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How to take the shine off a good day's cruise.....


Wanderer Vagabond

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Isn't it funny how all that it takes is for some gobby, knuckledragger to start shouting the odds and it can take the edge off a really pleasant day's cruising.

To picture the scene; Thursday was a cold day but with brilliant blue sky, not much wind and the sun shining. Since I had need of the Sanitary Station at Anderton it was decided to take advantage of such a good day to cruise up there from Middlewich. The very slight hitch, barely worth talking about, was that there were some locations with a thin veneer of ice on the water. Leaving Middlewich, and thoroughly enjoying the trip, given the conditions, I got to the Household Recycling Centre at Croxton, one of the few locations where a thin veneer of ice had formed. This is where the knuckledragger entered the scene. From a boat that was moored on the fixed moorings (presumably for people using the recycling centre) I first heard the sound of a shrieking female and as I passed the boat, the aformentioned gent opened his side doors and proceeded to shout something at me, his original comments were lost in the sound of the engine on which I was standing but the second tirade was shouted along the lines of ,"You don't f*cking care, do you?", since I had no idea what he was talking about he was probably right, I really didn't  care. My speed was about 1.4mph so I assume it wasn't the speed of the boat, I can only assume that he was getting excited about the noise that the ice was making on his precious boat. His final parting shouted shot however was basically a threat in which he yelled, "I'll find you, you cnut" (edited for decency).

Now whilst I hadn't bothered to engage this idiot in conversation, it is funny how such juvenile behaviour just leaves you irritated. I continued the trip and, after a couple of miles travelling in these glorious conditions (and very few boats on the move as well) the irritation had worn off. The follow up however was that on the return journey, having serviced the engine at Anderton, I had 6 litres of waste oil to dispose of, where better to do so than Croxton recycling centre? To save him the trouble of 'finding' me, I could revisit. I moored up ahead of the guy's boat and took my oil into the waste centre to dispose of it, and do you know? not a word was said by my friendly knuckledragger.

Two points really of this post, one is that a thin veneer of ice isn't going to do any damage to blacking, we ploughed through ice a lot thicker that this last year on the Ashby Canal in the knowledge that we were blacking the boat this year, and upon checking the boat before blacking there was no visible damage whatsover. And the second point is I do wish that these irritable knuckledragger looking for something to complain about would find themselves a hovel somewhere to live in. 99.9% of people that I meet on the canal are brilliant, we just need to get rid of the annoying 0.9%.

I wont 'name and shame' this guy since, if he reads these forums, he will know who he is and he is the only one who needs to change or go.

Edited by Wanderer Vagabond
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24 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

we just need to get rid of the annoying 0.9%

I'm sure at some point I and many others have been part of that 0.9%

All depends on the day and the circumstances 

Edited by reg
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1 minute ago, reg said:

I'm sure at some point I and many others have been part of that 0.9%

All depends on the day and the circumstances 

I wouldn't think so, those who are looking for something to complain about make it their life's work rather than those of us who sometimes just have a bad day. Someone who randomly shouts off threats and expletives at someone they know nothing about isn't just 'having a bad day'.

  • Greenie 3
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3 minutes ago, reg said:

I'm sure at some point I and many others have been part of that 0.9%

 

Speak for yourself! 

I for one would be very upset it that's all I've managed.

However I do sympathise with OP as I on occasions have been the recipient of an outburst from an inadequate who is blowing bubbles because his hysterical wife has demanded he do the caveman thing. 

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2 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Isn't it funny how all that it takes is for some gobby, knuckledragger to start shouting the odds and it can take the edge off a really pleasant day's cruising.

To picture the scene; Thursday was a cold day but with brilliant blue sky, not much wind and the sun shining. Since I had need of the Sanitary Station at Anderton it was decided to take advantage of such a good day to cruise up there from Middlewich. The very slight hitch, barely worth talking about, was that there were some locations with a thin veneer of ice on the water. Leaving Middlewich, and thoroughly enjoying the trip, given the conditions, I got to the Household Recycling Centre at Croxton, one of the few locations where a thin veneer of ice had formed. This is where the knuckledragger entered the scene. From a boat that was moored on the fixed moorings (presumably for people using the recycling centre) I first heard the sound of a shrieking female and as I passed the boat, the aformentioned gent opened his side doors and proceeded to shout something at me, his original comments were lost in the sound of the engine on which I was standing but the second tirade was shouted along the lines of ,"You don't f*cking care, do you?", since I had no idea what he was talking about he was probably right, I really didn't  care. My speed was about 1.4mph so I assume it wasn't the speed of the boat, I can only assume that he was getting excited about the noise that the ice was making on his precious boat. His final parting shouted shot however was basically a threat in which he yelled, "I'll find you, you cnut" (edited for decency).

Now whilst I hadn't bothered to engage this idiot in conversation, it is funny how such juvenile behaviour just leaves you irritated. I continued the trip and, after a couple of miles travelling in these glorious conditions (and very few boats on the move as well) the irritation had worn off. The follow up however was that on the return journey, having serviced the engine at Anderton, I had 6 litres of waste oil to dispose of, where better to do so than Croxton recycling centre? To save him the trouble of 'finding' me, I could revisit. I moored up ahead of the guy's boat and took my oil into the waste centre to dispose of it, and do you know? not a word was said by my friendly knuckledragger.

