Amphibious Vehicles - death traps?

[HorsePetal]

Did the London Duck tour years ago with kids and was convinced that we would all drown. We didn't but that's not the sodding point Hated it!

DH wants to do it again but after today's news (plus two
sinkings in Liverpool) I am saying 'no bloody way'

AIBU?

YABU - Nobody died!

When you take into account the number of these vehicles that London Duck tours run every day, I'm sure the incident rate is very low. You've probably got more chance of getting knocked over crossing the street in London.
Went on one of these a couple of years ago with DH & DS and thought it was great fun and worth every penny. It will be a shame if they have to stop them. Vehicles develop faults - it's a fact of life. Boats let in water from time to time. There is risk involved in everything. The chances of anyone actually dying as a result of a problem with one of these vehicles is quite low. There are no windows, so it is very easy to escape - probably safer than going on a cross channel ferry. I suppose you are more at risk if you can't swim - but then that applies to any water related activity.

See - that's what I love about this site. No histrionics and knee-jerk reactions. Just sensible, calm and measured responses.

I wouldn't go on any Thames pleasure craft. I can't remember the full details but if I recall correctly the Marchioness disaster report was criticised for producing only recommendations and not legislation in some areas relating to safety. These included (again IIRC) a recommendation that all furniture was secured to the vessel so that in the event of the boat capsizing the furniture wouldn't rise in the water and trap people underneath. I believe that new vessels have to comply but older ones don't.

The Thames is a beautiful river but deadly and the risk of accident too great still imho.

I think I may have just messed up your theory greensmoothiegoddess.

But thehousecleaner, the Marchinoess disaster happened in 1989. One accident every 24 years isn't a bad safety record really. Accidents will happen and yes the investigations will nearly always say that if X had been done then Y wouldn't have happened, but I'm sure the same applies to car crashes and many more people are killed in them each week than are ever killed in boats sinking on the Thames.

When we did the Duck Tour, the vehicle took a while to 'settle' when we went down into the water. It swayed from side to side and the water was mere millimetres I may be exaggerating from sloshing over into the boat.

This was after our tour guide had explained to us how treacherous the undercurrents were.

I was a bag of nerves until we reached dry land!

I went on a Thames Duck tour quite recently, and it was Fab!

So so unlikely anything would go wrong, and if it did there are river police/lifeboats/other ducks that would come to the rescue full of strapping boaty types

You could always let your H take the kids and wave at them from a bridge? But Ducks all the way!

It's great fun, we have been on the Liverpool one (before the sinking) and one in Boston US, which was brilliant.

DH pointed out that the vehicles are ancient though.

We've done it twice and it has been great both times. They run a lot of services - it is unfortunate, but things do go wrong and engines do fail. I hope the company survives this.