City Government

Boise Government Dawn Of “Common Sense”?

We don’t know who is behind floating a new approach to Boise River recreation laws, but we sure hope it holds water.

Team Dave’s weekly PR note on the city website talks of a common sense approach to ordinances aimed at creating a safe river float–including reducing splashing offenses from misdemeanor crimes to infractions. That way coppers can issue tickets and not be forced arrest offenders…no word on where the dripping wet scantily clad river jumpers and surfers will put their tickets.

Some excerpts from the Mayor’s Memo:
“Jumping into the river while floaters aren’t present would be legal; however, the city does not endorse or encourage this dangerous activity. Anyone who jumps does so at his or her own peril.

“For years the city has banned the practice of river surfing or “boogie boarding”, but we know that many people enjoy it. The new rules will give the parks department authority to designate certain stretches of the river as boogie-board-friendly.”

Nice to see an attempt by the council to go with the flow.

The City Council will formally consider these changes in the next few weeks; if they’re approved, coppers will emphasize education over enforcement during the early float season to help everyone become acquainted with the new rules.

Comments & Discussion

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  1. People need basic survival skills in any situation involving rivers and currents.

    I remember years ago when living in Kern County, Ca. the Kern River would claim peoples lives on a regular basis. It looked very placid and safe on the surface and the reality was the current was moving at a very swift pace. Even people with life jackets were not immune to getting sucked under in certain places.

    Laws are not going to stop people from using poor judgement. I agree with the notion of personal responsibility but for heavens sake know where your small children are at all times. Rivers and irrigation ditches are a constant threat to small children. They can disappear in an instant.

  2. Here’s a link to the dangers of river currents and the death toll on the Kern River since 1968… 257 people dead.
    http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1898680225/Kern-River-deaths-now-257

  3. Wasn’t Boogie Boarding banned because (prominent citizen) had a grandson get splashed pretty bad? That has always been the rumor.

  4. chicago sam
    Mar 18, 2012, 6:31 pm

    It is indeed a flicker of light –to call it a dawn is a bit premature

  5. Why does everything have to relate to Cal? Kern River… this isn’t Cali….

  6. Rod in Boise
    Mar 19, 2012, 3:20 pm

    Splashing people is a crime? The city has no business requlating such stuff.

    The City of Boise needs to stop regulating alcoholic beverages and criminalizing pot, too. Just ridiculous.

  7. Grumpy ole guy
    Mar 19, 2012, 4:53 pm

    I’ve been confused about variation in rules and regulations here in Boise. Do the Irrigation Districts set the rules on “their” water-ways? If so, is the bridge boarding determined by each District, or the City, or the County? Seems as though there should be at least an attempt at uniformity among these various taxing entities. Bad enough that the River has the potential of being regulated by each city and county through which if flows, but add to that the separate Irrigation District canals, and other water-ways and the bridges spanning them and it seems to me the possibility of confusion is rife, and common sense being such a rare commodity safety concerns do become an issue.

  8. next thing you know there will be a no splashing ordenence at roaring springs… I would think if you get in the river it is to get wet….just sayin

  9. Now, how about rescinding that stupid no beer on the river rule?

  10. this city and those who are controlling it, are trying to keep “good order and discipline” through an overly autocratic style of leadership, the more freedoms the people have, the less control the “leaders” have. This (however small it may seem) is a step back in the direction of freedom, we should not have to be so throughly oppressed, that we cannot splash in the river. I see this as an opening to other possibilities of freedom, rather than the typical freedon’t exhibited by the local government, such as don’t splash, don’t smoke, don’t have sex, don’t sell alcohol(in places except where we say)… maybe someday we can all be free again, and this “common sense” ordinance might just be the start.

  11. Ya know why we have so many laws? Part of it might be due to authoritarian leadership (“down-pressers,” as Bob Marley would say), but most laws are on the books because your fellow citizens don’t have common sense and good judgment.

    The reason there’s a “no bridge jumping” law is because a few idiots jump off the bridge and injure themselves or somebody else.

    The reason there’s a “no alcohol consumption” law is because a few idiots get drunk, and subsequently expose themselves, dump litter everywhere and otherwise offend the non-drunk floaters.

    Lots of folks think we need a motorcycle helmet law, because some people don’t have the common sense to wear one unless there’s a law.

    Can you believe this one? We need a TEXTING law, because otherwise we have morons who are clickety-clicking while simultaneously piloting a 2-ton steel missile! It must be safe, because it’s not against the law… right?

    Where did all the idiots come from? They’re complicating life for the rest of us who have a lick of common sense.

    Okay… I’ll get off the soap box.

  12. Rod in SE Boise
    Mar 20, 2012, 1:52 pm

    The city is punishing the majority for the stupidity of the minority. It has got to stop.

  13. Bike boy, It’s because the government won’t legalize common sense.

  14. common sense ain’t that common

  15. We need to issue Darwin awards to those who have no common sense, not issue more laws. I say if a person is dumb enough to hurt themselves, or kill themselves due to things like not wearing a seat belt, then good riddance, this world is over populated anyways, and we’ll get along just fine without their genes in the pool. and I agree with Rod, this state needs to stop punishing the masses for the misdeeds of a few

  16. I’m FULLY in favor of “the law of natural selection”… and if the doofuses only eliminated themselves from the Gene Pool, I’d say let nature take its course! (That’s why I’m philosophically opposed to helmet and seatbelt laws… people who don’t wear helmets and seatbelts aren’t putting other citizens in any more danger by their choices… although such choices might indicate a general disregard for safety.)

    Unfortunately, bad choices too often victimize bystanders, whose only mistake was to be in the path of destruction. The government has SOME responsibility for protecting us from each other, and that can be a difficult line to draw.

  17. sam the sham
    Mar 22, 2012, 10:47 pm

    I remember floating the river back in the early 60’s when the “older boys” ie junior high and high schoolers, would float the river and report to the rest of us where the barb wire fences had fallen into the river (avoid them) and the dead cows were floating (no need to tell us to avoid them). But now it’s all clean and tidy. But it also appears that people want it to be a nice safe “Disneyland” ride. It’s not folks. It’s a river!!!
    I cannot believe that one can get into trouble for splashing… oh good night! But then it’s all too crowded for me anyway.
    In the old days we knew that the river was dangerous and we had to look out for one another. But then we never had grown ups floating on tubes. Grown ups (ie parents).

  18. sam the sham
    Mar 22, 2012, 10:48 pm

    ps bikeboy
    I am in agreement with you.

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