On Tue, 3 Oct 2006 16:31:18 +0100, you wrote: >Mike, with respect, this is not answering the question. Of course we take >account of 'local conditions.' I was coming down the Avon this summer and >the rule is leave the gates open. But elsewhere across most of the system >(and you and I and everyone else here knows what we're talking about, >there's no need to spell it out) the rule is to close the gates. > >Are you saying you close the gates except 'in extremis' when you'll leave >them open. Who decides this extremis? Your extremis might be my bad >planning. Or visa versa. > >Frankly, this sort of argument ill becomes you. There is a clear rule here, >and your suggesting that there might be legitimate reasons for breaking it >will only lead to friction and bad feeling among boaters. The advantage of >the rule for all its faults is that it's clear. > >If people of your standing in the canal community decide that they're going >to break rules when they see fit, what hope is there of preventing total >chaos with all the newbies coming to the cut.
It depends what he meant by "pragmatic". I'm sure we've all encountered people who (try to) shut gates even when you are waiting to come into the lock, because that's what they were told to. Not doing so in those circumstances - which is what all of us do - could be considered a pragmatic application of the rules (after all, there are still plenty of signs about saying "close all gates and paddles when leaving locks"). -- On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk (Waterways World site of the month, April 2001) My Reply-To address *is* valid, though likely to die soon Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
