I dislike being treated like a criminal

[Athy]

It's very simple CART are just trying to rob more cash out of boaters and remove liveaboards from the system. Personally I do not stay more than 14 days in a set place as like to move around, however I like the Oxford and have many friends in the area and I cannot see a problem going up and down this canal over a period of time. Most of us are continuous cruisers. I think CART have overstepped the mark by thretening live aboards and trying to remove them from the canal. The canal would be a VERY boring place without the liveaboard community, imagine a canal system with sbb (shiny boat brigade) and weekend warriors alone yuk.

 

I agree there are people who take a liberty staying in one place for long periods of time do need to move around, plus overstaying in towns is wrong.

 

If you read the so called 'Guide for boaters without a home mooring' it basically says that point A for forteen days followed by point B for 14 days then not returning to A from B..... However it says nothing about going back from C to A unless I'm missing something!!!

 

They are saying it is up to the ramdom decission of some over paid CART burocrat who decides wether they give you a license based on your cruising history. Many people will get this wrong if enforced and others will be taking CART to court by the dozen which will lead to a massive legal cost to CART (which comes out of your license fee)

 

If CART are not careful in their enforcment policy I imagine the thousends of liveaboards on the system will bring the system to a standstill

Is that Jim on the aubergine-coloured boat? Welcome!

[Naughty Cal]

​I have a lovely shiny boat that I don't live on, is kept in a marina and is used as much as time and family commitments allow, my boat is shiny because I've worked bloody hard all my life and appreciate everything I have and just because I don't neglect it or fill the roof with logs and geraniums I seem to be viewed by some folk in this forum as the boating anti-christ!

You think you have problems.

 

I have a shiny plastic gin palace that is kept in a marina and not lived on.

 

If you are the antichrist what does that make us

[cotswoldsman]

CRT has a problem with boaters who don't do what they are expected to do, so it is perfectly reasonable to have warnings of the consequences of non-compliance. With licences, it's not fair that those who pay up on time are subsidising use of the canals by those whose boats are unlicensed. 'License it or lose it' is a useful reminder of our obligations.

Why would you need reminding when your new licence is in the same envelop? What am I missing here?

[Guest]

CRT has a problem with boaters who don't do what they are expected to do, so it is perfectly reasonable to have warnings of the consequences of non-compliance. With licences, it's not fair that those who pay up on time are subsidising use of the canals by those whose boats are unlicensed. 'License it or lose it' is a useful reminder of our obligations.

Not really though when you have gone through the process of obtaining one already and it's contained within the same correspondence. Thankfully CRT have seen how illogical it was and removed it. It wasn't on the correspondence that came with our new licence yesterday.

[b0atman]

I thought the Licencing issue was nearly sorted and that the latest issue is continuous moorers ?

So SHIFT OR BEGONE

[cotswoldsman]

I thought the Licencing issue was nearly sorted and that the latest issue is continuous moorers ?

So SHIFT OR BEGONE

Ah well it keeps everyone distracted from minor issues such as maintenance and Long Term Moorings

[costalot]

Why would you need reminding when your new licence is in the same envelop? What am I missing here?

 

CRT saved 50p in postage! :-)

[Guest]

Why would you need reminding when your new licence is in the same envelop? What am I missing here?

Indeed. It's a bit like a shop having a sign at the exit saying

 

"if you hadn't paid for the items in your bag you would have been nicked for shoplifting".

 

They have responded on that one though which is good.

[KevMc]

My Dad started getting letters from a company claiming that he had committed an offence and owed them money. My Dad is quite ill and worries a lot. The letters escalated and they threatened him with court, eventually telling him how to prepare for his day in court. Eventually he gave in and paid them off to leave him alone even though he had done nothing and owed them nothing.

 

now he has a TV license he doesn't require...

 

CRT are nothing compared to those guys..... they keep threatening and threatening, you have to read the notice very carefully to realise that they haven't done anything ... but still I am waiting for the actual summons and my day in court

[Guest]

CRT saved 50p in postage! :-)

How? The letter had to be sent as it contained your licences.

[mayalld]

Indeed. It's a bit like a shop having a sign at the exit saying

 

"if you hadn't paid for the items in your bag you would have been nicked for shoplifting".

 

 

Ever used the self scan handsets at Tesco, or the self ckeckout at Ikea?

[MtB]

 

CRT saved 50p in postage! :-)

 

 

Since when has posting a letter cost only 50p?

 

 

MtB

[cotswoldsman]

 

 

Since when has posting a letter cost only 50p?

