US

Government Reach? Some WA Residents Now Face $86 Fine For Not Wearing Life Jackets on Rivers

Government Reach? Some WA Residents Now Face $86 Fine For Not Wearing Life Jackets on RiversSupporters call it public safety, critics call it big government. But whatever it is, it’s now the law.

People in King County, Washington (which encompasses Seattle) can now be fined $86 for not wearing a life vest while boating, swimming, or even floating on local rivers. The County Council passed the controversial personal flotation ordinance Monday by one vote.

“This Council thinks it‘s everybody’s mom,” said Councilwoman Kathy Lambert who voted against the measure. Those in support of the new rule were prompted by concerns that area waterways would be particularly dangerous this summer due to excessive mountain snowpack. Rivers in the area laid claim to 17 drowning deaths between 2005 and 2009.

“We are looking at a potentially deadly situation,” said Councilman Larry Phillips who voted in favor of the bill.

Opponents who spoke before the Council said that an already-stretched-thin staff of sheriff’s deputies had better things to do than to write tickets for people on waterways, and would be better off focusing on people engaging in dangerous behavior.

Still, the local sheriff said she supports the measure, which will be in effect until October 1.

Violators would reportedly get a warning first.

“This proposal will help save lives,” King County Executive Dow Constantine told KING-TV back in early June. “The wearing of life jackets is as essential for swimmers and boaters as helmets for cyclists and seatbelts for drivers.”

What do you think? Is this another example of government reach run amok? Or, is this just commonsense?

Comments (119)

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  • NuffSaid
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:26pm

    You Wash people are so stupid and liberal you should all be forced to breathe into biodegradable bags, and then have the bags of you breath disposed of properly in hazardous matter dump sites.

    Haven’t you considered joining Canada? I could do without your nazi, socialist crap.

    Report Post »  
  • martind28
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:21pm

    I’m not sure if this applies to this law, but there are states that require a life jacket in a boat during certain times of the year because it makes it easier and far less expensive to find the corpse in case of drowning – especially when rapids make navigation difficult.

    Report Post »  
  • Stu D. Baker-Hawk
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:08pm

    Let natural selection determine who amongst us will live and… live not. In my opinion, we’re keeping FAR TOO MANY stupid people alive these days; it’s gonna result in the weakening of the human gene pool, so much so where successive generations of people will all be idiots. You have been warned!

    Report Post »  
  • axel@25
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:03pm

    this law targets ANYONE that gets IN the water…ON the water is already done,

    Wa requires anyone in a boat under 16 feet, reguardless of age to wear a life preserver..mainly because of morons on jetskis

    But now to require then when SWIMMING? that’s just stupid! and will only serve to stop kids(especially) from enjoying the natural waterways and get them into chlorinated, heated,“public” pools.

    RE the “Doper Comparison”…proof that smoking rope kills brain cells…
    1…If I don’t wear a life preserver…YOU won’t start to drown.
    2…If I have a beer in the back seat of a car the DRIVER won’t get drunk but open booze in a car is illegal….yet…If I smoke a rope in the back seat of a car and the DRIVER gets “contact high” while driving, you think that should be legal??

    You may want to change how you choose to “relax” while you still have a few brain cells working..To late for logic…but you might still be able to save a few of the other higher functions.

    Report Post »  
  • rob0990
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:55pm

    What about people who choke on food and die ? It seems to me that the government should mandate
    that food be produced in smaller pieces, or at least force people to chew it longer. I live in the King county area and I don’t plan on having my drivers license on me when I am swimming. Just make the ticket out to H R Pufinstuff and wait for the check.
    P.S. Hey stoners we get it !! you like pot. Now shut up about it.

    Report Post »  
  • jim
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:53pm

    Soon the feds will be taxing the dead for not breathing.

    Report Post » jim  
  • Banshee34
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:44pm

    I wonder if all the passengers on the ferry‘s have to wear pfd’s as well? Oh and the commercial fisherman?

    Report Post » Banshee34  
  • michaelmoron
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:40pm

    That was targeted towards REDDENBLACK. Someone so caught up on the color of his skin.

