Another lot that appear not to be able to read

[MauriceMynah]

agreed Andy

[Matt]

There were 42 all male parties at the weekend. I am guessing that would be 5-10% of all hire boats over the weekend?

[Matt]

But more about the "rescue" on FB

http://fb.me/7t4KxVXp9

[JennyMorgan]

Andy, I have long regarded the Broads as being for all but I really must add to that 'within reason'. For whatever reason the Broads has acquired something of a reputation as being suitable for boozed up stag parties thus, in some sectors, it is already labelled. On the other hand we have the development of the 'super cruiser', clearly aimed at Telegraph reading Waitrose customers and the Broads Authority attempting to label the Broads as a National Park. All that aside I still maintain that the image of the Broads is tarnished by the stag party label.

 

Labelling is inevitable, been going on for generations.

[MauriceMynah]

The Telegraph readers eh... hmmmm...

[dnks34]

You only have to watch youtube videos of these stag parties jumping between moving boats to see how out of hand things can get and the fact that there isnt much of a deterant to this behaviour is the thing that really ought to change if the industry isnt going to but I do agree everyone shouldnt be tarred with the same brush.

Its been discussed to death on forums like this for years about what should or could be done to stop this kind of thing going on but still it happens. These people are not only a liability to themselves and the boat the might have hired but to all others who might have the misfortune of coming into contact with them.

Look at it another way, a serious collision occurs with a stag party on a hired boat resulting in injury and loss of property. Can the hire operator be completely absolved of blame given the reputation of these groups of people. A very costly court case could be just around the corner!

[BroadScot]

We all got up to high jinx when we were younger, well I did!  But, my main worry is, will it take a fatality, to bring people to their senses? Probably not.

 

 

Iain.

[Hockham Admiral]

The Telegraph readers eh... hmmmm...

 

We quite like to read the Sunday Telegraph..........................  :shocked

[Hockham Admiral]

I'm probably repeating a previous comment but what really does annoy me is the amount of time spent on this lot. Apart from the heroic efforts that have to be put in by volunteers we all pay for the Coastguards!

 

Mary-Jane and I do a lot to support the RLNI and it's a pity to see all that hard-earned money thrown at idiots like these.       

[Oddfellow]

The Broads has always attracted single sex parties as long as I can remember. Before I lived in this area (let alone worked in the industry) I recall many of my older neighbours, friends and work colleagues from "down south" recalling lads weekend away, recounting stories of their exploits over a pint or two. All turned into respectable, decent people who lived a little when they were younger. 

 

I really don't think that the problem is a great deal worse now that it was; the key difference is that we now find it simple to get a group of relatively disparate people together in cyberspace and talk about it and thus bring it to others' attention. 

 

The sign on the open spaces in our housing developments for donkeys years reads, NO BALL GAMES. Really? What a stupid thing to say; make a space open, surround it with families and what do you expect will happen? It's the same here. We cannot exclude people just because they might be a problem. What we need to do is educate them into not being a problem and punish them hard if they ignore what they are told. 

 

Stags are, in our experience, generally very well behaved and we get at least an equal number of problems (and probably a greater number if I am honest) from families. 

[JennyMorgan]

We quite like to read the Sunday Telegraph..........................  :shocked

Proves my point!

[JennyMorgan]

Andy, you make a sound argument but I suspect, at the end of the day, it all depends on what folk want both for and of The Broads. That in itself could be a very long discussion! I've had my fun from the Broads, mustn't deny others the same, but the tarnished image is my concern.

[Hockham Admiral]

Proves my point! (Ref us liking to read the  Sunday telegraph) edited by HA

 

And JM also posted "On the other hand we have the development of the 'super cruiser', clearly aimed at Telegraph reading Waitrose customers"

 

I really don't think you should tar us as that, Peter.. our Friday Girl is far from one of those. 

[JennyMorgan]

And JM also posted "On the other hand we have the development of the 'super cruiser', clearly aimed at Telegraph reading Waitrose customers"

 

I really don't think you should tar us as that, Peter.. our Friday Girl is far from one of those. 

Sorry John, been mixing with marketing people recently, their terminology! I'm afraid that we are all labelled one way or another, frightening really. 

[BroadScot]

Sorry John, been mixing with marketing people recently, their terminology! I'm afraid that we are all labelled one way or another, frightening really. 

