Canal Rage

[Jackster]

Hi having read how laid back life afloat can be, it did make me wonder if there are any instances of road/canal rage?

[Guest]

Hi having read how laid back life afloat can be, it did make me wonder if there are any instances of road/canal rage?

 

There can be yes - we've never encountered any (though somebody once got got quite animated with us when he shouted at us for speeding when we weren't).

 

There have been a few instances mentioned on here usually in lock queues I think from memory.

 

The actuality normally lives up to the image though.

 

Ed. Oh hang on I remember I guy once getting really narked with me going down into Leeds last year. I was walking down with his wife to do the bottom paddles but stopped and said to her "let me just check the instruction board to make sure we do this correctly" (it was a staircase and I was a tad unsure) He immediately assumed I was coming back to my boat leaving his wife to do the donkey work and got all stroppy with me.

 

His wife explained and to be fair he apologised....

Edited June 12, 2012 by MJG

[Chris Pink]

yes, guilty.

 

I had a go at someone the other day for messing with my ropes and my reaction was over the top.

 

I have had to have severe words with myself and an examination of how stress had built up without my noticing.

 

so anyone meeting me on the boat in the near future is likely to meet someone very calm (until it all wears off)

[Laurie Booth]

The owner of the boat "Firefly of Uphill" threatened to beat me up.

[Ange]

We had a boater get stroppy with us last year because he thought we'd moored for the night on the lock landing then ran to the boat and cast off when we saw him coming to get ahead of him on the Atherstone flight.

 

When in fact Dave'd stopped on the lock landing then realised he left a mooring pin behind, so ran back to get it then back to the lock again where our son was working the boat through. I did post a thread at the time - I'll look for it later (we're on the move at the moment so my connection's a bit variable)

 

There's been a few minor incidences where boaters have thought I'm about to turn the lock on them, when in fact it hadn't been quite ready so I was setting it for them to come straight in, but they've always resulted in apologies.

 

It tends to stick in your memory when it does happen, but it really isn't that frequent.

[sarahavfc]

I had an incident at Alrewas when we moored on the visitor moorings near to the river lock. A boater was on the waterpoint, which was further away from the lock than where we were moored, but at the same time we both left our moorings. The lady on the boat obviously thought we were trying the race them to the lock, then proceeded to tell us (using a few choice words) what she thought of us. Anyway, I told her I was sorry if I had upset her and she was quite welcome to use the lock before me. I think she was quite surprised by this offer, didn't really know what to say, screamed a little more and said we should have the lock as we obviously wanted it more. Anyway, I'm not one for confrontation, so I pulled in and let them think they were snatching the lock from me, just so I didn't have to put up with her chirping in my ear as we worked through the lock.

 

 

I'm not sure why some people feel like they have to get this angry about small things, it just spoils the day for everyone.

Edited June 12, 2012 by sarahavfc

[Proper Job]

It happened to me a couple of years back: link

[Janet S]

We've only had one incident that I can recall, but my, it was a beauty!

 

I can't for the life of me remember where it was, but we were working our way down some paired narrow locks. Possibly somewhere on the Cheshire Ring? My memory fails me....I can't remember exactly where it was, but oh, I DO remember the occasion!

 

We had just gone into our lock when we noticed that something was amiss in the one adjacent...

 

Their boat was sitting waiting to leave the lock, with the bottom gates open and ready. However, instead of moving the boat out, picking up the crew and closing the gates behind them, the boat was simply sitting in the lock and the female crew member then moved back to the top gates and proceeded to lift all the previously closed paddles!

 

My OCM ran over to suggest that perhaps this wasn't a good move, whereby he was told that "This is the way we work locks, and this is the correct way...."

 

Yeah right! Open the bottom gates and all the top gate paddles and drain the pound, why don't you?

 

There was no way this woman would listen to reason...my OCM lost the plot at this point and raced round closing the paddles to prevent any further water loss. Meanwhile, I was stuck lockside with this woman who continued to attest that her way was the "right" way....she then puffed up her chest and came out with the classic line..."DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"

"No" I said, "but I do know that you're a bloody idiot if you think that's the right way to work through a lock!"

 

Turns out she was someone rather high up in the RYA...

 

Never before or since have I felt the need for wielding my windlass in anger on the canal, but my, she was so lucky that I restrained myself!

 

Janet

[Athy]

Great story, Janet.

I wonder if the fact that we have two concurrent threads called "Canal Rage" might induce, er, canal rage - of a sedentary nature, of course.

[matty40s]

I was a bit bored one sunny afternoon so walked up to the locks with my windlass to see if anyone needed a hand....

 

 

......thats when the argument started.......

[cotswoldsman]

I was a bit bored one sunny afternoon so walked up to the locks with my windlass to see if anyone needed a hand....

 

 

 

......thats when the argument started.......

 

Have a thingy actually made me laugh and as you know I have no sense of humour

[Janet S]

Ooops! Didn't realise there were two threads running on the same subject!

 

Janet

[Guest]

Ooops! Didn't realise there were two threads running on the same subject!

 

Janet

 

confusing innit - I'm not sure whether I'm at the park or the pictures....

[Jackster]

Great story, Janet.

I wonder if the fact that we have two concurrent threads called "Canal Rage" might induce, er, canal rage - of a sedentary nature, of course.

 

Oop's that will be my fault then

 

Should really learn to check before posting!

 

Some very good stories though and nearly all misunderstandings resulting in sheepish faces.

 

Best not to be too hasty lol

[Tuscan]

I was a bit bored one sunny afternoon so walked up to the locks with my windlass to see if anyone needed a hand....

 

 

......thats when the argument started.......

 

Have just dribbled red wine all over the dog with laughter - excellent

[Canalwatcher]

Above Abingdon lock on the Thames there can be an overlap between water point, pump out and queue for lock

 

We were talking yo the lock keeper about this and he told us that the day before he had to separate two senior citizens who were exchanging blows. OK I admit this is river rage but only slightly

 

Mick

[Catrin]

We came across an incident at the top of the Audlem flight over Easter.

[David Mack]

We came across an incident at the top of the Audlem flight over Easter.

 

That was Cake Rage!

[the grinch]

wasn't that old rage?

 

[David Schweizer]

Nothing is new, canal rage has existited for donkey's years. If you listen to some of the interviews of boat people conducted by the BBC in the 1930's, there are several accounts of punch ups between boatmen (and boatwomen) over lock priority.

[larkshall]

Nothing is new, canal rage has existited for donkey's years. If you listen to some of the interviews of boat people conducted by the BBC in the 1930's, there are several accounts of punch ups between boatmen (and boatwomen) over lock priority.

 

 

David, where do you find such interviews?

[mayalld]

I was a bit bored one sunny afternoon so walked up to the locks with my windlass to see if anyone needed a hand....

 

 

......thats when the argument started.......

 

Ah yes, Americans.

 

Always a tricky situation

[David Schweizer]

David, where do you find such interviews?

 

They are on "Cry from the Cut" here:-

 

Some of them also appear on the BBC record Narrowboats which can be found here:- http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/narrowboat_details.htm

 

I bought the BBC Narrowboats LP in 1964 and have since transferred it to CD, I also have a copy of "Cry from the Cut" given to me by another forum member.

Edited June 13, 2012 by David Schweizer