Hi Croakie
At the water where we sail, my club does have a sign., fixed to the waterside guard rail just where nearly everbody has to walk past to lanch. Most people just don't look at signs, let alone read them. The lake was also infested with wild life a - I say infested because at times it was difficult to get a boat onto the water between them. The council and RSPB put signs up a couple of years ago advising the public about the problems caused by bird feeding, and could they please desist. Many folk have seen them and have taken the advice. Some have seen them and walk another way to the pondside to pollute the area with stale bread. Some just ignore them. Things have improved, though.
When we are sailing, it is not unusual to have somebody stroll up to the pondside, see us there with boats and transmitters, and launch without saying anything. Needless to say, these are invariably people who have just bought their offspring one of the instant dissapoiontment boats with duff radios. We always try to explain to them what sort of problem they have bought into and try to let them have a sail, then, while we are rescuing the boat, we tell them about our club. You only get one chance to make a first impression, sio its a good idea to try to look friendly and helpful. Eventually you stop looking like that and start being that, so it becomes easier.
