It is not that difficult!!!  You are so on target with that.  I have been fishing PA waters for over 20 years now and not once have lost a license, a license holder, nor had to laminate anything.  When one becomes more of a responsable adult, one will see no problem with the current mandates.  Laws should never succumb to a particular individual's inability to simply tag and display a license.  Good grief....you see people all over the place wearing their licenses without a problem.   As T.T. would say, "ENUFF SAID!"
 
Doc

thank you shutupnfish! you just saved me from having to repeat myself once again. unbelievable!
 
and good for you Grendel for not ever losing your license. you are soooo responsible. do you want a cookie? however, i don't believe for one minute that it has never fallen off a garment or you have left it at home.... but i guess that's beside the point.
 
and since when are we not allowed to challenge a rule or law? especially when it is as senseless as this one??? you said it alright... good grief!
 
 
 
 

"It may not bother you, but many people WOULD be bothered by having to step out of the stream, and dig around for their wallet just to show their license when a simple walkby would have sufficed. Making law enforcements job easier ( if that's ALL it is ), is not necessarily bad."
 
i agree, it's the law. you can challenge it all you want and if they change it that's fine with me too.
 it would make me wonder how many fishermen, fishing in Pa. waters, wouldn't buy a liscense if we didn't have to show it?
 

It is annoying having to display it, but I like the law. To me it makes it easier for the WCO's to spot more people that are fishing without a license.  If I have to buy a license, then so should the other guy.  I think having to display it keeps the guys who only fish a few times a year a little more honest, and less likely to try and get away without buying one.

ORIGINAL: Stillhead

It is annoying having to display it, but I like the law. To me it makes it easier for the WCO's to spot more people that are fishing without a license.  If I have to buy a license, then so should the other guy.  I think having to display it keeps the guys who only fish a few times a year a little more honest, and less likely to try and get away without buying one.

 
i can buy this reason. sure is a much better response than "It is not that difficult!!!"  or "i have never lost my license in xx years, not a problem for me. i'm responsible" lol.....
 
 

Carp,
 
I gave you the documented, emperical support from the data on page 2 of this thread.  However, you chose to even argue that point.  I cannot help you any further on this.
 
Hope your days of fishing are hassle free.
 
Doc

"Conservation Officers are ~ 8x more likely to be assaulted than inner-city police officers (some studies show 5x, some indicate 10x).  The more contacts an officer has, the greater the chance for a verbal or worse, a physical confrontation.  Conversely, the fewer contacts an officer makes...  Anything that can be done to reduce this risk is well worth the trouble."
 
is THIS the data that you imply? because i was under the assumption that the reason was so they could quickly check the license, thus leaving the angler to fish without intrusion.
 
if this IS the real reason, then why even be a WCO in the first place. obviously there is an element of risk with the job, or they would not be armed. i guess if we all wore our license in full view of WCOs we would never be checked, they would not have to risk their life, and no fines would ever be issued. is this accurate?
 
lol, please do not try to help me further with this, oh great responsible one.....

Carp
 
Off hand, the 2 rod per person rule, at least when it comes to trolling/boat fishing, come to the fore. I don't like it, and feel there is much less rationale behind it than the display rule. But I can live with, and by it. I DON'T find it unreasonable.
 
Many of the special regulations on various waters. But I can accept, or at least understand the rationale even though I disagree with it. Again I can live with them.  They are not unreasonable, or overly burdensome.
 
I'm sure there might be others if I really thought about them. I'm too busy enjoying all the great fishing, so they must not be that big a deal.
 
Be honest. Is displaying your license REALLY unreasonable, burdensome, or difficult to abide?

From the PA F&BC website:





When are you going to eliminate the outdated requirement for display of fishing licenses for the mobile fisherman?

 


