As an 'outsider' [well, at present anyway] I have to admit that I can see
the argument from both sides of the fence - and even have a certain sympathy
with both sides.
The 'purist' in me will tell me that rules are there to be followed - 'Laws'
to be obeyed, etc.. if only because they are [ought to be?] there for the
protection of all; but, since the days of my own childhood during the late
40's and early 50's, I have seen so many rules/Laws either devalued or
simply ignored - by generations of people - that it has now become *really*
difficult for the majority of us to be able to say, with absolute honesty,
that "I *always* obey the Law" rather than "I'll obey the rules/Law when it
is convenient for me to do so."
This isn't *intended* to be a sermon [not by any means, LOL!], but I am
always personally brought up to a halt by that ancient biblical verse 'Let
him who is without sin cast the first stone'. In those times 'punishment'
was applied to the both the wrongdoer *and* the community which allowed,
tacitly or otherwise, a certain wrong [adultery IRC] to occur - the
community's punishment being that it had to stone the culprit/s to death
[and certainly *not* my most favoured option on a sunny weekend!]
Yes, I would probably agree with you that 'Bridge Hopping' probably *is*
against the rules/Law and, as such, it would most certainly then be *wrong*
- but maybe *I'm* not, personally, clean enough to throw boulders at them ..
although maybe I'll fall quickly enough from that high fence which I'm
currently straddling if I ever suffer disadvantage from bridge hoppers [I
*do* wish I could get that picture of a, circa 1930's, bargee bouncing up
the towpath on a 'space hopper' out of my perishing mind .. LOL!]
Cheers,
Trevor S.
Bruce wrote ..
"Continuous Cruising" means a genuine journey around the system, not
a source of cheap housing.
But don't worry, Trevor, BW have admitted that they don't enforce the
CC rules, because there's no money in it, so the abuse will
continue. :-{{{
