Boating can be a high risk activity. On water -- as in the air -- when something goes wrong, it can go wrong very, very quickly. If you are a passenger on a boat and you believe the boat operator to be behaving recklessly, don't hesitate to speak up and ask to be dropped off on land. You can't be too careful on Biscayne Bay.
When you are in high volume recreational boating traffic on Biscayne Bay, assume nearby powerboat drivers don't have a clue what they are doing. Why do I say so? Because I've witnessed enough clueless behavior on the water to be worried for my safety and that of my passengers.
Of the recent boating tragedy, accusations flying back and forth between government responders -- whether elected officials or union representatives -- are a side show to the lesson: in high traffic areas on Biscayne Bay, -- channels, bridges, and near marinas -- boat operators need to treat other boat operators as existential threats. Too bad, but it is common sense.
It appears the recent accident involved at least one boat's high speed operation in the pitch dark. Although boats are required to have running lights -- green and red on either side of the boat -- for night-time operation, given the volume of traffic one has to assume there are boats without running lights on the bay and that many boat operators are unskilled at interpreting the movement of running lights at speeds, directions and distance of other boat running at high speeds in the dark. Any cautious boat operator at night time is using radar.
There is no taking back the consequences of what happened the other night because at least one boat operator failed to acknowledge risk and responsibility. My heart goes out to the injured and the families …
When you are in high volume recreational boating traffic on Biscayne Bay, assume nearby powerboat drivers don't have a clue what they are doing. Why do I say so? Because I've witnessed enough clueless behavior on the water to be worried for my safety and that of my passengers.
Of the recent boating tragedy, accusations flying back and forth between government responders -- whether elected officials or union representatives -- are a side show to the lesson: in high traffic areas on Biscayne Bay, -- channels, bridges, and near marinas -- boat operators need to treat other boat operators as existential threats. Too bad, but it is common sense.
It appears the recent accident involved at least one boat's high speed operation in the pitch dark. Although boats are required to have running lights -- green and red on either side of the boat -- for night-time operation, given the volume of traffic one has to assume there are boats without running lights on the bay and that many boat operators are unskilled at interpreting the movement of running lights at speeds, directions and distance of other boat running at high speeds in the dark. Any cautious boat operator at night time is using radar.
There is no taking back the consequences of what happened the other night because at least one boat operator failed to acknowledge risk and responsibility. My heart goes out to the injured and the families …
2 comments:
Government union reps are trying to use this tragedy to get more tax dollars for themselves. Shameful. If union reps really cared about civilians they would demand lower pay and benefits.
Really!!! who has ever demanded lower pay or benefits great plan every year to balance a budget on its employees.
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