A conversation about safety

[waterboy]

You can really tell when bureaucrats are lying when they tell you a policy is there to protect you. It is so much easier to get compliance when you tell the public that issues of safety or terrorism are involved. Public Authority employees just want to be our friends and protect us from ourselves. They can do that because they don't run for office and are pretty much untouchable by anyone.

In this months "City News" inserted with the water bill is the announcement of 4th of July celebrations at the river. Nestled in the small print is the statement that boats will not be allowed on Zink Lake after 8pm for "safety reasons". No need for them to explain safety to us. Just trust them it's safer not to be on the water during the celebration.

But wait, what boats? When is the last time you saw a boat other than the rowing crew shells on Zink Lake? And they won't even be in town, trust me, much less rowing on the river surrounded by the craziness of "Tulsa Salutes Freedom".  So I ask, what boats?

Oh, that crazy guy with the airboats. The guy who rented out his canopied 30ft. triple pontoon boat to a private party of 25 to get the absolute best view of the fireworks in town. He anchored  upstream of the 21st street bridge. What a great idea. Then he ferried over 1500 visitors back and forth to Oktoberfest later that year.  Two years ago. Oh, he's gone now? But there are so many activities on that Zink Lake that I hardly noticed. You know like the rowing crew and uh...the beer joint and uh.....

But he might come back. Or someone may have seen the potential and wouldn't that be dangerous for him and everyone else? You know, more dangerous than crowding into a group of 50,000 drunken, half-wit partiers, squeezed together with river bums watching cannon shells explode above them with nowhere to hide. Dodging bottle rockets and watching traffic jams along Riverside and Boulder hinder EMSA. Thats good safe fun.

Besides aren't there lots of boat and fireworks injuries with these boats on the Arkansas River? No accidents? None? You mean other cities have boats on their rivers watching fireworks? Some even shoot the fireworks off barges with boats around? Wow. Their river must not be as dangerous as our Zink Lake. Its that 3ft. depth that makes ours so dangerous you know.

Well, maybe he didn't have the right families on that barge. Like some of the Parks Authority board members, or councilors, or La Fortuna. Or, maybe the 10% he paid River Parks Authority wasn't enough to cover their costs. No costs? Oh. What do they do anyway thats different from the Parks Department? No one knows? They protect our river for us don't they? Oh, by not letting us use it. That's good safety sense!

Well, all I can say is everyone knows rivers are dangerous and its for our own safety otherwise why would they bother to print it in letters to everyone in town? Indeed, why.

Or maybe with the  talk of recalls and charter change, it is time to reconsider the need for a separate River Parks Authority. I'll give my vote, my support and my efforts to any candidate that will step up and challenge this waste of taxpayer money.