As a founding member of PETAJ (People for the Ethical Treatment of Adrenaline Junkies) I am appalled by the recent postings regarding the hunting of Jet Ski's. PETAJ believes strongly that as more highly evolved beings we have a duty to act humanely toward those less fortunate creatures. Having participated in the rescue of two Jet Skiers (one grounded in the flats outside a channel and the other immobilized by sucking its own tow rope into the impeller) I feel that I have a better understanding of these creatures than most in the general public. They are not the foaming at the mouth, bent on destruction, totally mindless creatures they sometimes appear to be. Some have even been known to act courteously and slow down when passing kayaks and canoes in narrow channels. However their addiction to the adrenaline rush often causes them to act irrationally and create dangerous situations. The excess adrenaline blocks the higher cognitive functions leaving the Jet Skier without the ability to recognize the danger and nuisance that they are creating. Their actions are often not intentionally meant to endanger and outrage others, but are simply the result of the instinctive behavior created by the need for that adrenaline rush. Additionally the Jet Skier lacks the ability to appreciate any aesthetic value in nature (possibly any aesthetic value at all). This makes it very difficult to reach an intellectual solution to their actions. They simply see no reason to be outdoors except to get "The Rush". Difficulties with Jet Skiers are more prominent than with other adrenaline junkies. Rock climbers, sky divers, and extreme skiers are usually found in the more remote areas and have less contact with the general public. Skate boarders do present many of the same interaction problems as Jet Skiers. However they do not posses the incredible speed and power of the Jet Ski (like comparing Grizzlies to Raccoons) and therefore are not generally feared and despised as the Jet Skier. I also believe the pitiful looking clothing worn by most skateboarders fosters more compassion than the blazing colors and graphics found on most Jet Skiers. Despite the problems we at PETAJ feel that hunting is not the proper corrective action. When meeting Jet Skiers we recommend trying to maintain a proper distance, being aware of their potential for sudden unexpected direction changes, and avoiding areas known for large congregations of Jet Skies. Note: The lack of clothing and certain physical behaviors suggest that there may be some mating rituals involved in some of these Jet Ski "schools" when members of both sexes are present. In groups of males there is a strong tendency to territorial displays which may be very dangerous to nearby kayaks. Further we suggest you avoid loud aggressive vocalizations and provocative hand gestures as this may just increase the adrenaline in the Jet Skier and create more problems. Rolling over and playing dead is not seen as an effective response either since the Jet Skier is likely to just move in closer and circle out of curiosity. PETAJ does recognize that certain Jet Skiers are just too dangerous to be allowed to continue unchecked. On water hunting is not selective and relatively inefficient method of dealing with these "nuisance skiers". Currently we recommend tracking these dangerous Jet Skiers back to their launch sites, recording their identifying numbers and notifying the appropriate authorities. Although not supported by our entire membership, we have proposed legislation that would allow the "dangerous Jet Skier" to be quickly and humanely executed by clubbing at dockside in plain view of large groups of other Jet Skiers. We feel this would have a deterrent effect on the Jet Skier population and eventually would improve the overall gene pool without the need to vastly reduce the population. PETAJ does have a Jet Skier Conversion program. We supply carefully selected Jet Skiers with kayaks and take them on specially designed paddles. Although very few give up Jet Skiing many do develop a more courteous (at least less dangerous) attitude. If you would like to donate a kayak or other equipment to this program please contact me back channel. Greenland paddles, men's medium paddling jackets, drytops, and lifejackets, and men's size 8 Chotas would be especially welcome. We are non-discriminatory and gladly accept plastic, composite, or wood kayaks. Surfing kayaks are especially good for starting to wean the Jet Skier away from his/her former addiction (I do not own one so that would be a real winner for me). Sincerely, Mark J. Arnold VP. B.S for PETAJ US.. mjamja_at_earthlink.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, 15 Apr 2003, Mark Arnold wrote: > As a founding member of PETAJ (People for the Ethical Treatment of > Adrenaline Junkies) I am appalled by the recent postings regarding the > hunting of Jet Ski's. PETAJ believes strongly that as more highly evolved > beings we have a duty to act humanely toward those less fortunate > creatures. Some confusion here. Our quarry is the jet ski, not the jet skier. Some of us will hang the trophy over our fireplaces. Some will make use of all the parts. Most of us have no use for the skier. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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