OMG i've been labelled, JM how could you allow them to do such a thing? I don't want to be labelled  I come in a size that M&S JUST sell a label that fits me

 

What in gods name is this country of ours coming too, that we have to be labelled this way or that....most disturbing indeed.

As for the heavy Sunday Newspapers, that's exactly what they are..HEAVY! Have you tried holding one!

 

 

Iain

[MauriceMynah]

Good for swatting spiders though!

[JennyMorgan]

Iain, many years ago I worked for Hoseasons. Labelling was rampant back then, even those of us who thought that we were outside the parameters of those labels were suitably labelled. In the marketing industry we are all labelled and categorized,  and then targeted accordingly. Personally I find it objectionable but it is a fact of life.  For some unfathomable reason I never receive targeted junk mail from Harrods or Rolls Royce, or the Telegraph for that matter.

[Boaters]

From the link:

" Coxswain Paddy Lee says, all the crew worked extremely hard as a well trained team to remove the casualties in extreme conditions. "

Thanks for that link Matt,all these agencies involved to get these idiots off ,quoted on BBC just now the damage to their equiptment will be £3,500 alone without the operational costs which should be recovered from them.I am not seeing where they became " casualties " it was just said that they asked when being bought across the mud if they could bring their cases and Vodka .i wonder why they did not wait till they could float the inflatable to them on the rising tide ? The morning show is now discussing if alcohol should be banned from the broads ? The bad publicity from this sort of event can only put people off coming for a quiet holiday.I feel they should be put on the bank and told to get themselves sorted not being taken back to their cars to return home.

[BroadScot]

Iain, many years ago I worked for Hoseasons. Labelling was rampant back then, even those of us who thought that we were outside the parameters of those labels were suitably labelled. In the marketing industry we are all labelled and categorized,  and then targeted accordingly. Personally I find it objectionable but it is a fact of life.  For some unfathomable reason I never receive targeted junk mail from Harrods or Rolls Royce, or the Telegraph for that matter.

Oh I must be posh JM, we get bumph from RADLEY woof woof  handbags

I totally agree with you regarding it being objectionable! Sticks in the craw as they say.

 

Iain

[JennyMorgan]

Roy, in my opinion you are entirely right to highlight the points that you have. Not only the cost of the rescue, questionable as the casualties were not in immediate danger, but whilst the lifeboat crew were off station they were not readily available for casualties that were in greater need. Agreed, a damaging episode for The Broads.

[Polly]

These idiots probably couldn't be left because, in their state, they might have decided to walk out across the mud with disintegrating results.

[Wussername]

That I suspect is why the emergency services escalated their responce.

If the crew of the boat in question were irresponsible enough to place themselves in the predicament they found themselves, they were equally capable of attempting to walk across the mud.

The trained emergency crews found that it was a daunting task to reach the boat. Dispite their training, equipment and experience.

There is no doubt in my mind that if the boat crew had attempted to leave the cruiser we would have witnessed harrowing scenes which would have had a significant impact on the Broads, holiday makers and local people alike for the foreseeable future.

We must be thankful for the skill, determination and courage of the emergency crews on this occasion.

[MauriceMynah]

Ok, we have every reason to believe that we are talking about a group of people of whom we all have a low opinion. However, we don't know all the facts.

 

Let us just for one moment consider the possibility that the helmsman at the time made a genuine error that was not alcohol fueled. We might imagine that he was a pure novice and believed that he was supposed to keep the red markers to his left. Could it be that he thought the posts marked out the two channels  and he was keeping well clear of the middle bit.

 

What I'm getting at is that we don't know the following...

 

Was the helmsman as drunk as the rest of them AT THE TIME of navigating.

Did the helmsman just 'get it wrong' but not without a reasoned (but very wrong) logic.

Were ALL those on board equally drunk, unsociable and obnoxious.

And, as has been suggested before, maybe this wasn't his first experience of the broads, perhaps he'd seen cruisers on Hickling and Barton going well outside the markers.

 

I think I've read (and contributed) enough slating of this crew. On the face of it, they were/are morons, but I'd still like to hear their side, it might not be quite so black and white! 

[dnks34]

I imagine they are keeping their heads down till this poo storm blows over

[Polly]

The bits that tell me what to believe overall are a. The helicopter crew considered them to be a danger and didn't airlift. b. The awful state of the boat inside and the comment to its owner.