So You Can Go Swimming!

[Guest]

People are free to do whatever they want, all kinds of dangerous sports, they know the risk and take the risk.

But what about the other river users (motor boat skippers) that are being exposed to the risk of an accident with a swimmer, Did they agree to take the risk and accept the possible unfortunate consequences?

[grendel]

the swimmers may sign a risk waiver, but how will that help a novice hirer who heaven forbid hit and injured a swimmer due to their inexperience, whose holiday was spoiled by the experience, and who would in light of the event never hire another boat. and might feel guilt for the rest of their life.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, grendel said:

the swimmers may sign a risk waiver, but how will that help a novice hirer who heaven forbid hit and injured a swimmer due to their inexperience, whose holiday was spoiled by the experience, and who would in light of the event never hire another boat. and might feel guilt for the rest of their life.

My point exactly 

[dnks34]

I have to say that is my main concern apart from my cost-toll-ba issue.

I would imagine anyone who is prepared to pay the entrance fee and go for it must be a fairly determined and experienced swimmer but, 

How can a risk assessment quantify what can be the unknown quantity of a novice hire boat skipper with the possibility of having a few sherberts on a slightly breezy day! 

 

 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, grendel said:

the swimmers may sign a risk waiver, but how will that help a novice hirer who heaven forbid hit and injured a swimmer due to their inexperience, whose holiday was spoiled by the experience, and who would in light of the event never hire another boat. and might feel guilt for the rest of their life.

Spot on peter , no one should be forced into that situation where if something goes wrong they then have to live with the horrible feeling of "what if I'd done this or what if I'd done that " and that's exactly what could happen based on the fact there might  well be  first time hire's with little experience caught up in this event  , which is why IMO the river chosen is not suitable there are no escape paths its too narrow .

[Smoggy]

There was a similar event through reedham that went well and not one plastic duck ever got killed, not even by the herons.

A few people got slaughtered though.

[Guest]

Perhaps this is all leading up to "oh dear we really need to close the navigation, never mind its only a one off"?

[Wyndham]

Philly, Grendel, Dnks, Ricardo,.... fair points.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, 40something said:

Perhaps this is all leading up to "oh dear we really need to close the navigation, never mind its only a one off"?

It would have agreed with you whilst I thought it was a "Fun", "Charity" or "Not for profit" activity, but as it has now been revealed to be a profit making activity with the "threat" of it becoming an annual event, so IMHO the organisers of the event should pay a substantial fee to BA for exclusive use of the river during the event in the same way that we all pay a toll for non-exclusive use of the rivers. 

[Londonlad1985]

6 minutes ago, 40something said:

Perhaps this is all leading up to "oh dear we really need to close the navigation, never mind its only a one off"?

Would that be the end of the world? Notting Hill Carnival bans parking, and prevents a swathe of West London from taking their vehicles in or out of an area for 3 days on safety grounds, and it happens every year. It's the best free day out you can have in London IMHO.

The Olympic torch relay had a rolling closure with vehicles and marshalls ahead and behind the torch group. Could this be arranged for swimmers do you think? 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

It would have agreed with you whilst I thought it was a "Fun", "Charity" or "Not for profit" activity, but as it has now been revealed to be a profit making activity with the "threat" of it becoming an annual event, so IMHO the organisers of the event should pay a substantial fee to BA for exclusive use of the river during the event in the same way that we all pay a toll for non-exclusive use of the rivers. 

Can't really see BA getting away with closing the navigation in the middle of summer even for one day given like you say its a commercial exercise there would and quite rightly be uproar .

[Londonlad1985]

6 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

It would have agreed with you whilst I thought it was a "Fun", "Charity" or "Not for profit" activity, but as it has now been revealed to be a profit making activity with the "threat" of it becoming an annual event, so IMHO the organisers of the event should pay a substantial fee to BA for exclusive use of the river during the event in the same way that we all pay a toll for non-exclusive use of the rivers. 

I like that idea - that could be a money spinner for the BA "navigation rental licence" could apply it like a highway permit scheme for all activities undertaken outside of the normal uses already covered in tolls. Pay per unit of river length required/ duration or both. 

[grendel]

a bit like TFL lane closures, at £2500 a day.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

I like that idea - that could be a money spinner for the BA "navigation rental licence" could apply it like a highway permit scheme for all activities undertaken outside of the normal uses already covered in tolls. Pay per unit of river length required/ duration or both. 

Imagine though, "renting" 1 mile of the river Bure at Horning in August. Chaos! 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Londonlad1985 said:

I like that idea - that could be a money spinner for the BA "navigation rental licence" could apply it like a highway permit scheme for all activities undertaken outside of the normal uses already covered in tolls. Pay per unit of river length required/ duration or both. 

I had to press sad face to that one sorry there's not an emotion to cover it , words wise I'm for a change lost for them 

[dnks34]

Nowadays anyone who owns a boat and pays a Broads Toll is being absolutely nailed down by the Broads Authority and then continually screwed down with further “inflation” rises year on year. 

Its just unfair that another party can come along and use the navigable waterway in this respect for seemingly nothing,  uproar and rightly so in my opinion. 

[Londonlad1985]

1 minute ago, Ricardo said:

I had to press sad face to that one sorry there's not an emotion to cover it , words wise I'm for a change lost for them 

That made me LOL. My apologies. I spend a lot of time trying to raise money for the local authority. It just comes naturally these hair brained schemes. The thing is it could happen 

[Londonlad1985]

7 minutes ago, grendel said:

a bit like TFL lane closures, at £2500 a day.

Exactly! 

[Londonlad1985]

2 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

Nowadays anyone who owns a boat and pays a Broads Toll is being absolutely nailed down by the Broads Authority and then continually screwed down with further “inflation” rises year on year. 

Its just unfair that another party can come along and use the navigable waterway in this respect for seemingly nothing,  uproar and rightly so in my opinion. 

Well we have cyclists on the roads....

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Londonlad1985 said:

That made me LOL. My apologies. I spend a lot of time trying to raise money for the local authority. It just comes naturally these hair brained schemes. The thing is it could happen 

Not on my watch it won't 

[dnks34]

2 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

Well we have cyclists on the roads....

Cyclists ought to be made to have third party insurance as a minimum but thats a whole other debate!  

 

[grendel]

5 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

Well we have cyclists on the roads....

but they ignore all the rules.  -well ok the ones in lycra pretending to be professional do

[Guest]

1 minute ago, grendel said:

but they ignore all the rules.

No they don't that's why Im accident free I obey the rules  and like you say a different debate entirely .

[Selsie]

2 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

Well we have cyclists on the roads....

With no insurance or registration or test or ' road sense' most of the time. I'm not anti cyclist, I'm anti cyclists that believe they own the highway whem the decide to hold a road race on the active A14 in the middle of the summer.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Many of us seem to have the same concern,myself included. Just for a minute. You put a large group of swimmers in the river,add inexperienced boaters  who have never come across a large group  of people  in the water.It could go very wrong. I have seen near misses with boats  and sailing boats. You only have to watch change over days to see what can happen.Do you stop boating for the event?Think that would be a mistake in high season.