CHARLIE PETERS ON COAST GUARD SAFETY STANDARDS
Topic: Coast Guard11. October 2005 |
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From a piece I wrote in 1980:
In my first annual report on the Lewes-Cape May ferry that crosses the
mouth of the Delaware Bay, I complained that the sign reading “Life
Boats This Way” pointed the 700 passengers to two boats with a capacity
of 25 each. In my next report, I noted an improvement: the “Life
Boats This Way” sign had been painted over. this year the signs
are back, and beside the two life boats ae six life rafts, each of
which also carries 25 people. So now the 700 people can charge up
narrow stairways of the vessel — which the United States Coast Guard
continues to certify — and compete for a total of 200 places in the
boats and rafts….If you are saying 200 places are better than 50,
instead of why not 700, then you should immediately apply for a
goverrnment job. And if you are the sort who said why not 700, and you
went to work for the govenrment anyway, it wouldn't be long before you
would be congratulating yourself on having reached 200.


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