[TowerTalk] And we talk about free climbing !

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

On 11/23/2014 8:44 PM, Stan Labinsky Jr. wrote:
> And I have a pet peeve with all of this.

Likewise.

Far more are injured, climbing, driving (without seat belts, helmets, 
safety gear).  I don't have the stats for climbing, but with cars we 
kill more than 30,000 a year, down from 50,000 before seat belts, air 
bags, and crush zones.  There are many times that number crippled for 
life.  The value of lost wages, medical costs, and personal care (home 
or professional) is huge.

If the risk taker also provides income for a family, what then?
I've reached that point in life where age is catching up. No more 
climbing, no more yard work.  Think of the people that put themselves 
and their families in this position due to lack of responsibility.  We 
expect age to bring limitations, but what about when we are the direct 
cause of those limitations?


We all grow old, but taking responsibility is something else.  It may be 
us taking the risks, but family, friends and work share in the 
problems,  Accidents raise the cost of items produced because of higher 
insurance premiums, overtime wages to cover for you, and a whole bunch 
of expenses to take care of the injuries.

The, "I wanna be free" ignores the load (financial and emotional) we 
place on others.

A friend was injured climbing and it's not uncommon.  Another was 
crippled for life in a motorcycle accident, and another was killed when 
he hit his head on a curb while riding bicycle with no helmet. These 
were all people I knew.      I've seen similar stories on the reflectors.
They were dismantling a tower.    They were down to 30 feet left when 
something happened.  Whether something broke the temporary guys, or they 
failed for some reason, the 30' stick broke.  He ended up, badly broken up.
When a person lives with pain and on pain killers they can get difficult 
to live with, or they can no longer provide for a family

In all those cases a divorce followed.  The injured was left/deserted by 
those he or she expected would at least offer emotional support.

Remember "No man is an island?"

73

Roger (K8RI)

>
> I remember the furor raised over the motorcycle helmet laws.  They may 
> be the right... the smart, thing, but why should I be forced to do 
> "the right thing"... "I wanna be freeee!"
>
> And you could come down on either side of the argument, but, consider 
> what happens to those who are stuck with the taking care of Mr. I 
> don't care about doing the reasonable thing, "I'll do what I d^#n well 
> please and if it's free climbing or crashing my bike without any 
> reasonable self protection, tuff!"
>
> The folks who didn't experience the wreck get to experience the 
> protracted long-term care of Mr. I don't give a s#!t.  They get to 
> spend what should be theirs to keep his broken body running... does 
> that seem right to you? These folks get to sit in anguish over a 
> life... no lives turned on end.
>
> I think that there should be a document created that would force the 
> dare devil to release those who would otherwise be saddled with the 
> result of his (or her) trying for a Darwin Award of any financial 
> responsibility caused by their behavior.  That includes the folks who 
> don't even know that this individual even exists... except when they 
> step up and pay their tax burden.
>
> If that seems a bit cold... so be it.  But, it may just cause some to 
> wake up and see that their behavior affects more than just themselves.
>
> Now, taking off his curmudgeon hat and donning his flameproof drawers, 
> he remains...
>
> Stan... born back when that Nazi was sharing his insanity with the world.
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Patrick Greenlee
> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2014 9:33 AM
> To: 'Towertalk'
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] And we talk about free climbing !
>
> Darwinian natural selection is thwarted in many instances these days as
> society moves to protect those who would be eliminated if left to 
> their own
> devices.  This is not a good thing for the long term benefit of 
> society and
> in aggregate is self destructive to the human race.  You can swing too 
> far
> in the other direction as well with such as eugenics as practiced by WWII
> Nazis.  Virtually every time man has meddled in nature with such 
> actions as
> importing English sparrows to kill out a specific moth the results 
> have been
> a disaster.  The moth is gone and so are many of our native birds 
> displaced
> by those sparrows.
>
> More specifically, let people free climb if it is their freely made 
> choice
> and not an imposition of  an employer.  Let nature take over and Identify
> those to eliminate.  The rest of us will keep an eye peeled for 
> bargains at
> SK estate sales.
>
> Patrick NJ5G
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)