On Nov 30, 12:58Â*pm, wrote:
On Nov 30, 1:56Â*pm, Chuck Gould wrote:





On Nov 30, 10:15�am, wrote:

On Nov 30, 12:34 pm, wrote:

On Fri, 30 Nov 07, Chuck Gould wrote:
A boat capsized about five miles from
shore, killing the three fishermen on board, authorities said

No word on what caused the boat to capsize???

The usual suspects will blame it on
1. Stupidity
2. Alcohol
3. Ignorance

All without any evidence of such.

There is nothing in the story to indicate alcohol was a factor.

Stupidity? Ignorance? Â*Maybe extreme........but carelessness can be
inferred from the fact that they were out in a small boat in the North
Atlantic, during late November, and not a single one of them thought
to put on a PFD.

You know, everyone takes a risk once in awhile, and it doesn't make
them necessarily careless. Do you walk around all of the time with a
radioactive proof suit on in case of nuclear fallout? Do you wear
steel toed boots all of the time in case someone or yourself drops
something on your foot?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would indeed wear a radiation suit if working around nuclear waste.
I would wear steel toed boots if working in an industrial environment
where heavy objects were being hoisted about. And I would wear a PFD
in a 25-foot boat bouncing around in 50-degree ocean water in
November, (at least an inflatable or maybe a float coat) as would
nearly almost all professional mariners.

What is the "upside" of the risk assumed by eschewing the PFD?
Sustaining a more "macho" appearance? How fricking macho do these guys
look stretched out on a slab in the morgue, fer crissake?

Then there's the old "it's my life, I'll risk it" BS. Unfortunately,
society doesn't work that way.

I'd be OK with a system where the guy who chooses not to wear a
motorcyle helmet or a pfd agrees that in any situation where his
choice to avoid mitigating his personal risk develops into an
emergency the paramedics, USCG, etc can elect *not* to respond. That's
what taking the risk means. As it is now, the people who refuse to
take basic safety precautions not only risk their own lives, but they
cost the rest of us $$$$$$$$$$ in S&R costs, publicly subsidized
medical care, welfare and Social Security payments made to orphaned
children, etc.