Saturday 30 October 2010

Leaving Aylesbury

I've left Aylesbury basin after 2 weeks of having town and station right on my doorstep. No problems apart from mysteriously finding a large stone in my fireplace that I can only think can have come down the chimney!
It was only when I left the basin yesterday that I had my first encounter with bridge-kids. I saw two teenies, one of which lowered himself down onto the parapet as though to jump on my boat roof as I approached. So I stopped the boat and hovered, thinking they'd just get bored, counting on them having the well-publicised short attention span an' all. They stuck it out for 5 minutes (I'll give them that), before nipping into someone's back garden to collect stones. I was furious and if I could have got into the side and tied up, I'd have gone hareing up the towpath to give em an ear-bashing. I mostly feared for my solar panels! Luckily, for us all, they chucked their stones (very badly, rubbish aim, not even close!) and took off.
It made me think about the cop I'd been moaning about in my last post - would I have summoned him to my rescue? NO! Unless it's an physical attack on someone else, I honestly wouldn't bother.. I realise this attitude does make solo boating feel more precarious. A refusal to recognise the State as responsible for me and my safety means I have to accept the responsibility for keeping safe, defending myself etc. Solo boating can be a vulnerable way of living, even without crime - accidents do happen, don't they. But I guess we just hope bad things won't happen. And after all, that's the first bad bridge encounter I've had in 4 1/2 years ;-)

Now I'm out in the sticks again and have seen plenty of basin folk going past on their boats, heading out of town. Coincidence? Well, it's half-term, Halloween and I can hear a lot of fireworks going off in the direction of Aylesbury!

4 comments:

Jo Lodge said...

Hi Carrie. So glad you and the boat came away from the teenies without a scratch. The little darlings have no concept, that their actions could have a lasting affect on the person and boater they are flinging their missiles at. Thankfully your solar panels are still in tact, but only because their aim was rubbish.

As for the police and the boater. I think a lot depends on the area, because when we were shot at in Coventry they were there quick smart and we know there is a police community officer at Braunston who has a boat and he is very attentive towards the boater and yet at Polesworth they did not come out when we were involved in an incident. So it does depend on the area. Really as a lone boater, they should actually go out of their way to help you more than us. But as we know it is not a perfect world.
We are at Foxton at the moment and all is quiet in our world for the moment.
Happy cruising. xx

Anonymous said...

Hey Carrie
Good to see to you still fighting the good fight (no state, no borders!)
Love and happiness
Joe xx

Llosgi said...

Hey Jo
'..when we were shot at in Coventry..' !! I'll never complain again! Foxton seems a quieter spot than Coventry, thank goodness.

Hello Joe ;-)
Hope all's well in sunny Manchester. As you can see, I'm a bit further south these days!
Best wishes
Carrie x

grey wolf said...

glad you and the boat went unscathed.Sometimes i think schools ect teach kids there rights without also teaching them responsibilities to be responsible, reasonable people.Fingers crossed your new abode is better.