Two points really of this post, one is that a thin veneer of ice isn't going to do any damage to blacking, we ploughed through ice a lot thicker that this last year on the Ashby Canal in the knowledge that we were blacking the boat this year, and upon checking the boat before blacking there was no visible damage whatsover. And the second point is I do wish that these irritable knuckledragger looking for something to complain about would find themselves a hovel somewhere to live in. 99.9% of people that I meet on the canal are brilliant, we just need to get rid of the annoying 0.9%.

I wont 'name and shame' this guy since, if he reads these forums, he will know who he is and he is the only one who needs to change or go.

Did you introduce yourself though?

Personally I would have made sure he knew I was the person he had earlier hurled abuse at.

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On Thursday I did the same as you and enjoyed a cruise which also involved a bit of thin ice breaking; nothing that should have caused any problems for anybody. Had anyone spoken to me like that I certainly would have engaged with him, but perhaps your approach to ignore him was best to cause the idiot the most irritation. 

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I have also tootled along with a little ice “on top” to Fazeley with our wonderful boats friends lined up as though waiting for some new canal opening to appear.  Passing each very closely I heard one voice.  The voice mentioned how pleased I was first to break it up cos they wanted to move, then the second near repeated what the first said.  No issues.

What gets my goat is people who think you can see around corners where there is a Bridge hole.  One such occasion I noticed a boat just coming into view, heading into the hole so I ordered, well did, a full astern to stop with good room left for our boater who passed with a smile and thanks, nothing else was said.  I ordered half ahead and moved my little lever and sounded my boat horn, of the standard type.  Just as I was under the bridge I hear the loudest klaxon I ever did hear and I saw a boat heading towards the hole I was already in and even starting to head out of.  I saw an emergency astern from klaxon, over reaction and under correction as he, and it was a he,  reversed so he was nicely right across the cut.  I ordered all stop, then I moved my little lever gentle back.  Mr Klaxon then managed to get himself together and straighten out.  I know your waiting for the main bit, as I passed he said how stupid was I, not he, to not see him.  I smiled and waved and ever so politely told him my foresight cannot see around corners, did he not hear my horn sounding?  He said, and I quote “ dick, horns are for pussies”.  At which point, my lovely wife found the emergency hand held klaxon, smiled and blasted it to drown out the colourful language, just for a couple if seconds. She then said “and your klaxon is Feck all use when you motor too close to a boat in front when approaching a blind corner with a Bridge hole”.  Oh dear I thought, that’s not going to go down too well.  His partner then appears and shouts, “yes dear he is all klaxon and no brains”.  Nuff said, there is always one klaxon who forgets the joys of boating.

Enjoy your day and may the Fazeley waiters see the light.

Edited by NB Lola
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14 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

I wouldn't think so, those who are looking for something to complain about make it their life's work rather than those of us who sometimes just have a bad day. Someone who randomly shouts off threats and expletives at someone they know nothing about isn't just 'having a bad day'.

Greenie  given as retribution. Engaged mouth before brain. 

Didn't read the OP correctly. 

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I demure to say it, but it seems to me, based on a single uttered sentence or a blast on a klaxon, that some boaters can to sum up person's complete character and disposition, described in a scenario that somehow puts them entirely at fault, from which comes personal annoyance, to the extent it cannot be overlooked.  

If it had happened to me, and whether right (or wrong) in the situation, a simple manoeuvre and a 'sorry' would have would have sufficed.

My life is too short to dwell on these things.

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16 minutes ago, Horace42 said:

I demure to say it, but it seems to me, based on a single uttered sentence or a blast on a klaxon, that some boaters can to sum up person's complete character and disposition, described in a scenario that somehow puts them entirely at fault, from which comes personal annoyance, to the extent it cannot be overlooked.  

 

Yes, you make a good point - but as the saying goes, first impressions are lasting impressions, rightly or wrongly.

I'm sure that you are very demure.

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16 hours ago, MJG said:

Did you introduce yourself though?

Personally I would have made sure he knew I was the person he had earlier hurled abuse at.

From a previous life I have always had the tendency to de-escalate situations rather than the opposite, although I don't walk away. I hung around long enough for him to come and say anything if  he wanted to but I know what the story would have been had I made an approach to him and things became heated (I've heard it too many times<_<). His 'story' would have been that 'I'd gone and started on him, so he retaliated'.

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

We will be passing the dump tomorrow, I expect he is still there

 

Say hi from me:D

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31 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

From a previous life I have always had the tendency to de-escalate situations rather than the opposite, although I don't walk away. I hung around long enough for him to come and say anything if  he wanted to but I know what the story would have been had I made an approach to him and things became heated (I've heard it too many times<_<). His 'story' would have been that 'I'd gone and started on him, so he retaliated'.

Oh I generally find people suddenly get much less confrontational if walked up to with an outstretched hand and something like 'Hi I'm Martin, the guy you were shouting across at earlier, what exactly  was the problem please?'

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17 minutes ago, MJG said:

Oh I generally find people suddenly get much less confrontational if walked up to with an outstretched hand and something like 'Hi I'm Martin, the guy you were shouting across at earlier, what exactly  was the problem please?'

But my name is Brian

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