QLD Transport officers disgusting tactics

[OLDFORDNUT]

Well now ive seen our laws abused in the worst way.
Friday morning at the Public boat ramp this bloke backed down beside me into the water and launched his boat with his mate holding it while he parked car and trailer up top in car park, we were having a chat when we heard swearing and boat owner walked into sight with two men in Uniforms arguing with him about the law and he had to pay fine or take it to court,
they were booking him for towing boat with out lights on a public road,
The guy had pulled into carpark launching area up top and removed his clip on light board to put trailer in water as you do and launched it,
Apparently the moment he removed lightboard and moved it he was breaking the law,what a load of crap.
has this taken it all to a new level or what.

[OLDFORDNUT]

Oh yeah the worst thing is the guy said he would just pay fine as it would cost more than it was worth to go to court,i told him he should go to court and fight it as it was paying semantics and he would win .

[GreenMachine]

How would he win? Outraged as you might be, he DID break the letter of the law by moving the trailer with no lights.

Awesome boat-ramp legal advice though, cobber.

[FGII-XR6]

he should write in explaining the situation you will find they will wipe the fine

[OLDFORDNUT]

i dont know him,so i cant change his mind,but ive heard since Sunday they booked several people and did so a few weeks ago too.
its just wrong

[Wally]

Bit silly to submerge the trailer with the lights still intact.

[OLDFORDNUT]

Originally Posted by Wally

Bit silly to submerge the trailer with the lights still intact.

thats the point, thousands of people around Australia any time of the day are doing this and have always done in the past.
ive seen them do it for unregistered trailers at ramp but this is outrageous,
they left me alone as mine are fixed to trailer.but ive had other boats with removeable light boards and always thought it was ok

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

he should write in explaining the situation you will find they will wipe the fine

Shouldn't have too though.

One the face of it yet more of an example of a State, broke. Recipient should take it to a magistrate, unless there is more to this and that the actual offence was something else.

[OLDFORDNUT]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Shouldn't have too though.

One the face of it yet more of an example of a State, broke. Recipient should take it to a magistrate, unless there is more to this and that the actual offence was something else.

No there was no other charge, we were standing there listening and he only talked about and charged this guy with no lights

[Scott]

Meh, more revenue raising. You'd reckon after more than a decade of pure wealth and indulgence QLD would be rolling in cash but that's another thread I guess (and hopefully a problem that will be fixed soon).

So what's the go? Would they have been happy if the board was removed on ramp?

[Wally]

Well here is the QLD Govt "Boat Safe" guide:

3.2 Launching and retrieving
Launching
A systematic approach will enable successful launching of
a small boat from a trailer. Courtesy to other ramp users is
fundamental.
1. Most preparations should be undertaken prior to
launching—not at the ramp:
• putting the bungs in
• checking all safety gear
• checking the state of the batteries
• checking fuel and oil
Before backing the boat down the ramp:
• remove tie-down straps and trailer lights (disconnect
trailer wiring)
• secure lines to bow and stern to control the boat
when it floats clear of the trailer
• if launching a trailer-sailer, check for overhead wires
before rigging or moving the boat
• rig any remaining gear such as radio aerial or
transom-mounted echo sounder transducers.
Always walk carefully down a boat ramp you’ve never
tried before—it may drop off or be slippery.
2. Drive to the ramp and back the boat and trailer down the
ramp. Practice should be conducted in quiet carparks
or home driveways, not at a busy boat ramp. If boating
from various launching sites, it is worthwhile attaching a
towball to the front of the vehicle.
3. Back in far enough to float the stern, but try to keep the
tow vehicle’s wheels out of the water. The distance the
boat is backed into the water will depend on the incline
of the beach or ramp. If the trailer is of the ‘break-back’
type you will not need to back it in as far as other trailers,
but ensure there is enough water for the boat to float in
as it is pushed off the rollers at a steeper angle.
4. Make sure you have attached a bow line to the boat, then
release the winch and disconnect the winch line while
holding onto the bow line. Launch the boat slowly.
5. Move the boat to an area away from the ramp to load
additional equipment and passengers.
It’s easy to forget the bung—but if you do, don’t panic. Get
the boat going and when it is moving fast enough, the water
will drain away, and the bung can then be put in by one of
the crew.
Remember the speed limit within 30 m of a boat ramp is 6
knots.

http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Home/Publi...kbook_download

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by Wally

Bit silly to submerge the trailer with the lights still intact.

Thats funny all the lights we have had on our boat trailor never got removed

we had marine lights on the trailers and they are submersable lights so you can do it

at the time they were bloody expencive but now days you can get a set for under $50 so really no excuses

Grimus

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by Grimus

at the time they were bloody expencive but now days you can get a set for under $50 so really no excuses

Grimus

All well and good, but the lights for our ski boat trailer have to be removed for the boat to come off. It's how the trailer was designed, we have no choice.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by Grimus

Thats funny all the lights we have had on our boat trailor never got removed

we had marine lights on the trailers and they are submersable lights so you can do it

at the time they were bloody expencive but now days you can get a set for under $50 so really no excuses

Grimus

One of the more fortunate boat owners. I was obviously referring to those who have the poverty packs.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Peuty

All well and good, but the lights for our ski boat trailer have to be removed for the boat to come off. It's how the trailer was designed, we have no choice.

