Understanding the gravity

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:03

Hazards in Newquay are not going to get signs or fences to stop people falling off the cliffs. Especially drunk people. At night. There's been a bit about this in the news recently, people like India Knight letting their little angels go off on a post GCSE holiday and politley ignoring the fact that they will be doing so and getting very drunk. Around cliffs. And generally being really irritating to the local peoples. The family of the 16 year old were on the GMTV news this morning, seemingly beginning to understand that their son died of a tragic combination of alcohol and gravity, but where he fell, you've got to climb over things to get near the cliff edge anyway.

So, in conclusion, "no" to fences around the tops of cliffs, It'll cost a couple of drunk people a year, but there we are, and "no" to 16 year olds spending a week getting gazebo'd in newquay.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

You really are secretly a Cornishman in Oxford, aren't you?

("Whoah-oh, I'm an alien, an illegal alien.....")

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:07

Good. It's the same down on the Jurassic coast, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Take care of your own life, you idiots. You shouldn't need a sign to know that cliffs are dangerous.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:08

Malabar Front wrote:

You shouldn't need a sign to know that cliffs are dangerous.

The law confirms this.

Plissken · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:08

We aren't losing a cure for cancer, here.

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:10

Only a related note, I always thought "X deaths in X years on this road. Drive safely." signs would be spot-specific, but every single sign I saw on the A41 blathered on about the same 127 deaths in 3 years. That road stretches all the way down from Wirral down to past Birmingham. That's not too bad.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:11

Malabar Front wrote:

Only a related note, I always thought "X deaths in X years on this road. Drive safely." signs would be spot-specific, but every single sign I saw on the A41 blathered on about the same 127 deaths in 3 years. That road stretches all the way down from Wirral down to past Birmingham. That's not too bad.

If they were people from the Wirral, it's even better....

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:12

MaliA wrote:

If they were people from the Wirral, it's even better....

Hah. Or Birmingham, for that matter.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:13

Malabar Front wrote:

MaliA wrote:

If they were people from the Wirral, it's even better....

Hah. Or Birmingham, for that matter.

Plissken · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:15

Mali is a tranny! Mali is a tranny!

Malc · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:26

A friend of the family's 21 year old manged to kill themselves by jumping from a bridge to what they thought was firm land, but ended up being the road 20m below. He was out celebrating his 21st birthday.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Exet ... ticle.html

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Hund ... ticle.html

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/trib ... ticle.html

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Pare ... ticle.html

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Exet ... ticle.html

Malc

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Hello, I'm Tom Baker and I'd like to talk to you about the dangers of falling 400 feet off of a radio telescope........

sdg · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 13:09

Malc wrote:

A friend of the family's 21 year old manged to kill themselves by jumping from a bridge to what they thought was firm land, but ended up being the road 20m below. He was out celebrating his 21st birthday.

Malc

That is a real shame and something I would describe as a tragic accident, from reading the articles it seems he was thought he was jumping something that everyone jumped and so was presumable safe but instead, as a result of being drunk, he jumped at a different bit.

The story MaliA has linked to is sheer stupidity by the looks of it though. I certainly don't think the boy who jumped off the cliff deserved his fate but I think that people expecting the council to put fences up are being ridiculous and I think that there is no way the boy should have been there at that age anyway.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

superdupergill wrote:

Malc wrote:

A friend of the family's 21 year old manged to kill themselves by jumping from a bridge to what they thought was firm land, but ended up being the road 20m below. He was out celebrating his 21st birthday.

Malc

That is a real shame and something I would describe as a tragic accident, from reading the articles it seems he was thought he was jumping something that everyone jumped and so was presumable safe but instead, as a result of being drunk, he jumped at a different bit.

The story MaliA has linked to is sheer stupidity by the looks of it though. I certainly don't think the boy who jumped off the cliff deserved his fate but I think that people expecting the council to put fences up are being ridiculous and I think that there is no way the boy should have been there at that age anyway.

Darwin disagrees

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16651

If we were to put fences in front of everything that might be dangerous to drunks then we would end up with a very lot of fences indeed.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

You'd have to fence off ugly people, for a start.

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 13:15

Craster wrote:

You'd have to fence off ugly people, for a start.

