Georgia is Backwards!

[JR]

I just posted this on S&F and thought I would post it here.

We launched at Scott's Landing on the Florida side of the St Mary's River. While I was waiting for some friends I talked for 20 minutes to a really nice Florida Wildlife Marine Patrolman. I told him we were going on the 80+ mile round trip to Downtown St Marys Georgia by water, and he wished us well.

He, I and our two PWC took off together and we ran side by side for a ways and he eventually slowed down and we kept going the 40+ miles to St Marys Ga. and spent a couple of hours there.
We went/came back cruising at 35 MPH so the PWCs would not have to be refueled. When we got back to the boat ramp there was a Georgia Wildlife Office waiting on me in his boat. He explained that someone had complained that I had passed a Private Beach just down from there that morning and I was not going idle speed. This was where I was running beside the Florida Marine Patrol Boat that morning. He said it made no difference that I was with a Florida Marine Patrol and that even though I had broken no Florida Law, I had broken a Georgia law by not being at idle speed. He also said anywhere a boat was tied up and you passed within 100' of it you had to be at idle speed or while passing a water skiier. I told him that Florida had none of those laws and I was on the Florida side of the river and I launched in Florida. I also asked him, "What happens when two water skiiers approach each other". He said, "They must both drop and then pass each other at Idle Speed". I was amazed at just how backwards Georgia is in their boating laws.

He then writes me a ticket for passing a landing above idle speed and gives both of our PWCs a written warning. During the time he was writing me a ticket, two other Georgia Marine Patrol joined him and a dozen boats passed us and they made them slow down to idle speed, but did not even write them a warning.

I would guess that Barney Fife is still alive and well in Georgia. I guess we won't be going back to Lake Lanier, Alatoona, Sinclair and buying all that fuel and paying for Hotel rooms until Georgia leaves the "Stone Age".
JR

 

[GotMyAlly]

Unless they have some kind of reciprocal agreement, I wouldn't think he could write a ticket for something you did in FL. If I read that right, you were in FL waters at the time. Was he standing on FL ground when he wrote you the ticket? I think i might argue that he was out of his jurisdiction.

 

[JR]

The river is the boundary between Florida and Georgia so "Barney" claimed that both laws applied to the River. They were selectively enforcing the law so I think that "Boss Hawg" in Georgia called him and told him to "ticket the Allison before he returns to the boat ramp".

 

[lild]

why not fight the ticket?he did not see the event and he is taking the word of someone else. where is his evidence

 

[K-DAWG XB 2003]

Thats my home river. Sounds like you met Officer Chris Hodge and his Partner. I cant remember his name. He is a world class asshole.

 

[GFinch]

How can he give a ticket without seeing the infraction. Then not cite the others. Discrimination is a good defense also.

 

[hack02]

When you Fla. hooligans come up here you have to obey the law. Just kidding JR. I also don't understand how they can write a ticket for something they didn't see. Theres alot of boats with Allison on the side. I would go to court and say it wasn't mine and make them prove it was.
As far as the 100 ft. law in GA; it is a knee jerk reaction to jet skiers riding recklessly on our waterways. Those are the people that the law was intended for. As a result of their actions all boaters must obey the 100 foot law; You can't be on plane within 100 ft. of another vessel, dock, or land.

 

[GeoL]

Georgia is Still Backwards!

Miserable pukes like that give Pigs a bad name. That typical ashwhole was on a power trip and gets to wear a gun.
One of these days he will be needing help on that river and you will come along at idle speed and pass him by 100 feet. I hope he remembers you.
He's a great candidate for the Book of Dirty Tricks.... I wonder where he parks when he's on the river ?
cofmc

 

[RedAllison]

Don't that suck! :cuss Yeah from the sounds of it you can hire a lawyer and probably never even make it too court. I'd pursue it all the way to, CHEAPEST thing is to just pay the fine and be done with it. But One Bullet Barney will just keep up his usual boosheut if you go that route. The judge aint gonna do chit since the possum cop can't testify that he saw you do a dang thing. Enough of that and Barney just might get something on his record or reprimanded. ESPECIALLY since this crap is happening on a state line body of water and jurisidiction would be so tough to tell by which side of the creek channel you were on.

LMAO be sure and tell the judge that smartazzes comment about approaching skiers having to "drop and drag" until over 100ft apart!!! As was said, sounds like some boosheut knee-jerk reaction to lake lice that just hasn't been slam dunked out the window via an actual court case yet!!!

Possum cops gettin worse and worse as they get reigned in by judges who realize that contrary to previous Game Dept. history, they DO have to abide by the exact same constitution as their land locked brethren on the police force. They've gotten pissy since over the last few years they've been slapped down in court over the old "aint gotta have a search warrant" song and dance as well... I know alotta game wardens and most of them are GREAT folks. But boy don't just one or two "no-lifers" make it a pisser on the rest of us?

:beer:
RA

 

[tharris003]

JR,
The St. Marys is my home river as well.

Florida was there Saturday the fifth, and stopped to talk with me at Browntown on the ga side, a wake skiing boat had just come by and swamped my ally on the trailer he wasn't even 30 ft from the dock. He fell pursuit after talking to me for a minute about my allison.

On your case:

1. Your not in Fl waters unless you're in a tributary on the Fl side. So he does have jurisdiction.
2. Unless he physically saw you do it, there's no way he could prove that you were within 100 ft of there so called private beach. which is stupid to start with. I would fight it..
3. There are some young bucks now in Ga and some are nice and some are well... you found out personally...

Try this one out...

I got stopped one time by the now retired Mike Brooks (GA) and he wanted to write me a ticket for not having a big enough fire extinguisher. Bill Knight another officer was in the boat with him, I told him that I was sitting on 36 gallons of gas and that I wasn't worried about a fire exstinguisher I would be going out the front of the boat that that was what insurance was for.., and Bill smerked, then Mike Brooks went on to say that some one just told him the same thing except that they were sitting on 100 gallons of gas. I looked at him and said "that makes since to me don't it you" and Bill Knight just chuckled.. Needless to say I didn't get a ticket.

This is the same Game Warden that chased me down on the highway and got a Deputy to come up as well because he said I was to close to the yellow line when I passed him.. Go figure...