Who Wrote the Standard?

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by DeepSeaDan
Rick,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of governmental intrusion, but I do believe there are times when it is the only source of protection for all those "idiots" out there.

I'm sorry, but there is no duty for the government to provide "protection for all those idiots out there." None, nada, zip. This is not a public safety issue - unlike trains and planes and automobiles, an idiot with a scuba tank can't injure me by being an idiot, unless I'm idiot enough to dive with him.
Don't buy into it - it's a trap that ends in slavery.
Rick

 

[budgy]

Many of us first went diving before there were thousands of certificate agencies and learnt to dive without instructors. We survived because we used caution and perhaps the guardian of drunks and fools was watching over us. The one thing you can say about a live diver, they never went on a dive that was beyond their ability, and no license ever makes you indestructable.
It seems now I can't check a mooring because I don't have a gov certificate. I can't drive a forklift, work on a building site, prepare veg in a restaurant, or work as door steward and many other jobs without having to pay someone for a piece of paper and some how, whilst I wasn't looking, they also took away my right to drive a truck.
With the potential of the internet, maybe one day we can propose and vote on every issue.