Story of my life.

sdg · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 13:18

Riles wrote:

superdupergill wrote:

I certainly don't think the boy who jumped off the cliff deserved his fate

Darwin disagrees

Well now that I read that I have to agree that I sort of phrased that wrong! What I meant was, he was obviously very drunk and in very high spirits and given his age I would guess that even if he did drink, he couldnt normally drink that much since his parents would have found out if he was at home. So he was obviously a total idiot and really it was his own fault however I do feel sorry for the family and I don't think he deserved to die since I don;t think he would display that degree of stupidity normally.

Sir Taxalot · **Joined:** 5th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 4862

I went to newquay on a stag do and on the way back to the b&b after a night in the town we ended up messing about and bundling people on this stretch of grass near the roadside. It was only the next morning we realised we'd been playing a bit too close to a large cliff edge but being drunk, and a dark night, didn't realise. It was pretty sobering, a close call.

That being said, we'd have had no one to blame but ourselves if anything bad had happened.

Also, I can see why the resisdents had stag-do tourists there. I don't really enjoy that sort of lairiness, being relatively civilised myself. Surfing in Fistral bay was good fun though. I'd like to do that again.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 13:20

What you do is get so drunk you can't move.

Plissken · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 13:21

It really does make you despair

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

superdupergill wrote:

Riles wrote:

superdupergill wrote:

I certainly don't think the boy who jumped off the cliff deserved his fate

Darwin disagrees

Well now that I read that I have to agree that I sort of phrased that wrong! What I meant was, he was obviously very drunk and in very high spirits and given his age I would guess that even if he did drink, he couldnt normally drink that much since his parents would have found out if he was at home. So he was obviously a total idiot and really it was his own fault however I do feel sorry for the family and I don't think he deserved to die since I don;t think he would display that degree of stupidity normally.

The Robocop/Balloon/Hen Night alcohol advert is number 1 in my 'Top 5 public service adverts'.

I'm not being holier than thou on this. I've done/Will do some fucking stupid things when drunk. I don't expect vast swathes of public space to be fenced off when I finally buy it though.

Sir Taxalot · **Joined:** 5th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 4862

Quote:

With them was their neighbour Suzi Death, 44, who runs a quiet B&B

Brrrrrrr

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

Plissken wrote:

It really does make you despair

Dead drunk's stepmother wrote:

The cliffs are too high

Aha! The villain of the piece is revealed! Fetch the JCBs.

Riles wrote:

The Robocop/Balloon/Hen Night alcohol advert is number 1 in my 'Top 5 public service adverts'.

It really is very good. Has impact, in the right way.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

Plissken wrote:

It really does make you despair

The last sentence of that article is really tempting the wrong type of fate. Oh it can get worse. Much, much worse.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 13:37

They should install inflatable beaches.

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

If Doctor Who taught me anything, it's that if you fall a large height you'll have some kind of flashback where all your friends and enemies say your name, and then you'll turn into Peter Davison.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10185

Craster wrote:

Riles wrote:

The Robocop/Balloon/Hen Night alcohol advert is number 1 in my 'Top 5 public service adverts'.

It really is very good. Has impact, in the right way.

Is that different to the Batman one?

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

This was someone I knew in Oxford:

Quote:

KAI DAWSON, A THIRD year engineering student at St. Edmund Hall, was tragically killed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

His death, which appears to have been an accident, occurred after he scaled a crane on a construction site in St. Clements. Losing his grip he fell from the jib of the crane. His body was found by a resident in the back garden of a house in Rectory Road at about 3pm on Saturday afternoon. He is believed to have died instantly.

Josh Bell, Oriel, reflected the views of many when he made the following statement. "I knew Kai for many years when we attended City of London School together. He was a very friendly, charming and extremely talented young man. Everyone at City considered Kai a great guy, and we are all in absolute shock over his tragic death this weekend; it is a very sad waste of a young life, especially of someone who had so much to offer and with such a future ahead of him. He will be desperately missed by all of us."

Professor John Hunt, Kai's tutor at St. Edmund Hall, "Kai was a very promising student, who coped with his studies with ease, while at the same time enjoying the other aspects of his life to the full. He was also very well liked, and extremely popular with both his fellow students and his tutors at St. Edmund Hall."

"We shall miss him deeply, and our sympathies go to his parents and family who must be suffering greatly as a consequence of this tragic loss."

Duncan McGraw of Oxford Police appealed for witnesses who may have been with him in the last fifteen minutes of his life to come forward and speak in complete confidence to the Police.

Journalists from all sections of the media bombarded the college with enquires on Monday morning before many members had been informed of the tragedy.

