Quote:
Originally Posted by dpg
I took the boating course MANY years ago and actually don't even boat anymore. I'd bet anything 7 out of 10 boaters have no idea who the "stand down" boat should be, I have no clue either. You folks are making a lot of assumptions here. I drive a car daily doesn't mean I know by heart every little law concerning the operation of one.....Do you??? (Most of you probably need to be careful before you answer that question!)
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Ignorance is no excuse for such an elementary concept.
I would consider 'stand on' and 'give way' the water equivalents of the red and green traffic lights on our roads. If you are driving and do not understand the red or green traffic lights, you have no business on the roads (no matter how long ago you took a driving test).
Anyone piloting a boat in NH should have taken the required courses, and even if they did not have to, it is their responsibility as the boat operator to understand these basic rules for the safety of others. It would take less than a minute for most adults to learn this very basic rule if they cared to learn.
7 out of 10 may ignore them, but I think that ratio is much smaller. The problem, IMO, is not ignorance but an attitude of self-importance and self-centeredness.