Marine Patrol response to an email....

[Mink Islander]

A few days ago a couple of pieces of styrofoam tube floated past my camp on one of the recent windy days. Looked like the core to one of the plastic spar buoys. So yesterday while fishing I noticed that one of the two red markers has gone missing from the channel between Mark and Bear (light buoy 29).

Trying to be the good citizen, I emailed marine patrol Sunday morning with a note that the buoy was gone.

This morning I got an email from Marine Patrol telling me they don’t take “complaints” by email and told me to call them.

I wasn’t complaining. I was giving them a safety advisory. I guess unless I call, they don’t intend to acknowledge that they now know that one of the markers is missing by FL29. How incredibly stupid is that? Smacks of mindless bobble head bureaucrats who make up their own silly rules. Why do they even have an email address on their website if they don’t want us to use it for things like this — non urgent public safety issues. My bet is that if I called, they would have told me to email instead.... Happy Monday!

[8gv]

One way to find out why this is policy would be to call them.

[VitaBene]

What a colossal waste of your time as well as the respondent. I am sure Capt. Dunleavy (sp?) will chime in.

[ishoot308]

I suspect that whoever responded to you is not a Marine Patrol officer and probably some "low on the totem pole" lackey whose online game of solitaire was interrupted!

I would be pissed if I were you too!!

Dan

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Mink Islander

A few days ago a couple of pieces of styrofoam tube floated past my camp on one of the recent windy days. Looked like the core to one of the plastic spar buoys. So yesterday while fishing I noticed that one of the two red markers has gone missing from the channel between Mark and Bear (light buoy 29).

Trying to be the good citizen, I emailed marine patrol Sunday morning with a note that the buoy was gone.

This morning I got an email from Marine Patrol telling me they don’t take “complaints” by email and told me to call them.

I wasn’t complaining. I was giving them a safety advisory. I guess unless I call, they don’t intend to acknowledge that they now know that one of the markers is missing by FL29. How incredibly stupid is that? Smacks of mindless bobble head bureaucrats who make up their own silly rules. Why do they even have an email address on their website if they don’t want us to use it for things like this — non urgent public safety issues. My bet is that if I called, they would have told me to email instead.... Happy Monday!

So because I am confrontational at times, I would ask to be called by someone in charge, or just call the MP, myself. It is clear that the person responding to your email, to not comprehend what they where being told...

[Seaplane Pilot]

Another "non-essential" government HACK that should have their pay curtailed, just like the "non-essential" businesses that have been FORCED to close by the same State government for which they work. This person can then go file for unemployment, and may soon be standing in the bread lines with those who want to work, but can't.

[Mink Islander]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

So because I am confrontational at times, I would ask to be called by someone in charge, or just call the MP, myself. It is clear that the person responding to your email, to not comprehend what they where being told...

I did respond back to the email about not “taking complaints online” — like reporting a missing buoy is a complaint!!

I got a very long bureaucratic response that just further confirmed the worst about the mindset. I understand that if ppl use the email to actually complain about things that MP will likely need to talk to the person to make sure they have all the facts, etc. But I think the MP office is stuck thinking that all public contact has to be treated that same way (natural I suppose when you’re now an arm of the state police).

But unlike the State Police, the MP has ownership and management of the nav buoys/markers in the lake — part of the lake infrastructure. When we have issues in our town with major potholes, downed trees, etc. we text our highway department to alert them. And they’re fine with that. No calls. No report to be filed. Reporting safety hazards on the lake should work like that.

And common sense would have said that the report of a missing buoy in an email should have gotten a “thank you” not a “we don’t accept complaints online” response. But I digress....