NEED OPINION

hbguy · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 7 City: Los Angeles

I need opinions on something that happened on the boat the other day.

While wakeboarding and about to bail on a jump, a rider threw the rope away from him as he was about to crash. Right after he crashed, the part of the rope over the boat (we have a boom) knocked the sunglasses off the head of someone sitting in the boat. The glasses fell in the water and are gone for good. The guy wearing the sunglasses views this as the rider's fault. He has even said the rider was "reckless" in "throwing the rope." We use a 65 foot rope so the handle didn't go near the boat. We could really use some opinions on this.

Any thoughts?????? Freak accident or rider's fault?

wakerider07 · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 3:03 pm Post subject:

rider - Taco Bell Chalupa for bailing

guy in boat - winy bitch

Laughing

HyPeDwAkE · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 3:03 pm Post subject:

I think that it is a little of both. Maybe they can split the cost because I mean that is just a risk you take from being in the boat with something falling in the water. But also the rider is at fault because he threw the rope... Thats what I think...

Hockeyplayer · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 3:09 pm Post subject:

no no no no no. The rider isn't at fault at all. In a baseball game when a player hits a foul ball and some one in the stands gets injured is it the batters fault?? No, There is an assumed risk in being on a boat surrounded by water and one of those risks includes unavoidable accidents that may occurr.

Maybe the guy with the sunglasses should have sat in a "safer" seat or not have been wearing his sunglasses. If that guy (the guy blaming the rider for losing his glasses) was on my boat I would never let him ride with me again.

People need to start taking responsibility for themselves.

wakerider07 · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 3:10 pm Post subject:

taco bell chalupa????

what happened to WHIMPS!!!!!!???? Laughing

(funniest forum ever)

colefooter · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 3:16 pm Post subject:

hbguy, throw the guy with the sunglasses in the water too it is not the riders fault

Tito · Criminal Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 75 City: Elk Grove

Sunglasses needs to sober up...sounds like kind of a wuss to me...does he wakeboard, or has he been in a boat before? because that kind of attitude does not really reflect a person who has been around boats....

Partyb · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 3:30 pm Post subject:

Sunglass guy is a p*ss&. He would be banned from my boat.

K-dub · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 14760

tell the guy with the sunglasses to stick em' where the sun dont shine....Are you sure it was really a guy? Sounds like a whining chick to me....

Lauri H · Outlaw Joined: 04 Aug 2004 Posts: 226 City: Theodosia

Sunglass guy needs to get a lanyard for his sunglasses if they are that important to him. Maybe they wouldn't have fallen off...
Just my opinion.
So, were you the guy with the sunglasses, or the rider? Wink

hbguy · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 7 City: Los Angeles

Thanks for the opinions.

There is one more fact to the story that is irrelevant to my initial question (whether it was the rider's fault or not), but this fact may influence the opinions given:

The sunglasses were the rider's. Before he got in the water, he took them off and put them in the side bin. The guy in the boat, without asking the rider, then put the glasses on to check them out. So, it is the rider who is complaining about losing his sunglasses. He says the glasses should have been right where he left them. The guy who put them on says it was the rider's fault for throwing the rope. Of course, the rider says his letting go of the rope wasn't the cause -- making a similar argument to the baseball thing made by soul rider. The rider says that he is owed a new pair of glasses since they would still be in the side bin had the guy on the boat not assumed the risk of them by putting them on his head.

Lauri H · Outlaw Joined: 04 Aug 2004 Posts: 226 City: Theodosia

Ahhh, that does change things a bit. I guess I would be pretty upset about the glasses in that case. I always put mine in the glove box when I am riding, and if they were taken out by someone else on the boat and lost, I would probably expect them to replace them. Of course, since mine are prescription, it probably wouldn't happen to me...

Tito · Criminal Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 75 City: Elk Grove

The rider is 100% right...the guy in the boat should not even have touched them...make him pay!!!!

Hockeyplayer · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 4:09 pm Post subject:

hbguy,

you omitted a very important part of the story. The rider is now partially at fault because he must assume some of the risk for bringing the glasses on the boat and leaving them unattended. It is still mainly the fault of the person who lost them but the rider has to accept some blame because he brought them on the boat in the first place.

K-dub · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 14760

the most important part was left out.....

of course it's the guys fault for losing them. If he wasn't told he could wear them, then he's really at fault. All I know is, if I came back in from my set, and someone had been wearing my glasses...and lost them....then trying to blame me because they're scared of the rope.....

...looking for an ass kicking, imo.

Hyperlite_ERA_135 · Criminal Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 62 City: beaumaris

Not the riders fault it was a freak accident never heard or seing it happen b4

Bowen · Posted: Oct 20, 2004 5:03 pm Post subject:

hbguy, here is my opinion:

Dump both of those riders...never let them in your boat again, and next time invite me to ride Cool

hbguy · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 7 City: Los Angeles

To answer your questions:

I'm the rider so they were my sunglasses. Oh, and it's my boat too.

882001 · Posted: Oct 21, 2004 6:51 am Post subject:

so you lost your own sunglasses? well its would be your fault.

89 skier · Addict Joined: 30 Jun 2004 Posts: 729 City: Dallas

How much are the sunglasses worth? If we're talking $100 then it's an issue.

I had a friend who brought some $100 sunglasses in my boat, somehow they ended up on my head when he went to jump in the water....then a few minutes later I decided to go for a swim...and now the glasses are on the bottom of the lake. Yes it's my fault for losing the glasses and we worked out a deal where I gave him something of value to cover the loss of his glasses and he went out and bought a new pair.

Now my rule is "don't wear expensive sunglasses on my boat, or I'll lose them for you". I don't enforce this, just a word of warning.

