Should a life jacket be required on boats in Chicago? Here's what you told us
We asked readers whether Chicago should require that anyone on a boat wear a life jacket. Here's what you told us, lightly edited for clarity:
"Yes, Lady Lake is an unpredictable beast that unapologetically takes lives. Whenever we boat, we wear life jackets at all times. Just having them on board is not safe enough."
— Michelle Manney
"Should you wear one? Probably. Should it be a law ? No. It's not a government issue. Just like seat belts should be worn but should not be law."
— Bill Manton
"With all that is wrong in Chicago, Alderperson Stephanie Coleman chooses to ignore the big problems, and proposes that everyone boarding a boat has to wear a life jacket. Why not have everyone who takes a bath or swims in a pool wear one? While we're at it, why not have everyone who leaves their house wear bulletproof Kevlar? Maybe everyone who boards a plane should wear a parachute?"
— Jim Dulski, Clearing
"No. Drunken idiots falling off private boats is no reason to wreck the tour boat business."
— Jim Pabst
"Absolutely. ... It blows my mind when I see people who think they’re going to win when a 20 mph gust of wind comes out of nowhere. Boats do capsize, and rip currents are real."
— Marianne Lowell
"On the lake. On the river, it should be up to the individual."
— Ron Dobis
"How about some reasonable limits? Party and recreational boats should be covered but not tour or excursion boats."
— Ken Catalanotte
"Boarding a watercraft that is run for commercial use like on a paid boat tour, absolutely. A seasoned boater, on their own personal watercraft, no way."
— Karen Lindsey
"Yes, and I think we should bubble wrap everyone who leaves their house to take a walk, and wear football equipment when getting in a car."
— Gino Catalano, Wicker Park
"Its already required to have them on your boat, and no one uses them. How will police monitor it if the law changes? The real issue is drugs and alcohol and there isn’t enough law enforcement to correct that."
— Kevin Giegoldt
"There should be a boat safety regulation and inspection. Too many rookie boat owners buying 20-year-old boats and nearly killing themselves out there on the lake and in the Chicago River systems."
— Leo Peech
"Less alcohol makes you smarter and a better swimmer."
— Ross Mathée