    Report Post » michaelmoron  
  • ExDemNewLibertarian
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:34pm

    I live in king county and by default the state of washington and i have noticed over the past decade or so king county, the liberal bastion of the state and the state have been enacting a steady stream of protect the citizen type of laws and simply put im getting tired of it and im not alone. this is just like our states seat belt law which legislates personal safety, taking a way personal choice and freedom. no one argues a person shouldnt do what they can to stay safe and live a long life, it should be up to each individual person how safe or unsafe they want to be as long as it doesnt harm some one else. that is why i support drunk driving laws just as i do laws against driving while high on drugs. this support ends when the government legislates personal choice to not wear a seat belt, wear a life jacket or even use drugs…

    on another note i find it interesting that most conservatives are anti big brother unless it comes to so called moral issues…that i think is a big contradiction that id love to see explained…its one of the biggest differences between libertarians and conservatives…people shouldnt be immoral but should it really be up to our effed up government to legislate morality? why not stick to fighting immorality on your own terms….via the church and organizations?

    Report Post » ExDemNewLibertarian  
    • 912always
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:00pm

      I ageee

      Report Post »  
    • rob0990
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:06pm

      I am curios about your statement that MOST conservitives are anti big brother until it is about moral issues? I wonder if you could give me a couple of examples. I am not trying to pick a fight with you, its just that I am conservative and many of my friends are as well and I don’t find that to true of any one group more than others.
      Thanks Rob

      Report Post »  
    • axel@25
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:26pm

      They don’t legislate “morality” they attempt to prevent the actions of someone from injuring themselves or others…

      They make it illegal to run a stop sign not to legislate “morality” but to try and keep the roads safe and even “libertarians” generally agree it’s better to “hurt” stop sign runners by fining them whenever they’re caught rather than fining them for killing someone by not stopping where and when they are required to stop.

      Sometimes they go too far in their “zeal” and need to told to “knock it off”…that’s where an informed citizenry comes in.

      Life jacket requirements are not “morality” they’re an attempt to prevent stupid and inexperienced people from making a deadly mistake….and Yes sometimes (as in this case) things get way too intrusive…If the law is only in effect for this year its livable. There are many rivers in this area that are running at very high levels at higher speed than many locals can remember and in some places the water may appear placid on the surface but can carry away even a strong swimmer, so I CAN see their concern but they have gone beyond what was needed. Hopefully by the middle of the summer cooler heads can prevail and lift the law early

      Report Post »  
    • MaineMan31
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 11:55am

      Hey Exdem,
      Libertarian seems to be a destination for blue dog democrats who are dis-enfranchised with the Democrat partie’s spending. I happen to be a Reformed Republican that thought the last administration defied conservative values and although I have personal beliefs on social issues, don’t feel that I need to impose on others. Live and let live. Less gov for me thanks!!! I don’t pick and choose.

      Report Post » MaineMan31  
  • flsnipe
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:33pm

    Stupid thins out the herd let em do what ever as long as they are adults.

    Report Post » flsnipe  
  • DUGinFLA
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:19pm

    Fined? No. Necessary? Absolutely.

    Report Post » DUGinFLA  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:10pm

    Coming soon. You can’t do anything but work and pay taxes. Control.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • moreteaplease
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:59pm

    @ReddenBlack

    Sounds like you need to twist one up man. I’m a conservative and I could care less what someone does in the privacy of their own home. And I have some really good friends…and they’re black! So your comment about Blazers hating blacks doesn’t hold water.

    Report Post » moreteaplease  
    • ReddenBlack
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:03pm

      I would love to twist one up,

      but unfortunately that means I have to go deal with some criminal as opposed to just going to my friendly neighborhood gas station and pay taxes that would lower the ammount of debt we have as a nation.

      So thats what I’m going to do

      Boy, Laws sure do work great!!!!

      Report Post » ReddenBlack  
    • ReddenBlack
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:12pm

      BTW to all blazers, CLIP AND SAVE THIS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE!!!!

      Saying “I’m not racist some of my best friends are black.” Actually confirms that you are in fact racist.

      Dividing groups of people you know by race is the definition of Racism. I think what you mean to say is “I’m not a bigot because some of my best friends are black.” I didn’t accuse anyone of Bigotry, I accused them of racism, and since all you blazers say “Nnuh UH my friends are black.” I can tell my accusation was accurate.

      Report Post » ReddenBlack  
    • Texas Grasshopper
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:46pm

      that racist crap lost it magic some time ago …oh I have some friends who are …oh never mind I dont have any friends ..

