Weapons of war on the streets of Boston

[shootymacshootface]

The duck boats are back with all new safety modifications to make them mass compliant.
God, I hate this state.

 

[DPR]

The duck boats are back with all new safety modifications to make them mass compliant.
God, I hate this state.

You can't make things idiot proof. They'll just make a better idiot.

 

[MichaelJames1971]

Its not a 'craft' that lends itself to high-visibility of pedestrian traffic on city streets....I'm surprised more people haven't been run-over with them. What did anyone expect with WWII military surplus?

 

[jkelly1229]

Its not a 'craft' that lends itself to high-visibility of pedestrian traffic on city streets....I'm surprised more people haven't been run-over with them. What did anyone expect with WWII military surplus?

Duel purpose vehicles you can land a platoon on a beach or hit annoying bikers on crowded city streets. They're just taking a future selling point away

 

[shootymacshootface]

Yup, extremely poor visibility, and not eco friendly. They added a spotter to conduct the tour. Motion sensors on the front and back as well as video cameras.
New bumper sticker - Your Duck Boat has killed more people than my "assault rifle ".

 

[shootymacshootface]

Duel purpose vehicles you can land a platoon on a beach or hit annoying bikers on crowded city streets. They're just taking a future selling point away

It's all for tourism $.

 

[drgrant]

Its not a 'craft' that lends itself to high-visibility of pedestrian traffic on city streets....I'm surprised more people haven't been run-over with them. What did anyone expect with WWII military surplus?

I dunno, maybe dumbass peds would stay away from them and not dart into the street like douchebags? That's asking too much from the boston area crowd
though. I once had some broad suddenly turn and launch her fully loaded baby stroller into a cross walk in front of me despite giving no prior indication that she was about to use the crosswalk. Thankfully I was still about 20+ feet from the crosswalk when I saw it happen.

-Mike

 

[dragonballzz]

I dunno, maybe dumbass peds would stay away from them and not dart into the street like douchebags? That's asking too much from the boston area crowd
though. I once had some broad suddenly turn and launch her fully loaded baby stroller into a cross walk in front of me despite giving no prior indication that she was about to use the crosswalk. Thankfully I was still about 20+ feet from the crosswalk when I saw it happen.

-Mike

I THINK the law states you have to stop for anybody if they are within 20 feet (or 10?) of the crosswalk as they are getting ready to cross.

 

[babygorilla]

Whatever happened to personal accountability?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I THINK the law states you have to stop for anybody if they are within 20 feet (or 10?) of the crosswalk as they are getting ready to cross.

i'd love to see what would happen if people followed that law in the Harvard Square are in Kambridge.

 

[ghettomedic]

I have had morons walk into the side of my parked ambulance before. Never underestimate human stupidity

 

[MichaelJames1971]

I dunno, maybe dumbass peds would stay away from them and not dart into the street like douchebags? That's asking too much from the boston area crowd
though. I once had some broad suddenly turn and launch her fully loaded baby stroller into a cross walk in front of me despite giving no prior indication that she was about to use the crosswalk. Thankfully I was still about 20+ feet from the crosswalk when I saw it happen.

-Mike

The folks who operate these tours pick-up and deposit passengers in crowded "squares" filled with unrestricted pedestrian traffic. I'm not faulting anyone, but these machines weren't designed or built for their current 'mission' in-mind. Of-course visibility in the driver's seat is terrible, and you could probably park a Cadillac Escalade in the blind-spot they have. Sure, incidents have been very rare, but tourists are a nervous bunch. Once they're in the Charles and putting around, they're the safest thing going (so long as they continue to float).

 

[drgrant]

I THINK the law states you have to stop for anybody if they are within 20 feet (or 10?) of the crosswalk as they are getting ready to cross.

Well, that's my point- this lady was just walking down the sidewalk and she ****ing did a heel turn like a soldier with that carriage. So any layperson would not have known she was intending on entering the crosswalk until it just suddenly happened. This is a common thing in Cambridge and Boston, usually people who look like commies just dart into crosswalks, they don't even stop for like half a second or anything.

The best is the shitbirds who walk out from behind parked cars into crosswalks.... if I see a car near a crosswalk like that I always try to slow down, lest some ******* magically appear in the crosswalk after leaving the concealment of a parked car/SUV.

-Mike

 

[shootymacshootface]

The folks who operate these tours pick-up and deposit passengers in crowded "squares" filled with unrestricted pedestrian traffic. I'm not faulting anyone, but these machines weren't designed or built for their current 'mission' in-mind. Of-course visibility in the driver's seat is terrible, and you could probably park a Cadillac Escalade in the blind-spot they have. Sure, incidents have been very rare, but tourists are a nervous bunch. Once they're in the Charles and putting around, they're the safest thing going (so long as they continue to float).

Yes, they could not be more opposite from a modern bus or trolley made for shuttling tourists around. Flat front almost 360* view for the driver.

