Will somebody please just do something nice on a personal watercraft (PWC)? It feels like far too much of my job lately is reporting on the horrible things that people are doing on these machines. Now, a town has to install CCTV and try to change regulations just so it can be used to catch PWC riders wreaking havoc on swimmers in shallow waters.
A popular south-Sydney beach needs to penalize PWC riders caught putting swimmers in danger. The problem is, Bayside Council can't use cell phone footage or CCTV footage as evidence, even though there is plenty of it. Now, there's a review into authorising the use of CCTV at Sydney beaches, including Brighton-le-Sands, to identify and issue fines to dangerous PWC riders, but most people want these changes to come into effect before next summer.
Bayside Council’s deputy mayor, Heidi Lee Douglas, said, “These CCTV cameras are very high-quality and can zoom in and can see the registration details of the jet-ski users ... I know that anecdotally, after the footage that residents have sent me, it’s often the same jet-ski riders who are recidivists on our local beaches, doing activities that residents and users of the beach feel is threatening,”
The Transport for NSW Maritime said it has launched a review into using CCTV to issue penalties. Unfortunately, it looks like the change in how CCTV is used won't come soon enough for some residents. One local, Alese Troussas, said that she was nearly clipped by a rider while swimming, and is now cautious about letting her 10-year-old son
“The residents – we’ve had enough,” Troussas said. “There are young children, families… we’re all terrified to go in the water during summer, which is the nicest time to go to the beach.” enter the water.
I don't care where in the world you are, if you see PWC riders terrorizing your local waters, please report them, and don't let a few bad eggs ruin the public's image of those who love these wonderful machines.
