'Thames river rage drama ends with huge fine'
Discussion
The gov.uk website seems to have become a newspaper...
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thames-river-ra...
Mind you the culprit is stupid. If he'd had 'Just Stop Oil' written on the side of his boat he'd have got away with it...
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thames-river-ra...
Mind you the culprit is stupid. If he'd had 'Just Stop Oil' written on the side of his boat he'd have got away with it...
'Also charged in court, on the same day, for separate and unrelated incidents was Paul Campbell of West Molesey, who was found guilty in his absence of having not registered his boat, Enigma, for 2024 and failing to comply with directions to move his vessel from its location at West Molesey riverbank. He received a total of £2024.24 in fines, compensation and costs to be paid within 28 days.
Ms Herlihy added:
“As these prosecutions show, we have no hesitation in bringing offenders to court who avoid their obligations and responsibilities to lawful river users. Just one day in court has resulted in more than £6,000 of fines and compensation, which should serve as a major deterrent.”
I wonder how much of those fines will actually be paid? The EA does love to strut about and puff its chest out issuing fines whilst failing miserably in other areas. Last year they went around my marina with a clipboard slapping warning notices on about 30% of the boats because they weren't displaying a licence. Except that the new licences had only been issued a month earlier, and many owners hadn't even been to their boats to put the licences in! The EA knows perfectly well who's paid and who hasn't, but would rather pay someone to stick warning notices on boats than check their records.
In the regatta case I agree with them, but they are generally unaccountable waffle-spouters with more power than brains.
Ms Herlihy added:
“As these prosecutions show, we have no hesitation in bringing offenders to court who avoid their obligations and responsibilities to lawful river users. Just one day in court has resulted in more than £6,000 of fines and compensation, which should serve as a major deterrent.”
I wonder how much of those fines will actually be paid? The EA does love to strut about and puff its chest out issuing fines whilst failing miserably in other areas. Last year they went around my marina with a clipboard slapping warning notices on about 30% of the boats because they weren't displaying a licence. Except that the new licences had only been issued a month earlier, and many owners hadn't even been to their boats to put the licences in! The EA knows perfectly well who's paid and who hasn't, but would rather pay someone to stick warning notices on boats than check their records.
In the regatta case I agree with them, but they are generally unaccountable waffle-spouters with more power than brains.
Simpo Two said:
'Also charged in court, on the same day, for separate and unrelated incidents was Paul Campbell of West Molesey, who was found guilty in his absence of having not registered his boat, Enigma, for 2024 and failing to comply with directions to move his vessel from its location at West Molesey riverbank. He received a total of £2024.24 in fines, compensation and costs to be paid within 28 days.
Ms Herlihy added:
“As these prosecutions show, we have no hesitation in bringing offenders to court who avoid their obligations and responsibilities to lawful river users. Just one day in court has resulted in more than £6,000 of fines and compensation, which should serve as a major deterrent.”
I wonder how much of those fines will actually be paid? The EA does love to strut about and puff its chest out issuing fines whilst failing miserably in other areas. Last year they went around my marina with a clipboard slapping warning notices on about 30% of the boats because they weren't displaying a licence. Except that the new licences had only been issued a month earlier, and many owners hadn't even been to their boats to put the licences in! The EA knows perfectly well who's paid and who hasn't, but would rather pay someone to stick warning notices on boats than check their records.
In the regatta case I agree with them, but they are generally unaccountable waffle-spouters with more power than brains.
When I lived in Kingston they seemed determined to root out anyone who lived on a boat as opposed to just mooring for a visit. But in spite of that, the effect they seemed to have over the years was to push out the sort of harmless neat and tidy boat dweller who made the river a more interesting place, but do nothing about the (barely) floating rubbish dumps apart from presumably hoping they would sink.Ms Herlihy added:
“As these prosecutions show, we have no hesitation in bringing offenders to court who avoid their obligations and responsibilities to lawful river users. Just one day in court has resulted in more than £6,000 of fines and compensation, which should serve as a major deterrent.”
I wonder how much of those fines will actually be paid? The EA does love to strut about and puff its chest out issuing fines whilst failing miserably in other areas. Last year they went around my marina with a clipboard slapping warning notices on about 30% of the boats because they weren't displaying a licence. Except that the new licences had only been issued a month earlier, and many owners hadn't even been to their boats to put the licences in! The EA knows perfectly well who's paid and who hasn't, but would rather pay someone to stick warning notices on boats than check their records.
In the regatta case I agree with them, but they are generally unaccountable waffle-spouters with more power than brains.
That was a few years ago now though.
reddiesel said:
Not surprisingly I agree with most of that and I never display a license on my canal boat for that very same reason . I lived on the Canal for decades as a continuous cruiser and although the boat is now in a marina , we were plagued with idiots speeding through on hire boats and not all of them drunk .
The worst I remember was when we were frozen in one winter . Boats , some wood and some fibreglass in various states of decay were subjected to some prat in a new Widebeam battering through the ice totally ignorant to the prospect of someones home being destroyed or damaged . Someone shouting from the bank was greeted with a hail of abuse about stinking
s and other such insults . Darkness duly fell and the telegraph did its work as to where the boat was moored . I consider myself extremely tolerant but I loathe these sort of People .
I think the Thames can be the Boating equivalent to Monaco and miscreants are dealt with accordingly and the Magistrates sympathetic to the EA .
I Share your Analysis of the EA , not a lot different to the IWA in some regards . Are you or have you ever been a member of the latter and do you possess a captains hat with the obligatory gold braid ? We demand to be told .
I think that to deliberately not display a licence, assuming you have one, is pointlessly provocative. There's a section of a river called 'tramp alley' and even though I tiptoe through it at 3mph they can still shout 'The worst I remember was when we were frozen in one winter . Boats , some wood and some fibreglass in various states of decay were subjected to some prat in a new Widebeam battering through the ice totally ignorant to the prospect of someones home being destroyed or damaged . Someone shouting from the bank was greeted with a hail of abuse about stinking
s and other such insults . Darkness duly fell and the telegraph did its work as to where the boat was moored . I consider myself extremely tolerant but I loathe these sort of People .I think the Thames can be the Boating equivalent to Monaco and miscreants are dealt with accordingly and the Magistrates sympathetic to the EA .
I Share your Analysis of the EA , not a lot different to the IWA in some regards . Are you or have you ever been a member of the latter and do you possess a captains hat with the obligatory gold braid ? We demand to be told .
' at me. Needless and not very pleasant. Few licences and much cannabis.So what did you and your chums do the the widebeam when you tracked it down after dark? Like on the roads, everyone should behave responsibly, but I would add that those who choose to live in a boat on a navigable river really should accept that passing boats may cause theirs to rock a bit. Shouting, swearing and being vigilantes only makes it worse.
I am not a member of the IWA. There is a captain's hat on board but it's for visitors' children who enjoy it greatly.
reddiesel said:
I felt sure you possessed a Captains Hat so thanks for not disappointing me .
Somebody bought it for me as a comedy gift. Any grown up who wears such a thing would indeed look like a pillock, but children love it. Is that acceptable?Equally thanks for not disappointing me that you consider punching people in the mouth as perfectly reasonable.
I suggest we draw stumps and focus on the common enemy, the EA, who've just put the licence fee up by 9% 'because they can'...
Simpo Two said:
There's a section of a river called 'tramp alley' and even though I tiptoe through it at 3mph they can still shout '' at me. Needless and not very pleasant. Few licences and much cannabis.
Wait what? I think of you boaters as such tranquil types. Any resources for finding out more about this?' at me. Needless and not very pleasant. Few licences and much cannabis.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff