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Lapworth "canal Rage"


Neil2

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Descending the Lapworth flight earlier today we were asked by the volunteer lockie to wait after exiting lock 7 (IIRC), leave the lock empty and wait for a boat coming up. Fair enough we thought and put the kettle on. A few minutes later a woman appears at the lock we had just left and starts to fill it, shouting at us for leaving the gates open. I returned to the lock and explained why we had left the gates open and that the lockie had asked us to wait. She carried on regardless with a "Oh he's just a volunteer"

 

The woman then proceeded to fill the lock below us as well, and at this point I asked if they were thinking of taking the lock in front of us. "You can go ahead if you like" she replied, to which I explained, again, that we had been asked to wait. "Look it's only because he doesn't want boats meeting in the short pound - he's only a volunteer," she repeated.

 

By this time their boat was already halfway in the next lock. Then the lockie arrived. There was a heated exchange during which this woman told the lockie to "bugger off" and away they went.

 

Now, I have to admit had we not been asked to wait we would have carried on, the boat coming up the flight was maybe two locks away. But we felt obliged to comply with the lockie's "instructions" regardless and there's surely no excuse for being rude. But I wondered afterwards if there is more general anarchy towards CRT volunteers. The lockie concerned said it was hardly an isolated incident, and that a certain percentage of boaters "just don't like to see volunteers working locks".

 

What do other members think?

 

 

 

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I don't know the Lapworth flight (at least I don't think I do) but if the other boat was two locks away and boats following you down it might have been more logical to meet in the next pound along. I suppose it depends on the water levels, which the lockie probably knew more about than you or he boater following. Me, I would have done what I was asked, but then I'm never in a hurry.

But perhaps the lockie should have gone up and told the next boat up as well as you.

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With the Atherton rage that makes 2 on here .

I think that the volunteer should report the woman to CRT as she was not to know whether there had been an incident .

There is no excuse for bad mouthing a volunteer in this case .

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It does seem the worst place possible to ask you to wait, if i am counting currectly lock 7 is where the towpath changes sides,and the pound below that is really bad to pass in due to the alignment with the lock below. Yes the next few down are short, but they are on a straigher alignment. So I think I would have been questioning the decision to plan to pass there.

 

Certainly not condoning the womans behaviour though.

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With the Atherton rage that makes 2 on here .

I think that the volunteer should report the woman to CRT as she was not to know whether there had been an incident .

There is no excuse for bad mouthing a volunteer in this case .

 

I've got mixed feelings on this. There's no excuse for abusing the CRT volunteer - they are there to help

 

On the other hand, they are there to help, not to run the flight or take responsibility for my boat or actions

 

I like to be helped by volunteers

 

Richard

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I think that the volunteer should report the woman to CRT as she was not to know whether there had been an incident .

 

Report her for what exactly? Not following the instructions (passed on to her second hand) of someone that doesn't have any authority?

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I am always grateful to see a blue jumper in the distance as I'm approaching a lock. Some people seem to have a real issue with them which is strange. Some of the stories i hear about the stick they get makes me embarrassed to be a boater sometimes.

 

They are people, mostly non-boaters, who give up their free time unpaid to come and do their best to help folk like you and me. Yes i appreciate there might be the odd bad apple around the system, but personally I've never found them to be anything other than keen and helpful.

  • Greenie 2
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I've got mixed feelings on this. There's no excuse for abusing the CRT volunteer - they are there to help

 

On the other hand, they are there to help, not to run the flight or take responsibility for my boat or actions

 

I like to be helped by volunteers

 

Richard

I agree with that. At the Bratch for example they ask a simple question "would you like some help" so a simple yes or no thank you. Now me I will always take the help Edited by cotswoldsman
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Its a no win situation for them they are doing locks where in the past we did them ourselves, but CRT mistakenly think it is good PR.

Maybe if instead of doing Locks they offer to assist but primarily educate the Gongoozlers about boating the history and future aims handing out info leaflets that may mention Friends of, but not chugging.

However if some one is asked to wait then surely we should respect that .

Report her for what exactly? Not following the instructions (passed on to her second hand) of someone that doesn't have any authority?

Road accident ahead around bend policeman stops car asks driver to stop any cars what would you do ?
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I am always grateful to see a blue jumper in the distance as I'm approaching a lock. Some people seem to have a real issue with them which is strange. Some of the stories i hear about the stick they get makes me embarrassed to be a boater sometimes.

 

They are people, mostly non-boaters, who give up their free time unpaid to come and do their best to help folk like you and me. Yes i appreciate there might be the odd bad apple around the system, but personally I've never found them to be anything other than keen and helpful.

 

I agree with that. At the Bratch for example they ask a simple question "would you like some help" so a simple yes or no thank you. Now me I will always take the help

I agree with both these comments

 

Peter

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.

Road accident ahead around bend policeman stops car asks driver to stop any cars what would you do ?

Hardly comparable. Policeman has authority to stop traffic, vollocky doesn't.

Edited by Delta9
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I'm wondering if the OP means Lock 6 (the one with the steel balance beams) rather than Lock 7?

 

It would make sense to be asked to wait here if there was a boat coming up round the corner as passing on the straight pound between Locks 6 & 7 is a lot easier than passing on the bend between 7 & 8. Having said that I have passed a full length boat here but by means of going 'wrong side' and reversing into the side pound.

 

I've no problem with the volokkies at Lapworth, help is always welcome. 'Red Wharf' lives at Kingswood Basin so we use the flight a lot.

Edited by Victor Vectis
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Its a no win situation for them they are doing locks where in the past we did them ourselves, but CRT mistakenly think it is good PR.

Maybe if instead of doing Locks they offer to assist but primarily educate the Gongoozlers about boating the history and future aims handing out info leaflets that may mention Friends of, but not chugging.

However if some one is asked to wait then surely we should respect that .

Road accident ahead around bend policeman stops car asks driver to stop any cars what would you do ?

And then you get the posting," I was coming up the flight and he just stood there chatting to people, he didn't lift a finger to help me"

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I'm wondering if the OP means Lock 6 (the one with the steel balance beams) rather than Lock 7?

 

It would make sense to be asked to wait here if there was a boat coming up round the corner as passing on the straight pound between Locks 6 & 7 is a lot easier than passing on the bend between 7 & 8. Having said that I have passed a full length boat here but by means of going 'wrong side' and reversing into the side pound.

 

I've no problem with the volokkies at Lapworth, help is always welcome. 'Red Wharf' lives at Kingswood Basin so we use the flight a lot.

 

You're probably right, I was guessing at the lock number but what you describe is what the lockie was trying to avoid.

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Hardly comparable. Policeman has authority to stop traffic, vollocky doesn't.

Policeman is dealing with incident and has asked driver of car from that direction and also one driver from other direction
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I must say, I much prefer the volockies to 'just stand there, chatting'.

 

As a single hander I am fully accustomed to doing the locks myself. When someone interferes helps I find it puts me right off my stride and I'm far more inclined to make mistakes, CRT volunteer or not.

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the scenario mentioned is the cop asking for your help.

 

until his cavalry mates turn up

 

Been there.

Worn the hi-vis.

 

But then I have been trained to do so through another volunteer group I'm a member of.

 

And when they do ignore me and then meet the Police at the incident they get both barrels from the Police!!

 

Any member of the public abusing a volunteer in whatever job they do is unnecessary and should be reported.

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