I'm talking about the beach... The sign references Miami-DADE, indicating they are the ones prohibiting kiteboarding there. I agree that kiting community should try to work with the city, county, whoever, but once it gets to the point where they actually institute a ban I think that is when action needs to be taken to show that the responsible kiters will not go silently in the night. Self-policing only works if the community is small and tight, I have seen it on forums again and again. As more and more people get involved, it breaks down because other than peer pressure we have no legal authority to enfore the rules.
You say "I don't ride at Miami Beach much, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't tolerate anyone teaching at this beach" I'm curious what you would do to stop it?
I do speak up when I see others do dangerous things, break the rules, etc... Most of the time they did not know and my telling them helps, but some of them don't care and continue on. Short of refusing to launch them, I'm not going to start cutting lines or starting fights, which is what it would take to stop some of these idiots. I have seen people refused a lunch just self launch themselves, the truth of the matter is the problem kiters are usually quite good at kiting. At some point, for the people that don't listen that are the problem, the authorities, that are funded by us as tax payers need to get involved.
Do drivers of boats, cars, planes, self police? No, because at some point is it just not possible anymore and that is the state of affairs at many kiteboarding spots. My suggestion is that the kiteboarding community take a stand that we will try to self police, but an outright ban is out of the question, and if self policing does not work the city/county needs to do their job.
|