      Report Post »  
    • Joey8
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:34pm

      …and this is why I never smoked pot. Could never figure out if all the idiots smoked pot, or smoking pot made you an idiot. either way…idiots. Go shoot heroin into your eyeballs man, nobody cares. Nature has it’s own way of thinning out the population.

      Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:38pm

      pot doesn’t create idiots, it only enhances them. weed is like an enhancer.. if you are focused, you will be 10x more focused, if you are paranoid, you will be 10x more paranoid, if you are an idiot, you will be an idiot x 10, etc…
      gods honest truth… I know from everyday experience. ;)

      Report Post »  
  • nomercy63
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:57pm

    Drowning bad!!!! you need $86 fine to tell you that, then drown!

    Report Post »  
  • 2010GOP
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:56pm

    Stupid is as stupid does -Forest Gump!! Yes, if it only saves one life of someone that wasn’t responsible for his own actions…

    Report Post »  
  • Texas Grasshopper
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:53pm

    okay this is why I wrote those posts over on the idiot lady got arrested by moron cop in her own damm yard for nothing story . gee do you think id be wearing a lifevest ..heck ..no when does it stop ….it stops with the consititution .How is this for a few choice bits over @ http://willowtown.com/promo/quotes.htm

    “The state represents violence in a concentrated and organized form. The individual has a soul, but as the state is a soulless machine, it can never be weaned from violence to which it owes its very existence.” – Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi

    “If you have 10,000 regulations, you destroy all respect for the law.” – Winston Churchill

    “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” — Tacitus (A.D. 55?-130?)

    “Good people do not need laws and bad people will break them anyway.” – Plato

    Report Post »  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:50pm

    I would like to see every last American be forced to wear a ****** helmet. It would save a lot of money in injuries and it would set an example for the rest of the world. Americans are retards and we’re damn proud of it!

    You can take my ****** helmet when you can pry it out of my cold dead hands. Don’t tread on me, but if you do, my ****** helmet will protect me.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
    • RedHarley
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:50pm

      I imagine you have been wearing a helmet 24/7 for most of your life…….

      Report Post » RedHarley  
  • michaelmoron
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:47pm

    You listen to what they say. Swimming is dangerous. We need to outlaw it all together. We should stop driving and flying also because that is dangerous. No more Bicycling, skateboarding, surfing, rollerblading or anything of the sort. We need to eliminate The Olympics. I have seen the agony of defeat. We should have licenses to walk the sidewalks and pass a test to show we know sidewalk safety. If you have a high I.Q. you could get a License to cross the street, but you must wear the proper safety gear, a helmet, knee and elbow pads. I think we need to start a worldwide safety initiative to fill in all bodies of water on earth till they are no deeper than 3 feet, so no one drowns anymore. Just don’t regulate my fat intake.

    Report Post » michaelmoron  
    • SgtB
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:33pm

      “You can drown in 3 inches of water ya know!” Mr. Woodcock

      They will finally outlaw everything like that once we have robots to live our lives for us like in the movie surrogates, or maybe we’ll just go the matrix route.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:29pm

      OMG! Ban water!!!!!1

      Report Post »  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:45pm

    I think life jackets are a very common law. You pay for the search and rescue of drowning victims with your taxes.

    I’m with pot smoker man, you guys take away our freedom to smoke pot, I’ll gladly support taking away every last freedom to enjoy yourselves that you have. Ban everything, make everything illegal, I can support that.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
    • ReddenBlack
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:47pm

      Thank you.

      Report Post » ReddenBlack  
    • duckman1911
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:59pm

      you two boys are about as dumb as a box of rocks…. just another prime example of the kind of people who are stoners

      Report Post » duckman1911  
    • duckman1911
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:01pm

      you two are just another prime example of the kind of people who are stoners

      Report Post » duckman1911  
    • ReddenBlack
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:02pm

      @duckman

      Yeah that’s great, I see you dodged the actual issue of whether or not it should be legal.

      By the way, how many box of rocks of intelligence did the people in the story who were in the river with no life jackets have. How smart were they?

      Report Post » ReddenBlack  
    • randy
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:02pm

      You two really are idiots aren’t you?

