It was written: >>"the enforcement of "victimless-crime laws" is >>patently harassment;" SNIP >Wearing a PFD should be a considered choice, but a community >has a collective right to say you must choose to wear one, via its >laws. I don't mind seat-belt laws, or vehicle safety standards. >What's the difference here? Regards, Peter Treby 37º 42' S >145º 08' E In the initial story the people were not fined for not wearing PFD's, they were fined for not having them at all. There are rules, we all know them (or at least should know them), and if we don't play by these rules we have to accept the consequences. Harassment would be if they stop kayakers for no obvious reason (people not wearing pfd's is an obvious reason to check this out -at least I wouldn't feel harassed and show the friendly officiers my pfd if I wouldn't wear it for an unlikely reason) and start searching for reasons to hand out tickets. Fictional scene somewhere on the coast, lake, or river: " Were is your PFD? You have one! Whistle? OK, were is your bailer? Under the bungees? Yeah, now I see it. Were is your floating 15 feet long heaving line? That's it? Lets see. Hm, only 14.5 feet. To bad. Sorry but I have to give you a ticket. How I hate to do that, but you need 15 feet. Here is your ticket. Have a nice day." That would be harassment! Note, this was a fictional scene. I made it up, it never happened to me or anybody I know. No coast guard or lake/river patrol would act so mean -maybe also a fictional assumption. Here, north of the US border, the Coast Guard regulations require that you carry a fitting PFD for each person on board -and some other stuff mentioned in the friendly officer above. You are not required to wear it or to use it. It is YOUR choice! The PFD under the deck bungees is legal, even if I personally consider it a bad practice. One of our paddlers, a PFD hater, found last year a solution for himself which makes him, the coast guard, and his family happy. He bought and wears a inflatable one (finally there are models with official approval), comfortable, not restricting, no over-heating (in NS not much of a problem anyway), and in case shit happens it provides more floatation and support than any of the regular kayaking pfd's. Ulli, who always wears his PFD, a wetsuit, carries a paddle float and spare paddle, and of course all the required stuff. Did I mentioned first aid kit, flares, spare clothing, compass, repair kit? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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