Thread: No shortage of idiots

What with the bad fall and early winter as far as making ice goes, one would think that people are going to be more cautious when venturing out on the ice. One would think. At least two vehicles have gone thru the ice already since the first of the year, one being a full sized suv. Both went thru on lakes having very thin ice. The Chevy Impala went thru 4".

Apparently there were no fatalities in either incident. It needs to be said that this winter's ice is not like that of past winters and that people really need to stop and think before they decide to go on ice either on foot or under power. Much of the ice here is simply not ready for any travel let alone any travel using cars, trucks, atvs or snowmobiles.

I've lived here for over 65 years and in that time while ice fishing I have taken the ice water plunge 3 times. Once was at the hand of someone else's errors, twice by pushing the envelope to fish on too thin of ice....my own fault. To this day if I even remotely think about going out on ice, I walk. And I am pretty fussy about what ice I will walk on. So fussy in fact that I have sold all of my ice gear. IF I need to ice fish I can use a long rod and do as well as anyone using an "ice rod". I am more conscious of slipping and falling than I am of weak ice though and haven't had my butt on ice in three years with no intent to break that string.

Over the 65 years this climate has changed and what we have today for winter weather is basically pussy weather and ice development just gets further and further from "safe" with each new season. Still, we seem to have more and more people willing to take chances with early ice and many of these chances end with drownings. The ice stays thinner longer into winter and the dopes just seem to get antsier to get on , or in as the case may be, the ice earlier and earlier regardless of how unsafe it may be. I'm ok with referring to them as idiots because I honestly think sane people don't take these kinds of chances.