Michael Askin wrote: > On 11/3/07, chris potter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> On the same canal I was told off for NOT shutting a lift bridge,by a crew >> member, in the face of an oncoming boat. At the next bridge not far away >> you've guessed it as they approached I closed it. I have always worked on >> the principle that first to the bridge has priority, if I loose out then I >> wait patiently for the other boat to come through and any boats following >> close behind however many.CKP > > Thats unusual, at the very least you could jump on your boat as it > went through and they could then they close it if thats what they > wanted to do, still that's their loss. >
This summer, we got an early start and were below the staircase at Chester, I had disembarked to set the locks and Jane had Quidditch in hovering mode waiting for me to open the bottom lock. Another boat arrived and the steerer sent his wife to instruct Jane to moor up. Jane said why and she said 'don't you realise how dangerous it is when that lock spills out water?'. Jane told her she knew what she was doing (she had steered into at least 300 locks that summer) and remained in hover mode. Wife went back to her husband who sent her straight back to tick Jane off once more. By this time I'd checked the top of the staircase and had started opening the bottom lock (which, by the way, I had emptied whilst checking upstairs). I have no ida of what had been going on below. Jane enters lock first and 'Bluebell' (ex-Black Prince with most of old livery still on) settled in beside Quidditch. I notice Bluebell is bending Jane's ear and that his bow is tucked under a span about half-way up the forward lock gate - too late, his bow fender is ripped off. I mention this to his wife but she shows no particular concern. A few minutes later, he is still ear-wigging Jane and now his bow is under the next span so I shout at him to reverse and close my paddle a bit; he reverses JUST in time but his face suggests umbrage was taken. We proceed upto the top lock and I open the gate on my side just fractionally before his wife opens his side. Jane, having had him up to her ears asks me to take over the steering and in that few seconds Bluebell starts to rev up and try and get out of the lock first. I ask him politely, 'Excuse me, do you mind if we go out first.' 'Why?' he says. 'Because we were first in and that is canal etiquette', I reply. 'But where are you going?', he responds. 'I'm going to moor in Chester', I replied. 'So am I', he says and revs up his engine again (we're about 30 feet ahead but going at a normal pace) so I rev up a bit too so as to keep ahead. At this he says to me 'is that all you've got'? so I showed him I had more and rev'd up and pulled away from him as soon as I cleared him moved into the middle of the canal and slowed down to a sensible speed. What a pillock! Afterwards Jane told me how he (via his wife) had tried to persuade her to moor up and we wondered whether that was a lame attempt to get into the lock first to establish right of way but I'm not sure that neanderthals have that much reasoning power. Cheers -- Will Chapman Save Our Waterways www.SaveOurWaterways.org.uk
