New regulations for boaters on the Current

[Kicknbass]

I would imagine, the NPS won't make an effort to enforce this regulation in isolation. However, when they do find the out of control drunks, this gives them another tool to put the screws to the extreme violators. I see this being used as a pile on case, rather than the main focus.

my2cents

[jdmidwest]

They will enforce it. We floated Alley Spring to Eminence last July on a Sat. There were at least 2 Park Rangers checking coolers at the put in for glass bottles and were making people trash them if found. Then, halfway down, 2 agents stepped out of the woods and busted some underage drinkers and the guy that give them the beer.

[catman70]

I agree with Al, and (in general) for limiting the amount of drugs on the river. However, as a philosophical matter, we're taking away the guns from law-abiding people to curb gun violence. It's not the drugs that cause the bad behavior, it's the people taking the drugs that are the problem. I understand the difficulty in trying to convict someone based on their actions without physical evidence. It would take a lot more enforcement and some of the privacy we find on the river would be lost. Don't know what the solution is, but thought I'd point this out.

[brittsnbirds]

Let's see if my memory serves me correct? My Professor in my Law class explained the reason we have Laws; "to protect us from ourselves and from others!" If people made good decisions and didn't draw attention to themselves when they were drinking the laws wouldn't have to be changed. As far as drugs are concerned, zero tolerance! More severe punishment is needed.

Where you at on this one MCP623?

My thoughts.

[mcp633]

Oh, I'm here.

I'll be the first to admit that float trips with me are a fairly drunken event. That being said, I choose to go with others, that like me, respect the river, nature, and the other people around me. We don't get out of control, throw trash, and pick up others crap along the way. We do drink beer, jello shots, paint cans, and anything else that contains alcohol, but we have enough sense to straighten up when there are children around. We wouldn't want someone else to act a fool with our kids around. (that's why they stay with grandma and grandpa ) We follow the rules. We're there for a good time and not to ruin anyone else's.

As you would suspect, drug use and underage drinking are a big no-no to me, and should be stopped on the waterways and I believe it would stop some of the problem.

YOU CANNOT LEGISLATE COMMON SENSE, therein lies the problem. You can put all the regulations into place that you want, and enforce them as strictly as you can. However, idiots will always find a way to be idiots! It's encoded in their DNA. Unfortunately it would be morally wrong to kill all the idiots on earth to stop them from spawning more idiots. I forget which comedian said it, but "you can't fix stupid." When someone finds a way to fix stupid, we will all be better off and there would be a lot less conversation on this forum. Everything from shuffling to poaching to killing eagles would no longer be talked about. How boring would our lives be without idiots. I for one know that Britts and I would no longer be gainfully employed.

[10pointer]

i think these new regs will definitely help things with the belligerent jerks on the stream. Hey im all for people having a good time but i think when you get people drinking as much as they want theres problems.

i definitely see the littering as a problem to get rid of the eveidence, but since the 6 can limit is just a suggestion and not a regulation then i think it will be okay. I dont mind people getting drunk and having a good time but alot of them get wayyyy out of hand

last years float was pretty nice from cedar on down. We went on a friday but it was still pretty packed, and you still cant get rid of the crude. Quite a few times i almost had to rearrange the faces of guys hollering at my gf, which guys usually do (tall hot blonde . Funny thing was when i mouthed back to em and stepped up they backed down quicker than you can believe. Hopefully these regs will make it a little more family/outdoor/fun oriented instead of the typical party/bar/stripclub attitude alot of those idiots got down there. doubt it though.

I too saw several agents around checking stuff. It would be nice if all the idiots could just migrate down to the huzzah!

[Mark]

Sorry, this one has the smell of rightwing conservatism infringing more on our rights and freedoms. No special laws are required, just enforce the ones we have concerning underage drinking, public drunkeness, littering, and nudity (which I don't mind but can see how families with young kids might). I have more of a problem with horses and livestock feces in the water, or agriculture runoff. The group of young people that want to hoop and hollar and play bumper canoes (which we all did when we were young) have as much right to the rivers as the fishermen, and personally, I'm glad to see them enjoying themselves and nature.

[mcp633]

Did someone say something about the ACLU?

Mark, with all due respect sir, your right to be an idiot ends when it infringes on someone else's right to not be around an idiot. That's from me, a real life idiot. I'm proud of my idiot roots, but I know that when my idiocy comes in conflict with someone else's rights, it's on me to be an idiot elsewhere.

I agree with you whole-heartedly on enforcing the laws we already have!

[Mark]

Sorry, but this has the smell of rightwing conservatism once more infringing on our rights and freedoms. I'm all for enforcing existing laws regarding public drunkeness, littering, underage drinking, and nudity (although I don't mind that one but can see where families with children don't want to see it). I have more of a problem with horse and livestock feces in the water or agricultural chemicals from runoff. A group of young people, regardless if they are hooping and hollaring and playing bumper canoes, have as much right to the water as fishermen. And I remember how much fun groups of my friends use to have on big float trips, drinking included. I'm glad to see young people enjoying nature, there's lots of worse things they could be doing. I've learned not to go where it's crowded on weekends and holidays if I'm wanting to fish. Let's not turn our rivers into a place where kids and young adults are not welcome. Don't expect to have the river to yourself on weekends and don't expect everyone to act like they're 50 years old.

[bikehikefish]

Decibel meters are under $50 at Radio Shack. Not a huge investment, and I'm sick of hearing Free Bird.

Enforcement is done regularly on the Huzzah just above its confluence with the Meramec. They sit in the woods and nab pot smokers and underage drinkers as they float by. It doesn't seem to have much effect on the rowdiness later in the day. I'm guessing they will set up similar checkpoints on the Current and JF.

But a six pack limit? I spill that much anytime I float.

If they want to improve the Riverways and the "outdoor experience", why not just cut in half the number of canoes allowed each day? Go to a reservation system like they do in some of the national parks, where you have to get your slot months in advance. This would eliminate most of the buzzheads, since they wouldn't plan that far in advance. The outfitters wouldn't like this, because they couldn't fill the rivers up bank to bank with aluminum, but too bad.