Same here although mine is not a ski boat, mine are mounted on the transom and the cable runs over the top of the boat to the ute and need to be removed before launching. The trailer has never had lights fitted per say, but does have points that the light board can go on so it can be towed on public roads without the boat....

It is a play on semantics, blatant revenue gathering, and unfortunatly the law if the ramp area is designated public. They are trying to say two things here, once the boat has been launched the lights need to be refitted before you drive away and the ramp area is part of the road....

I used to put the light board back on the trailer (it was easy to do, you did not have to unplug from the car), but after having the first one stolen : , it goes in the cabin on the boat now and that is where it is going to stay....

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by Grimus

Thats funny all the lights we have had on our boat trailor never got removed

we had marine lights on the trailers and they are submersable lights so you can do it

at the time they were bloody expencive but now days you can get a set for under $50 so really no excuses

Grimus

Well, not everyone has your boat trailer. IMO that was a rough deal. It really is a dog act to be waiting for people who have to remove their lights, then throw the book at them. With our boat, we had a couple of high mounted lights. There was a vertical pole on either side of the trailer that was used to help get the boat on the trailer, and get it centered properly. We mounted lights on top of them. It worked well for us, but it wouldn't work for everyone.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by OLDFORDNUT

No there was no other charge, we were standing there listening and he only talked about and charged this guy with no lights

If you know the guy, get him to contact the chronicle, Nancy just lurrrrvs this sort of thing and will raise merry hell especially a week before the election and she also just lurrrves Stealth Muppet MP.

[XR6-VCT-2000]

What a croc of $h#% !. If i even came across a pack of clowns like that , I'de push them into the water and keep on doing what i'm doing.
Im sick to death of all the stupid laws in this country, it's all about revenue raising and officers making the booking quote for the month, it's out of control !.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by flappist

If you know the guy, get him to contact the chronicle, Nancy just lurrrrvs this sort of thing and will raise merry hell especially a week before the election and she also just lurrrves Stealth Muppet MP.

Perhaps politics was at play on the weekend? Nasty men in uniforms would be seen as doing the Govt's nasty work.

[vanman_75]

one smack in the mouth will fix that, and i would love to go to court to accept the punishment,out of place and out of control.will be back down in the bay again soon, im gunna love meeting these guys

[OLDFORDNUT]

i dont think you will need to go the the bay to find them, they are based in Brisbane and travel all over the place.
coming to a boat ramp near you lol

[vanman_75]

yes i frequent many ,they are starting to turn up in the strangest hard to get to mud ramps , they are an evil necessity ,but you cant get much lower than that ffs ,guess people shouldn't ride in the boat while its being launched either by the letter of the law ,but in a car park full of boats and trailers i am guessing the only 1s who have a problem is the law itself .

some laws i wont and cant abide, i unplug regardless in case of a short ,dont want a meltdown whilst loading unloading ,that would be a bigger safety issue than the lights themselves :

[Pinch]

So does this mean that removeable lights are now illegal, and everyone has to retro fit LED's?

If so, (1) it is a common aspect of jurisprudence that a law be, among other things, widely known or expected. Where was the information campaign? (2) It appears that Government sanctioned publications as referred to by Wally contradict the supposed law. Given most magistrates give people good behaviour bonds for stabbing people etc, you would think this would get thrown out. But a day off work to do so, it isn't fair.

I have LED's on the bigger boat trailer, and don't dunk the lights on my tinnie trailer so doesn't affect me per se, but this really is a crock.

What next, getting done for an unsecured load if you remove the tie down stap(s) immediately before reversing down the ramp? After retro fitting LED's, do you now have to take snorkelling gear to dive underwater to release the straps when ready to launch? Where does it end?

[vanman_75]

we have crocs no scuba up this way ,bugger that .

[Pinch]

Originally Posted by vanman_75

we have crocs no scuba up this way ,bugger that .

I would have thought launching into the southern states water in winter might be a no go too for underwater tie down release...

[Jastel]

Well they just increased all the boat registration charges massively so they gotta be seen to be doing something I suppose

$$$ would be better spent on some security at ramps, lots of stuff, (even whole trailers) getting nicked here

They just changed all the fishing rules, bag limits, size limits and even the names of some fish!!. You gotta take a set of encyclopedias fishing with you now. I rang the office up here and they don't even know what fish is what. Beaurocracy has gone mad making up rules to justify their jobs and annoy the rest of us.
I dont agree with it at all

Whatever happened to common sense?

[itchy brother]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Well they just increased all the boat registration charges massively so they gotta be seen to be doing something I suppose

$$$ would be better spent on some security at ramps, lots of stuff, (even whole trailers) getting nicked here

They just changed all the fishing rules, bag limits, size limits and even the names of some fish!!. You gotta take a set of encyclopedias fishing with you now. I rang the office up here and they don't even know what fish is what. Beaurocracy has gone mad making up rules to justify their jobs and annoy the rest of us.
I dont agree with it at all

Whatever happened to common sense?

[vanman_75]

Originally Posted by Pinch

I would have thought launching into the southern states water in winter might be a no go too for underwater tie down release...

would be a little chilly ,as said above they are getting as bad as the police just targeting the money jobs and not the crime stuff.

its really bordering on pathetic :