Your thoughts in PFD enforcement.

[glen]

Knuguy.

You are spot on.

[kitch]

If I understand correctly, and in legal matters that is a leap of faith...........but he was fined for wearing a non compliant PFD? He was not fined for not complying by having "legal" PFDs onboard, but rather the fact he wore a non compliant one? Had he not been wearing the torn one it sounds like he would not have rec'd a ticket.

I don't know the legislation but am guessing that carrying "legal" ones is one thing but actually wearing a non compliant one must be an offence? If it is not an offence to wear/carry non compliant ones so long as a "legal" one is aboard, he broke no laws.

It is easy to say......but he should fight it. But its not my time and expense to do so, so it's easy to say that. Better judgement on behalf of the officer would have saved everyone a lot of misery here.

[Big Cliff]

Thanks for that link Lew. I do always wear mine when I go out in the boat too no matter how calm it is. Actually I find the inflatable ones so comfortable that I often forget I even have it on.

 

The comment about having to bail our province out by handing out tickets: Not a chance, they couldn't hand out enough tickets!

 

Weren't casinos supposed to be helping to pay for our medicare at one point. Go to any casino at the end of the month and just look at all the cars lined up in the handycap spaces. People are just lining up to donate their money to charity! Oh but wait, there is more..... Ya, you know the drill, no matter how much we give they will always want more and find another excuse to take it from us. And when they have enough, they will just give themselves all big raises and pensions until they once again, need more.

[lew]

Couple years back I was fishing the same area, infact Wayne was with me, and we got stopped by the same boat but a different officer. He checked everything in my boat and I was fine until he asked about PFD's and I opened a floor locker and showed him they were there. He said they were sposed to be within easy reach and if we weren't going to wear them would we at least drape them over the back of the seats.

 

He could have easily given me a big ticket because the jackets weren't accessible, but instead he explained what he wanted and let it go at that.

 

And to me, THAT'S the way to handle minor infractions.

[bigbuck]

Very true Cliff, very true.

[outllaw]

to me its the same as the school systems. folks seem to think their failing. maybe at opp school there just pushing them ahed lol.

[davey buoy]

Funny you mention that Lew,I have three over the back of the seats,if need be,arms lenghth away.3 is my normal fishing amount.

I keep a total of nine,as which my boat can carry.Mind you they are just as close in the side sleeves down both sides.

Edited August 26, 2014 by davey buoy

[misfish]

Couple years back I was fishing the same area, infact Wayne was with me, and we got stopped by the same boat but a different officer. He checked everything in my boat and I was fine until he asked about PFD's and I opened a floor locker and showed him they were there. He said they were sposed to be within easy reach and if we weren't going to wear them would we at least drape them over the back of the seats.

 

He could have easily given me a big ticket because the jackets weren't accessible, but instead he explained what he wanted and let it go at that.

 

And to me, THAT'S the way to handle minor infractions.

 

 

There ya go Lew.

 

GO COP BAD COP.

[SirCranksalot]

I don't know the legislation but am guessing that carrying "legal" ones is one thing but actually wearing a non compliant one must be an offence?

 

That is my point. I doubt very much that the law actually says it is illegal to wear a non-compliant one. So the guy can maybe get off on a technicality just to prove what a turd the cop was!

[kickingfrog]

Click on the lick to see the boat.... On the rock(s).

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2014/08/26/something-doesnt-belong

 

 

Shannon Unger was enjoying a bonfire Sunday night with a couple of friends at her Lake Nipissing home when she heard a boat speeding past her home.

Hearing the sounds of motors zipping by is part of life when you live on the lake.

But this was a little different.

“It was dark, around 9 p.m., and we heard this boat pass by our shore and my husband commented that it seemed pretty close to one of the islands out front,” Unger told The Nugget Tuesday.

“Less than 30 seconds after he commented we heard a massive noise. Scraping and smashing,” she said.

“We all stopped. We looked at each other and said 'holy crap. Something awful has happened.'”

Unger said at that point her husband and family friend jumped on the wave runner in the dark to try and find the boat in the water and assist those on board should they need help.

“We couldn't find anything,” she said. “But it didn't occur to us or to anyone to look up at the islands. Who would have thought it was up on an island.”

Unger said the next day they went back out and saw the boat teetering on an island on Lake Nipissing just off the shores around Rocky Shore Drive on the southshore.

As of Tuesday afternoon the boat was still up on the rocks.

