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“There’s nothing . . . half so much worth doing as messing around in boats”
August 20, 2008
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By N2H

ASA on Usenet

Sometimes the ASA newsgroup has some interesting posts. 

  • On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:38:03 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
    <wilburhubb…@thefarm.invalid > said:
    Nice to have such a well-reasoned response.
    Some folks believe those offers of a bridge from the fella on a street
    corner, too. Me, I want a bit more than a well-told story.
    Wanna buy a bridge?
  • You are stupid beyond belief. Ignorant, stubborn and opinionated, too.
    The operator of the power boat was drunk too. But, in his case, the
    authorities didn’t even test him (because he was a fellow crony and a cop)
    with the breathalyzer because they knew he would read drunk. Then a couple
    hours later they gave him a blood test which test they then completely
  • I’m saying you are absolved of having to try and understand what’s
    wrong with the original picture, Not Here. I’m afraid it’s too much
    for you.
  • On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:03:06 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
    <wilburhubb…@thefarm.invalid > said:
    Not sure who to believe. One bunch of folks here says the witnesses who
    claim the lights were on weren’t allowed to testify. Neal says that not only
    a witness, but an _expert_ testified that the lights were on. No one but me
  • I’m finding it hard to follow your argument here, Not at All. Are you
    suggesting that the sailboat operator is absolved of all responsibility
    because he was dead drunk?
  • On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:03:06 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
    Dave was having such a hard time with the actuals, I thought a
    hypothetical might stir something within him that is currently dormant
    and atrophied.
  • It’s better to stick to actuals instead of hypotheticals. The actuality is
    the helmsman, whether drunk or sober could not have avoided getting run down
    from behind by a boat going 45-55mph. The lights were on according to a
    lighting expert. The blame for the collision rests squarely on the shoulders
  • Try to imagine, difficult as that might be for you, that the sailboat
    was drifting unmanned and unlighted, except for two children under the
    age of 7. Their father is below decks, incapacitated, becasue he is
    dead from a heart attack. If a powerboat struck it at an estimated 40
    mph, don’t you think that possibly the powerboat would be at least
  • Try to imagine, difficult as that might be for you, that the sailboat
    was drifting unmanned and unlighted, except for two children under the
    age of 7. Their father is below decks, incapacitated, becasue he is
    dead from a heart attack. If a powerboat struck it at an estimated 40
    mph, don’t you think that possibly the powerboat would be at least
  • Yes, according to the article. The article also admits that some witnesses
    said they were off. I’m not resolving the issue. Just pointing out that it’s
    not an open and shut question
    Hey, there was no dispute but that his blood alcohol was 50% over the CA
    limit.
    Especially if you’ve been hitting the bottle.
  • So far, the one party that’s talking has indicated that the other
    party is perpetrating a fraud, and has indicated why they suspect
    that.
    You must have taken the whole bottle of Viagra to become this rigid.
  • Again, you’re basing that on only one party’s version of the story.
  • There were plenty of witnesses, including the forensics examiner, who
    said the sailboat’s lights were on. They were excluded from giving
    evidence by the police & by the prosecutor.
    Now there’s a clearly unbiased statement.
    A good idea, but a bit time-dependent. When you’re on a small lake and
    a powerboat is aimed right for you at 40+ knots, there’s not a lot of
  • Yes, and that was the jury’s problem. The jury heard only what they
    were allowed to hear. They may not have even been aware of how much of
    the pertinent information was deliberately withheld from them. Then
    again, who knows what went on during Jury selection. How many jurors
    were in on the fix?
  • Turn on his navigation lights? Assuming he’s sober enough to see and hear
    the other vessel, shine a light on his sail to make sure he’s seen?
    I’m not even particularly claiming that the reporting is biased, though I
    can’t help suspect that when 12 people reached a different conclusion. If
    you had ever read a trial brief, you’d find my attitude easy to understand.

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