More trouble for the Duck Boat.

[sld]

Ive ridden them once before and the family thought it was fun. But if I saw knee deep water in one I would've grabbed a life vest and took my chances in the lake. Those poor people at Table Rock should've bailed.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have taken a few 'cruises' in Seattle on the Duck boats when friends are in town. They are quite entertaining and a fun way to see the city. But '****' happens, in 2015 a duck boat crashed on a bridge when an axle broke and the Duck swerved into a tour bus killing 5.

Improper maintenance, broken axle led to Ride the Ducks crash, NTSB rules | The Seattle Times

Improvements in maintenance, training, etc. can and should be made for many 'rides' learning from experience, it is unfortunate that sometimes people or hurt or killed in the progress. I wonder if the same people that want to ban Duck boats, feel the same about rollercoasters, amusement rides, ATV's, etc.?

 

[D2Cat]

We call them sheep in this neck of the woods..

And reading this thread, it appears there may be a couple posting here! Folks make comments about something they've only seen in the news, any probably wouldn'd have the money to pay for the ride if they were at the touring attraction.

There was a TV show called something like "What Would You do?" It showed folks in actual predicaments, and few had the intestinal fortitude to speak up when it would seem very appropriate to do so. It's easy to come to a forum and bark like a big dog!

Hind sight always provide good vision!

 

[charlton289]

A few years ago some guy tried that in Daytona Beach in a thing very similar to the duck it was called a larc well that didn't go as planned because they couldn't keep the thing running long enough to get it going as a operating business. So he decided to go into business and build his own river/ land boat last I knew he built about 10 of them I worked for a wrecker service I towed them then they run/ drive on the road or the river last I knew he got in over his head and shut down the whole thing building the boats and the tour business.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I worked in Charleston SC for many, many years & had to go work on those "tour boats"..
Theres 1 group in particular that I wouldn't step 1 foot on their boat as a paying customer..
One time I had to go out WITH a diner cruise.. about 50-75 people on board enjoying a meal, drinking & dancing & watching the Charleston skyline AT NIGHT!!!
The reason I was there was, the water was coming INTO THE BOAT faster than the pumps could keep up.. it was literally sinking..
THAT wasn't gonna stop these guys.. they had money to make.!!
The water pump seal had ruptured & as soon as the motor was started it would flood the engine room..
I took a water pump w/me & as soon as we got away from the dock, they shut it down & drifted until I could swap it out.!!
..just like it was part of the "cruise"..
I was never so scared for these peoples lives.. & probably have never been that scared again..
The following DAY, I went back & told my "boss" what happened.. he laughed & said, "well, your here aren't you"??
In hind-site I probably shoulda gone to the news.??
It wasn't to long after that that, maybe a month, the boat caught fire.. at the dock luckily.. & was retired & a "new one" was put in its place..
I never had the mis-fortune to work on that one..

 

[Sigarms]

There was a TV show called something like "What Would You do?" It showed folks in actual predicaments, and few had the intestinal fortitude to speak up when it would seem very appropriate to do so. It's easy to come to a forum and bark like a big dog!

The last incident I can remember was in church. Two teens were sitting behind us with their parents. These boys would NOT stop talking during the ministers sermon. I turned around and told the boys that if they couldn't shut up, they should leave the service. After I told them that, I also looked directly at their parents as I felt it wasn't my place to tell them to shut up, but if they didn't have any common courtesy for the people around them during the service, they should shut up or leave. Also reminds me when had two GROWN ladies gabbing during the serice in the same row as us. They wouldn't shut up. I started snaping my fingers until they looked at me and I put my finger to my mouth to imply being quiet (my wife LOVED that one as she looked like she could of died when I did that LOL). That's the issue with trying to find a decent contemporty service IMO LOL

Part of the issue today is too many people are afraid to say something when rudeness becomes the norm (if people want to act like idiots in public, that's their right, I do however feel differently about being in a place of worship).

I'm thinking if I were on that boat during that storm, I would of both said AND did something (and those life jackets would of at least been passed out to my own family members).

