Re: [Paddlewise] Safety , Responsibility and nonsense

Lloyd Bowles
The "Sane" Canoeist

A few good points that make sense.


At 02:25 PM 11/29/98 -0500, Lloyd Bowles wrote:
>dldecker_at_mediaone.net wrote:
>> 
>> Gee-whiz more people die from bee stings than canoe or kayak coming off and
>> hitting a car that is behind.
>
>Yes the risk is lower than bee stings but it is also easily preventable.
>Bees are a necessary part of nature (and agriculture). There's not much
>we can do about them.  The kayak on your car is a risk that is easy to
>control. 
>

Live in the city with no flowers or blooming plants around you??? 
only answer i could come up with on that one.

again more people die from car accidents so if you don't drive 
one with front, side and maybe rear air bags then you must be cheap, like me
, or negligent.,
If some one is in the car with you they are in risk.( not you personally
Lloyd)



>> If you are that worried about being hit then don't follow behind a car with
>> a boat on top, period. Simple isn't it.
>
>Not really.  You can't always avoid being at least temporarily behind
>one.  There is also a risk to cars coming the other way.
>

I expect that you could limit it . Pull off the road if some one is 
coming toward you.


>> Just because you don't like some
>> thing don't impose it on others. I am not fond of British round chine
>> kayaks but it ok with me if you paddle one,
>
>Of course not.  A round chine kayak is of no risk to you - unless some
>#_at_$% doesn't tie it down well enough on their car because they don't
>care or haven't learned yet.
>

no they just are not as good as hard chine kayaks , my opinion only


>> People forget it
>> is just your opinion , not law ,and that and $2500 will buy you a new
kayak.
>
>If your kayak injures or kills someone else, you would be risking one
>heck of a big lawsuit.
>My father had a boat come off a car. Fortunately no cars were close
>behind. 
>I sold a mattress to a guy who had it come off his car a couple of
>minutes later. He had insisted it was tied on well enough & refused
>extra rope. A following car drove over it. Luckily the only casualty was
>the mattress.
>Friends had a gutter mount rack come loose.  All that saved their canoe
>was their extra tiedowns. My car was right behind them when this
>happened. Yes, $2500 would have bought them a new canoe but that
>wouldn't have helped me if I died because of it. I'm very glad they were
>careful. 
>Another friend sloppily tied his kayak onto his car. When the kayak came
>off, the rope from the front bumper let the kayak drop down beside the
>car.  Somehow the kayak got ahead & wedged against a front wheel. It
>forced him into a ditch at speed where he rolled. He suffered a broken
>collar bone. Fortunately his daughter was okay. Note: I don't paddle
>with this guy any more.  He's an accident waiting to happen on & off the
>water.
>-- 

with all the cars on the road with stuff on to tied on the chances are 
still slim. You take more of a chance to injure some one by getting in 
your car.We all take a certain amount of risk and have to decide if it
is worth the chance. I feel that two straps are good enough for my kayak
Besides down south it would probably just be a Canadian that got hurt, he he
I can see your point but why stop with just a few more ropes ?? why not 
just don't put your boat on top?? would ten straps be enough , twenty ?
some one would probably say no so you can't win. So if you want to go 
over board tieing on straps go ahead. Just don't get behind me when I 
am transporting my two strap kayak, you have been warned!!!!!! 

Dana




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