IanD

Or more accurately, they don't have the staff (and money) to enforce them?

Oh dear, don't you like being contradicted or having someone point out that what you wrote was wrong? Sorry if I've hurt your feelings... 😉

I find it very strange that in all the time I've spent on the canals over the years the worst we've ever suffered is having a lifebelt nicked off the roof and being untied one Halloween, in spite of having travelled through all the areas people keep saying are horribly dangerous, sometimes several times *and* during school holidays. Maybe it's because I don't treat teenagers as potentially thieving scum but say "Hi" to them? And it often turns out they're actually quite interested to know about boats and the canals, if only you talk to them like they're human beings... I've also been asked a couple of times if they could have a ride on the boat, and had to sorrowfully say "Sorry lads, but it's only insured for us" not just turn them down flat. Maybe they did want to come on board so they could nick anything not nailed down, or maybe they just wanted a ride on a boat, how would I know? 😉 I'm not saying that all teenagers are innocent and that nasty incidents don't occur, just that the fear of them can be far more negative than the small number of actual incidents which get magnified out of all proportion on the internet...

I'm not confused, but your endless slagging off of CART and Richard Parry while refusing to acknowledge the difficult position they're in due to lack of funding, or having any suggestion about what they could do about it, while rejoicing in the fact that you don't even use the canals any more, seems like it belongs in another forum. Have you thought of the Daily Wail letters page, that seems more appropriate?