Fans of canoeing or kayaking should be writing their Alachua County Commissioners to thank them for standing up against the busy bodies at the Alachua County Parks Office.
Poe Springs, a popular place for boaters of all shapes and sizes, was recently facing the possibility of becoming a vessel-restricted area, meaning no canoes, no kayaks and no other kinds of boats.
Robert Avery, the parks superintendent, claimed boating vessels at Poe Springs were a safety issue for swimmers in the water.
What evidence did Avery possess to show the dangers of these vehicles of death?
Well, none.
He presented no evidence of any sort of incident involving the safety of swimmers in the area.
What about motor boats? In a spring, they could pose a potential danger to people in the water, given the narrowness of many sections.
That would be true if motor boats could actually drive through the low water levels of the spring.
Skilled kayak paddlers might be able to move downstream pretty fast, but they don't really pose a risk to anyone's health and safety.
Avery is suffering from an ailment that many bureaucratic officials face - nanny syndrome.
When there is a supposed problem, these nannies believe that the only solution is regulating it, taxing it or banning it.
When there is not a problem, but a "potential danger," these nannies are the first to propose a preemptive strike against the terrorist threat.
These are the same nannies that have proposed banning crossing the street while listening to your iPod, arresting non-violent "offenders" like prostitutes or outlawing fish pedicures.
Most, if not all, nannies are not as interested in preventing people from hurting each other as they are in preventing people from hurting themselves.
While swimming in Poe Springs, if you do not want to get hit by a canoe or a kayak, the solution is quite simple: Be careful, please.
Why Avery believes he must outright ban these outdoor activities rather than simply telling people to be careful shows his complete lack of trust in human intelligence and common sense.
Thankfully, the County Commission has a collective level head.
They did not see any evidence of danger and chose to let the patrons of Poe Springs take care of themselves.
Yes, we are in a college town, but the most important part of college is learning to be responsible for yourself.
It will become harder and harder to do this when bureaucrats try to micromanage your daily life.
