Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
11-29-2006, 09:38 PM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
Cignificant,
With all due respect, examples of things people have gotten away with, such as riding on sunpads during poker runs (or at all when a boat is moving), don't excuse dumb behavior on the water. When you put yourself in a position that extends your risk level beyond what it should be, you're counting on luck to work with you. We've all been to Vegas with that attitude. Works great, huh?
You're right, poker run safety statistics have been pretty good ... except for the spike we had in the last two seasons with six deaths and another wreck where no one getting killed was pure luck and nothing more. Conclusions on what caused those accidents have not been reached, but I think it's safe to say that if additional passengers had been sitting on the sunpads of the boats involved, the results would have been even more catastrophic.
We don't need to panic but, in my opinion, we do need to be concerned. Very concerned. Because I'm not sure the poker run world can survive another bad accident.
We need to call out stupidity. We might not be our brothers' keepers, but we need to know that what happens out there affects us all.
And I'll repeat, the most stupid thing you can do at poker run is race.
With all due respect, examples of things people have gotten away with, such as riding on sunpads during poker runs (or at all when a boat is moving), don't excuse dumb behavior on the water. When you put yourself in a position that extends your risk level beyond what it should be, you're counting on luck to work with you. We've all been to Vegas with that attitude. Works great, huh?
You're right, poker run safety statistics have been pretty good ... except for the spike we had in the last two seasons with six deaths and another wreck where no one getting killed was pure luck and nothing more. Conclusions on what caused those accidents have not been reached, but I think it's safe to say that if additional passengers had been sitting on the sunpads of the boats involved, the results would have been even more catastrophic.
We don't need to panic but, in my opinion, we do need to be concerned. Very concerned. Because I'm not sure the poker run world can survive another bad accident.
We need to call out stupidity. We might not be our brothers' keepers, but we need to know that what happens out there affects us all.
And I'll repeat, the most stupid thing you can do at poker run is race.
11-29-2006, 10:40 PM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
I would bet these folks were all in the dock box the day the brains were passed out on their dock. As they say " You just can't fix stupid ! "
11-30-2006, 07:13 AM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
Originally Posted by Cignificant
After reading some of the other posts, I'm glad to see someone is looking at the bigger picture.
Yes, maybe the folks in the pictures were acting out of line. It's never appropriate to ride in the positions they're in. But, did they do it just for a moment while the picture was taken? Was the water calm? Were there other boats around? Was the driver drinking? Were the people in the boat drinking? Are they endangering other boaters by doing what they're doing? There's a lot more involved than just looking at a picture and saying it's wrong. And this comes from a guy that has personally seen a person hit by a propeller (It ain't pretty).
Yes, maybe the folks in the pictures were acting out of line. It's never appropriate to ride in the positions they're in. But, did they do it just for a moment while the picture was taken? Was the water calm? Were there other boats around? Was the driver drinking? Were the people in the boat drinking? Are they endangering other boaters by doing what they're doing? There's a lot more involved than just looking at a picture and saying it's wrong. And this comes from a guy that has personally seen a person hit by a propeller (It ain't pretty).
There are people on this board who have seen a LOT worse than someone getting hit by a propeller......... but I would suspect that even that would make someone sit up and take more notice....instead of dispensing pseudo-legal, politically correct justifications for unjustifiable actions.
T2x
11-30-2006, 07:22 AM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
Originally Posted by T2x
Anybody but politicians would do quite nicely I imagine.
In fact we'd be better off with grade school children.
T2x
In fact we'd be better off with grade school children.
T2x
One of the all time "truest" statements ever posted on OSO...
11-30-2006, 07:26 AM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
Originally Posted by T2x
In other words..... you're excusing the behaviour for lack of proof that it lasted longer than the photo moment. Have you thought about a career defending OJ Simpson?
There are people on this board who have seen a LOT worse than someone getting hit by a propeller......... but I would suspect that even that would make someone sit up and take more notice....instead of dispensing pseudo-legal, politically correct justifications for unjustifiable actions.
T2x
There are people on this board who have seen a LOT worse than someone getting hit by a propeller......... but I would suspect that even that would make someone sit up and take more notice....instead of dispensing pseudo-legal, politically correct justifications for unjustifiable actions.
T2x
When I was about, oh maybe eight/ten years old, my Dad had a little 15 ft. Glastron runabout. We had tied off to a dock to get gas when a sheriff's boat came in. I think this was Lake Harris in Central Florida.
The Sheriff's offloaded a body of a scuba diver that had been run over by a boat. The prop cavitations started at the back of his head and kept going until it had cleared his azz. It was NOT a pretty sight.
There were photographs taken and one of them ended up as a safety promotion/flyer for scuba diving. These "flyers" were everywhere in the 60's and early 70's.
11-30-2006, 10:21 AM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
Originally Posted by T2x
In other words..... you're excusing the behaviour for lack of proof that it lasted longer than the photo moment. Have you thought about a career defending OJ Simpson?
