[Evenstar]

This forum is like the lake – mostly full of powerboaters, so I have felt rather out numbered, being that I’m one of the few serious paddlers who posts here.

So my perspective is different from the majority. But I’m used to that. The problem is that some people can’t seem to have a debate without getting personal. Many of my posts were picked apart, and I have been constantly misquoted. There have been posts made just to poke fun at me or to insult my abilities, my skills, or my intelligence (“Did they lower the bar for acceptance at UNH?”).

I’ve tried to patiently explain what a sea kayak is – with the response being that “it’s still just a kayak”. I’ve been told that kayaks are just toys and that they have no business being out on the main lake. I’ve been told that I should stick to ponds. I’ve tried to explain that my experience is mostly on other large NH lakes (which would also be affected by HB 162), and have been told that I don’t have the experience to tell if a lake is safe for me. I’ve been told that my fears are unfounded, or that I’m exaggerating them. I’ve even been accused of lying.

There are some really nice people here, but I’ve about had it with the others.

I also feel like 15 of my senators betrayed us (smaller, slower boaters), by not supporting HB 162. I just think that it’s wrong to allow boats to go just as fast as they want and just dismiss the affect that action is having on others. Or to use the excuse that they felt like this law would be unenforceable. (We still have highway speed laws, even though many people still speed.) Or to say that congestion is the problem. (But aren’t congestion and the need for speed limits related?)

A lake is for recreation – it’s not a high speed transportation system. And it’s not a race course. It’s really hard to relax much and have fun, when you spend much of your boating time being concerned about your personal safety. How do I tell the speeding boats that don’t see me from the ones who are just having fun trying to scare me? (and often succeeding.)

I believe in freedom too, but we have laws mainly because everyone's right to liberty ends where it intrudes on someone else's liberty. We wouldn’t need most of our laws if everyone was truly concerned with (and understood) how their actions affect others. But unfortunately some people don’t really care (or truly understand) how their actions (and their words) affect others.