Thanks for your question about display of fishing licenses. It's a good question. This is a subject that has been reviewed carefully by the Commission and the General Assembly in recent years. Like a lot of issues there are at least two sides to the question. For a number of reasons, the Fish and Boat Commission believes that anglers should continue to be required to display fishing licenses on outer garments while fishing.
The Commission has a longstanding regulation requiring that any person fishing on Pennsylvania waters display his or her fishing license on a hat or outer garment while fishing. This regulation differs from most other fishing regulations in that it requires that “a warning will be issued for a first violation of this section if a person has a valid fishing license in his possession.” Thus, our waterways conservation officers and deputies would only cite somebody for this violation if they ignored a warning to display their license while fishing.
The requirement that anglers display fishing licenses while fishing has been on the books since at least 1959, and it probably was in effect well before that. Similar requirements apply to hunting licenses. There is significant compliance with this requirement across the state. In 2001, the Commission prosecuted nearly 9,000 summary cases (and issued nearly 40,000 warnings). Our officers brought summary charges against about 1,600 people for fishing without a license. But there were only 5 cases of citations for not displaying licenses. Similar statistics hold true for prior years. A violation of these regulations is a summary offense of the fourth degree under the Fish and Boat Code. This offense carries the lowest penalty of any offense under the Fish and Boat Code.
Why should anglers be required to display their licenses when fishing? The Commission believes that open display of fishing licenses is more convenient for the angler, makes enforcement more effective and less intrusive, and encourages compliance with fishing license requirements.
When an angler’s license is checked by a law enforcement officer, it is much more convenient and less disruptive if the license is displayed. It’s true that a detailed check of the license will require a close inspection of the license information and other identification, but in many cases our officers do a cursory check to just make sure the person has a current valid license and trout stamp (if required). Instead of asking every angler to pull their license out of their wallet, the officer can simply check it on their cap or vest. This is better for both the angler and the officer.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of peer pressure among sportsmen. We believe that anglers respond positively to the peer pressure brought by fellow sportsmen. When display of a fishing license is required, as it is now, it is obvious to everyone around who is in compliance and who is not. Peer pressure encourages compliance, and the display of the fishing license makes it clear to all on the waters who has a license and who may not. If display were not required, we believe compliance with license requirements would be reduced. This would reduce Fish Fund revenues and could impact programs of importance to Pennsylvania anglers.
It’s true that many other states, including some of our neighbors, do not require anglers to display their fishing license. However, it should be noted that at least one state that did not require display of a fishing license now requires it, and that is the biggest state of all. Effective in March 1994, California required that all anglers display their fishing licenses while fishing. Why? To encourage compliance and enhance convenience and enforcement. Field and Stream Magazine had a lead editorial endorsing the California change. The magazine observed that anglers who fish without a license bilk the state out of millions of dollars each year, and the honest anglers who purchase a license have to make up that cost. All the major sportsmen organizations in California supported imposition of the license display requirement.
The National Rivers Authority of England and Wales did a study on requiring anglers to display fishing licenses. Their study, completed in 1994, concluded that the requirement would enhance enforcement efficiency and fishing license sales.
In conclusion, the Fish and Boat Commission believes the current regulations work well. The Commission receives few complaints about license display requirements. Almost all Pennsylvania anglers take pride in displaying their fishing license; it’s not unusual to see anglers displaying their license even when they’re not fishing!
June 2002
 
X

I have a similar story my pap currently was age 87 ( recently passed ) & a friend were fishing off a pier in Erie ; niether had a license in the 1940's and also zinged a warden in upon being checked . That makes me think ; how many wardens back in the day actually went swimming ?????? LOL

Doc - Ditto, Ditto and Ditto on your last three posts. Some people just don't "Get it".
 
Heck why don't we just abolish all the laws and have a "free for all". That should make everyone happy.

ORIGINAL: Grendel

Come to think about it - i really hate the 55 mph zone on I90 just before and after the Erie City limits.  I mean really, who has time to change speeds?   It is really confusing to have to remember what the speed limit is!  I should not have to think about changing speeds all the time...  Now it will take me longer to travel to Post-Gazzette Pavillion to see RUSH on 2 July.  Stupid law - just makes life more miserable for me....

Or...it could be that slow down and save a life is more important that any old concert.   Heck, if i were a responsible person, I would simply leave earlier to compensate...I guess the protection of society or a larger number is more important than my own selfish interests.

Oh yeah...must have slipped my mind.  Maybe I shouldn't be driving in the first place because it is so dangerous.  Please forgive my absent-mindedness.

What are your thoughts on laws against certain people reproducing?   Good law or an inconvenient one?  LMAO


Doc

i don't even know how to respond to this post. lol. i think you may be going off the deep end!

however, from what i can decipher, you are still suggesting that the reason for displaying the license is purely for safety. is this not the "empirical data" as you alluded to? i just find it peculiar that this was not mentioned even once in the response from the fish commission posted above....

that being said, the response from the fish commission was a very good one i must say. i think i will make 10 copies of my license and pin 2 to my hat, 2 on the back of my vest, 2 on the front, and 2 to each pant leg. then i will never be bothered....

and we both know that with your obsession for music there is no way you are driving even under 100 mph to get to a Rush concert. nice try though. lol.

nice comparison, but a little far out there to say the least....

Why do you have to display your license in PA?

"i understand the rationale now that xtream posted the q&a from the fish commission. it was in no way stated as clearly as that post...."

 
 
"The Commission believes that open display of fishing licenses is more convenient for the angler, makes enforcement more effective and less intrusive, and encourages compliance with fishing license requirements.
When an angler’s license is checked by a law enforcement officer, it is much more convenient and less disruptive if the license is displayed. It’s true that a detailed check of the license will require a close inspection of the license information and other identification, but in many cases our officers do a cursory check to just make sure the person has a current valid license and trout stamp (if required). Instead of asking every angler to pull their license out of their wallet, the officer can simply check it on their cap or vest."
 
Sounds an awful lot like what has been said in many posts prior. Not an awful lot, EXACTLY.

carpitiss
Are you for or against showing a license?