Kerre McIvor: Rule change won't save morons from their own stupidity

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There have been renewed calls for the wearing of lifejackets to be compulsory whenever anyone goes out on to the water.

Water Safety Auckland says that if the Auckland Council changes its rules to enforce the wearing of lifejackets, drowning deaths could be prevented.

With all due respect to the wonderful work this organisation does, what absolute and utter hogwash.

Would the numbnuts who head out on to the harbour, liquored up, in an overcrowded tinny, lacking any knowledge of maritime rules, unable to swim and in the teeth of a howling gale take a blind bit of notice of a bylaw that deems it necessary to wear a lifejacket while boating?

These morons have ignored every other common sense rule about being on the water.

Why on earth would they pay any heed to a compulsory lifejacket bylaw?

I've always thought when I've read these stories that calling the deaths a tragedy is wide of the mark.

It may be a tragedy for their families or the children who have no say in what happens on a boat.

But the deaths of people who have flouted the basic principles of seamanship is simply an inevitable consequence of their poor decisions.

Or God's little pruning fork.

Whichever you prefer.