inconsiderate people.....

[scipper77]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Don't you wish everyone was as perfect as we are?

Nope, then I couldn't feel better about myself be belittling everybody else. (Just kidding)

As I stated earlier and usually do state in these types of threads, most people just don't realize what they are doing. Educate them and they will become better people for it. The ones who don't want to be helped are the minority of the idiots.

I can't tell you how many times I have helped people who float there boat onto the trailer, pull it out and it lands crooked, then back in again and again until it lands straight. Show them how pulling the boat up the trailer with the winch puts it on straight in one shot and you have just saved multiple future boat launch delays.

Also my other pet peeve is people who retrieve there rig and then park in the lane of the parking lot while they prep for the trip home. Please pull into a parking spot so you are not obstructing traffic.

 

[briangcc]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

They're all over the place.

One year on family vacation in ON, I had my sister and my mom on board for an evening fishing trip. We were in a small back bay, minding our own business. Fishing was great and then out of no where come (2) Jet skis that come within 10' of my boat. They circle a couple times and then say "Let's go, it's too weedy here!". Well no crap guys, we're fishing!

Another year on the St Lawrence River I had a boat full of people out for a nice ride. Swung around to head up to my uncle's place and (3) jetskis cut about 6' in front of a loaded boat. Had any of their motors died, they'd been prop bait in a heart beat. They blew past us up the river for a ways and then circled around heading right for me. Now, what I did next was entirely stupid looking back at it now BUT...I gave the boat some gas and aimed right for the jet ski in the middle. They moved. Again, I realize the error in my ways but no way should they be that arrogant. It's not like a 17' white boat with a silver outboard on it blends into the water since they just passed it!!

Two summers ago over Memorial Day weekend on Canandiagua Lake was the winner though. It's a NYS launch so they actually had someone out there directing traffic over the 8 ramps. Good fore thought huh? Well this was about 7 at night and there were a long line of boats waiting to get off the lake. This NYS employee had (6) of the ramps set aside for launching and only (2) for retrieving. I couldn't believe it as he was the sole cause of the backup on the lake. I pulled into one of the open ramps he had set aside for launching and after I got off to retrieve my truck he laid into me. I politely informed him that there were more people waiting to get OFF the lake then to get ON it and that he should adjust his thinking. It was truly a good idea but he went about it the wrong way!!

That Memorial day left a couple lasting impressions besides this yahoo. One was a lifted GMC/Chevy 1500 pulling the equivalent of a 14' aluminum rental boat with probably a 9-15HP tiller outboard. The truck was grossly overpowered for the trailer he was pulling. On the next ramp over was a Chevy S10 pulling a 20-23' fiberglass deck boat. Boy did that S10 struggle with its single wheel peel! The smoke that thing laid up the launch ramp was simply outstanding. I'm very surprised the engine didn't let go. I made sure I let that guy leave well before I was going to.

 

[DrEvil]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

I have seen all of the above and I'll tell you there is no better humor than sitting on my mooring and watching the launch idiots.

We have a Fish and game warden to police parking, but he never says a word to anyone that takes one of the 4 car only spots to go swimming where you are not allowed to swim.

I can't tell you how many times I have been coming in to load/unload and have had kids swimming in the area. looks like its time to invest in a new (louder) horn.

This is all the same reason I installed a train horn on my last truck. If people don't get it... ill make sure they hear about it. Its not my job to teach you how to be a better boater. You should want to be a better (more polite) boater.

 

[scipper77]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Its not my job to teach you how to be a better boater. You should want to be a better (more polite) boater.

You are correct but taking the time to make someone else a better boater makes you a better boater.

I was out on my 12' er today and there were 3 jet skiers in the bay ripping back and forth at about 50 mph (speed limit is 25). All I could do was hug the shore line because I was afraid for my life if i tried to put my boat anywhere that could be in there path. This was a case where I couldn't do anything but watch unless I wanted to call the sheriff and complain.

 

[Eddie Ray]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

I would have been severely tempted to let the air out of all four of his tires.

TerryMSU

You are a lot nicer than I am. I believe me and my gerber would have let the air out permanently?
I know , I am going to have a lot of bad karma!

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Laugh's this is a age old problem...Now if your old enough there once was a time when we had pay phone in a booth and people luved to hog them..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qMf_rbydvg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYUdY9erw_0

 

[Eddie Ray]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

I have lived in S.C.,Texas ,and now Florida. Maybe it's a southern thing. But I haven't seen anything that bad. I believe most good ole boys would deal with that pretty harsh. Maybe even slip in in neutral and give that truck a bath? LOL
Eddie

 

[JStrom]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

One thing I have learned is that most people who cause all of this drama at the dock are not intentionally being jerks. They just don't know any better or think it's no big deal. What I do is kindly explain to someone what is proper dock etiquette and why. If they give me crap or act like they know what they are doing I leave it at that.

My kids have taught me that while it's human nature to resist someone who is trying to tell you how to do something, the next time when they are not being watched by you they will do the right thing.

As far as parking your trailer and blocking someone in. That just plain old sucks. I'd call the sheriff to come ticket the truck before I'd drag there rig into a ditch, but I wouldn't say anything about it if I saw someone else drag there rig off.

You are a voice of reason and that's refreshing. There's a saying that seems apt for this thread, and although I'm sure some will be personally offended by it, I only quote it as a means of introspection and hopefully, realization: "Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds talk about people."
If you want to continue having problems around a public dock, just blow your horn, get angry, curse...whatever immediate reaction you want to have. If you want to at a minimum, aleviate these aforementioned problems, go to your county commissioner and ask for a sign at the dock for those who don't know better. I'm in GA and one of the local ramps has a sign...no swimming or fishing. Sure, people sometimes use the adjacent dock for sunbathing but in 5+ yrs I've yet to see fishing or swimming from there.

