A viral video showed a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officer ticketing a man for refusing to do a propulsion test, even though the sailboat owner claimed there was no wind and they couldn’t complete it. The video drew strong reactions online, with many people arguing that the Florida officer was in the wrong.
The original video was recorded by the sailboat owner, who was approached by the FWC officer, and was likely uploaded online by them. It eventually made its way to Tikramptok, a TikTok account that compiles fishing and boating stories.
In the video, a man is seen on a sailboat, stopped in the middle of what appears to be a lake in Florida. The individual, who appears to be part of a couple, is approached by two FWC officers, and one of them, identified as Jody, asks him to perform a propulsion test requiring him to sail 100 yards away and then return. The man declines, claiming there is no wind, making the test impossible.
This leads to a discussion, as the FWC officer claims her phone shows winds at 8 knots and that she can feel the wind with her finger. The boat owner disagrees, repeatedly insisting there is no wind and refusing to attempt the test, while accusing the officer of “harassment.” By the end of the video, the sailboat owner receives a ticket for failing to cooperate.
While the video lacks full context, it appears that the FWC had previously contacted the man and scheduled the test for that day. Propulsion tests are conducted on at-risk vessels, as the FWC considers them potentially derelict and believes they may “pose threats to public safety, cause property damage, endanger marine life, and block navigable waterways.”
Internet Reacts to FWC Officer’s ‘Harassment’ Video
The video mostly drew reactions against the FWC and in favor of the boat owner. One user said, “Law enforcement nowadays is not helping the public. It’s to get money from them.” Others criticized the FWC officer as well: “It may not be harassment, but since she stated that she was giving him the ticket because of the failure to comply, it’s clear-cut retaliation.” One seemingly angry commenter added, “This is OUR TAX DOLLARS at work!”
Others mocked the FWC officer, arguing that she had no real way of knowing whether there was wind. “It’s on her phone, so it must be true,” one user joked. Another added, “Her finger meter is malfunctioning.”
While the video has drawn the internet’s ire, there is no evidence that harassment took place, as much of the interaction, including any previous conversations, may have occurred off-camera. In any case, boaters are required to comply with tests when requested by authorities.
