NYCkayaker NY Times: The Lure of Seeing a Hushed City at Water Level

[mike]

Even without a parent organization, it is important to correct and
challenge these departments when they try to implement rules that are
more restrictive, and discriminatory to paddle boaters. Many times when
a organization tries to speak for a group there is to much time
discussing the position the organization wants to take. In the bicycle
advocacy community, we have people that specialize in lobbying and
others that are more direct action. Kayakers do not have the numbers and
ease of assembly that bicyclist have. Maritime law tends to be on the
small boaters and non powered boated side, so that is one point that
need to be brought up when it is broken.

Bicycle clubs do not get too involved in the advocacy because they need
to make nice with everyone to get the permits to hold their big events.
.

Kayakers should not submit to permits unless power boaters need to do
the same. Bicycle community is having the same problem, police
department implemented a law that groups of people or bicycles can no
longer march or ride without a permit. In these days of environmental
awareness, human power vehicles and high capacity vehicles should have
priority.

The statistic for deaths on NY waterways would indicate that the high
capacity vehicles such as Staten Island ferry and sightseeing boats
should have the occupants at least hold a pfd while onboard. 

Erik brings out a good point about the journalist; he did get the main
point correct point across. I just like to correct the little things,
since the police are less knowledgably in the laws then the experienced
paddlers. 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: nyckayaker-bounces at rockandwater.net
[mailto:nyckayaker-bounces at rockandwater.net] On Behalf Of rob buchanan
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 9:55 PM
To: Erik Baard; nykayak
Subject: Re: NYCkayaker NY Times: The Lure of Seeing a Hushed City at
Water Level

 

I don't think i'm the only one who's chilled by the prospect of 'greater
regulation.' But what to do? One thought might be to form an umbrella
group of human-powered boaters-kayakers, rowers, and outrigger
paddlers-that would lobby public officials and urban designers for
expanded water access, formulate coherent responses to the usual
bugbears of safety, liability and (my personal favorite) 'dangerous'
currents, and in general advance the notion of the harbor as public
space. Erik's mentioned this a couple of times, and even proposed the
acronym HARP, for Harbor Association of Rowers and Paddlers. Should we
try to make it happen? Would it make a difference?


On 5/29/07 12:20 PM, "Erik Baard" <erik at baard.com> wrote:

The essence of the article, however, is true: the growth of kayaking is
bringing greater support but perhaps also greater regulation.

 

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