Reply With QuoteWhat part of the Colorado River are you talking about? I used to see these "checkpoints" only at Catherine's Landing on Lake Mohave.
As a Boater and Skier for the last 30 years, I have seen many Sheriffs and other Law officers on the lakes and rivers. I have always had respect for all of them until last week end when I was pulled off the river and told this is a "Saftey Equipment Check Point" but the buoys said OUI. They had 7 jet skis, 3 or 4 boats and at least 15 officers on the shore. We were first told to just show our saftey equipment and after I had done that politely I was asked if I had been drinking. I had not been and told them so. With my 18 month old, my 4 year old, my wife and mother-in-law (yea, ouch) looking on, this guy ran me through several minutes of tests just to insult me by saying I was NOT DRUNK enough to take in. No kidding, What ever happend to probable cause before testing? Do they not need it on an OUI? Or is this a new policy, to nab all family boaters as well as the guys they should be looking for with all that man power and tax dollars.
Look, I'm all for keeping things out there safe but some things seem like a waste of their time and ours. Any thoughts. This was about 10 miles down river of Laughlin, around the AVI Hotel.
[ June 12, 2003, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: ShowTime ]
What part of the Colorado River are you talking about? I used to see these "checkpoints" only at Catherine's Landing on Lake Mohave.
hey dan you just beat me to my post. I only seen that over there as well.
TrojanDan:
What part of the Colorado River are you talking about? I used to see these "checkpoints" only at Catherine's Landing on Lake Mohave. My neighbor got stopped at Catherine's the weekend before Memorial....Fortunatly for him...he only had 2 beers all day....But he said that there were plenty of peeps with those new plastic bracelets.... frown
This all happened about 10 miles south of Laughlin, just above Needles. They said it was several departments of, I believe, Cal. and Az. Also the fish and game dept.
I was out on Lake Mojave last Saturday and a buddy of mine was in the water putting his ski on. A patrol boat came up to me and said my observer did not put the flag up when my skiier stepped out onto the swim step and it needed to be up. He then proceded to ask me if he mined doing a safety check. I told him no and he checked my life vest, fire extingusher, and everything else. He than said he wanted to know if I had been drinking and I told him that I had not. I had not had one beer that day at all. He insisted on me getting on his boat and giving me test right there on the water.
He even aasked me how long I had been drinking the night before and this was at 11 am the following day. He aid I looked like I was feeling the affects from the night before and asked if he could check another pasanger and see if they could drive the boat. I could not beleive that, but aggreed and he said the other guy was ok and let my buddy drive off. I was also under the impression they could not check you if you had not been drinking.
I have been going to the river for 20 plus years and had never seen this or heard of it before. Maybe something new, but it is unfare to those of us who a aware out there on the water in my opinion.
RiverDave:
Well it would seem to me that nowdays .08 don't mean chit. If your drinking your going to jail.. Damn shame to because these guys really are killing the river..
I wish they'd wake up and see it ain't always (as a matter of fact in most cases it isn't) the alcohol, but rather the mentallity or inexperience of the jerk off behind the wheel that is causing the problems/fatalities.
Uh-Oh..... argue
RD
Don't get RD started......
I agree with RD on this one. There are more crappy drivers and boaters out there than there are drunks.
I also agree with RD. This last weekend I had a kid in the water and a a$$ in a malibu skiboat almost hit him. He was to busy looking back at his daughter up on doubles to watch were he was going. It took a blast from my canned air airhorn to get his attention at no less than 15 yards away from the kid. Then his wife starts giving me lip service to the fact that I don't own the whole lake...It didn't matter if this guy was drinking or not he was still an idiot and just plain dangerous.
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