I went to my boat today to tie up for any surge from Katrina and found
for the second time that kids have been aboard smoking pot. They do
not steal anything or do any damage but they do leave butts and ashes.
This time one left a T-shirt which could be used to ID them if I was
really interested. The first time I think they got aboard by me
leaving the combo lock unlocked (you have to spin the tumblers and I
forget). This time I think they actually removed the hasp but
carefully replaced the screws when they left. Security at the dock is
minimal and would be difficult to enforce. I do not want to get them
in trouble for the pot smoking and do not really want to get them in
trouble for using my boat while doing no damage. However, they could
get hurt being stoned and stupid so I want them to never come back. I
left two notes for them telling to leave my boat but I do not think
they will see them because they do not turn on any lights. I'll
replace the lock and hasp tomorrow but wonder if anyone else has any
suggestions for a way to warn them without hurting them.

wrote:

I do not want to get them
in trouble for the pot smoking and do not really want to get them in
trouble for using my boat while doing no damage.

You're kidding! What they're doing is illegal--they're trespassing as
well as using illegal drugs. By not prosecuting, you're condoning
both--and lord knows, in our wacky society today, what you could be
charged with or sued for if something did happen while they're aboard
your boat. You're worried about THEIR getting hurt while they're
stoned...has it occurred to you that they could set fire to your boat?
Or that when they figure out your boat is a safe "crack house" for them,
how many more they'll invite to join 'em? And what THAT could escalate into?

What is it with adults who don't think kids should learn that actions
have consequences? And that illegal actions have very unpleasant
consequences...

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Peggie:

I did call the sherriff. He was very unenthusiastic although they did
offer to send someone by to look over the boat now and then. I'll
leave it to the law to do the hurtin. I just want to scare em away but
if the sherrif wants to gather more info and prosecute, I'll help.
Right now the sherrif dept is sorta busy preparing for a storm so I
guess this has low priority and I dont blame em.

Try a google search on opening combo locks. For the person with criminal
intent, it apparently is quite easy to break the combo --- especially
when there is lots of time for a person to spend working the lock.
The "What's Yours is Mine" group has probably already written the combo on
your dock box.

I agree with the previous post, the situation will likely get worse.
If it were my situation, I'd look for a low key, low visibility way of
improving security on my boat.

Btw, a few months ago, I discovered that the pivot that the lock attaches
to on the hasp on my companionway could be merely unscrewed even while
locked, a condition I immediately corrected.


J



wrote in news:1125182804.419374.51570
@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

... that kids have been aboard smoking pot...
... the combo lock ....

I s'pose I am naive and have never had my boat in an area where I
worried about crime. Even the idea of having to lock my boat seems
weird but I will improve security.

are you the ones who used to smoke pot back in the 60's? my how times
have changed.

bob wrote:

are you the ones who used to smoke pot back in the 60's? my how times
have changed.

That's the problem... That we did it then has become an excuse for "we
can't tell you not to do it." It doesn't matter what we did then....we
did a whole bunch of things we were lucky to survive and/or stay out of
jail for doing. But somehow, we seem to have conveniently forgotten that
although we did all those things, society didn't condone 'em then. So
it's become "hypocrasy" to refuse to condone 'em now.

The REAL hypocracy is in pretending to have grown up into responsible
adults, yet refusing to define right and wrong, then accepting behavior
from kids we KNOW to be wrong, and THEN protecting 'em from the
consequences of their actions.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

no offense peggie but your generation has really screwed up the kids
today. the statistics i read make me sick to my stomach. nothing
personal but my god, what the baby boomers have done to this society
..........

bob wrote:

no offense peggie but your generation has really screwed up the kids
today. the statistics i read make me sick to my stomach. nothing
personal but my god, what the baby boomers have done to this society

I hate to give away my age, but it wasn't MY generation...the Boomers
came after me. And I agree: my god, what the baby boomers have done to
this society! THEY were the ones who chose to let daycare warehouse
their kids instead of raising 'em themselves...their kids have made the
same choice...and now we have a third generation of "warehoused" kids
coming up who've had no real "raising," and who are so desperate for any
real attention--postive OR negative--from adults that they'll even shoot
their schoolmates and teachers to get it.

I can do 20 minutes without barely even pausing for breath on what I
believe to be the underlying causes and who is to blame...but this isn't
the place, so I'll tiptoe quietly out now...

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

I am not interested in ruining some kids life just cuz he thinks my
boat is a good place to have a joint with his girlfriend. You need to
have a sense of proportion about things. They have been careful not to
destroy anything and they havent taken anything. So, it seems to me as
if they might be ok kids but simply have poor judgement. Pressing
charges would cause far more damage to society than good as long as I
can get them to stay off my boat.