      Report Post » randy  
    • Indomitus
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 7:12pm

      @Mossbrain@Redenblack: Both of you like to use the term “you guys”, as if everyone who posts on this site has the same perspective on every issue. I assure you, I could give a damn if “you guys” enjoy shutting down 40% of your cortical activity, damage your lungs, your heart, and your chromosomes. Have at it! Fire it up! Smoke your brains out! Everyone is entitled to be a moron if they so choose. By the same token, any collectivist who thinks they can gang up on me by sending armed men to rob me simply because I actually choose to SWIM across the lake, not float with a life preserver like a child in the kiddy pool, has got another think coming. Outrageous.

      Report Post »  
  • elosogrande
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:45pm

    Allowing people to swim in rivers with high water and high flow rates is a good way to clean the gene pool. We really need to learn to leave stupid people alone – just don’t insure them.

    Report Post »  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:44pm

    It will never end unless we change ALL the players…and even at that it may be too late.
    You might have to wear that life preserver in the shower…just to be on the safe side.

    Report Post »  
  • PAPAROACH
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:42pm

    Here in minnesota anybody 16 and younger must wear a life jacket while in a boat, but not when swimming. How can you swim with a life jacket on? that would be floating.

    Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:25pm

      you also get caught in currents and drug down stream so quick… well.. they’ll see soon enough…

      Report Post »  
  • swampbuck
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:36pm

    i wore a seat belt before it was the law.. A lot of things are just common sense you don’t need a law to tell you something is dangerous .

    Report Post » swampbuck  
    • Texas Grasshopper
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:57pm

      i wont wear a seat belt because of the law …yeah I know *LOL*

      Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:24pm

      right.. but what gives you the right to FORCE others to be ‘safe’?

      life jackets restrict swimming and create massive drag, causing the swimmer to fatigue at a higher rate.

      Report Post »  
  • Poogie
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:35pm

    Govt run amok…

    Report Post » Poogie  
    • KevINtampa
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:19pm

      This is just a swim tax. I really don’t think this will really save any lives, just means you are not free to think that boating down the river with out a floatie jacket is safe…people who think that are dangerous, breaking the law, and will be fined nearly $100.

      And besides, what does this matter anyways? Last time I checked, this wasn’t a free country.

      Report Post »  
  • MAJORMINOR
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:35pm

    Sometimes we need to let people be responsible for themselves instead of trying to make so much “Common Sense” into law to protect the stupid.

    Report Post » MAJORMINOR  
    • ReddenBlack
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:38pm

      How come when govt. says you have to wear a life jacked because it’s safe, you people scream about too much govt intrusion into private lives. But when I want to burn a plant and inhale its smoke, suddenly thats totally appropriate for the govt to stop in the name of “safety” It’s my body, and if I choose to get high in the privacy of my own home, and not go drive on public roads, the govt has no business telling me I can’t. But of course you ignorant blazers don’t care about logic or sense, you just wan’t to be angry and hate someone. Usually black people

      Report Post » ReddenBlack  
    • KickinBack
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:39pm

      the protective bubble.

      Report Post » KickinBack  
    • Susan Harkins
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:43pm

      ““We are looking at a potentially deadly situation,” said Councilman Larry Phillips who voted in favor of the bill.”

      Councilman Larry Phillips, you should really come clean and tell the residents that YOUR STATE IS ALMOST BANKRUPT and that you saw this as a potential money-maker to cover the red ink that is bleeding all over Washington State. Spell it for us: “B-A-N-K-R-U-P-T”

      Report Post » Susan Harkins  
    • Havok
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:45pm

      Still no seatbelt law in NH!!!
      That is unconstitutional also!

      Report Post » Havok  
    • LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:49pm

      @ ReddenBlack when was the last time a person got arrested for smokin a Duby in the privacy of there own home .. ? NEVER unless they were wanted by the law for something else

      Report Post »  
    • RedHarley
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:50pm

      “Rivers in the area laid claim to 17 drowning deaths between 2005 and 2009”

      I want to know how many drownings there were in bathtubs and swimming pools in the same time period. Probably more than 17…….so I would think that to save people from such a “deadly situation” they also need to include wearing a PFD while taking a bath as well.

      Nimrods.

