Received: from hplms26.hpl.hp.com by opus.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1) id AA07286; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 13:02:22 -0700 Return-Path: <westes@usc.com-DeleteThis> Received: from uucp9.netcom.com by hplms26.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.36.108.4/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1S) id AA20856; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 13:04:10 -0700 Received: from localhost by netcomsv.netcom.com with UUCP (8.6.4/SMI-4.1) id MAA07812; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 12:58:27 -0700 Received: by usc.com (NX5.67d/NX3.0M) id AA01469; Wed, 8 Jun 94 12:52:36 -0700 From: Will Estes <westes@usc.com-DeleteThis> Message-Id: <9406081952.AA01469@usc.com-DeleteThis> Subject: Re: Rescue and crissy wind To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 12:52:36 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <199406081858.LAA14485@paris.CS.Berkeley.EDU-DeleteThis> from "Luigi Semenzato" at Jun 8, 94 12:05:22 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL23] Content-Type: text Content-Length: 1753
'Luigi Semenzato says:'
> > [...] they [the Coast Guard] are getting increasingly upset of
> > having to "continuously rescue those windsurfers." They are talking
> > of trying require the purchase of a permits to allow you to launch
> > off crissy.
>
> Why don't they just charge for rescues? There must be some profound
> reason, but at the moment it escapes me. Most windsurfers would be
> able to pay for it, and perhaps even happy to do so if it's cheaper
> than their about-to-be-ditched $800 rig.
>
> Perhaps they could charge less than the calculated cost of the rescue,
> so it would still be a partly subsidized service. The main benefit
> from charging directly is that we would not be subsidizing stupidity,
> like wearing thin wetsuits or not replacing worn-out parts.
>
> On the other hand, it's quite possible that most of the people who
> need to be rescued aren't doing anything more stupid than average, in
> which case perhaps a permit would be a fair solution. Does anybody
> have a feeling for which is the case? ---Luigi
First, I agree that the Coast Guard could charge for each rescue, but you
need to understand that charging even $200 doesn't begin to offset their
costs. I read somewhere that every time the chopper goes up with a team it
costs a minimum of something like $2,000. They aren't going to recover
that by charging you $200 for the rescue.
I think that something like a season permit creates the right
economic environment for the Coast Guard. If an increasing number of
windsurfers has the effect of increasing their revenues, I think that they
are going to take our interests more to heart.
-- Thanks, Will Estes Internet: westes@usc.com-DeleteThis U.S. Computer Saratoga, CA 95070
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