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Location: Minneapolis, MN | The General Assembly is considering a bill that will require you to apply a 1" reflective tape all the way around your boat, above the water line! This is going to pass if we don't speak out about it. Write your congressmen and tell them what you think.
Here's a link to the bill which has already passed the Senate and is on its way to the House...
http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=142&...
Here's a link for you to find the appropriate contact information for your representative...
http://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp
Edited by Luke_Chinewalker 4/4/2003 11:06 PM
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I don't think that's such a bad idea, we have to do it on our fire apparatus for safety at night. They make a wide variety of colors that would match boat colors pretty good. |
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Posts: 335
Location: Orland Park | I'm not too sure about this one. What is the point if it's already a law requiring your boat to have lights on after sunset? Some members of the legislature must have a reflective tape business on the side. And what is the point of reflective tape?????? It only works if a light shines on it!!!!!!!!!! The more you think about this proposal, the more you begin to realize how STUPID this is. What would this law accomplish? |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | If this passes they may realize it doesn't work without light shining on it at which point I can see a new bill requiring us all to retrofit big headlights on our boats. Hey Jim want to start a boat headlight biz? |
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Posts: 167
Location: IL | How about we install glow-in-the dark rubrails. Cant get much gayer than that. I aint puttin that crap on my bullet. |
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Posts: 335
Location: Orland Park | Let's work all angles, Joe.....spotlights, headlights, tailights! |
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Posts: 67
| How about adding Daylight Running Lights? |
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | Im with MuskieMedic on this one, its a good idea. yes it takes light to make it reflective, but a very little amount and it is a great saftey idea if you ask me. As Derek said, they make reflective in almost any color and you would never now it was there. As far as I am concerned its inexpensive saftey feature that is good. Hey Derek, I have 6 inch white reflective tape. Wanna do up your boat.......
Jim |
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| After almost getting run over 2 yrs. ago while anchored between 2 small islands, I'd be all for strobes and disco balls on every boat; justice prevailed though as they turned about 25 yds. from us and busted the island end in less than a foot of h2o...talk about "smoke on the water"... |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | Are you two kidding me? $30k for a new boat and $2.00 worth of crappy reflective tape all over it? How about the people with $125k boats, imagine sticking that crap all over a big boat? Aren't we already required to have our bow and stern lights on after dark? What more do we really need? |
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | Joe, im a saftey kinda guy, but if you can get reflective tape for that price tell me where. Seriously, with the tape you have now days you would never know its there. Now you say we already have lights what more do we need. Well let put it this way, if drivers cannot see a firetruck with how many thousands candle powered flashing lights and how many square feet of reflective tape and they still hit them or come very close to on a more frequent basis than you think. Now you take the average boater going across the lake with less light you tell me if its enough. The only thing that really sucks is that the owner would have to pay for it. Remember Reflective tape does not need direct light to work, Look how nice the reflective registration numbers light up. I guess, I dont have to worry about this because I am not from Illinois, but I for one never thought of this until now, and as soon as I get my boat out of storage, reflective tape is going on it. Had one to many close calls.
Jim
Edited by Jim K 4/6/2003 1:06 AM
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| I agree too. Sounds like a very good idea and I will also be putting some on once I get my boat out of storage.
Tom B |
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Posts: 20280
Location: oswego, il | The only place this tape could be helpfull would be the fox chain but anybody flying around there at night would be too drunk to notice it anyway. |
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Posts: 532
Location: Chicago, IL | I definately have a problem with that. Make us use reflective numbers instead, I am not putting a stripe around my boat.
-Phil |
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Posts: 335
Location: Orland Park | This idea is so stupid! Is reflective tape going to be more effective than your 2 lights in the black of night? I don't think so. What does this tape reflect if it's pitch black out?
I'll bet owners/captains of freighters and tankers and barges and tugboats and riverboat casinos on Lake Michigan and the rivers and the canals are going to rush to the hardware store to buy this stuff. Gimme a break.
And for those of you who get your boats out of storage and instantly put tape on your boat.....you should be ashamed. Next thing you know is that you have all these nice looking boats junked up with tape, and then the tape falling off your boat because you didn't apply it properly. Next thing you know people will be filing lawsuits against the state because our wonderful reflective tape is tangling up waterfowl and Johnny Drunk Hunter is out at night with a spotlight shooting at ducks that had the displeasure of swimming thru your stupid "glow in the dark" tape that fell off your boat.
What about the boats at the Forest Preserve Lakes? They have to be in before sunset? What's the purpose of the tape then....... in case of a sandstorm or an eclipse? I have a better idea, let's just ban boating in the dark!
Anyone ever been in a car accident at night? I'll bet you and the other guy had your headlights on. Didn't prevent the accident, did it? I'll bet if cars had reflective tape around them, the number of night time accidents will be drastically reduced!
These stupid laws are pointless if people don't use common sense. Reflective tape is not going to stop the intoxicated boater, who can barely see the steering wheel, from hitting you.
First thing tomorrow morning I'm going to the garage and I'm going to tape these following letters all around my boat.....
