The Department of Boneheadedness.

[garhkal]

Hence why i call it the land of fruits and nuts!

[Womble]

Viking Ship Sailing the Great Lakes Is Getting Conquered by U.S. Regulations

When a Viking ship, meticulously recreated in Norway, crossed the Atlantic last month, the feat captivated history buffs in the United States. They could hardly wait to get a look at the vessel, which was scheduled to visit a series of ship festivals along the Great Lakes this summer.

But as the ship, called the Draken Harald Harfagre, glided into American waters this month, it collided with an unexpected foe: modern-day safety regulations.

After making stops at Canadian ports, the Draken’s crew was told by Coast Guard officials last week that if it wanted to sail through the Great Lakes, it had to hire a certified pilot, paid at an hourly rate that would amount to about $400,000 by the trip’s end. If unable to pay, the vessel would be forced to turn back.

“The crew has been devastated,” Woody Wiest, a watch leader on the Draken, said at the time. Many of the team are volunteers, he added. “They changed their lives to be on the ship.”

The standoff set off a frantic campaign by supporters. A petition calling for the Coast Guard to rescind the requirement drew more than 10,000 signatures, festival organizers vowed to find money to help and online fund-raisers pleaded for donations from the public.

By Wednesday, the Draken crew said enough money had been raised to sail as far as Chicago, the ship’s third American destination on the Great Lakes. But stops scheduled for August in Green Bay, Wisc., and Duluth, Minn., remained in doubt.

“The struggle is not yet over,” a statement from the ship said.

Lorne Thomas, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said the agency was bound by a 1960 law requiring that all foreign vessels, except for recreational ones, have a pilot while on the Great Lakes. It couldn’t grant a waiver even it wanted to, he said.

“Unfortunately the law is what it is,” Mr. Thomas added. “That’s not to say there couldn’t be a discussion about maybe it could be changed. But that needs to happen at the congressional level.”

Had Columbus been subject to modern-day regulations, America would never have been discovered.

[Gatefan1976]

Looks like they meticulously failed to bring one feature of the re-creation.
The Viking's.

[Annoyed]

I can understand the requirement for transiting the St. Lawrence; as anyone who has ever operated a boat in the area knows, you can be in 100ft of water and move 5 feet and be in 5 feet or less. Add to that the incredible # of recreational boaters operating in the area during the summer, many of whom don't know the first thing about boat operation, such as giving large vessels a very wide leeway because they simply can't stop fast.

But as for transiting the lakes themselves or municipal ports in various towns, Well, i'm wondering what union had the clout to get those regs. passed.

[garhkal]

There wasn't a union. It was the fed govt.. IMO done just to get money, nothing more.

[Annoyed]

Some people need to get a life.
http://heatst.com/culture-wars/flori...g-lamp-statue/

The city of Lakeland, Florida, apologized after residents complained that its newest statue, inspired by A Christmas Story, is sexist.

The statue, by sculptor Joni Younkins-Herzog, depicts a single female leg, wearing heels, thigh-high tights, and a short skirt, and in a further reference to the classic Christmas movie, it’s called, “I’ll Shoot Your Eye Out.”

And the city apologized to these idiots? Talk about cowed.

[Ian-S]

Sounds as bad as the British shop Primark apologising and withdrawing the Negan t-shirts because a white person complained they were racist towards blacks.

This is the t-shirt that has a pic of Lucille on with the wording eni, meani, minie, mo next to it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/primark-the-walking-dead-season-7-episode-10-t-shirt-racist-offensive-negan-a7591906.html

The really silly point is, the basis of the complaint is the rhyme originally had a racial slur in it, which is wrong, it was originally tiger and the n word substituted sometime in the 50's (iirc)

[Annoyed]

This can't end well.

California Says Autonomous Cars Don't Need Human Drivers

California relaxed several rules on self-driving cars as the state tries to maintain its status as a leading test bed for the future of transportation.

The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles released proposed regulations Friday for autonomous vehicles, dropping an earlier requirement that a human driver had to be present while testing on public roads. The DMV also backed down on a previous rule that vehicles needed a steering wheel and pedals for the operator to take back control.

Mark my words. It's only a matter of time before one of these things causes a horrible accident with multiple fatalities and all the trimmings.

I just hope the idiots who write the regulations remember to allow for legal liability so that whatever company owns the car that causes the wreck is sued into bankruptcy 8 times over, with prison time for the executives.

But, given this is California, home to some of the most boneheaded legislation ever to see the light of day, I figure the company involved will be given a pass.

[jelgate]

Let us all remember human drivers never cause horrible accidents with multiple fatalities

[Annoyed]

And those drivers are held liable by the legal system.
Corporate responsibility is a completely different matter.

And I don't care how good your computer is, at our present level of development, they just can't cope with the unexpected as well as the human mind.
The highway environment is one of the most unpredictable in the world. What about a situation that develops that is sparked by the actions of another, but the robocar can't cope with it because the programmers never anticipated it, but a human could handle it because we are better at handling the unexpected? The robocar is liable for that failure, too.

[garhkal]

This can't end well.

California Says Autonomous Cars Don't Need Human Drivers
Mark my words. It's only a matter of time before one of these things causes a horrible accident with multiple fatalities and all the trimmings.

I just hope the idiots who write the regulations remember to allow for legal liability so that whatever company owns the car that causes the wreck is sued into bankruptcy 8 times over, with prison time for the executives.

But, given this is California, home to some of the most boneheaded legislation ever to see the light of day, I figure the company involved will be given a pass.

Let us all remember human drivers never cause horrible accidents with multiple fatalities

And how many humans are in jail for vehicular homicide?? THEY GEt punished, the makers of these driverless cars should also face jail time if their products screw up and injure people..

And I don't care how good your computer is, at our present level of development, they just can't cope with the unexpected as well as the human mind.
The highway environment is one of the most unpredictable in the world. What about a situation that develops that is sparked by the actions of another, but the robocar can't cope with it because the programmers never anticipated it, but a human could handle it because we are better at handling the unexpected? The robocar is liable for that failure, too.

Not to mention the inevitability of those computer/robo-cars being HACKED!

[jelgate]

And how many humans are in jail for vehicular homicide?? THEY GEt punished, the makers of these driverless cars should also face jail time if their products screw up and injure people..

Where did i say they shouldn't? I'm just pointing out the stupidity of fearing these self driving cars given how many people are injuired or killed from people who violate traffic laws. That's not even counting just randomn accidents.But you guys go ahead with your constant fear of new technology

Not to mention the inevitability of those computer/robo-cars being HACKED!

Psst. That has been possible for years

[mad_gater]

Where did i say they shouldn't? I'm just pointing out the stupidity of fearing these self driving cars given how many people are injuired or killed from people who violate traffic laws. That's not even counting just randomn accidents.But you guys go ahead with your constant fear of new technology

Psst. That has been possible for years

that's only because news agencies only report accidents...how many more accidents are avoided because people can instinctively react to avoid an accident? that's what does NOT get reported....and computers don't have instincts....so I would highly doubt a computer-driven car's ability to even TRY to react to avoid an accident

[garhkal]

Psst. That has been possible for years

I know. Which is why i fear even more automation IN cars...

[Gatefan1976]

And how many humans are in jail for vehicular homicide?? THEY GEt punished, the makers of these driverless cars should also face jail time if their products screw up and injure people..

That will never happen, companies will not be held liable for the misuse of their products, and I'm sure you can figure out why that is.