Unfriendliness at Rockport

[knives]

Yes Kevin .....that is a very creative idea....I will be your passenger....
I will certainly not be using that restaurant again.

 

[pufferfish]

Kevin it might be a good idea for someone like yourself or Tom to also make a request to speak with the town council on the matter. It would be a good idea that they hear the diving community's concerns and from someone who has good communication skills. Some of those small town councils can be great to deal with and others can be very difficult with many of the members either related through blood or businesses and who are often able to chase people or groups out of town if they don't want you there.

It would also be good to engage any diver friendly 'movers and shakers' in the town or on the town council to help bolster support.

 

[DPVDiver]

It was a good question to who owns the boat ramp? Only the owner could legally put that sign down there and stop people from diving there.

I can't see it being privately owned as there is no user fee for boat launching that I am aware of. If it were private you could be sure of a user fee.

If it were government owned the would be a much more official sign than the crayola special they have prohibiting divers. It would likely have to be written in like 15 languages.

Maybe the restaurant has just put that sign up to drive divers over to the resaurant to fatten their pockets.

This whole situation is down right ridiculous. Last weekend I ate at the restaurant and paid my $10. There was about 15-20 patrons in the restaurant the whole time I was there, ALL DIVERS. To me it seems kind of dumb to ban your only business.

DPV

 

[gatorboy]

I think that the whole jist of this topic is that we as divers have spent a lot of money with this guy. Divers are part of a major income for him. If he is not willing to accomodate us he shouldn't reap the profits from us nor should anyone acting in the same manor for that matter. It is shame because it's a great place to dive from except for the ladders freezing up when you get out of the water in the winter time.

Jody

 

[simcoediver]

We really do not know the whole story,The owner said that there where some divers whom he confronted trying to remove the sign and he was nearly run over by them. Looks to me if I were him I would be really pissed off too, he has every right to be pissed off. I am sure it was not scuba board members that were the culprits, probably some idiots who do not know any better.

 

[DPVDiver]

Were the "divers" stealing the wearing steel cylinders or aluminum. I think Aluminum would be better for a quick getaway.

Ok, that was stupid, but what I meant was how the hell does he know they were divers? We they dressed in full gear?

 

[Groundhog246]

..and groundhog how do you know it wasnt divers?it could have been or maybe not we dont know we werent there..remember though its his property and he can do what he wants..

I don't know that it wasn't anymore than he knows for sure it was. He's assuming that since the removed a no diving sign it must have been divers.
You're right, if it's his property it's his choice. But rather than confront the vandals and nearly get run down, calling the cops and noting the make, model registration of the vehicle would likely have been much more productive.

Does he also own the boat ramp? Or is it village/town property? And is there a fee to launch from the ramp. I'd be tempted to equip a group with PVC inflateable boats, launch em from the ramp and dive from them. Exiting, you could "discover" they're hard to re-enter from the water and swim/tow them back to the ramp.

 

[snuggle]

your right simcoediver..well put..

 

[Warren_L]

The owner does have a right to be ticked, but he did the wrong thing by confronting them. That's what the police is for, and he did the wrong thing again by generalizing and assuming all divers are the same. Three wrongs does not make a right. I'd think twice about eating there again.

 

[Kevin R]

Who own and maintains the boat ramp?

I believe it is a public boatramp maintained by the township and is not part of the Boathouse restaurant. Please feel free to correct me if otherwise. The restaurant owner could have made a citizens arrest for vandalism.