Edited August 26, 2014 by kickingfrog

[outllaw]

running a charterboat pfd,s are below. on tourism tour boats there below decks. there not required to be worn as for acessable that's a court issue. I have seen fines for a frayed rope, life jackets everything under the sun.

the absoulute best was 2 female opp operating the 24ft limestone. they hit the gas dock so hard they cracked/crushed the gunnel.. . . its always entertaining watching the opp on the water. recent years my buddys have been stopped 3 times in the same day.. sure glad they moved on out of this region.

[moxie]

Ultimate in "Dick Move" as others have stated. Typical overpaid, under worked societal "Taker" with an ego almost as large as his monetary compensation. No discretion shown what so ever. Maybe we should treat them the same way when their CBA expires. Dick!

[cram]

Bad apple in every barrel.

[Governator]

Yikes, scratch Nippising off my radar.

[esoxansteel]

A real goof of a cop, maybe hes the reason why they say tourism is slow in Nip, and not the lack of fish at all

[jimmer]

I'm with you on this Lew. What an arse. These people were doing everything correct in my books and I'm sorry to say the cop probably gave the ticket just because he could.

Just wondering: Can PFD's be repaired?

[Dave Bailey]

Seems that cop needs a few lessons in public relations. And if I read that original post correctly, I still don't see the problem. Unless I'm mistaken, PFDs are filled with closed-cell foam, which floats just as well even if it doesn't have a fabric cover. So why the bother about a tear in it?

[Sinker]

Its a legal requirement that they have no rips or tears.

 

I guess if they are ripped, the foam could come right out of the material, leaving you with nothing.

 

S.

[woodenboater]

and sewing anything onto the pfd (patch etc) will render it illegal as well. Wanted to mod a whitewater pfd and found out that wasn't a good idea.

[4x4bassin]

That is ridiculous , good job OPP . Yes , a lesson in public communications is in order !

I believe if you live out of area you can have your say with the crown over the phone on an

arranged date.

I would fight this no questions asked .

I was stopped by the OPP on a lake in the Parry Sound area a couple weeks ago and these guys

were very professional and polite , I guess there is a bad apple everywhere.

Edited August 29, 2014 by 4x4bassin

[ketchenany]

So far this year we have designed and printed 1.7 Million magazines and another 1.4 to come. This money is spent to attract tourist to Ontario.

We don't need people like him th nit pick and drive them away! A warning woul shave been adequate.

[AdamS]

Hey Lew any idea if they were wearing US or Canadian pfd's? I bought my boat in the US and it came with a bunch of lifejackets; some pretty nice ones too. I got stopped a couple months back with a friend, both of us wearing them, and they examined the jackets and told me that they were illegal; because they were US coast guard safety approved, and in Canada they have to be Canada Coast guard safety approved. Thankfully the guy I was dealing with was descent about it, and basically gave me a warning after drilling me on every piece of safety gear possible. I didn't really research it after that as I had canadian approved ones, but have you ever heard of this?

[BillM]

Adam, the only time you can use a US approved lifejacket and get away with it is if you're visiting Ontario from the US. Here are the rules outlined on the Transport Canada website.

 

 

 

Look for a lifejacket or PFD with a label that states it has been approved by:

• Transport Canada;
• Canadian Coast Guard;
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada; or,
• any combination of the above.

Foreign visitors to Canada may bring their own flotation device to use as long as it conforms to the laws of their country

[Garnet]

I would go in and see Justice of Peace. Explain the situation and maybe the ticket would get thrown out.

[Dave Bailey]

Hey Lew any idea if they were wearing US or Canadian pfd's? I bought my boat in the US and it came with a bunch of lifejackets; some pretty nice ones too. I got stopped a couple months back with a friend, both of us wearing them, and they examined the jackets and told me that they were illegal; because they were US coast guard safety approved, and in Canada they have to be Canada Coast guard safety approved. Thankfully the guy I was dealing with was descent about it, and basically gave me a warning after drilling me on every piece of safety gear possible. I didn't really research it after that as I had canadian approved ones, but have you ever heard of this?

 

 

Adam, the only time you can use a US approved lifejacket and get away with it is if you're visiting Ontario from the US. Here are the rules outlined on the Transport Canada website.

 

 

Anyone else think that this is totally whack? We share the longest undefended border in the world, we have a free trade agreement, we speak the same language (well, except for maybe some areas in the backwoods of Arkansas ) and yet we can't get together and harmonise our standards for such things? As far as I know, if the FAA certifies an aircraft in the US then we basically rubber stamp our approval. But don't you DARE get caught wearing an American approved PFD in Canada.