New restrictions imposed for use of public piers and quays
BY PRU SOWERS
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
Relaxing on one of Key West public piers and quays may be a bit more difficult going forward thanks to new restrictions approved by city commissioners July 7.
Starting immediately, people are prohibited from diving or jumping from any public piers or quays, as well as climbing, walking, standing or sitting on a railing, wall or monument. Seating will only be allowed on designated benches. The penalty for not following most of the new rules can be 60 days in jail or a maximum fine of $500.
The new rules, which cover the White Street Pier and the quays at Mallory Square and the Truman Waterfront, are in response to multiple serious accidents recently where people died or were seriously injured. One incident on May 3 involved a Miami man who jumped off the quay at Mallory Square during the Sunset Celebration and drowned. On May 13 a homeless man was critically injured when he fell off a wall on the White Street Pier where he had been sleeping. Another Massachusetts man was paralyzed when he jumped head-first off a pier at the Sunset Tiki Bar and Grille.
“Having underlying ordinances in place to support park rules is often an effective way to protect the city from negligence claims and minimize losses resulting therefrom,” said the Key West Risk Manager, Lisa Takach Borzy, in a memo to commissioners.
The new rules, which the city commission approved unanimously, also place new restrictions on fishermen and skateboarders. Skateboarders and rollerbladers must use the areas designed for walkers and bike riders and are prohibited from using any walls, railings or other structures as obstacles for trick riding. And fisherman can no longer use the public quays to cut bait or clean fish, although fishing is still allowed.
“Cutting bait and cleaning fish are byproducts of fishing, both of which diminish the appearance of city property and create unsanitary conditions if done so on a surface of a pier or quay not intended for such activity,” Borzy said in her memo.
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These new rules, intended to save the stupid people from the effects of their inherent stupidity also reduces the elected membership potentials for the future Darwin awards wherein the aforementioned stupid people voluntarily remove their flaws from the gene pool, thus ensuring a natural evolution. Evolve!