COMMENTARY: It’s time to start fining waterfall daredevils

Enough is enough!

Another weekend in Hamilton and another plethora of rope rescues and misadventure around Hamilton’s glorious waterfalls.

We’re told city staff have been busy studying why these incidents are happening with more frequency.

That seems pretty obvious to most of us; some people just do stupid things.

Let’s stop talking around the issue and deal with the harsh reality.

Hopping over a fence and standing on the edge of a waterfall with a steep drop to a rocky bottom, just so you can post a selfie on Facebook, is not communing with nature, it’s acting in a foolish and irresponsible manner.

Like many other kids who grew up near Albion Falls or Webster’s Falls or the Devil’s Punchbowl, we spent many summer days hiking and exploring and doing the sorts of things that teenagers do, but rarely, if ever, did we hear of rope rescues.

Now, there are numerous incidents almost every weekend.

No wonder at least one Hamilton councillor wants city staff to start ticketing those thrill seekers who refuse to follow the rules and put themselves and others at risk.

Civil libertarians may be aghast at such an idea, but sometimes you have to save people from their own stupidity.

Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on AM 900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.