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Manatee Decoy

Protection for manatees
  (+3, -1)
(+3, -1)
  [vote for,
against]

Manatees are often wounded or killed by speedboats ignoring speed limits in manatee habitats and slicing them with the boat propellers. The pilots of the boats dont care much, because it does not hurt the boat. I propose decoy manatees that are made of steel that would shred a boats prop in a collision. Just the possibility of one of these collisions-which are easy to avoid if you are not speeding and watching the water as you are required to- would inspire safer piloting.
macrumpton, May 14 2004

Scruffy http://espn.go.com/..._decoy_Freeman.html
"His hide no longer stretches over the ear molds and the neck sports an open scar as long as a rifle barrel. Exit wounds form finger-sized holes in his back, and his left front leg has been shot off so many times it's about to collapse." [Klaatu, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

[link]






       Couldn’t they explode too? <boat non-owner>
ldischler, May 14 2004
  

       If they exploded, they would not go on to shred another boat.
bungston, May 14 2004
  

       Wildly irrresponsible, but I like it.
DrCurry, May 14 2004
  

       Mineatees.
Letsbuildafort, May 14 2004
  

       Good.
DesertFox, May 14 2004
  

       Beware - Potential trademark infringement suit by the makers of Mineabirds.   

       A bit extreme, but as a freediver who spends a lot of time watching for fish and listening for boats at the same time, it's amusing.
normzone, May 14 2004
  

       And so the world filled up with decoy divers and decoy seals, decoy elephants, decoy Iraqi policemen...
FarmerJohn, May 14 2004
  

       ... And thus began the most widley-prosperous time for all mannequin manufacturers and taxedermists the world had ever seen ...
Letsbuildafort, May 14 2004
  

       Actually now that I think of it they dont even have to destroy the boat, perhaps they could just make a noise to scare the crap out of the pilot, like the sound of crushing fiberglass or even a LOUD horn.   

       PS Mineatee. I love it!
macrumpton, May 14 2004
  

       [lbaf] Yes, until now it's been a slow time for mannequin taxedermists.
Worldgineer, May 14 2004
  

       Scruffy <link> has made a difference where I live. I think this is a great idea. Let me know where they will be deployed so that I can open a prop-repair shop close by. [+]
Klaatu, May 14 2004
  

       I think they should periodically jump up out of the water just to freak people out...   

       [+] for the idea though... I like it.
zigness, May 14 2004
  

       No need to destroy the boat. When the propeller hits steel it will break. That's damage enough. An explosion would be too drastic and would make the device unacceptable for many people. It could also destroy other wildlife like fish.
kbecker, May 14 2004
  

       It would probably be better to make this out of wood.
bungston, May 14 2004
  

       Mineatee. HA HA HA!
jblack, May 14 2004
  

       simply arm the Manatee to fuel its own desire for bloody revolution. Let them take back a world that was once their own.
philistyne, May 16 2004
  

       Love this. Welcome to the bakery, macrumpton. (WTAGIPBAN)
krelnik, May 20 2004
  

       you could just attach buoys to all manatees.
thejini, May 21 2004
  

       ...or make it a musical number and teach them Where The Bouys Are.   

       BWHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!   

       FloridaManatee returns...   

       While you go bake the decoy idea, I have a kevlar jacket on order. It's a police-surplus PACA model rated to Level II-A, but I'm told it should cover riverboat props upto 75 HP.
FloridaManatee, May 21 2004
  

       Why not inject the manatees with a serum that makes them glow or paint them all brite pink.   

       We need steel for guns and bombs and stuff.
macncheesy, May 21 2004
  

       or, we could paint all the soldiers bright pink. they will then be too embaressed to fight, thus freeing up the steel for mineatee manufacture.
stilgar, Jul 11 2004
  

       You could outfit every manatee with a metal plate strapped to it's back, then correct the weight difference with neoprene. Or tag them with.. a tag that'd send a signal to the boat's fish finder, blasting a loud alarm warning the driver that they're near a manatee.
-lines-, Jul 11 2004
  

       frigin brilliant!!
gradies, Jul 11 2004
  
      
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