MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 66,209
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Let's face it... not many people from any area, rural, urban and in between, has ever been taught boating safety. I wouldn't expect them to know what to be prepared for. It's 100% up to the owner of that company to train their operators to protect their clients. They didn't.
How many of us have ever gone to an amusement park, hopped on the ride, buckled up, pulled that guard down over ourselves and kids, and just gone along for the thrill ride?
And how many of us have done that even after seeing scenes of people being injured or even dying on an amusement ride after knowing they are inherently dangerous? All of us.
While we're preaching how those people should have been responsible for themselves, think about that. Between 2000 and 2007, 22 people died on amusement park rides. Where's the call for bans on those? Where's the preaching about people should know how to escape them? You can't. You're locked into the seat. That's worse than a duck boat ride.
There comes a time when you have to trust someone else. You do it every day that you get into your car. You litterally trust thousands of people each day to watch out for you. Yet tens of thousands of people die in car accidents each and every year. We all assess risk, then take that risk anyway. And we sometimes assume it must be safe, so off we go, not even thinking about what could happen.
Yes, it was a horrible accident.
Yes, loss of life probably could have been avoided if the operators would have made people wear life preservers and never put canopies on these vehicles.
But no, the riders should not be blamed for not taking matters into their own hands if they've never been taught boating safety. They trusted the operators to keep them safe. It's in no way their fault. No way.
How many of us have ever gone to an amusement park, hopped on the ride, buckled up, pulled that guard down over ourselves and kids, and just gone along for the thrill ride?
And how many of us have done that even after seeing scenes of people being injured or even dying on an amusement ride after knowing they are inherently dangerous? All of us.
While we're preaching how those people should have been responsible for themselves, think about that. Between 2000 and 2007, 22 people died on amusement park rides. Where's the call for bans on those? Where's the preaching about people should know how to escape them? You can't. You're locked into the seat. That's worse than a duck boat ride.
There comes a time when you have to trust someone else. You do it every day that you get into your car. You litterally trust thousands of people each day to watch out for you. Yet tens of thousands of people die in car accidents each and every year. We all assess risk, then take that risk anyway. And we sometimes assume it must be safe, so off we go, not even thinking about what could happen.
Yes, it was a horrible accident.
Yes, loss of life probably could have been avoided if the operators would have made people wear life preservers and never put canopies on these vehicles.
But no, the riders should not be blamed for not taking matters into their own hands if they've never been taught boating safety. They trusted the operators to keep them safe. It's in no way their fault. No way.
