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Actually, you are wrong. Exactly TWO people were probably rude/confrontational that day. You were one of them. It may well be that the other bloke got the wrong end of the stick, and waded in feet first to remonstrate. I would agree that had the incident occured here in the UK shouting "OY" would certainly have been rude. However, whilst my French is passable enough, I would if in a foreign country always assume that I am insufficiently aware of the local idiom or custom to be 100% certain whether that mode of address is rude. When in Rome... However, you were all too well aware of the reason that he was trying to address you, but you chose to ignore him because it amused you to provoke a confrontation with him for having the temerity to address you in a particular way. His behaviour may or may not have been outside the norms of polite behaviour. Your behaviour was provocative, self-important and oafish.

Well after my maiden voyage out of the marina on saturday nervous would be a word i`d use that said as i headed for Loughborough the nerves soon faded i thought a little trip up to the basin turn round then back to the safety of the Marina, The nerves the sweat and the OMG soon returned as i tried to turn around and ended up T-boning the wall in front of me then as i tried to get out of that mess i ended up being pinned to wall sideways on Talk about a VERY EMBARRASSING MOMENT .................................... Then a voice shouts to me ARE YOU OFF THE FORUMS BY ANY CHANCE as i very sheepishly said i might be, this voice said ive been told to look out for you and after he guided me through the ropes of getting un stuck his mate joined him to help when on the side mored up i was talked into turning the boat around staying the night then heading through the locks to then turn around at the river mouth the next morning. I have to say a very big THANK YOU TO 3 PEOPLE (forum uses) who all came to my rescue and who i hope to be able to call new friends , Ally, Marc, and Gerry, it was great to meet you all Since starting out on this adventure of being a liveaboard boater it still suprises me just how very friendly other boat users are so much more friendlier to land lovers.

Still can't make sense of the original story, or why you obviously think it's a) clever and b)funny. You go past a queue of boats waiting for a lock, moor up right by the lock and then complain that they think you are queue jumping? If the lock is shut for a while, I presume they are all tied up, so you are in an identical situation except you're on what would in the UK be the lock mooring? Looks like sheer arrogance and deliberate rudeness to me, and I'm not at all surprised by the reaction you got. Luckily, you met some people who didn't suffer from the same complaints and bothered to be polite.

Not having a go. Just pointing out that it takes two to make a row. He wound you up, you wound him up in return. It seems to me that a simple statement as I suggested would have defused the situation pretty quickly but you weren't interested so you were as complicit in the canal rage as he was

Look back at his posting style. Does it surprise you that he would do something that was capable of misinterpretation, then find some excuse to wind others up about it.

Ah. Bloody mindedness then

Chris I'm wondering why you didn't say early on "I'm stopping for my lunch, please go past me"

Oh it does make me laugh. There's a lock coming up, never been here before, by the look of the hire boats waiting, it's just round the bend. I'm going to stop for lunch and let the queue clear but let's just see what's round the bend. Plenty of room to turn round if there's nowhere to moor. Round the bend and there's a right shady little spot, perfect. Right up by the lock. No-one moored there. I see if I get the boat in I'll be under the tree and can watch the fun and games while I have a leisurely lunch. So there I am, pootling along on tickover, and I hear "OY" someone behind my left ear. Now anyone who knows me even a little will know I answer to my name, or any polite form of address, I have never and will never answer to "OY". So, ignore. carry on. "OY", "OY". Anyway I get to my intended spot, stop, neatly because there's an audience. And geezer arrives, still shouting, "monsieur" this time but shouting "You can't moor there, we're all waiting". "I know" I say, quietly, "and I don't respond to "OY" (Actually now I given you a clue it was more of a "euh" than an "oy" but the meaning was clear. He was obviously asking his dog to desist at smelling a lady's arse or somesuch. So he repeats himself, a little louder, because I obviously am mooring there, my ropes are off, I'm off - it's a clue "You can't moor there, we're all waiting". I say in my best French (not that good really but I try) "Oui, monsieur, je ne suis pas stupide". He's been talking in English all this time..... and he repeats himself "you can't moor there" (a little louder, the English are obviously deaf as well as stupid) so I say again, in english this time (the french usually understand my english better than my french) "monsieur, I am not stupid" and pojnt out again that I never answer to 'heu" or "oy" - my french had not been really equal to this challenge - so this time he says, in English, "This is France,we talk in french". I am quite obviously straining not to laugh. So I say, "d'accord, nous parlons Francais" and he says, in English "You can't moor there we're all waiting" at which I told him in my best French that I didn't understand his french and he was being very rude. That my friends say the french are rude but I don't agree. At which point he stomps off to complain with someone else "au revoir M Grossier" I say, as I believe in politeness. An Australian woman comes up at this point and starts to explain, in English, that he was worried I was jumping the queue. I told her a. I'd gathered that b. I don't do being shouted at. So she says, "let's start again" I say "Ok, hello, my names Chris" - turns out she's Susan and I say, as the lock is shut for lunch I'm going to stop under this lovely shady tree and have a french lunch and watch them all go up the lock. We parted on very good terms. I also had to apologise to a scotsman because I didn't understand him (o these language issues) and I settled down in the shade and had lunch. All the queueing boats got to go up the lock. I am childishly glad to report that M Grossier was also Mr Incompetent, big style. I watched a bit of French holiday sunday hire boating (much like the English version) and went up the lock in turn. Ironically I would have been at the lock before all of them but by chance and stopping to help someone start his engine - I discovered someone who didn't buy my boat because it was for sale for €100,000 -so we had a great laugh and I have a new French friend. So it's not just Braunston Pickle on a Sunday or Bradford Lock on Easter Monday. It happens on the Canal du Midi too.

