In which I swim against the tide
So the show is over and Ophelia has left the building.
I’m still astounded that we never lost power which is usually the first thing to go. It must be because I went to the trouble of digging out the old camping stove and setting it up on the kitchen table. Strangely enough, the one after effect is that we have no water today. I can manage without that for a while, provided I have enough to make my mug of tea.
One of the main talking points yesterday and today is the actions of some people around our coasts. The one message that filled the air yesterday was to stay indoors. In particular, people were urged to stay well away from the coast and cliffs which was sensible enough. However there were many reports of people going swimming at the height of the storm. Photographs were shown of people walking out on piers and jetties trying to get that all important “selfie” to stick on the all important Farcebook. .
Herself tells me that the radio today is full of calls about these idiots. They quite rightly are making the point that every rescue puts the rescuer’s life at risk. Everyone is screaming the inevitable – Something Must Be done. Naturally a couple of our illustrious leaders want to criminalise the act of “endangering rescue personnel” or some such crap, with consequent fines. What is rather worrying is that in a poll, 90% of people think that here should be “criminal proceedings” or a fine.
Gubmint method: Every problem can be solved with a tax or fine [and they seem to have convinced the sheeple as well].
I completely disagree. People who go swimming, kite surfing or canoeing at the height of a storm are putting their lives at risk, and consequently risking the lives of any would be rescuer. The solution is blindingly simple – don’t rescue them. If they get into trouble then that is their own stupid fucking fault. Let them drown. When a Code Red wind warning has been declared, that should mean that all air-sea rescue service will be available only to craft with more than one occupant such as fishing vessels or other vessels which may have been at sea when the storm hit.
I’m sure the rescue services would be happy with that.
And it would remove a lot of stupidity from the gene-pool.
“90% of people think…”
No. They really don’t. 90% of people who take part in opinion polls ( and referendums) don’t think.
It’s the same with all opinion polls – most people tend to give the “correct” answer, which the answer they feel they should give. It’s the same with tobacco, alcohol or food: they will understate their consumption because they feel ashamed to tell the truth.
Also in the poll above there was no “let ’em drown” option which leaves the “no” voters apparently implying that the rescue services should continue to be put in danger. Slanting the polls?!!
I hear midwives dreading next July, with no electric for 300,000 homes, expecting bigger baby boom that World Cup 1990
Heh! Very true. As my old Uncle Hugh used to say about the days before central heating…
We had two options back then – fuck or freeze.
That would be your old uncle ‘stumpy’ Hugh who lost both feet and all his fingers to frost bite? 😛
Ah no. This Hugh never had frost bite. He did have a lot of kids though.
He did have a lot of kids though.
So totally unlike everyone else in the village..even those with peat a plenty?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStPbk
Only stupid people do such things, and stupid people are who elect our officials. They are not worried about the people, they are worried about losing the votes. That’s why we have so many laws trying to protect people from their own actions.
It’s back to self determination again. If there people want to place themselves in danger they should be allowed. It’s their lives and their decisions so it’s really no one else’s business. The likes of air-sea rescue should be there to help people who get into trouble through no fault of their own. If people want to drown themselves then fair play, but others shouldn’t have to put their lives at risk as a consequence.
If there people want to place themselves in danger they should be allowed. It’s their lives and their decisions so it’s really no one else’s business
And where would that attitude lead? Even smokers would be allowed to merrily carry on KILLING themselves with their filthy addiction?!
Ol’ Joe with his farting whippet who sits in the corner of The Ruptured Duck of a lunchtime should be allowed to POISON himself with his half of mild and perhaps even be allowed to commit slow suicide by eating that PIE full of Trans-fats (is that lard that doesn’t know whether it is a boy or girl?)!?
Have you no feeling of responsibility for your fellow *insert old fashioned , unenlightened paternalistic, and offensive term for the non-female gender as a collective* ? We have a duty to save everyone from themselves.
Let Darwin sort them out.