C-A-N Y-O-U S-E-E M-E N-O-W? G-O-O-D!
Sorry for rambling on......but I have to go now. I have to sit next to my 6 month old's crib to protect him. 50% of child abductions in this country are from one of the parents....I know I won't abduct him, so odds are my wife might.
Edited by Commanche Jim 4/6/2003 11:06 PM
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | I edited this because I was to harsh. I will throw this up to all muskiefirst people. If this law gets passed, I will get you a deal on pricing for your tape and will match your boat color to the best of todays technology.
Jim
Edited by Jim K 4/7/2003 12:38 AM
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Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin | What if you never intend to keep your boat out after dark? Do you still have to put that crap all around it? I, for one am glad I don't live in IL. so that I have to conform to a law like this. The only times that I have almost been run over has been in the daylight. I guess I should be forced into having a big flashing light on my boat then also. One other question, if I come to IL to fish and am out after dark, do I also have to have tape on my boat? Good luck guys, hope that this doesn't spread up here. |
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Posts: 326
Location: Plainfield IL | I have to admit that the laws in this county and state are great. But to create a law to protect the absent minded and stupid is insane. I dont think the reflective tape is that great. Look at the argument from CJ above. Just think all the tape that will fall off and be in the water. Look how long it lasts on your lures. If they are really concerned with this, then have a NO WAKE from dusk til dawn. I remember reading a few years back that someone was trying to get propellors to become outlawed and force boat engine mfg's to create jet drive propulsion due to the high # of deaths from propellors. Again this was brought about from the drunk'n boating and the accidents down on the florida waterways. We should put reflective tape on tree, mail boxes, houses and all sorts of stuff. All you have to do is read the local paper to see who ran into what and then we can tape that too. Soon we will be all living in a bubble. I agree that safety is a major concern, but if we all use our heads and have running lights on and maintain a safe speed or no wake all will be fine. It is hard for me to justify laws for the absent minded. I do beleive ToddM hit the nail on the head with all the problems on the Fox Chain, maybe we should look at all the places that sell all the booze on the waterways, or restricting 40' powerboats with dual 1000hp engines from running on a small waterway. Take those rigs to lake Michigan.
RH!
Edited by Running_Hot 4/7/2003 8:28 AM
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Posts: 335
Location: Orland Park | Hey Jim,
Can you get me a deal on the red flashing, million candle powered, obnoxiously loud sirened fire truck garb? I should probably have that on my boat too.
I have a great idea. Driver and passenger side AIR BAGS! SO if you get hit, you can survive the impact, and your boat won't sink!!!!! Then there should be no need for life jackets! |
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Location: Woodstock, IL | I live in IL; however never spend time on IL waters, so I won't be putting tape on my rig.
I'm all for safety, but unless light hits the tape, it is useless. |
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | Commanche Jim, your taking this the wrong way. Ok you say look how many car accidents there is with headlights. Ok how may would there be without them. No how many more people would die if fire trucks would be getting hit because they dont have lights. The thing of it is and you guys keep saying this is going to ruin my boat. It wont. You guys have no clue how reflective tape looks or is applied. You will never see it on your boat.. You guys think this is the stuff you buy at kmart. Well if you are a cheap skate it could be, but if have it done right, I will say it again, you will never no its there....
Jim
And yes, I can get you a red light for your boat if that is what you want. |
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Posts: 335
Location: Orland Park | JimK,
I'm just messin with you......the lights on our boat, in my opinion, are more than enough. I do know the type of reflective tape you've mentioned, and yes it probably is invisible on certain boats. But not everyone is going to want to spend a lot of money on good tape. Henceforth, people buying cheap crap littering our waters.
Dpratt made a good point.....why should I get worked up over this.......I'm never on Illinois waters after dark anyway.
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Posts: 736
Location: Hartford, WI | Commanche, no offense taken. Im just trying to point out that reflective tape is so far more advanced than you think. I read RH post and agree with him, the problem may be deeper within than you think. I guess, I dont see the need to be hot rodden' after dark, but hey its there choice. The point I am was trying to argue was dont take saftey lightly and thats it. I have been damn near ran over on highways to many times and people finaly seeing us at the last minute saved our tails more than once. So either way, I dont have to worry about this because I dont fish in Illinois, but my offer still stands, if this gets past I will give muskiefirsters a good deal on reflective tape that correctly matches there boat.
Jim |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I hardly have an inch of my boat above the water. Actually it is kind of a good idea, that way when I try to sell it someday no one will see the scratches. |
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Posts: 132
Location: Elkhart, IN | Hi,
I contacted the IL government and suggested tube lighting instead of reflective tape. Most boats already have at least one battery to run the lighting. It would be much more visible than reflective tape too. If this is going to be done it should be done right!
Brian
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Posts: 20280
Location: oswego, il | Deer hunters and upland bird hunters have to wear and orange vest, we could wear reflective vests.
This law is crazy. not many lakes open all night in illinois anyway and any that are fisherman are not blasting around anyway. Just drunk pleasureboaters on the chain. There not looking for glow tape after leaving blarny's island. |
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