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Originally Posted by upthesaukee
So much is said about making boat licensing just like a car. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but just because someone has taken a test to drive a car doesn't make them a good driver.
We all see the Capt. Boneheads on the lake and wonder how they ever got away from the dock. Gee, too bad they didn't have a drivers test like they would in a car. Well, they probably drive their car the same way.
There are just as many boneheads out there behind the wheel of a four wheeler. On land and on the water, the only thing that may help change the attitudes and bad habits will be better and more stringent enforcement.
All that can be hoped is that through boater education, more people have been helped by it than not!  IMHO. |
Upthesaukee, I have to agree with you. No matter what the boneheads are going to be there. How much the education has help I think that story really won't be told for years. Many of us took the test online because we have been around boating for years and in my mind was a good thing, it relieved stress on the class room course. How many have really thought about how many course and test would have had to been offered in order for everyone to get certified by an instructor. It would have been a mess and we would have been complaining about that. Instead the state took the approach they did, and have now given everyone a fair chance to get the certificate before tightening the regulations. In my mind they did the right thing. I believe in the future we will see on the water tests for the younger boaters... but remember to accomplish this means the need for more man power, more expense and therefore higher taxes and fees.... sorry but it is the truth. And if they had phased that all in, at the begining the expense would have been unbelievable.
Lets all remember something it is the bad Guys that make it hard on all of us. Sure we all get angry at the Boneheads out there, and there are plenty of them. But just like with the speed limit why should the responsible people pay for the mistakes of the idiots. Ask your selves this question although some of us think it would be a good idea for everyone to have taken a proctored exam, and an on the water test, how would we feel if due to scheduling and testing availability we missed all or part of a boating seating. I do believe we will get there in the future we just have to give it time..... the current automobile diver liscense exam procedures didn't happen over night. Heck my Dad had a Maine diver liscense simply because an already licensed driver wrote a note to the state and said he was ready..... These things happen in phases.... and if they don't start by doing some grandfather which is what is happening now..... things get out of hand.