JRScuba
Contributor
FL_Chad:
people need to take responsibility for their own actions
Amen to that.
Dive Safely
Joe
Venice - $168 fine for no flag..
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people need to take responsibility for their own actions
Amen to that.
Dive Safely
Joe
Chad, I think one of the reasons people don't want to accept responsibility for their actions is because the state tries to protect them from themselves. The state could easily write a law requiring boat operators to honor the dive flag and in that law exempt them from liability if the diver has no flag. No legal penalty for the diver, no requirement that he have a flag, but requires him to accept responsibility for his actions.
Walter, you are right, but good luck getting the law passed with the huge boater lobbyists here.
It would be easier as a group, a volunteer organization or the like, to simply place signs at all docks teaching boaters about dive flags, (like that one kid did a couple years ago as a scouting project).
It would be easier as a group, a volunteer organization or the like, to simply place signs at all docks teaching boaters about dive flags, (like that one kid did a couple years ago as a scouting project).
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
I could care less if they have a law or not... if I dive out in navigable waters I carry a flag. I don't really consider surf or near surf to be navigable, but I guess I better.
...same issue. When we do shore dives up here, we have a flag. I have seen Department of Natural Resources boats out and they enforce the rules both ways in the busy shore dive spots. I have come out of the water to be questioned about if there is a particular boat that they should watch. I have seen divers come out of the water to be greeted with the ticket because they don't have a flag.
Still, I have been buzzed by jet skis and even had an anchor line accidently dragged across the dive flag line of a buddy in the water. It is always annoying when I know that my flag is being buzzed.
It is the boater's responsibility to respect dive flags. There is a saying about ignorance of the law.... But, if that is the case, it our responsibility as divers to display it so that the good boaters can respect them. Then, if the boaters get ticketed, they can't say that we didn't give them a chance
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Still, I have been buzzed by jet skis and even had an anchor line accidently dragged across the dive flag line of a buddy in the water. It is always annoying when I know that my flag is being buzzed.
It is the boater's responsibility to respect dive flags. There is a saying about ignorance of the law.... But, if that is the case, it our responsibility as divers to display it so that the good boaters can respect them. Then, if the boaters get ticketed, they can't say that we didn't give them a chance
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FL_Chad
Contributor
Walter - I can certainly agree with that!!!
Remember that divers also have a responsibility to stay within the range of the flag. I was scalloping one day and was coming in and giving one boat with a flag more than enough room. Up pops some snorkelers seemingly 1/2 mile away from their flag and they threw their hands up at me.
Remember that divers also have a responsibility to stay within the range of the flag. I was scalloping one day and was coming in and giving one boat with a flag more than enough room. Up pops some snorkelers seemingly 1/2 mile away from their flag and they threw their hands up at me.
jriderski:
Why are you being a jerk...have you ever worked in law enforcement. Maybe insted of complaining about the job they are doing, maybe you shold ask ol' jeb to increase the pay for officers and to hire more. There are only so many officers to do the job and we can't be everywhere all at once and we are doing it for very little pay as well. You were probably one of those people that complained about copslike yo uare doing now, until 9/11 and then you thought we were all angels and should be respected, then a few years pass and you treat us like pigs again. I found your post very disrespectful and I am offended. Its cuz of people like you that scubaboard is taking a decline, its not what it used to be.
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
At 34,000 users and increasing rapidly, I would harldy say that ScubaBoard is in a "decline". No, not everyone agrees with you, but that is hardly a "decline".
I would like to point out that everyone has an opinion good or bad about law enforcement. Are they perfect? Probably not. Calling them a jerk for their opinion is probably not the way to influence people here. However, while I don't believe expressing that someone is a "jerk" is against the TOS, I would like to remind EVERYONE that escalating this any further would probably exceed it.
As for me, whenever I get a ticket, I thank the officer for doing their job. It's not their fault that I screwed up. No, they can't catch everyone, but when you go fishing you don't throw the fish you catch back, just because it's unfair that lots of others did not get caught. I need to learn to obey all laws (and no, I haven't gotten a ticket in a long time).
