 30. they're everywhere and hold up traffic...

just keep in mind though that, especially where you live, tourism pays part of your check.. they(we) are a "necessary evil"..

sandm
09-22-2009, 09:40 AM
Nope, not my check. I work for a T&D company owned by the Swedish



don't be too sure.
tourism goes away and there is not one industry that will not feel the pains..

kaneboats
09-22-2009, 12:12 PM
You come to FL we expect you to follow the rules. If you don't and get hurt you'll be clogging up our court system. As for the driving, it took me about 3 years to get used to people stopping in the middle of a 6 lane highway to wave somebody out in front of them. A mad cross between hospitality and not being in any hurry at all.

zabooda
09-22-2009, 01:38 PM
If I'm not mistaken, there are manatee areas and there are probably rules you don't even know about that have to be followed. The rules on the water can be complex and if you read up first then you won't stick out like a sore thumb otherwise the locals will get someone to help you learn them. I know, I've called a few people in to the patrol. I know also that Florida has a very favorable tax base and much of that is from tourists and I stayed away from that rif raf stuff when I lived in Florida in my younger days except when I needed a lei.

jmvotto
09-22-2009, 02:05 PM
whats the state income tax rate in FL 0% Bingo, its not from the tech sector. Don't Burn Mickey and Spidy just yet.

my nickel worths .02

wake08
09-22-2009, 06:53 PM
Us tourists hate grumpy locals that have nothing better to do than complain. Especially when tourism brings in about 4 billion in sales tax revenue to "your" state. You may want to rethink how important tourism is to your area.

skiyaker
09-22-2009, 08:34 PM
don't get me started on The Columbus OH- when I was there last time I got a $150 speeding ticket for going 28 mph- I didn't even know my truck could go that slow but I'm pretty sure the cop saw the Colts plate on the front of my truck. I guess I can't complain because it turns out it was a school zone and as the buckeyes that I work with would ask "what's wrong with you... do you hate children?"

Sled491
09-22-2009, 08:54 PM
I have a licnese to do business in Florida, that came on the heels of a 5000.00 fine because we didn't know our workmans comp wasn't accepted in Florida. That makes Florida one of only 3 states in the union to have there own system.

This is another reason for 0% taxes. But I agree whole heartedly, you can't scare away tourists. And yes Disney is a giant scam, and you will never catch me and my family back there. Now for diving, West Palm Beach is just about one of my most favorite places to dive, I venture I have dove over 75 times there.

maxpower220
09-22-2009, 09:25 PM
The LEO that is pictured is a breed all on their own. I think they are fellows who got kicked out of the CIA/FBI academy, because most of them are jerks. The problem is, they yield "power" unlike any other LEO in the state.

There are a few states that don't have state Income tax, but none have beautiful beaches, great weather in the winter, and vacation resorts for any lifestyle. Tourists (IMO) are great, the problem comes from our part-time (snow bird) residents. Unfortunately, those people choose to buy cars with turn signals, cruise control, or GPS. It makes it very dangerous for us full time residents.

deerfield
09-22-2009, 10:57 PM
West Palm Beach is just about one of my most favorite places to dive.

Sled - East of there across the bridge is the Four Seasons Palm Beach. Just about one of the most favorite places for my wife. Cabana boys are very attentive. - Deerfield

sandm
09-23-2009, 08:01 AM
I do have to say that it would be hard to live around the orlando area just because of disneyland, but it's a necessary evil and something that I think you have to create a high tolerance for..
I don't have kids either ed, but keep in mind that a better public school system keeps your property values up. if families don't want to move there, houses don't sell, values diminish. I feel the same way you do, but recognize, like tourism, it's a necessary evil...
I can see that a large part of your state budget is in law enforcement. I have never seen so many cops driving from jacksonville to pcb on the interstate. lost count at 25.

crazy...

another day of lounging on the beach... :)

kaneboats
09-23-2009, 03:47 PM
I have never seen so many cops driving from jacksonville to pcb on the interstate. lost count at 25.

Yup. I told 'em you were coming.

GeauxTigers
09-23-2009, 05:37 PM
ok, we'll keep letting the tourists come down here - after all, I am a tax paying tourist from Pittsburgh.

But, lets make 'em all go to Tampa (it's a much nicer place than Orlando) and spend their tourist bucks to save the Tampa Marathon.

Ed:
Orlando is an armpit made stinky by all the Disney crap. I do agree with you on that. That being said, I think you would be worse off than you are now without the "horrible" tourism bucks.

Nuff said!

sandm
09-24-2009, 08:05 AM
thanks for the advice ed. out of time though.
golfing today, heading to jacksonville tomorrow and home saturday :(
had a great time and will be back, but with a divers flag this time :)

kaneboats
09-24-2009, 11:09 AM
Thank$ for $pending $ome time in $unny Florida!

sandm
09-24-2009, 05:40 PM
crab legs are too much work for what you get imo...

have eaten at some good places and some dives...

it's lasagna at the condo tonight and lots of beer...
beachcombing later tonight if we make it :)

McMoomba
09-25-2009, 10:48 PM
This is pretty funny..... I just peeked in on the site tonight and I am in Disneyworld. I would have to say if I lived close to here I would probably hate the mouse as well, but the kids love it.

zegm
09-27-2009, 09:46 AM
sandm,
And all others! You were visiting the City of "Panama City Beach!" Once you cross the Hathaway Bridge driving East you are in Panama City. Sorry the guy got you but the biggest safety issue I have ever seen is the tourist who rents those pontoon boats and then run them aground. Grand Lagoon is a scary place with all the locals in their 100mph 3 engined center consoles and then the renters in the pontoon boats who are not really up to speed on the "ways of the water". My suggestion next time would be to try to rent an 18 to 19 foot center console and then you won't already be "profiled" by the FDNR. As far as which side of the bridge you are on Panama City Beach or Panama City then if you are on the BEACH side we locals have nothing to do with anything on that side. Heck they can't even get people to work over there so if you didn't notice most of the workers there are former Eastern European college kids. And Maxpower is correct the worse month is when spring break starts (Feb.) when the "old" (had to state this quantifier) Canadians come down. I can't tell you how many times I have seen them drive right through a traffic light because their focus is elsewhere. That should change now that out of town developers have completely blocked the view of the beach with their half empty almost bankrupt condos! You know that ones that prevent us locals from access to the beach.

Sled491
09-27-2009, 09:57 AM
Hey as an older not yet old Canadian transplanted to the US, what kind of deal can I get on one of those Condos :) I'll share my view of the beach, I promise!

sandm
09-27-2009, 04:43 PM
we ran across the bay and followed the beachline along shell island up and then back. didn't really see any issues, but it was a weekday and offseason. I can see where that area could be a real problem when full and a bunch of people that don't know how to drive a boat out there.. but I digress..

our real issue was with the attitude of the leo jerk, and the fact that the boat rental owners didn't take the time to cover it with us, and really with the fact that it seemed to be an ongoing issue and the leo's have done nothing to prevent the issue, but seem to use it to their advantage to stop boats...