There are people on this board who have seen a LOT worse than someone getting hit by a propeller......... but I would suspect that even that would make someone sit up and take more notice....instead of dispensing pseudo-legal, politically correct justifications for unjustifiable actions.
T2x
There are people on this board who have seen a LOT worse than someone getting hit by a propeller......... but I would suspect that even that would make someone sit up and take more notice....instead of dispensing pseudo-legal, politically correct justifications for unjustifiable actions.
T2x
11-30-2006, 01:28 PM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
I'm maybe not as chronologically advantaged as T2x, but we think along the same principles. Well, maybe I'm a little less forgiving of stupidity and selfish behavior...
Anyway, my input here is as follows: Those who wish to indulge in drunkenness, poor driving, and a**holeish behavior should be encouraged to do so more frequently; in the hope that they will kill themselves and their offspring, and that very soon high-performance boats will be banned from all public waterways.
Then, there will be more of a market for my exquisite CC Midnight Express!
Anyway, my input here is as follows: Those who wish to indulge in drunkenness, poor driving, and a**holeish behavior should be encouraged to do so more frequently; in the hope that they will kill themselves and their offspring, and that very soon high-performance boats will be banned from all public waterways.
Then, there will be more of a market for my exquisite CC Midnight Express!
11-30-2006, 06:54 PM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
Originally Posted by WILD 1
Just For The Record, Those Pics Are About 4-5 Years Old, But Still Stupid!
11-30-2006, 07:10 PM
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Re: Examples of Poker Run Stupidity
I think we need to look at the big picture and not worry about who is to blame or whether it was a sanctioned event per say..as I have seen this happen before and been impacted by the results..just not on the water. before I moved to the great lakes I lived outside of san diego, and was a professional desert racer.I used to have a 250r 3 wheeler. I used to be able to ride pretty much anyplace in the desert I wanted. well that changed bigtime. it changed for 2 primary reasons and both those reasons were not really legitimate yet still almost killed the sport.
reason 1. Mr Smith likes fast three wheelers and has built a full race balls out machine and likes to take it to glamis with his family. well one afternoon at Glamis it was particularly hot out so Dad was relaxing in the motorhome with a couple coctails, and his 12 year old son was bugging him "come on dad..I wanna ride your bike" well dad thinking that jr. has been riding since he could walk would be carefull finally gives in and says OK..well Jr. at 12 years of age and all 85 pounds of him gets on this full blown race bike and rides carefully out of camp..once outta site, his youthfullness gets the best of him and he opens it up, pours on the throttle and wipes out, result..fatal injuries and Jr. dies. end result, very high profile lawsuit gets filed against honda, makers of the bike, the lawsuit gets a LOT of publicity and sparks others in rapid succesion. was honda to blame?? was the child to blame?? was the parent to blame?? was the aftermarket industry that made the go fast parts to blame?? it could be debated ad infinitim, but the result, suzuki, yamaha, kawasaki and honda ceased production of 3 wheelers due to liability issues, also the sierra club and various other environmental groups seized the publicity to successfully lobby that offroaders were an irresponsible lot and were dangerous, and successfully lobbied to have a great deal of public land declared off limits to off roaders
case #2 the desert turtle.. there is a turtle that lives in the desert hwere offroaders play..bring on the environmentalist mainly the sierra club, a lot of members..a lot of money..a few good lobbiests, they clamed that desert turtle numbers were dwindeling, therefore they must be getting run over by the offroaders, after all havent you read the papers?? those offroaders are a bunch of drunken party anaimals in souped up machines that make a lot of noise and run around wildly at high speeds, they MUST be running turtles over by the thousands resulting in the declining populations!! end results..more and more riding areas closed to protect turtles. the truth.. not a SINGLE turtle was ever found or displayed as evidence that was smushed, crushed , killed or otherwise had tire tracks on his back. Where did the turtles go?? well housing and population has pressed further into the desert, with population comes garbage, garbage requires landfills and the landfills?? there filled with this ellusive desert turtle, as it is easy pickins with food being abundent, they simply found a better habitat at the dump and began migrating..result ..turtle populations are increasing not decresing.
what does this desert stuff have to do with go fast boats?? everything..what you will soon be facing is not reallity..most boaters are not ..for lack of a better term "JACKASSES" but the few that are, they get all the attention..the one lone fool who gets half tanked and blasts across havasu at 130 and hits somebody on a kayak...the guy who loves the sound of twin 1075.s that comes rumbling into the dock with unmuffled thru hulls at 3 am then gives them a couple revs and wakes everyone up for 2 miles, the one guy whos got it opened up with the helicopter filming that slices and dices a manatee for the world to see...
it only takes one single dominoe to start the whole pile falling..we are already starting to see speed limits and noise restrictions..just think what can happen when and if somebody with a boatload of money desides his 19 foot bowrider is no longer enough and goes and buys an off the shelf 40 foot 150 mile an hour cat and tries to go fast with no idea what he is doing, and his wipeput kills a few people and makes the national news.
