bigkavr
Well-known member
OK folks, I’ve had a week to cool my jets off about this so I’m writing in an advanced state of calmness…. (er, well, for me it is anyway..)
Myself and Sniper represented the Florida Airboaters at the New Orleans “Procession� on Sept. 29. We were made very aware that this was a procession type of event during the Monday evening meeting, and we were ask to conduct ourselves accordantly.. (i.e. formal and with dignity)
Alas, on the day of the procession, our airboat was properly in line when along came two airboats from Arthur’s Airboat Tours (who were also at the Monday evening meeting) and proceeded to pass us and get in line where they wanted, NOT where the airboats were ask to be.. And it went quickly down hill from there!!!
As they passed us, we noticed that one of their airboats was brand new, (it sure wasn’t in New Orleans helping last year) and the other was a large tour boat. What both of them had in common were VERY large (and brand new) signs affixed to each side of their airboats advertising Arthur’s Airboat Tours!! I’m not talking a small logo on a rudder, I’m talking large banners affixed to a hastily jury rigged PVC pipe framework that were about 6’ long… They weren’t there as airboaters who’d helped, they were there to take advantage of the situation and blatantly advertise their company…
I walked up to the guy and mentioned that maybe advertising their company wasn’t in the best interest of why we were there, and I was promptly told where to go…..
Then, the procession coordinator ask them to remove the signs, and was told to go to H***..
Next in line, the procession director ask them to remove the signs, and was also told where to go..
So, now comes a New Orleans Policeman who ask them to remove the signs, and after much adoo, they complied by removing ONE sign. And promptly putting it back on as soon as the procession started…
But wait, there’s more… To make sure that everyone really remembered who had the green tour airboat with the big banners on it, they even passed out brochures to anyone who’d take one along the procession route...
But wait, there’s even more… (this is almost getting fun to write) the operator in the new airboat must have figured that the people of New Orleans needed to hear what a big block sounded like when it was running, so he fired it up!!!! With people lined up less that 15’ away (on both sides) this circus ambassador fired up an airboat and left it running for blocks at a time!!! Am I the only one to see the inherent danger in this?? (i.e. parts break, spinning blades, etc….)
I cannot stress how embarrassed (and I might add pissed, too) myself and Sniper felt at realizing that these “people� were not there to represent the rescue airboaters, but to push their own agenda….. And how that reflected on ALL of us as airboaters.. Think about it..
Sorry this is so long but I felt it needed to be said. If I’m out of line, I’m sure I’ll hear about it… Thanks.
Brian.
Proud to be an airboater and proud to be associated with the folks of Southern Airboat..
Myself and Sniper represented the Florida Airboaters at the New Orleans “Procession� on Sept. 29. We were made very aware that this was a procession type of event during the Monday evening meeting, and we were ask to conduct ourselves accordantly.. (i.e. formal and with dignity)
Alas, on the day of the procession, our airboat was properly in line when along came two airboats from Arthur’s Airboat Tours (who were also at the Monday evening meeting) and proceeded to pass us and get in line where they wanted, NOT where the airboats were ask to be.. And it went quickly down hill from there!!!
As they passed us, we noticed that one of their airboats was brand new, (it sure wasn’t in New Orleans helping last year) and the other was a large tour boat. What both of them had in common were VERY large (and brand new) signs affixed to each side of their airboats advertising Arthur’s Airboat Tours!! I’m not talking a small logo on a rudder, I’m talking large banners affixed to a hastily jury rigged PVC pipe framework that were about 6’ long… They weren’t there as airboaters who’d helped, they were there to take advantage of the situation and blatantly advertise their company…
I walked up to the guy and mentioned that maybe advertising their company wasn’t in the best interest of why we were there, and I was promptly told where to go…..
Then, the procession coordinator ask them to remove the signs, and was told to go to H***..
Next in line, the procession director ask them to remove the signs, and was also told where to go..
So, now comes a New Orleans Policeman who ask them to remove the signs, and after much adoo, they complied by removing ONE sign. And promptly putting it back on as soon as the procession started…
But wait, there’s more… To make sure that everyone really remembered who had the green tour airboat with the big banners on it, they even passed out brochures to anyone who’d take one along the procession route...
But wait, there’s even more… (this is almost getting fun to write) the operator in the new airboat must have figured that the people of New Orleans needed to hear what a big block sounded like when it was running, so he fired it up!!!! With people lined up less that 15’ away (on both sides) this circus ambassador fired up an airboat and left it running for blocks at a time!!! Am I the only one to see the inherent danger in this?? (i.e. parts break, spinning blades, etc….)
I cannot stress how embarrassed (and I might add pissed, too) myself and Sniper felt at realizing that these “people� were not there to represent the rescue airboaters, but to push their own agenda….. And how that reflected on ALL of us as airboaters.. Think about it..
Sorry this is so long but I felt it needed to be said. If I’m out of line, I’m sure I’ll hear about it… Thanks.
Brian.
Proud to be an airboater and proud to be associated with the folks of Southern Airboat..