      Report Post » RedHarley  
    • Texas Grasshopper
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:54pm

      I bet somebod’s brother -in -law owner a life vest shop …what crap …I bet Dow couldnt play in the dirt when he was a kid …this just ticks me off

      Report Post »  
    • RLTW
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:57pm

      @Susan harkins

      You hit that one on the head, I live in WA and I can tell you the liberal Gov here uses the State troopers like an arm of the IRS.

      Report Post »  
    • SoCal Patriot
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:02pm

      @Red – I don’t care if you smoke in your house, or have hypodermic needles hanging out of every vein in your arm. I also don‘t care if you don’t wear a seatbelt in your car, or a helmet on your motorcycle. Nor should the government – it’s not their job to be your mother. Doesn’t mean I hate black people.

      Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:06pm

      I say let Natural Selection take it’s course. Let the stupid die and the intelligent breed more intelligent children.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • american1st
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:22pm

      “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” — Tacitus (A.D. 55?-130?)

      “If we can just pass a few more laws, we could all be criminals!” –

      “There is no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”

      Report Post » american1st  
    • USAMama
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:29pm

      Redenblack:

      Most Libertarians agree w/ you, as do I. I do not believe the gov’t should have any say in what people do in the privacy of their own home. Your argument is weak at best. It’s the Liberals who want to dictate what everyone can eat, drink or smoke.

      Report Post » USAMama  
    • fastfacts
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:30pm

      THIS IS CALLED AN OVERREACH OF GOVERNMENT

      And you know what happens with overreach… Obama’s Poor Economy: http://tiny.cc/0kdxc

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:34pm

      @MajorMinor:

      Here in AZ we have a set of statutes on the book often refered to as the ‘stupid motorist’ laws, in which if someone gets their vehicle or themselves stuck in a rescue situation after disobeying orders or signs restricting access (say across a flooded wash area), THEY have to pay all expenses and fines associated with it.

      I agree though, common sense does need to be left alone, people who do stupid stuff will do so even if there are laws to try (and emphisis on try), to prevent them from doing it in the first place. No one person has a monopoly on stupid (save Gore and Biden), yet those with a fair share of it usually do manage to weed themselves out of the gene pool quickly, or learn some common sense.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:36pm

      @American 1st:

      True is that saying; along with the older one as well “The ability to ultimatly make laws leads to the inevitability of ultimatly corrupting those laws.”

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • CatB
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:37pm

      So now you need a lifejacket for tubing … which is a “floatation device” .. Brilliant!

      Report Post »  
    • Restored One
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:02pm

      Isn’t it confusing that there are so many laws to save our lives and then you have Al Gore wanting population control. Seems easier if we did not have all these “for your own safety” laws and let Darwinism take care of population control.

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:26pm

      @ reddenblack, sir, you obviously don’t understand the Libertarian philosphy very well. If you did, you would realize that I could not care less what you do in your own home, unfortunately though, some idiots go on binges and get so jacked out of their mind that they go nuts and cause property damage and death to others. That includes some of those who use alcohol. I would be all for the elimination of our drug laws and in favor of upholding the laws that protect people and their property and allow them to protect it themselves as well.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • infidelamerican
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:43pm

      this is the biggest nanny state besides Ca. It is all about what we can’t do. We have to wear hemets to come outside and now life jackets. I guess I should put on my rubber bumpers, throw away the cell phone and car, stop chewing gum or drinking soda, and heaven forbid I eat a hamburger! What are they gonna do arrest us for not paying the stupid ticket? That should about finish off the bankruptcy of King County! This is exactly why I moved out of King Co. not to mention the highest property taxes and sales and gas tax in the nation. Dont move to Wa. unless you have tons of money and love illegals!

      Report Post »  
    • avenger
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 7:46pm

      serves these dummies well…wash. & oregon are lib havens and deserve all the shet they vote for..

      Report Post »  
    • Katcandu
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 7:54pm

      Raised my family in the Snoqualmie Valley with 3 branchs of rivers.. Lived there during floods Rivers can be unpredictable what happened to common sense and personal responsibility

      .Besides .how can you SWIM with a frickin’ vest on?

      Report Post »  
    • NOTYERHUCKLEBERRY
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 8:02pm

      Cone on boys and girls, living in Washington (thank God, on the east side), you are talking about King County. They are the total commie/socialist part of the state. Along with Snohomish and Pierce, they do a good job of ruling the rest of us.