 

[DPR]

The folks who operate these tours pick-up and deposit passengers in crowded "squares" filled with unrestricted pedestrian traffic. I'm not faulting anyone, but these machines weren't designed or built for their current 'mission' in-mind. Of-course visibility in the driver's seat is terrible, and you could probably park a Cadillac Escalade in the blind-spot they have. Sure, incidents have been very rare, but tourists are a nervous bunch. Once they're in the Charles and putting around, they're the safest thing going (so long as they continue to float).

I think a US Airways A320 is safer on the water than a duckboat.

 

[Jason Flare]

I THINK the law states you have to stop for anybody if they are within 20 feet (or 10?) of the crosswalk as they are getting ready to cross.

Well, they might want to check their sign. It says you have to stop for people, "in the crosswalk" and if they're standing there on the sidewalk thinking about it I'm not stopping.

 

[endus]

**** the duck boats. They're too big for Boston roads.

My car and I were almost annihilated by one of these stupid things. The dude ran a stop sign over near the Navy Yard.

Did I make an enormous scene? Yes. Did I derive pleasure from being, "that guy" and delivering his passengers with an authentic Boston road rage experience? Yes.

The thing is, it was so unbelievably clear and obvious that he was in the wrong. It wasn't a questionable situation. All he had to do was apologize, but he decides to argue with me. I'm not sure where in the world you can be in a turnout which is separated from the road by an island, pull away from the curb, and merge into traffic without stopping or slowing, without looking at all for traffic, ignoring an obvious posted stop sign, and then immediately changing to the left lane without looking, but apparently that's where this guy learned to drive because he was sure he was on the right side of the law.

I don't give a shit about whatever retarded ineffectual reg the government is putting on them, before anyone whines. I just wish tourists would stop riding them (or maybe stop coming to boston altogether) so market forces would naturally push them right out of business. They're not a good fit for this city.

 

[ISOTOX]

Shocking!

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Click bait!

 

[Horrible]

Whatever happened to personal accountability?

If people had personal responsibility, then how the hell would the government "help" you? And by help, I ultimately mean CONTROL you?

 

[DitchDigger]

You can't make things idiot proof. They'll just make a better idiot.

THIS ^

 

[shootymacshootface]

Click bait!

Not really. The title that I chose to use was meant to help make my point. Big mouth Marty Walsh and many others that have control over what we do (lawmakers) have no problem taking our rights away as long as it doesn't effect them or interfere with what they like to do. I know I am preaching to the choir. I should probably write a letter to the editor of the globe. I think that it irritates a lot of us what they deem is good for us and what is not. A weapon of war is a weapon of war.

 

[Dennis in MA]

1. I've ridden the ducks with my son and daughters a couple of times. Fun stuff. It was great for them.

2. I bet they could do a a good Minions tie-in here. Mount a fiberglass Minion on the roof.

 

[shootymacshootface]

I love the ww2 stuff. One of my favorites are the pt boats. Battle ship cover is pretty awesome.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Yes, they could not be more opposite from a modern bus or trolley made for shuttling tourists around. Flat front almost 360* view for the driver.

Plus flat nosed school busses have the bar that swings out when the door opens to keep kids from crossing the bus in its blind spot.

 

[Dennis in MA]

I love the ww2 stuff. One of my favorites are the pt boats. Battle ship cover is pretty awesome.

That's a decent drive, Rut. Wow.

It's down the hill from me. Were it not for the Postal garage, I could see it from my office window. VERY cool place. But definitely less of a place since I was a boy there 40 years ago. Less things work. More things look like they were installed 40 years ago.

 

[cbrxx]

I THINK the law states you have to stop for anybody if they are within 20 feet (or 10?) of the crosswalk as they are getting ready to cross.

That 10 feet is if they are coming from the other side of the street, you dont have to stop until they are within 10 feet of your side of the road.
Standing on the corner isn't the crosswalk, so maybe on a technicality, you don't have to stop until they get a foot into the crosswalk.

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter89/Section11

 

[Broc]

I dunno, maybe dumbass peds would stay away from them and not dart into the street like douchebags? That's asking too much from the boston area crowd
though. I once had some broad suddenly turn and launch her fully loaded baby stroller into a cross walk in front of me despite giving no prior indication that she was about to use the crosswalk. Thankfully I was still about 20+ feet from the crosswalk when I saw it happen.

-Mike

That's why I bought a dash camera, I see people doing this sh@t all the time in Boston.

My favorite is watching people backing up in parking lots and whoever is walking just looks at the car and continues to walk.

I also love stopping and telling cars to go when I'm in Boston, drivers are not used to that and get all confused. People can't understand why I don't jump in front of their cars. It has happened to me that I tell a car to go 5-6 times (they have a green light) and they won't move until I cross...morons.

 

[ridleyman]

The law sates that you have to anticipate all pedestrians' and bike riders' moves at least 2 minutes and a 1/2 mile before you even get up in the morning.

 

[shootymacshootface]

There goes another one!