speed tax

[zelatore]

Took the 22 out to play today in the delta. On my way home I was idling through a no-wake zone where lots of boats anchor out. Once clear of the boats, I hit it and skirted around a wake board boat only to come round a bend and find a local sheriff who promptly hit his lights.

Seems I was still (by about 100 yards) within the no wake zone. Never mind that I kept it at idle until I was clear of all moored boats. Never mind that a Donzi on plane doesn't make much wake anyway. Never mind that a WAKE board boat was plowing the river to snot in the same area. No, he went right for me.

OK, I was technically in the wrong. I took my ticket and went on my way. But the fact that he didn't then turn around and pull over Ma and Pa Wakeboarder that were deliberately making the most possible wake just proves that I was singled out. And that burns my ass! The rest of the run home I was just pissed. Still not over it yet. (this will take some time...I hate BS cops with a passion!)

Just another example of how Johnny Law doesn't really give a $hit about enforcing the spirit of the law. If he did, he'd maybe have given me a warning seeing how I was well clear of the boats the no-wake zone is there for and there was another boat making more wake than I could achieve at my worst. No, he just wants to screw with the guy with the loud fast boat because he can.:mad::mad::mad:

[Carl C]

That sucks. He should have given you a warning and safety check. I've got to say that our local sheriffs have been pretty decent. I've never gotten a ticket in about 20 years of boating in Michigan. I hear the Coasties can be tough but haven't had an encounter with one yet. What worries me is that there are a lot of unmarked no wake zones around Lake St. Clair and connecting waters. There isn't much you can do put pay it and consider it "a tax". They can pick and choose their victims.:(:hangum::mad::kaioken::banghead:

[synack]

He was probably just jealous. Probably owns a rotted out 16' 1980 Bayliner and is jealous of the cool boats!

[justleft]

Cruised over to the Lk Norman motel for a cheese burger with some neighbors in their pontoon boat yesterday.
We got pulled by Wildlife right at the bridge. While the junior want-ta-be cops were checking life jackets
4 teens on jet skis (1 w/o PFD) came flying under the bridge without even lifting. Had to be doing 50 !

Wildlife just looked. My buddy said something about those are the persons you should be harassing, not us.
But he used allot more "f"s and then something about you couldn't catch them even if you had the balls.

Wildlife said, "Sir I think you have been drinking." As the cop was trying to do
the follow-my-finger-with-your-eyes trick, (I don't care if the sun is bright, don't squint !)
2 of the teens (1 w/o PFD) went flying back under the bridge (up river).

One of the gals with us stood up and took a picture, we all broke out laughing.

Wildlife let us go with a short lecture about safe and sober boating.

[zelatore]

I sooooo wanted to ask Officer Handy if he was going to pull over the wakeboarders, but I knew it would just cause more problems. Although the cop wasn't a jerk about it (I do give him credit for that) I do at least know better than to start arguing with a guy carring a gun who can pretty much say or do anything he wants.

And that's probably the thing that gets to me the most. The fact that they can do anything, say anything, and you just have to sit there and take it. Couldn't stand it as a kid when my parents put me in that situation; couldn't stand it as a teen living in a rural area where the local cop thought he was judge and jury; and can't stand it now. At least now that I'm older I don't get as much grief since I look like a respectable citizen. Well, most of the time.

At least I can vent on here and get it out of my system. I was so tweeked Saturday when I got home I didn't even clean up the boat. Time to go out and wash her down and put her away for the week.