Pleasurecraft Operator Card - Cash Grab or Useful? POLL

[muskymike]

Of course it's a money grab.
I was certified to carry passengers by the U.S. Coast Guard when I chartered on Lake Michigan in the 70's and early 80's. That was a 5 day course. When I produced my certificate, was told it didn't apply.

Ridiculous license, aimed at the personal watercraft market because of all the accidents by kids using this motorcycle on the water. The government just took a look and saw an extra few bucks there.

Just my opinion, but a damn good one.
Billy Bones

Good one for sure a guy with a 12`tinny and and six horsepower being licenced the same as a guy that flys by with a 300hp watch out for next $$$$$$ grab

[adempsey]

I have a feeling the number of boating/pleasurecraft accidents that occur will not decrease after the implementation of this license. So it will be for naught.

Just a bunch of desk jockeys coming up with a mediocre solution to an unfortunate problem.

I wish I had a better solution though, but I don't.

[Badger Shark]

Cash grab for sure but a card is not going to stop an idiot from idiot . If it was actually enforced maybe it would be a good thing but honestly do you really think the police are going to try and chase down a jet ski?

We were on the Rideau fishing and these guys went by us watersking and intentionally came at us and the water skier sprayed us good. We would not have been able to catch up to them and I asked about this kind of thing and was told unless we had proof or someone was injured and we got the boat numbers there was nothing to be done. So needless to say I dont have alot of faith in this curbing anything. Hopefully it does help.

[joco]

this is a scam.


i no a lot off people thatjust pay some other people to do there test online..the one that got the card never saw the questions. .

other pople did it in gang at works on the net..some werere looking in the books for the answers wen one was doing the test online for all others. .


and so on.

a guy in montreal got a ticket for an eletric motor on a canoe. .

and i did ask about this to the mnr and surete du quebec..yes you need that paper for that small canoe or even a padlle boat wit an eletric motor.

a motor is a motor eletricor gas.


they should put some moneu on more police on water and get those speed boats or those guys that dont respesct others.

this is just a money thing.

mabe there was some good intention..but it never was done right.

joco

[gkilla]

It's a total cash grab! I have one and don't even feel like I should've been given one. Anyways for people that still need to get their cards. Don't be like me and pay $60 on the boaters Exam. Here is a link to get the card and a replacement for $20.

http://www.theoperatorcard.ca/index.php?event

[gorfman007]

$15,$60, I got mine for 15 a while back I'm sure as the deadline approaches you'll see the prices rise. Put that in the same boat as gas prices..

[MLR]

It started out with a good concept and then took a turn for the worse.

You don't and won't need an operators card if

1. you rent the boat , just take a 5 minute dock side overview from the rental agent, sign off saying you were trained in the safe opertation and away you go.

2. Don't have an Ontario address, our friends south of the boarder are not required to have any proof of competency while boating in Canadian waters including our inland lakes unless they are going to be boating for more than 21 consecutive days. ( I would love to know how our competent government would prove this, are they going to follow a guy for a month so they can charge them?)


Maybe we should just start having our wives rent us the boats

It would be better for everyone if they made it the law to carry insurance on your boat, just like everything else that has a motor.
Tourism Ontario is affraid that if we told americans they had to take a test prior to boating in Ontario they would just stay on their side of the boarder and spend their tourism dollars in america. This would have a huge impact on tourism in Ontario.

With that being said, its infuriating to know that my neighbor at the lake is an American who comes up to his cottage almost every weekend from May until November and will not have to get a boat operators card.

[gorfman007]

Amen. I know two at my place that don't respect the no wake signs in the bays. you tell them politely and you are told to aaah ummmm oh well you know ....Off! They were reported to the authorities. pictures and boat registration number submitted.

[gorfman007]

Amen. I know two at my place that don't respect the no wake signs in the bays. you tell them politely and you are told to aaah ummmm oh well you know ....Off! They were reported to the authorities. pictures and boat registration number submitted.

[gorfman007]

hmm i can't get the screen to erase when i double post Sometimes I get the option this time i did not .....

[Out4trout]

So far - the majority feels that it is a cash grab...
Thanks to all who responded,

Interesting ideas raised, esp the one about the PCOC enabling a court to prove that a boater knew better... increasing the chance of getting a conviction. I hadn't considered that angle.

There is a lot of variance between providers, for example, the Power & Sail Squadron courses are MUCH higher standard than the "buy a CD online" garbage.

Perhaps the PCOC req would save lives and / or increase our enjoyment while on the water, if a quality course and controlled testing were implemented... e.g something along the lines of existing Hunter Safety training

O4T

[Mike P]

CASH GRAB...it's fairly easy for a person to pass the Operator's Card.Anyone who has spent time on the water would find these questions to be common sense.
I would think the people breaking the laws and rules of the water,know that they are but don't care, and gaining a card from the Gov will not stop that.If the Gov is so concerned with our safety,then how come the money from the Operator's Card does not go back into enforcement?

[DropShotr]

Unfortunately it was a good idea that turned into primarily a cash grab.
I'm not sure if that was the spirit of the concept but more the results of a weak and flawed law.

The object was to get children off jet-skis. Excellent idea, really. If this basic objective would have stayed as the main focus for the lawmakers it would have been effective. Along the way someone suggested it might be a good idea to encapsulate all boaters in new regulations and sadly the lawmakers fell way short in producing a law with any common sense.

DropShot'r

[bardern]

Generally I agree with you 100% DS, but how was this a good idea gone bad? Why is it that the government feels that they have to lord over us and be responsible were deadbeat parents are not? If kids were breaking the law with jetskis charge them and the parents. How is it beneficial or a good idea to make me get a totally useless document when I have safely boated since 1974?

Cripes this whole thing stinks of the gun registry fiasco. I am sick and tired of the government poking around in my personnal life. We elect these bozos to govern a province not to be big brother to deadbeat or irresponsible parenting. Charge the parents with neglect or what ever, don't involve us all.[/quote]

[Terry_F]

Generally I agree with you 100% DS, but how was this a good idea gone bad? Why is it that the government feels that they have to lord over us and be responsible were deadbeat parents are not? If kids were breaking the law with jetskis charge them and the parents. How is it beneficial or a good idea to make me get a totally useless document when I have safely boated since 1974?

Cripes this whole thing stinks of the gun registry fiasco. I am sick and tired of the government poking around in my personnal life. We elect these bozos to govern a province not to be big brother to deadbeat or irresponsible parenting. Charge the parents with neglect or what ever, don't involve us all.

[/quote]

You are exactly right, however the law makers are no dummies.
The big influencer was the lobbyists.

Any special interest group can contact and get close to the politicians and have incredible influence.
Tongue in cheek - We all know how unfair it would be and how many jobs would be lost and how many export dollars it would cost and how many tourism dollars would be impacted if the really nice people who let thier kids ride PWC gently up and down the beaches were targeted as the only water users who needed a license!

See how easy it is?