Alligator Attack at Disney Kills Toddler

[Res]

We may not do things as blatant as jamming forks in toasters, but there are a lot of unsafe things we end up doing at least once or twice.

I mean, my parents raised 6 of us to adulthood without so much as a broken bone, but I can recall several instances such as times two of us shared a seatbelt in the car, or climbed out onto the extension roof; or there are the times you forget to buckle your kid in, or leave a door unlatched. How many people have every bookcase and dresser and TV bolted to the wall? Because several kids die every year from furniture toppling over on them.

Compared to the above examples, going wading at a beach that hadn't had any incidents in all the years prior is actually *lower* risk.

The other reason I'm reluctant to point a finger at the parents is because blaming the parents allows us to declare 'I would NEVER do such a thing' and grow smug and complacent. What other purpose does blaming the parents serve? We can't really punish them any more than having a dead child is going to punish them. This isn't something they'll ever fully recover from.

[Rezzy]

We may not do things as blatant as jamming forks in toasters, but there are a lot of unsafe things we end up doing at least once or twice.

I mean, my parents raised 6 of us to adulthood without so much as a broken bone, but I can recall several instances such as times two of us shared a seatbelt in the car, or climbed out onto the extension roof; or there are the times you forget to buckle your kid in, or leave a door unlatched. How many people have every bookcase and dresser and TV bolted to the wall? Because several kids die every year from furniture toppling over on them.

Compared to the above examples, going wading at a beach that hadn't had any incidents in all the years prior is actually *lower* risk.

The other reason I'm reluctant to point a finger at the parents is because blaming the parents allows us to declare 'I would NEVER do such a thing' and grow smug and complacent. What other purpose does blaming the parents serve? We can't really punish them any more than having a dead child is going to punish them. This isn't something they'll ever fully recover from.

That's pretty much how I feel. You can only do so much to keep your kids safe, and even then, stuff that was commonplace in the 80s, like kids sitting in the front seat of a car and not having a booster seat are frowned upon today. Heck, I remember waiting in the car while my mom ran into the store a few times when I was a kid, and nobody does that today.

Also, for the "No Swimming" sign, it doesn't convey the level of danger that wild alligators brings, and usually just means that there's no lifeguard or the water's dirty and/or polluted and not suitable for swimming. If a sign said "Keep of the grass" no one would assume the reason for keeping off the grass is that it's overrun with venomous snakes.

[Res]

Yes - we were left in the car or outside the shop all the time!

Also, I was making toast just now and was reminded that the other day I was really tired, and I was making toast late at night, and without thinking I speared the knife into the toaster to pick up the toast (the bread was small) once it was done. So... Yeah.

[Rezzy]

Yeah, I rode home on the city bus from school in the fifth grade with my little sister, and got left home alone during the day for a few hours when I was like 6, not to mention riding around town in the back of my dad's pick-up truck. It seems like a different age back then.

I remember seeing a t-shirt or something that said "I survived the 80s" on it.

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Also, for the "No Swimming" sign, it doesn't convey the level of danger that wild alligators brings, and usually just means that there's no lifeguard or the water's dirty and/or polluted and not suitable for swimming. If a sign said "Keep of the grass" no one would assume the reason for keeping off the grass is that it's overrun with venomous snakes.

I'd like to point out that this particular lagoon is a man-made lagoon with so many bacteria, amoebas, and other microscopic shit that I'm sure hundreds of people who go in the water have gotten sick before. The sign wasn't "no swimming" just because of the animals in the lagoon, it was also because of the fact that it just wasn't safe to swim in.

EDIT: Also, I am not defending Disney here, but I have an intimate knowledge about how Guests think here. If there were a sign saying "danger! Alligators in area!" a majority of Guests would assume that they're going to be attacked by a gator basically anywhere and then the numerous complaint would fly in. "No Swimming" is a basic blanket statement BUT it covers everything that one needs to know.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Hamlet

[Magical CC]

Without knowing more about the incident, my view is the same as the zoo controversy. It's the responsibility of the zoo, amusement park, etc to ensure the safety of its customers, especially when children are present. They should either ensure there are no dangerous animals at risk of injuring customers, build their park somewhere else, or have heavily armed guards on standby to keep the park goers safe.

No one can enjoy anything if right next to them is an angry looking security guard armed with assault rifle. Also, you are expect to see dangerous animals in zoo. It's the parents fault in the zoo case. If there were a sign saying "danger! Alligators in area!" then nobody in the right mind would want to visit that place at all. Disney would lost a lot of profit which we all know that is all Disney care about if they erected that sign. The "No swimming" means no entering the water which is totally different from "this place has alligator" because alligator can move out of water and they hunt land preys. Alligator is not the same with shark, mind you.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Magical CC