Quote:
Originally Posted by killer_carlson
I don't have a lot of time for excuses or people who drive while impaired. It seems to be more of a problem with the older generation than younger, except for pure meathead wannabe jocks who still can't get over the glory days of years gone by. Still though, I think the education is working and at least our generation is aware of the risks and consequences.
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I know growing up I remember being at the cottage and my dad driving the boat with a beer in hand as a regular occurrence. The last time I remember it happening was when I was thirteen and my cousin and I were being pulled behind the boat on something that I think was called a Sea Bob, a big inflatable rocket shaped thing that consisted of one big cylinder resting on two smaller cylinders.
Pretty quickly into our ride I was bored. You couldn't turn or move it or do much of anything aside from bounce up and down. So I figured I'd make my own fun and threw my cousin off of it. The boat pulled around so we could back on it and my dad, who was driving, and my uncle, who was the watcher, were both laughing with their beers in hand.
Anyway, my cousin was actually a much bigger troublemaker then I was growing up so of course he'd be looking for revenge. We'd knock each other off this thing while moving several more times but eventually the beers were finished off. Of course, that was when my dad and uncle were no longer laughing. Instead they were telling us to get our asses back on the thing so that we could get back to the cottage.
But of course this thing was a real pain to get up on. I had an easier time since I was considerably taller then my cousin. At this point he was tired and could no longer get back up on it. Thus, we were pulled into the boat and went back.
That was the last time I saw my dad with a beer while driving his boat. It was also the last time we saw the Sea Bob in a usable condition due to a mysterious and unexplained accident that saw it damaged beyond repair.
These days no one in my family goes into a moving boat with a beer much less the driver. While I'd like to think it's due to education, I suspect that it is due to the more vigilant approach taken by the Coast Guard.