As most of probably know, for at least the last 12 months BW/CRT have been warning that they are intending to change the present card reader electricity pillars to new smart metered ones. Coming up the Lapworth flight a few weeks ago I saw that the pillars at Kingswood moorings had been changed and so had those at Gas Street. I emailed West Midlands Region to ask what was happening at those sites where there is a visitor mooring amongst the permanent moorings such as Ocker Hill and Cuckoo Wharf. I received a reply from Rob Broadbent, Senior Moorings Manager, stating that these pillars were only for permanent boats and not visitors. I replied thus: Thanks for your reply but it is not very satisfactory. From my memory, these are the residential mooring sites which also have visitor moorings and where electricity bollards have always been made available to those visitors. It is not that there has been no way of securing these bollards, in most of these sites there are far more power outlets than there are boat spaces so it is not a case of visitors using a bollard that is really allocated to someone else, or of visitors using someone else's electricity, it is about all boaters making best use of the facilities available. Many of these sites have been sold as winter moorings in the past and advertised as having electricity available. Cuckoo Wharf, Birmingham Titford Pumphouse, Birmingham Ocker Hill, Birmingham Engine Arm, Smethwick, Birmingham Doncaster Stourport Worcester These sites also have dedicated visitor moorings but divorced from the residential ones. What are your plans for these? Is it that you will have the residential part with smart metering and the visitor part with card readers? Do you not think a dual system will lead to confusion over repairs and maintenance plus the increased costs of supplying less cards in future.? Shire Oaks Marina, Chesterfield Canal Bardney, River Witham Eastwood, Rotherham Clarence Dock, Leeds And finally, these are completely separate visitor moorings with power. Will these stay as card readers or eventually change to smart metering? Liverpool, Salthouse Dock. New Islington, Manchester Newark Cromwell Lock Gloucester Docks We have a number of electricity cards for the West Midlands region which, as you probably know, do not work elsewhere. If these are now unusable, are going to refund us for these or are we expected to bear the costs of the Trusts ill thought out decision? You must be aware that cruising boaters make good use of these power points to catch up with their washing rather than running generators. At this time with increasing pressure on emissions and noise pollution I feel that removing them is a backward step. I would draw your attention to the continuing complaints by residents to the noise and smell from the Islington visitor moorings. Whilst I recognise the peculiar circumstances there, much of the complaint would be alleviated by the provision of electricity pillars. As of tonight, 2 weeks after send the email I have not received and acknowledgment or reply. We moored at Ocker Hill last Friday and the pillar that feeds the two empty moorings there (they have always been empty when we have been there and so I assume are for visitors) has been replaced by a new smart metered pillar, complete with 2 telephone outlets and a TV socket, even though it will probably never be used. The remote monitoring and control of the new system is undertaken by Meter MACS who confirm there is no reason why these pillars cannot be used by all boaters providing they have registered to get the necessary customer number and PIN. Whilst it is possible that those pillars on dedicated visitor mooring sites, ie the last 5 listed, will remain as card reading, I don’t see the 4 in the middle group remaining so as CRT would have half the site on the new system and half on the old. What I would really like to know is what is happening at the other sites around the country. Regards Pete `]

Unlike you I have more than one brain cell and thought that up all by myself. Phil

Is it not ok to have a permanent mooring, then take your boat elsewhere and moor it according to the rules, ie 14 days or 48hrs? How else is one supposed to go on holiday? I had a permanent mooring, and very occasionally(once or twice a year) I would move 100 yards onto a visitor mooring for a bit of sunshine and didn't feel even a tiny bit guilty. Equally, we would take off for a weekend, a week or a fortnight. How else would you enjoy having a boat? Just because you live on it doesn't mean you can't have holibobs.

We were helped out by so many when we started out, quite a few of whom were from these forums! It's all about paying it forwards, one day you will meet someone just starting out and experience the joy of helping them

I bet the people who's boats' gear selection mechanism failed, or the propeller fell off at that critical time, were equally convinced that their boat would go into reverse!

