Re: [Paddlewise] Always wear a PFD?

On Sun, Apr 21, 2002 at 02:06:38PM -0700, Peter Staehling wrote:
> I am at least one paddler who would say nothing to you
> in the conditions you describe if you did not wear
> your PFD, but I probably value personal liberties more
> than most people do.

This isn't a matter of "personal liberty".  (It's a trifle compared
to *real* personal liberty issues like, say, "freedom of speech".
Putting on a PFD takes a couple of second and inconveniences nobody.)

But let's say it is (a matter of personal liberty).  One of the
unfortunate realities of our society, whether you or I or anyone else
likes it, is that bureaucratic response to problems is often mistargeted.
(See, for example, any piece of legislation proposed or passed pertaining
to the Internet, anywhere in the United States.  ALL of them indicate
severe lack of understanding of the fundamentals of the techology.)

I don't want my ability to paddle when and where I wish to be constrained
by regulations enacted in response to tragedy.  ("May I see your class V
card, please?")  But I'm well aware that if people go out, get stupid,
and get themselves killed in spectacular ways,  that this is precisely
what will happen.  It's therefore in my interest to see that they don't
do that -- humanitarian concerns aside for the moment -- because their
mistakes may very well come back in the form of misguided regulations
that (a) do nothing to solve the underlying problem(s) and (b) may
actually make things worse.

I also don't want to have to spend my day participating in a search/body
recovery.  I've done this twice, and it is an utterly chilling experience
that I have no desire to be part of again.  (But I *will* if the need
arises.  I think it's my obligation.)  If my setting an example over and
over again does .0001% to forestall that -- I'm all for it.  Especially
because that .0001% X 100,000 paddlers will do a lot.

So yeah, I'm willing to wear the PFD (and the helmet) all the time, every
time, and I've done exactly that for my entire paddling career.  I advocate
that others do the same because I think (a) it's smart for them and (b) it's
smart for me.

---Rsk
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