Eustace Conway (mountainman) facing charges over Bushcraft school

[Huon]

Well thats good - it does rather still illustrate the idiocy though!

It was idiotic but I don't think the two cases are comparable. Ben's house actually complied very closely to building regulations and was OKed by architects and structural engineers. The same for the buildings he's put up since. The issue he had was the location.

That said, I've shared the Conway link and signed the online petition. Based on the articles I've read and the videos I've watched since this thread was posted I don't agree with what is being done and I do not think he should be closed down.

Cheers!

Huon

 

[Tyla]

sorry, but he is running a commercial organization and should of thought about the requirements first.

Its OK if it s just him or 1 or 2 guests but what number of people - especially kids are there. More people = more risk.

What happens if there is say an E. coli outbreak due to poor hygiene - a real possibility.

Its Ok wanting to "live like our ancestors" but that also means a lot of people are going to get sick and injured just like they did in the good old days.

Hes not forcing anyone to go there. If people choose to live their lives in a way with additional benefits and additional risks that is their choice. They reap the benefits and bare the risks, it should not be up to government to legislate every little facet of our lives.

If guests feel unsafe or at risk then they should leave but people willing to use their common sense to live in that environment shouldnt be stopped from doing so.

 

[The Joker]

Hes not forcing anyone to go there. If people choose to live their lives in a way with additional benefits and additional risks that is their choice. They reap the benefits and bare the risks, it should not be up to government to legislate every little facet of our lives.

If guests feel unsafe or at risk then they should leave but people willing to use their common sense to live in that environment shouldnt be stopped from doing so.

Well said.

 

[EdS]

Try getting pressurized mains water on Exmoor, Dartmoor, in the wilds of Wales, in the Highlands, the wilds of anywhere ... towns, maybe, out in the wilds, very unlikely.

Most of those place do already have "pressurized "water. Anywhere on a water main - and that includes spring fed supplies form a water company should at a minimum of 10m head.

The vast majority of properties, not just population are on a main supply.

 

[Toddy]

Well said.

.....perhaps so, but how many people are up to spec on the code for truss supports, or for the drainage on pit loos, or on the carbon monoxide/flue, etc ??
That's where the rules come into play.
It's all very well to say that's how folks did things in the past.....the past is a different country, and they're all deid......many of them long before we'd say it was their time.

It sounds total overkill, usually the authorites work with someone to bring up to standard; something's not apparant in this story.

M

 

[Bushwhacker]

And this is in a country with very weak laws on wearing motorcycle helmets.

 

[Rod Paradise]

.....perhaps so, but how many people are up to spec on the code for truss supports, or for the drainage on pit loos, or on the carbon monoxide/flue, etc ??
That's where the rules come into play.
It's all very well to say that's how folks did things in the past.....the past is a different country, and they're all deid......many of them long before we'd say it was their time.

It sounds total overkill, usually the authorites work with someone to bring up to standard; something's not apparant in this story.

M

I'm a cynic, but I tend to believe that if you need to ask why with Government the true answer is $$$$$

 

[British Red]

Hes not forcing anyone to go there. If people choose to live their lives in a way with additional benefits and additional risks that is their choice. They reap the benefits and bare the risks, it should not be up to government to legislate every little facet of our lives.

If guests feel unsafe or at risk then they should leave but people willing to use their common sense to live in that environment shouldnt be stopped from doing so.

Brilliant post - agree 100%

 

[ged]

Hes not forcing anyone to go there. If people choose to live their lives in a way with additional benefits and additional risks that is their choice. They reap the benefits and bare the risks, it should not be up to government to legislate every little facet of our lives.

If guests feel unsafe or at risk then they should leave but people willing to use their common sense to live in that environment shouldnt be stopped from doing so.

I don't think "every little facet of our lives" is the issue here. The issue seems to be the buildings.