I'd say very few moorers have 'issues' with CCers. But this ignores the third category - boaters who license their boat as having no home mooring but who instead of CCing choose to moor in one spot on the towpath for as long as they possibly can until spotted by CRT and moved on/ticketed. Especially those whose possessions have spilled out onto the towpath and into the hedge thereby illustrating how long they have probably been there. These are the boaters towards whom some moorers have a hostile attidude. MtB P.S. Actually I would imagine objection to this type of 'boating' comes from all quarters rather than home-moorers specifically.

What if you'd picked up a load of weed on the props just as you needed to reverse? I know you contest that Tupperware boats are tougher then us sewer tube owners think, but I don't think the owner of the moored boat would like to test that theory out.

The incident on the canal is one thing and neither seems to have come out of it with much dignity. What I can't fathom though, is why anyone would start a thread about it on here, describing the events in such smug and pompous tones? How can it not reflect on the character of the author?

Agree, the forum would be a worse place without Dave Mayall. While he will often post unpopular opinions in arguments, he does demonstrate well that he either holds knowledge on the topic (and can back it up with good evidence to support him) or makes it clear that its his held opinion. And he does so politely. Chris Pink, however, seems to enjoy abusing other posters in such a foul way that is distasteful and after a while, one learns to simply ignore or sideline such immature rants he comes out with. I dare say Mr Pink has posted some useful information in the past, but it is overshadowed by his lack of interpersonal skills. This thread is another example of this!

I'm afraid that whilst certain things may "seem to you" to be born out of certain motives, you may not be right! Firstly, I believe that you are mistaken in your belief that there is hostility between Moorers and CCers. I don't believe that there is any such hostility. Certainly, as a moorer (and I accept that other moorers may have a different opinion), I have not the slightest issue with people who choose to be CCers for the reasons that you state. As a consequence, the presumed motivation for this non-existent hostility is rather a moot point! I want to keep my boat in a particular area all the time, therefore I pay for that. You don't want that, so you don't. Where I do take issue is with those who seek the label of a CCer for themselves, but don't actually CC. Your final part about CCers "doing more to help people" doesn't stand up to scrutiny, Mooring status is no guide to how much a boater uses the canal system.

Moan moan moan during the winter (it's cold, how do I keep warm?...) Moan moan moan during summer (it's hot, how do I keep cool?) Just make the most of every day hot days are good, and cold days are good. Well, cold days are better, but you get the gist..

Yeahbut, are you going to crash your boat into a weir like a d*ckhead 'cause you're picky about someone's communication skills in the heat of the moment? Ye gods! You're the one motoring right past a queue of waiting boats by a lock without communicating a single word of explanation. At least they other guy attempted *some* sort of communication. Three other people spoke to you? Only one other was confrontational? <facepalm> Unless motivations are entirely selfish, the better thing to do might be to respond but call them out on it and politely but firmly suggest the different ways they could respectfully get people's attention in future. cheers, Pete. ~smpt~

Just be grateful she didn't expect you to start drinking F*sters or Castlemaine

Blimey Chris, you need to get your prescription renewed I think. MtB

So, heading down an unfamiliar river at night with a bit of flow on, you're heading unknowingly into strong weir flow instead of toward the lock. Some boater rightly concerned for your safety shouts Oy! Oy! OY! OY! OOOOYYYY!!! So what do you do, clever clogs? Really Chris gloating over your childish behaviour is letting the side down , you make Hudson owners look like paragons of virtue cheers, Pete.

Seems i posted my greetings in the wrong bit.............so here goes again............Happy Birthday

Report them to the beak. They won't be able to duck out of this one. The one at the back would plead "innocent" Mallard. To get that clip on here must have been a Web feat. You should have shouted "Go-sling your hook"

Are they C&RT volunteers in charge of removing boats illegally moored at lock landings

Catch some wood pigeons, tie them to your head and shoulders, shout bang from time to time and you have a lovely cooling flappy feeling

Which means that CRT will have to deal with it themselves. The rules are complex, and the enforcement of them less than simple. There are those who would seek to exploit the complexity and difficulties in enforcement for their own ends, to the detriment of others. CRT needs to find the best way of applying the powers that they have so as to create, so far as is possible, fairness. Repeatedly we hear that its only a small minority that are taking the piss, and that it isn't a problem, but it is the way of things that if people take the piss and you do nothing about it other people start to say "why should I obey the rules if others don't" We sometimes hear stories of people who stayed on a 14 day mooring for 28 days (or on the 48 hour mooring at Bugsworth for a week) who assure us that it wasn't a problem, because at no time was the mooring full. These assurances that overstaying is OK, provided the mooring never gets full ignore the fact that the reason that the mooring never got full is because 90% of other boaters obey the rules. If everybody ignored the rules like them there would be problems. Fairness demands that everybody plays by the same rules, rather than a minority deciding that they can have more.

Well I have to laugh. It used to be CCers that got a hard time and now it is people that pay for a mooring!!! It still boils down to the fact that people seem to spend a lot of time and energy worrying about what other people do when actually it does not effect them anyway. Edited to alter predictive text

Could this system be further developed for removing some French people when pushing into queues?