[ale] OT: Out in left field or in the sewers of The Big Apple

Thompson Freeman tfreeman at intel.digichem.net
Mon Jul 13 16:55:42 EDT 2009


On 07/13/2009 04:22:52 PM, Jeff Lightner wrote:
> I agree with you to an extent.  Much of our liability
> deals with people
> not taking personal responsibility for their own actions.
> However, the
> only way to get corporations and governments to be
> responsible is to
> penalize them financially.
> 
> On that subject - it amazes me when I leave the U.S. to
> see how little
> of what we think of as basic safety is present outside the
> country.
> Going down a flight of steps a mile long with no hand rail
> is an
> unnerving experience.

Yup. We seem to be pretty much on the same page with  
respect to the problem. Fortunately we aren't tasked with  
solving the problem, 'cause I'm not sure about that one.

Law suits to get corporate or government attention just  
doesn't really seem to work efficiently, just raises the  
costs of doing business. Failure to get their attention  
isn't exactly acceptable either.

However, failure to condemn equally forcefully behaviors  
like texting in motion or talking on phones while driving  
and their related lack of responsibilty for personal  
behavior isn't doing our society any favors either. When  
and where does the "right" to text (or any of a number of  
absorbing activities) end? Walking into a man hole  
shouldn't be appreciably harder to do when distracted than  
knocking somebody's grandmother into the path of a bus.  
Same irresponsible cause, different outcome.

We need some form of balance, because we, as a society,  
seem to be failing in some way on both ends.

(As for the mile long stair without grab rails - that mile  
long stair is intimidating enough for me with an advanced  
fear of edges (not heights, edges) even with the rails. I  
suspect I might wear out the seat of my britches schoaching  
down on my seat without the handrail 8-/

> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On
> Behalf Of
> Thompson Freeman
> Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 4:00 PM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!
> Subject: Re: [ale] OT: Out in left field or in the sewers
> of The Big
> Apple
> 
> On 07/13/2009 03:16:27 PM, Jeff Lightner wrote:
> <<snip>>
> > Saying people shouldn't be morons and not paying
> attention
> > isn't wrong
> > but that also doesn't give license to ignore basic
> safety
> > precautions.
> >
> 
> 
> Ok. We might be sort of on the same page here.
> 
> Now. If you have skipped a basic safety precaution around
> 
> your temporary hazard, does that make you completely and
> totally responsible for any injuries that moronic me gets
> 
> because I'm too stupid or distracted to get in out of the
> 
> rain?
> 
> As I understand it,our system of law makes it possible to
> 
> stick one party with the entire responsibility for a
> problem caused by collective guilt. Usually the party with
> 
> the most money so that the lawyers get paid for achieving
> 
> the decision. (sorry about the cynicism)
> 
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org]
> On
> > Behalf Of Jim
> > Kinney
> > Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 2:56 PM
> > To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!
> > Subject: Re: [ale] OT: Out in left field or in the
> sewers
> > of The Big
> > Apple
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 2:41 PM, Jeff Lightner
> > <jlightner at water.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > Still -  why were the putting up safety cones AFTER
> > opening the manhole?
> >
> >
> > safety cones would not have prevented the idiot from
> > falling in. cones
> > first, open hole second seems reasonable. Yet I've seen
> > open hole, look
> > in to determine if that's where they need to be,
> determine
> > yes, drop
> > cones.
> >
> > It's my feet I'm in charge of. Step in dog poo, yes the
> > dog dropped it,
> > the owner didn't clean it up, but it's _still_ my feet.
> >
> > Sheesh. I thought I was "one of the liberals" here :-)
> >
> > 	 
> >
> > 	Most OSHA requirements deal with setting up
> safety
> > environment
> > first and then starting the work.  Attaching a tether on
> a
> > high rise
> > after you've started your fall seldom works...
> >
> > 	 
> >
> > 	 
> > ________________________________
> >
> >
> > 	From: ale-bounces at ale.org
> > [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org]
> > On Behalf
> > Of Jim Kinney
> > 	Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 2:22 PM
> >
> > 	 
> > 	To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run
> Linux!
> > 	Subject: Re: [ale] OT: Out in left field or in
> the
> > sewers of The
> > Big Apple
> >
> > 	 
> >
> > 	Bozo child was a teenager (definition of dumb in
> > many cases).
> > Workers were apparently standing there setting up safety
> > cones. All I
> > read out if this was: stupid teen was NOT paying
> attention
> > and walked
> > into a hole. She could have just as easily fallen into
> > traffic.
> >
> > 	 
> > 	 
> > 	Do we have to resort to this?
> > 	 
> >  
> http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1724522,00.html
> >
> > 	On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 1:53 PM, Richard
> Bronosky
> > <Richard at bronosky.com> wrote:
> >
> > 	I'm sorry, I have to agree with the parents on
> > this one.
> > Knowingly
> > 	leaving a manhole cover off without a barrier is
> > unacceptable.
> > We are
> > 	all eager to condemn a pop-tart on a cellphone,
> > but as the
> > father of a
> > 	1 & 2 year old I don't like the idea that there
> > could be a > 2ft
> > 	diameter hole in a sidewalk.
> >
> > 	 
> > 	On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 12:28 PM, Scott
> > Castaline<skotchman at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > 	> How low can we go?!?! Saw this in Wired
> > 	>
> > 	>
> >
> http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/girl-falls-into-manhole-while-tex
> > ting-parents-sue/
> > 	> _______________________________________________
> > 	> Ale mailing list
> > 	> Ale at ale.org
> > 	> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > 	>
> > 	 
> > 	 
> >
> > 	--
> > 	.!# RichardBronosky #!.
> >
> > 	_______________________________________________
> > 	Ale mailing list
> > 	Ale at ale.org
> > 	http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> >
> > 	 
> > 	 
> > 	 
> > 	--
> > 	--
> > 	James P. Kinney III
> > 	Actively in pursuit of Life, Liberty and
> Happiness
> >
> >
> > 	 
> >
> > 	Please consider our environment before printing
> > this e-mail or
> > attachments.
> >
> > 	----------------------------------
> > 	CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail may contain
> > privileged or
> > confidential information and is for the sole use of the
> > intended
> > recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient, any
> > disclosure,
> > copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this
> > information is
> > prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received
> this
> > electronic
> > transmission in error, please reply immediately to the
> > sender that you
> > have received the message in error, and delete it. Thank
> > you.
> > 	----------------------------------
> >
> > 	 
> > 	_______________________________________________
> > 	Ale mailing list
> > 	Ale at ale.org
> > 	http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > --
> > James P. Kinney III
> > Actively in pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness
> >
> >
> >
> 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> 
> Please consider our environment before printing this
> e-mail or attachments.
> ----------------------------------
> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail may contain privileged
> or confidential information and is for the sole use of the
> intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended
> recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use
> of the contents of this information is prohibited and may
> be unlawful. If you have received this electronic
> transmission in error, please reply immediately to the
> sender that you have received the message in error, and
> delete it. Thank you.
> ----------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> 
> 



More information about the Ale mailing list