So if your glasses were worth a lot of money, accept part of the risk for bringing them on the boat, and also make your friend accept part of the risk for taking them out of the glove box. But if the glasses were cheap, go buy yourself 4 more pair and forget about it.

Here's a link to knock-off Oakleys. Buy one get one free!!!! ($25 each)
http://www.premiumeyewear.com/products.html

wkbrdr · Posted: Oct 21, 2004 7:01 am Post subject:

Wow, maybe you should get those sport straps...

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

seriously, stuff happens, both of you live and learn. No one should bring expensive sunglasses to the lake, and putting on someone elses sunglasses is hardly an asskickin event.

If the guy wearing the glasses had integrity, he would have offered to buy a new pair, and if the rider who owned the glasses had integrity, he would have declined, since he took the ultimate responsibility bringing them on the boat.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

My question is how in the #($*&( world can the rope knock the sunglasses off someone's head. The rope on my boat has never come close to touching someone...

And 89 skier, I guess I need to stop bringing my Dragons on your boat. I have a nice pair of "Hazzardz" I got off ebay for $5 I can wear.

I don't know what to say on how the payment should go. I would say do a 50/50 on reimbersement. It seems both parties are slightly at fault (with the boat/rope being the MOST at fault.. I've never see that)

Lauri H · Outlaw Joined: 04 Aug 2004 Posts: 226 City: Theodosia

hbguy, now how did I know that you were involved? Womens intuition?
Anyway, your profile says that you are an attorney...which position would you feel more comfortable supporting, the wearer of the glasses, or the owner of the glasses?

hbguy · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 7 City: Los Angeles

Since I am (or was) the owner of the shades, I of course support myself. In all honesty, in my perfect world, and this is similar to a comment made earlier, my buddy should have immediately offered to buy me a new pair, and then I probably would have said "No, that's not necessary; I'll pick up part of the cost of the new ones."

But, instead, when I got out of the water, my buddy asks why I bailed on my jump and threw the rope. (btw, I bailed because I was totally off my access and knew I couldn't stick my landing, and I disagree with the characterization that I "threw" the rope, although I did release it before I hit the water) This actually happened over a month ago and my buddy made no offer whatsoever. Never even brought it up.

So, I brought it up, which I didnt want to do. He first says I am not entitled to full value because I have had the shades for two years. He also claims that I was at fault for throwing the rope. I only did this post because I think he is crazy for thinking that it is my fault.

The glasses are about $250. One could say I was crazy for bringing nice shades on the boat, although another could say my buddy was even more crazy for putting my $250 shades on his head.

He has offered to buy me a few pair of replica sunglasses and an Oakley Thermonuclear Protection windshield sticker for my car. I think this is a joke. At least I hope so.

Lauri H · Outlaw Joined: 04 Aug 2004 Posts: 226 City: Theodosia

I agree that your friend should have made the offer, that would have probably solved the whole situation, even if you didn't take him up on it. The glasses were valuable, but it sounds like you value your friendship also. How much is the friendship worth to you? I don't know how good a friend he is, but I do know that real friends are worth a lot...at least $250.
Try to make peace with the situation, and your friend...
Just my .02

wakeboarder89 · Addict Joined: 15 Jun 2003 Posts: 637

250 dollars is a lot of money for a pair of shades. i do think that he should pay for them or atleast part of it. i had somethin similar to that happen excpet it was just a hat and the person that made it go in the water was completley at fault so i just told him not to worry bout it cause ut was just a hat but 250 dollar shades are a diff story.

vette74 · Posted: Oct 21, 2004 1:46 pm Post subject:

What ever you do take $100 of what was going to go towards the sunglasses and go buy a non-strech rope so this does not happen again.

hbguy · Newbie Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 7 City: Los Angeles

We already have a yellow jacket, which was a CNote and supposedly nonstretch. What can I say? I load up that line taking my aggressive edge!

RampageWake · Posted: Oct 21, 2004 2:28 pm Post subject:

He owes you a pair of sunglasses. Tell him to quit being a bitch. Its not like you left them in his seat and he sat on them and broke them, he chose to wear them, and lost them.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

I don't know maybe it's just me. If I were the person who had them knocked off my head I'd be pissed and I would probably pay for the sunglasses in full. If I were the owner of the sunglasses I'd be disapointed and would hope that the guy would offer but I wouldn't make him pay anything. To me being a giving person and a good friend is worth more than a pair of sunglasses.

If it makes you feel any better you can probably find the same glasses for a good price on ebay or online somewhere.

redrocket · Criminal Joined: 15 Sep 2004 Posts: 53 City: Great Falls

not being offered the replacement for sunglasses would make me want it. If it was offered right away I'd probably turn it down. Him not offering would piss me off! Evil or Very Mad

Pope · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 526

Truth is he owes you a pair of glasses as they woulda been there in the boat when you returned, had he not touched them...

I say if it has been this long and still no sunglasses mailed to you... get over it cause he ain't ever gunna buy you a new pair... he also ain't gunna be invited out on your boat to often anymore either... Shocked

DunDunDun · Posted: Oct 21, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject:

id kick him in the balls and tell him to buy me a new pair....if he didnt then when he was out riding i would throw something of his off the boat and be like oh sorry man and then head back to the dock...

wakeboarder2687 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 32

Sucks about the shades, but I don't think you're ever going to get the money for it. He is totally responsible (for being irresponsible) by putting them on. It all depends on how much you value your friendship. I'm sure it was a mistake too, and I bet he feels like a jerk for losing them, so he tried to blame it on you. I wouldn't do anything to any of his stuff, it doesn't sound like a real mature approach to the situation, but I guess that's how some people would do it....
That's a funny tatoo by the way, who's is it??