No, ScubaBoard ain't what it used to be. There are more of us with more diverse opinions and far more experience. We have more forums, more industry recognition with bigger and better clubs. There are more get togethers, more dives done and more Instructors than ever. We are using bigger, faster and even more servers to keep things moving. There are more opportunities here than ever before to learn about most any aspect of diving. Hey, we even got stickers! No, it's not the same, its far better than when you joined. But like the police, some people are more grateful then others for the service provided.
Go figure.
I would like to point out that everyone has an opinion good or bad about law enforcement. Are they perfect? Probably not. Calling them a jerk for their opinion is probably not the way to influence people here. However, while I don't believe expressing that someone is a "jerk" is against the TOS, I would like to remind EVERYONE that escalating this any further would probably exceed it.
As for me, whenever I get a ticket, I thank the officer for doing their job. It's not their fault that I screwed up. No, they can't catch everyone, but when you go fishing you don't throw the fish you catch back, just because it's unfair that lots of others did not get caught. I need to learn to obey all laws (and no, I haven't gotten a ticket in a long time).
No, ScubaBoard ain't what it used to be. There are more of us with more diverse opinions and far more experience. We have more forums, more industry recognition with bigger and better clubs. There are more get togethers, more dives done and more Instructors than ever. We are using bigger, faster and even more servers to keep things moving. There are more opportunities here than ever before to learn about most any aspect of diving. Hey, we even got stickers!
No, it's not the same, its far better than when you joined. But like the police, some people are more grateful then others for the service provided.Go figure.
In a roundabout way, that law is already written Walter...just look up Fla. Stat. 327.331 (5). "Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of the divers-down flag on all waters other than rivers, inlets, and navigation channels. Any person operating a vessel on waters other than a river, inlet, or navigation channel must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from any divers-down flag."Walter:
The part about excemption from liability is Florida's Comparative Negligence law. It's not in the above, but it does exist, and although Florida no longer exempts actions from plaintiffs who contribute to their own injury, it allows for any recovery to be adjusted by the percentage of negligence the plaintiff exhibited, which caused its injuries.
Personally, I have always had, and especially more so on 9/11, more respect for firefighters than police officers, but that is not entirely the reason why I have one general opinion of law enforcement officers, which does not apply to those I've met and who show me they're not within that group, such as Baitedstorm's husband. Police officers are above the law and they're the first ones who break the laws they're paid to enforce. So, until you personally convince me otherwise, Wendy, I'm sorry to say you're within that group. I see it every day how police officers drive on the HOV lane by themselves, but if I do it, I would get a $150.00 ticket; how police officers drive like nascar wannabies in their own P.O.V.'s, yet I've not seen, or known of one who gets a ticket; how police officers park on the handicapped spaces, or in the "NO PARKING" zones, yet no one can say anything to them; how I was stopped by an "off duty" BSO officer, in civilian clothes, when I had broken no laws, only that it pissed him off that I was driving the speed limit on the left lane, and when I challenged him for violating my rights according to the 4th ammendment, because he didn't even have reasonable suspicion, he became defensive. The list goes on, but it is a painful truth that the great majority of law enforcement officers practice profiling and selective law enforcement. To say otherwise is to try to sell me ocean front property in Arizona. And you want more guys with this mentality, and more money for those who are there already? That's like me demanding a salary increase without meeting my billables. You think my law firm will do that??? What makes the law enforcement officer an exception? I don't mean to take Joe's side, but the truth is the truth, and if there is another side to that truth, then I'm from Missouri.Wendy:
Scubaguy62:
How dare you judge me and group me with people that break the law. I do not speed, do drugs, or break any laws! SInce you think its fine to judge people you don't know and know nothing about, then I guess you won't be offended if I group you with the rest of the jerks on this board, afterall you judged me unfairly.
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