Now I can't for the life of me understand why this guy actually wants buildings, but if he has buildings they have to meet the building regulations. It's as simple as that, and there's no need to imagine a Big Brother, nor conspiracies against Free Will, nor anything like that.

It really isn't sensible to say that people can make their own decisions about safety when they visit the place and go home if they don't like it. How are they supposed to know, for example, if the electrical wiring is safe? The vast majority don't have the knowledge to enable them to reach a conclusion. I'm a Chartered Electrical Engineer, and even I can't tell if a building is electrically safe just by looking at it. There are things that you simply can't see and which have to be tested with special equipment. Other things are hidden in out-of-the-way places and you have to don a boiler suit and crawl around in there just to see them.

 

[Stringmaker]

I am no conspiracy theorist but.......

It appears that he was arrested back in December 2012 over a boundary dispute with his neighbour.

She happens to be an attorny and a real estate agent. He was "shopped" by a neighbour. It was allegedly a male who called it in but it could have been anyone from anywhere.

Just sayin'...

 

[rg598]

How would it stand if he did his teachings for free?

Depends on the jurisdiction (state). I don't practice in his state, so I can't give you a definitive answer. Generally, it would depend on the status of the "school" and what accommodations it provides. When you start housing people for commercial purposes, your facilities have to be up to code.

 

[rg598]

I think it all has to do with greed and jealousy, wanting to take his land and wanting to stop him being different. Being different is a no-no to so many people now. And to send in the troops to enforce it is so appallingly normal in some countries !!! ye gods !!!

Have you guys seen his website (http://www.turtleislandpreserve.com/). He makes good money. He plays up the "living off the land" "mountain man" thing on TV, but he has significant income. I am not sure what a man living off the land does with it, if not paying his real estate taxes.

There are two things here. One is the fact that they are after him for taxes. It is something that has been going on for some time. On the show they make it seem like he just got hit with a bill and he has no way to pay it. That's not how it works. He has not been paying his taxes for a very long time. It is interesting to see why he doesn't pay his takes like everyone else, considering he makes good money.

The other issue is the one that came up recently with the inspector, which I assume was prompted by people seeing him on TV. If you run a business that deals with providing accommodations for people, then you have to comply with the health and safety codes for such a business, just like anyone else.

 

[Dave]

He has set something up which appears to be outside the system. By definition that system will not tolerate it. The system is set up for the greater good and will not countenance exceptions to its rule. Whether having strictly enforced systems for the greater good is in fact in the interests of the greater good is the debatable point.

Agreed. And the answer is blatantly obvious.

I'm with the dissenters on this one

Still the Nanny state knows what is best for us all.

Consume, conform, obey. Be a good citizen.

+1 He should walk into the county courthouse with a pair of sunglass and a shotgun.

"Im here to kick bottom and chew bubble gum and Im all outta bubblegum."

 

[skate]

Why not have a list made of all the areas that fail set standards and provide it to all the customers so they can then make an informed decision on whether to stay or not. That way everyone has covered their A**** and the final decision still lies with the customer as it should be.

 

[British Red]

He should walk into the county courthouse with a pair of sunglass and a shotgun.

"Im here to kick bottom and chew bubble gum and Im all outta bubblegum."

That makes no sense ....Nada

 

[Dave-the-rave]

This guy should house his clients in cardboard boxes with no power or water. A mate of mine lived in a box in London for 10 years and nobody said a word so cardboard boxes are the way to go.

 

[Dave]

That makes no sense ....Nada

'They Live' 80's classic!

Consume Conform Obey!

 

[British Red]

'They Live' 80's classic!

And the line was spoken by a character called......Nada

 

[Dave]

And the line was spoken by a character called......Nada

Nerd...

[Full movies up on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J01yY4Xi3hI ]

 

[British Red]

Nerd...

Guilty m'lud

But when I wig out it will be a bit more "Falling Down"

It's plump, juicy, three inches thick. Look at this sorry, miserable, squashed thing. Can anybody tell me what's wrong with this picture?