A Silly Law

We were just pushing off from shore on our lake paddle Sunday when I realized what was missing: we hadn't put our life jackets on.

We pulled back in and put them on, then went about our way even though legally we didn't have to wear them.

This I find silly in the extreme. Under the regulations we're obligated to have enough life jackets on board to kit out each person on board.

We do not actually have to have them on.

Every season we hear about people drowning on rivers and lakes. Most of the time said drownee wasn't wearing a life jacket.

Now I'm all for using common sense approach as opposed to legislation. But in this respect common sense is not the least bit common.

This applies to both sides of the story. Common sense would dictate using a life jacket not just having it handy.

Common sense would also suggest if one is going to write a law concerning public safety then one should go the whole hog with said law.

But that does not seem to be the Province's way.

That said, Alberta likes to stick its legislative nose in everyone's business be it needed or not.

We've got some silly laws that serve no purpose and others that are window-dressing at best.

Laws get changed or created all the time and in many cases it's to make the Province look like it's doing something.

Sometimes in the late nineties a young adult riding in the back of a pick up truck got thrown out and killed as the result of an accident.

His mother got the legal ball rolling and got the Province to declare it illegal for anyone to ride in the back of a truck.

This was annoying.

Riding in the back of a truck can be safe if one does not do anything stupid.

Further, as I recall the truck driver was drunk.

This was the real issue.

Not the rider in the box, the driver.

Also, we have no idea if the young man was minding his own business and died as a result of simple misfortune and the drunk driver, or if he was drunk, too, and did something stupid while riding.

The above sounds like blaming the victim. I'm sorry. It's not supposed to. I blame the driver.

We can see how one person can make a difference, but I've yet to hear of a drownee's loved one making a fuss about wearing life jackets. That would be a sensible change.

We can't ride in a truck box.

It's against the law to have your expired insurance card in your vehicle.

It is, or at least was, against the law to have a copy of your driver's license for use.

Frankly, those last two laws are nonsense.

But wear a life jacket?

Nope, that's your call.

Do I want this changed?

Actually, no.

In this matter, sad as it may be, the only law I'd care to see applied here is survival of the fittest.

Paddling while wearing a life jacket.

Sensible enough to wear it, not just have it.