so it doesnt mater if these piks are from poker runs or lazy sunday afternoons, if we dont stand up, tell these jack asses to chill and police ourselves, sooner or later somebodies gonna notice and decide we need to be protected from ourselves because we are a dangerous annoying threat to civilization, there gonna start making noise, and get the sierra club or greenpeace to bring in the big gun lawyers and lobbiests, the laws will be written, cig, ol, fountain etc will be sued into non existance, the local police will be following you in a rib or a helicopter giving you a big ticket and impounding your boat because it exceeds 94 decibles at half throttle outta gear, they will be impounding your boat because you were doing over 50 mph on the great lakes, we will be getting reckless operation tickits becuase our hull came out of the water..
think about it..if we dont do something soon..somebody else will as this country loves nothing more than laws, regulations, and policies to protect us from ourselves.
ok..Im gonna climb off my soapbox now and go pour me a capt and coke.
reason 1. Mr Smith likes fast three wheelers and has built a full race balls out machine and likes to take it to glamis with his family. well one afternoon at Glamis it was particularly hot out so Dad was relaxing in the motorhome with a couple coctails, and his 12 year old son was bugging him "come on dad..I wanna ride your bike" well dad thinking that jr. has been riding since he could walk would be carefull finally gives in and says OK..well Jr. at 12 years of age and all 85 pounds of him gets on this full blown race bike and rides carefully out of camp..once outta site, his youthfullness gets the best of him and he opens it up, pours on the throttle and wipes out, result..fatal injuries and Jr. dies. end result, very high profile lawsuit gets filed against honda, makers of the bike, the lawsuit gets a LOT of publicity and sparks others in rapid succesion. was honda to blame?? was the child to blame?? was the parent to blame?? was the aftermarket industry that made the go fast parts to blame?? it could be debated ad infinitim, but the result, suzuki, yamaha, kawasaki and honda ceased production of 3 wheelers due to liability issues, also the sierra club and various other environmental groups seized the publicity to successfully lobby that offroaders were an irresponsible lot and were dangerous, and successfully lobbied to have a great deal of public land declared off limits to off roaders
case #2 the desert turtle.. there is a turtle that lives in the desert hwere offroaders play..bring on the environmentalist mainly the sierra club, a lot of members..a lot of money..a few good lobbiests, they clamed that desert turtle numbers were dwindeling, therefore they must be getting run over by the offroaders, after all havent you read the papers?? those offroaders are a bunch of drunken party anaimals in souped up machines that make a lot of noise and run around wildly at high speeds, they MUST be running turtles over by the thousands resulting in the declining populations!! end results..more and more riding areas closed to protect turtles. the truth.. not a SINGLE turtle was ever found or displayed as evidence that was smushed, crushed , killed or otherwise had tire tracks on his back. Where did the turtles go?? well housing and population has pressed further into the desert, with population comes garbage, garbage requires landfills and the landfills?? there filled with this ellusive desert turtle, as it is easy pickins with food being abundent, they simply found a better habitat at the dump and began migrating..result ..turtle populations are increasing not decresing.
what does this desert stuff have to do with go fast boats?? everything..what you will soon be facing is not reallity..most boaters are not ..for lack of a better term "JACKASSES" but the few that are, they get all the attention..the one lone fool who gets half tanked and blasts across havasu at 130 and hits somebody on a kayak...the guy who loves the sound of twin 1075.s that comes rumbling into the dock with unmuffled thru hulls at 3 am then gives them a couple revs and wakes everyone up for 2 miles, the one guy whos got it opened up with the helicopter filming that slices and dices a manatee for the world to see...
it only takes one single dominoe to start the whole pile falling..we are already starting to see speed limits and noise restrictions..just think what can happen when and if somebody with a boatload of money desides his 19 foot bowrider is no longer enough and goes and buys an off the shelf 40 foot 150 mile an hour cat and tries to go fast with no idea what he is doing, and his wipeput kills a few people and makes the national news.
so it doesnt mater if these piks are from poker runs or lazy sunday afternoons, if we dont stand up, tell these jack asses to chill and police ourselves, sooner or later somebodies gonna notice and decide we need to be protected from ourselves because we are a dangerous annoying threat to civilization, there gonna start making noise, and get the sierra club or greenpeace to bring in the big gun lawyers and lobbiests, the laws will be written, cig, ol, fountain etc will be sued into non existance, the local police will be following you in a rib or a helicopter giving you a big ticket and impounding your boat because it exceeds 94 decibles at half throttle outta gear, they will be impounding your boat because you were doing over 50 mph on the great lakes, we will be getting reckless operation tickits becuase our hull came out of the water..
think about it..if we dont do something soon..somebody else will as this country loves nothing more than laws, regulations, and policies to protect us from ourselves.
ok..Im gonna climb off my soapbox now and go pour me a capt and coke.