      Report Post »  
    • DisillusionedDaily
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:07pm

      When I sit down at the supper table tomorrow I expect someone from government to be there to spoon-feed me!

      Report Post » DisillusionedDaily  
    • ishka4me
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:36pm

      as an avid whitewater kayaker i would say that swimming in rivers no matter how great your skill is dangerous without a pfd or life jacket. cfs of 250 (cubic feet per second) can be overpowering and cause a foot entrapment of swimmer below the water. when we see people doing dumb things on the rivers we let them know,because it puts those who may have to rescue them in harms way also. I put this law in the baby seat in car category. we see lots of people doing dumb things on the rivers who think they are good swimmers.

      Report Post »  
    • independentvoteril
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:59pm

      What they should do is BAN swimming.. boating etc on the rivers that would solve the problem.. makes as much sense too.. I am a sissy I wear a life jacket.. however.. that does not mean EVERYONE is a sissy.. and should..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
    • BlueStrat
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:21pm

      @ Restored One
      “Isn’t it confusing that there are so many laws to save our lives and then you have Al Gore wanting population control. Seems easier if we did not have all these “for your own safety” laws and let Darwinism take care of population control.”

      —-

      That’s an easy one to explain. The Progressives don’t want the *stupid* people to die…that’s their voter-base….they want all the *intelligent* people to die/starve/go bankrupt. The intelligent ones are the biggest threat to the growth of Progressives’ power and control.

      Report Post »  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:37pm

      If your not trained on how swim in FLOWING water you NEED a life vest…It makes it easier to find your BODY!

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • Brooke Lorren
      Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:51pm

      There are a lot of different kinds of rivers. I’m glad that this is only King County, I plan on going swimming in a river in Olympic National Park this summer. The water is very still where I’m going – when I am in a different part of that same river, that has a strong current, I do wear a life jacket.

      I just want to have freedom again… freedom to do something stupid if I want, freedom to take a risk if I’d like, etc. When I was in the Navy I swam out to an island at the base in Puerto Rico. My friends swam with me. It was tiring, and maybe a little risky, but I loved it. On another day I tried to swim out to that same island and the water was a little too choppy… I turned around because it wasn’t worth the risk. Let us take our chances.

      Report Post »  
    • DDD
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:30am

      We lose so many people out here in Washington state every spring and summer. People of all ages, not just small children and not just teens. Apparently people DO need another reason to stay safe – I’m all for the requirement and the fine (the first infraction gets you only a warning). I normally see government intrusion of any kind a troubling thing, but this is no different than a warning label on something that’s poisonous.

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    • the hawk
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:40am

      i’D SOEW THEM RIGHT WHERE TO SHOVE THE 86$ 1 RIGHT BEFORE I WENT TO JAIL !
      aND tHOMAS jEFFERSON WOULD BE PROUD !

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    • Veritatis Dicentis
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 4:17am

      This is just further intrusion into our lives! The government needs to step back.

      Can man rule himself? Find out my answer at: veritatisdicentis.tumblr.com

      ~*~ Can Man Rule Himself? veritatisdicentis.tumblr.com ~*~

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    • War_Eagle
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:13am

      As far as I know, most of the people here tend to lean libertarian. As such most of us here believe marijuana should be legalized (or at least redecuded to a Schedule V drug). So I‘m not really sure what you’re complaining about when most of us are already on your side.

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    • imreddog
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 4:09pm

      The people shouldn’t be too embarassed about their government officials…. It seems that we all have idiots running our governments, from local to national. How can we be so stupid that we vote these idiots into office? Oh wait! I didn’t vote for anyone this stupid, so it must have been (fill in your name). :-)

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    • jb.kibs
      Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:13pm

      ReddenBlack
      .. dude you need to wake up. these people here don’t care about weed and your body. that is why this story is here.. because of these stupid a$$ “regulations”… the only people who care are the people that lobby to keep it illegal. probably because they profit from it being illegal. noone here cares about anyone smoking weed man. we care about the exact same thing you do, “leave me alone”. as long as you dont cheat, steal from people or physically harm others.. then who cares what you do? to each his own… that is what freedom is all about.

      now on the flipside.. if you can’t understand that because you are too high.. maybe it should be illegal. LOL.. jk, i still dont care..

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