 

 

MtB

For CRT when they do a bulk mail out

[Guest]

Ever used the self scan handsets at Tesco, or the self ckeckout at Ikea?

I suspect they remind you during the process? Not when you have actually paid for your items, packed them and are in the process of putting them in your car boot which would actually be a better analogy than my original 'sign at the exit' one.

[Mike Todd]

As far as I can see it is a concerted effort on the part of CRT to get people to satisfy what they (the board) feel is a cruising pattern acceptable for boaters without a home mooring.

 

That doesn't make you or anybody else a criminal.

Is a breach of CRT (by)laws a crime or civil matter?

I must have had a different email than you as mine did everything accept tell me what was acceptable

Because they cannot. What they can tell you is under what circumestances they plan to take action and that such action ultimately may be tested in court.

Does anyone know what Bill actually did???

If you have delivery from Tesco that would make shoplifting a bit problematic I would suggest

Depends on whetrher they mistakenly leave the van door open during the delivery

[Guest]

Oh dear God I hate this shiny boat divisiveness! As if we haven't got enough to disagree about.

 

Our boat isn't shiny and is more than a little bit scruffy. No big choice just funding prioritisation (I can hardly plead poverty when we spent 3 weeks in America last year and four weeks in New Zealand the year before)

 

I totally understand the desire for your pride and joy to look good and have no understanding of why that would be a problem for anyone. I look at those lovely boats with envy - to a degree. Our boat will always wear her roof furniture with pride - our roof is our garden shed

Agree 100%

[kris88]

Thanks for all your replies. I still don't think anybody has explained how CRT can justify treating it's customers as criminals.

Regards kris

Edited March 6, 2015 by kris88

[Sabcat]

I'm amused that "shiny boat" is a description that's taken literally. Some get it, some don't.

[jenlyn]

Thanks for all your replies. I still don't think anybody has explained how CRT can justify treating it's customers as criminals.

Regards kris

Historically, it does come across that way.

You are not the only one to mention that you feel this way.

Even if its a small number with such feelings, CRT should be going out of their way to reassure people that it is not the case.

They choose for whatever reason not to do this, which then escalates the issue.

 

To my mind, their approach does quite often come across as "bullying", especially when you have an employee stating, "not on my canal mate".

 

The other factor is of course, in affect, they have a monopoly.

[Machpoint005]

>> It's very simple CART are just trying to rob more cash out of boaters <<

 

If you are referring to money that CRT is entitled to legally, it certainly isn't robbery. Anyone playing by the rules has nothing to worry about.

 

Official emails do have a tendency to make the recipient infer an impersonal, aggressive and confrontational tone. That's usually the way it is and I suggest the OP just gets over it. To echo somebody else, does he take 30mph limit signs as a personal affront too?

[Athy]

I'm amused that "shiny boat" is a description that's taken literally. Some get it, some don't.

?

Of course it's literal. If I regularly clean my boat, polish the brasswork and keep her paintwork spruce, she is shiny. If I don't, she isn't.

How can you have a metaphorical shiny boat?

[mayalld]

Thanks for all your replies. I still don't think anybody has explained how CRT can justify treating it's customers as criminals.

Regards kris

 

They aren't.

 

Failing to comply with the terms of your licence is NOT a criminal matter, so they are not treating anybody like a criminal.

 

The facts are that more than a trivial number of people registered as CCers are not actually cruising very much at all.

 

Clearly, CRT could go down the path of only telling people once they beleve they are breaking the rules, but doesn't telling people up front give them the best chance of complying?

 

If CRT only wrote to some CCers, there would be howls of protest about victimisation.

[kris88]

Historically, it does come across that way.

You are not the only one to mention that you feel this way.

Even if its a small number with such feelings, CRT should be going out of their way to reassure people that it is not the case.

They choose for whatever reason not to do this, which then escalates the issue.

 

To my mind, their approach does quite often come across as "bullying", especially when you have an employee stating, "not on my canal mate".

 

The other factor is of course, in affect, they have a monopoly.

It's not just this most recent communications, all off my recent interactions with them have left me feeling less than satisfied as a customer

Regards kris

[mango]

Why would you need reminding when your new licence is in the same envelop? What am I missing here?

I put this in the same class as 'Shoplifters will be prosecuted' notices. I've used one as a reminder to license a boat when I have got back from holiday.

 

Everything that CRT does seems to be analysed in minute detail by some boaters. Give them a break.

[Athy]

 

 

Everything that CRT does seems to be analysed in minute detail by some boaters. Give them a break.

For some people on this forum, that might entail a choice between arm and leg.