 

[MossRoad]

The last incident I can remember was in church. Two teens were sitting behind us with their parents. These boys would NOT stop talking during the ministers sermon. I turned around and told the boys that if they couldn't shut up, they should leave the service. After I told them that, I also looked directly at their parents as I felt it wasn't my place to tell them to shut up, but if they didn't have any common courtesy for the people around them during the service, they should shut up or leave. Also reminds me when had two GROWN ladies gabbing during the serice in the same row as us. They wouldn't shut up. I started snaping my fingers until they looked at me and I put my finger to my mouth to imply being quiet (my wife LOVED that one as she looked like she could of died when I did that LOL). That's the issue with trying to find a decent contemporty service IMO LOL

Part of the issue today is too many people are afraid to say something when rudeness becomes the norm (if people want to act like idiots in public, that's their right, I do however feel differently about being in a place of worship).

I'm thinking if I were on that boat during that storm, I would of both said AND did something (and those life jackets would of at least been passed out to my own family members).

On the flip side of that, I was at midnight mass with my wife and kids several years ago. It's about 15 minutes before the service started. I'm just sitting there, half asleep, eyes half closed. My wife is reading and my kids are sitting between us quiet as can be. I feel a tap on my shoulder, and this crabby old usher tells me very loudly that even though church hasn't started yet, this is the Lord's house and I shouldn't be talking and laughing so loud and I should set a better example for my kids....

I looked around. All the people around us were looking around at each other. They looked at me. Looked at my kids. Pretty much half the church raised their eyebrows, shrugged their shoulders and gave me a wink and a smile.

Guess he didn't like my looks. :confused3:

 

[Sigarms]

On the flip side of that, I was at midnight mass with my wife and kids several years ago. It's about 15 minutes before the service started. I'm just sitting there, half asleep, eyes half closed. My wife is reading and my kids are sitting between us quiet as can be. I feel a tap on my shoulder, and this crabby old usher tells me very loudly that even though church hasn't started yet, this is the Lord's house and I shouldn't be talking and laughing so loud and I should set a better example for my kids....

I looked around. All the people around us were looking around at each other. They looked at me. Looked at my kids. Pretty much half the church raised their eyebrows, shrugged their shoulders and gave me a wink and a smile.

Guess he didn't like my looks. :confused3:

I would of asked the guy in a loud voice... "dude, what's the matter, you didn't get laid last night?"

You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing... that was a favorite quote that a buddy had engraved into his paddle. Took some time to realize the actual quote was from George Benard Shaw.

Live life, have fun, respect AND due unto others as you would have done unto you.

The guy in your story was a douchebag IMO.

My boys are teens now. I'm pretty hard on them at times, and sometimes I think they are failing as growing people, but when I hear other adults tell me that they are the most respectful and intelligent boys they deal with and it's their pleasure to deal with them, I feel like we're accomplishing something as parents.

I'm hard on them in public, my wife is hard on them in the home LMFAO (that's why it's "we're" and not "I").

Ultimately, per the subject of this boat in this thread, if people wanted to listen to the captain and not get their PFD's, that's what they did for whatever reason. I only know if I was put in the same situation, I would of gotten the PFD's for my wife and boys no questions asked (or most likely died trying). That said, I have what I consider pretty good experience in a water environment.

 

[MossRoad]

He was old. Very old. I actually think he was seeing things that weren't happening. Kinda sad, really. I think that's why he was so crabby.

 

[MossRoad]

.... That said, I have what I consider pretty good experience in a water environment.

And that's the sad part. A lot of people have never been on a boat, and/or do not know how to swim or float.

I used to be a lifeguard on a man-made whitewater course here in town. It's able to crank up to class IV rapids with proper obstacle placement. They let people ride inflatable kayaks and rafts down it (at a lower flow rate) People think its a ride like the fair. It's not. It's whitewater rapids. It can kill you. They don't understand that, because they were never taught that.

There's so many things that people don't realize will kill them. Heck, just this weekend a couple people died in Lake Michigan near here. They see people in the water, and so they go in. Then they get knocked over by a wave, can't swim or float, get dragged out in a rip current and it's all over.