Posted on 08/11/2014 9:33:47 PM PDT by steve86
RICHLAND, WA - Swimming in certain public areas in the City of Richland could soon get you up to a year in jail.
It sure is one way to get people's attention when enforcing restricted swimming areas in the city. Swimming is already banned in many areas around public docks used by boats, but this new law would make swimming in one of these areas a gross misdemeanor. That would include possibly serving one year behind bars or thousands of dollars in fines.
Parks and Public Facilities director Joe Schiessl tells NBC Right Now there would be a community education aspect to the new rules. The more severe punishments would only come after warnings and in cases where there is clear disregard. Some locals we met with think the punishment would still be too much.
"Maybe if they did mark it off a little better so that you could know that you were in the area...fining isn't necessarily bad if you could just get a reasonable amount because I'm sure most people aren't doing it negligently on purpose," said Denise Swanson who swims in the public area with her family.
There's already a separate dock along the Columbia down at Howard Amon Park just for swimmers as well as many wading pools. City officials say the restrictions are meant to keep swimmers safe around docks with high boat traffic. The bigger fines will be given to repeat offenders.
The proposed legislation will be discussed again during the Richland City Council meeting on August 19th.
I’ve tied up my boat to that dock but Oh Lord I wouldn’t dare swimming there!
I’m special is what this law say.
Mmmm...swimming in PUBLIC areas could get you in JAIL. Is it me or is something wrong with this picture?
WC Fields:
Water? Never touch the stuff. Fish make love in water.
new revenue generation.
and also new govt jobs to enforce the new revenue generation.
Have there been injuries to swimmers resulting in lawsuits against the city? Swimming in boating areas is generally not a smart choice.
More important it could get you dead or severely injured.
One just needs to see a few pictures of prop strikes to understand.
The folks most invested in Darwinian theory are always the ones trying to circumvent its beauty.
I guess common sense doesn’t mean anything.
Swimmers see boaters. Boaters see swimmers. Swimmers who swim where boat traffic is high are aware of the risk.
What happened to personal responsibility? If you are dumb enough to swim in a boat path you get what you deserve. If a boater comes in to a landing and does not slow down and hits a dumb swimmer, he gets what he deserves.
The “crime and fine” fiasco is simply to garner income for the town and the false need to hire more government workers to enforce the new law and subsequent increases in property taxes.
Once again, the “nanny” government is here to help you.
Why would this EVER(!)be a jail penalty???
Doesn’t matter, that era is long past.
Lawsuits have seen to it that the idiot injured as a result of their stupidity is always rewarded...
I don’t necessarily agree with a year in jail, but if other means haven’t been successful in preventing swimmers in boat launch/dock area, well then...
Our community in Ohio lost a mother and teenage daughter who were swimming off their boat/boat dock at Lake Cumberland about ten years ago. The father had re-wired some electrical works on the boat to the dock. When they jumped in to swim, they were both electrocuted. There are multiple dangers around boat docks, and it can see a need for laws such as this.
Not to my knowledge, Chick.
But a big stern wheeler cruise ship does moor on the river side of the dock. Hard to see any real danger on the shore side, though. Water is too cold for me anyway.
Jail time? Seriously?
seriously ridiculous
Really. The potential to end up dead when swimming near docks should be punishment enough. Posting where not to swim is all the gov needs to do. Let Darwin's theory take it from there.
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