 

[catfish58]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

I have never seen any rude or inconsiderate behavior at the ramp I usually use. 8+ boats can launch/retrieve at the same time. At least 50 boats can tie up to the docks at the same time. Besides, most of the time there is no more than 3 or 4 boats there when I am. Or just google earth Engalls Harbor, Decatur,Al.

 

[BradleyL]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Thank you guys so much! At times I start to think I'm just being over critical when I have so many things to complain about when using our boat ramps here in Utah, but now I see that I'm in the right! I have pretty much zero tolerance for people being inconsiderate of other's time, and we see it quite often here. I have seen pretty much everything described in this thread, many times. From the morons that pull their boat to the bottom of the ramp and then remove cover, straps, load coolers...(even on a very crowded day!), to the ding-a-lings that can't figure out how to park their rigs in the parking lot and not get in everybody's way, we have it all here! I don't believe in getting violent or anything like that, and most times even a kind suggestion (or a dirty look) will get you verbally abused, so what do you do? I believe some kind of training should be required to use a boat in a public place, what do you guys think?

 

[briangcc]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Well, in the immortal words of Ron White...."You can't fix stupid".


BTW: Catfish, love the Pathfinder. What year? I owned a '95 XE 4x4. Still miss that SUV.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Thank you guys so much! At times I start to think I'm just being over critical when I have so many things to complain about when using our boat ramps here in Utah, but now I see that I'm in the right! I have pretty much zero tolerance for people being inconsiderate of other's time, and we see it quite often here. I have seen pretty much everything described in this thread, many times. From the morons that pull their boat to the bottom of the ramp and then remove cover, straps, load coolers...(even on a very crowded day!), to the ding-a-lings that can't figure out how to park their rigs in the parking lot and not get in everybody's way, we have it all here! I don't believe in getting violent or anything like that, and most times even a kind suggestion (or a dirty look) will get you verbally abused, so what do you do? I believe some kind of training should be required to use a boat in a public place, what do you guys think?

Maybe this will make you feel better about humanity: This is from a fishing forum and occured at a very busy public free ramp at Rudee Inlet, where I hear it sometimes gets busy and crazy like the midwestern lake ramps we hear about here:

<<<Saturday afternoon at Owls Creek, while loading my boat after the storm, I slipped on the dock and broke my leg.
I'd like to thank all the boaters that helped my girl friend and I , finish getting the boat on the trailer, out of the water and strapping it down, etc., while I laid on the dock.
My thanks also got to the paramedics from station 14 , (I think ) that were absolutely fantastic, my sister and brother in law for coming out to take my boat home, and all my friends that came over today to put the boat in the driveway and rinse down the motor, rods and gear.
Stay safe and don't slip on those docks at Owls Creek like I did.
Thanks again, Mark >>>

 

[catfish58]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Well, in the immortal words of Ron White...."You can't fix stupid".


BTW: Catfish, love the Pathfinder. What year? I owned a '95 XE 4x4. Still miss that SUV.

It's a 1992. XE 3.0 V6 4X4 and the air conditioning still works.(Very important in Alabama). It tows the Lowe FM 165 ok. It would be a strain if I had too many hills. It's about 8 miles from my house to Engalls Harbor in Decatur,Al.

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Foster lake in Sweet Home Oregon has 2 lane staging, and 2 lane boat launch.. and right next to the boat staging area?? A pay phone, restrooms, and a pavilion. So you don't only have to deal with the launch lizards (inconsiderate people on the docks) but the cars that would park in the staging area to use the pay phone, and or the ones using the pavilion. Instead of parking over in the parking area where they would have to walk 50 ft, they just park in the middle of those 2 large lanes.

 

[LoweRider]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

I would have been severely tempted to let the air out of all four of his tires.

TerryMSU

Don't ya mean 6 or 8 (Trailer too)

 

[pikefisherman]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Can I add: If this is you,dont park your @#$ car in a spot that is 25 feet long that is a boat and trailer parking spot, that is why it is longer than the other spots,if you don't understand, READ SLOWER!!

 

[briangcc]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Had the opposite this past week when I was on vacation on Black Lake NY.

Launching... had just pulled out of the campground to go to the state launch a quarter mile away. Opposite lane (coming opposite direction) had a pickup w/jet boat on it. He motioned I pull into the staging area first so I did since he was blocking traffic in his lane. I pulled over to the side of the staging area to undo all my safety straps, get the bumpers out, lines on, etc. The pickup w/jet boat was done well before me so I told him it was fine to jump the line (I was the only other person waiting) and get into the water.

My turn to launch and in the lane opposite us is a husband/wife team backing up an I/O. She had the lines but they had to launch deep so my uncle grabbed the bow line on their boat to help launch as I had extra hands to help me. Got them into the water and secured and same for me. No muss, no fuss. The couple were happy for the extra set of hands.


Retrieving... My cousin and uncle pulled there boats out in succession so we were only tying up 1 of the 2 lanes at the launch. My turn up next and had all the help needed to get it right onto the trailer. Other lane was being used by bass boats one at a time to pull theirs out. Everyone was neat and orderly. No tempers flared.

Everyone was staging their boats well out of the way of everyone else - either launching or retrieving.

Restored my faith in humanity for a week.

 

[Eddie Ray]

Re: inconsiderate people.....

Reading this thread always reminds me,that it isn't that bad here. Yea we have some knuckleheads.but nothing like some of the people I read about here?
Cheers,happy boating
Eddie