I didn't know Kai very well -- he was a friend of friends -- but I was on at least nodding terms with him. The night before, he had been at the pub with a number of people I know, but wasn't drinking. He wasn't depressed and had no reason anyone could think of to commit suicide. He wasn't a reckless bloke. No-one knows what happened between him leaving the pub at shut-tap and saying goodbye -- he lived in the other direction to everyone else -- and him being found the next day. It appears he decided to scale the scaffolding on the construction site, sober, and alone, and fell; but that makes very little sense.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

BikNorton wrote:

Craster wrote:

Riles wrote:

The Robocop/Balloon/Hen Night alcohol advert is number 1 in my 'Top 5 public service adverts'.

It really is very good. Has impact, in the right way.

Is that different to the Batman one?

Well, he's sort of half Robocop, half Batman, for copyright infringement reasons, I'm guessing.

End of an Era · **Joined:** 25th Nov, 2008 **Posts:** 1041

Quote:

"There is a perception that some parents of under-18s have questionable levels of responsibility," said Dave Meredith, sector inspector at Newquay police station. "If they supply alcohol to their child to come to Newquay and that child is involved in an incident linked to alcohol, they share a burden of the blame."

I'd go much further and say that if you allow your under-age children to go on an unaccompanied binge drinking trip then whatever happens is solely and unequivocally your fault.

However, it seems you can't go blaming parents for their obvious failings nowadays, especially when the culture du jour is not to accept responsibility for anything and blame all your problems on external factors.

Malc · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 14:08

End of an Era wrote:

Quote:

"There is a perception that some parents of under-18s have questionable levels of responsibility," said Dave Meredith, sector inspector at Newquay police station. "If they supply alcohol to their child to come to Newquay and that child is involved in an incident linked to alcohol, they share a burden of the blame."

I'd go much further and say that if you allow your under-age children to go on an unaccompanied binge drinking trip then whatever happens is solely and unequivocally your fault.

However, it seems you can't go blaming parents for their obvious failings nowadays, especially when the culture du jour is not to accept responsibility for anything and blame all your problems on external factors.

So when you were 16, your parents knew exactly where you were, and you never ever drunk any alcohol?

Malc

End of an Era · **Joined:** 25th Nov, 2008 **Posts:** 1041

Malc wrote:

End of an Era wrote:

Quote:

"There is a perception that some parents of under-18s have questionable levels of responsibility," said Dave Meredith, sector inspector at Newquay police station. "If they supply alcohol to their child to come to Newquay and that child is involved in an incident linked to alcohol, they share a burden of the blame."

I'd go much further and say that if you allow your under-age children to go on an unaccompanied binge drinking trip then whatever happens is solely and unequivocally your fault.

However, it seems you can't go blaming parents for their obvious failings nowadays, especially when the culture du jour is not to accept responsibility for anything and blame all your problems on external factors.

So when you were 16, your parents knew exactly where you were, and you never ever drunk any alcohol?

Malc

When I was 16 (which is getting on for 20 years ago) I had better things to do with my time than get shit faced in Newquay and fall off cliffs. Besides which I had the good sense to tell my parents where I was going and what I'd be up to. As for drink I never really bothered until I went to university and didn't bother much there or after. My folks were quite relaxed about it, they'd let me drink at home if I wanted to but they made me aware of the dangers.

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16651

I think we've probably all done daft stuff as kids, this one was just unlucky as far as I can tell. I don't see why there has to be some lesson about society to be learned from it. This sort of thing has always happened and it always will.

kalmar · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 14:26

markg wrote:

I think we've probably all done daft stuff as kids, this one was just unlucky as far as I can tell. I don't see why there has to be some lesson about society to be learned from it. This sort of thing has always happened and it always will.

Correct.

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 14:27

Malc wrote:

So when you were 16, your parents knew exactly where you were, and you never ever drunk any alcohol?

Malc

My mum generally knew where I was. She'd certainly know where I was if I was miles from home — if I'd gone down to Cornwall she would know, as any parent should.

I went out drinking once at 16. I got so incredibly bollocked I didn't do it again until I was at least legal and [possibly] more responsible.

Plissken · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 14:39

markg wrote:

I think we've probably all done daft stuff as kids, this one was just unlucky as far as I can tell. I don't see why there has to be some lesson about society to be learned from it. This sort of thing has always happened and it always will.

Except it isn't one. This is trains packed full of 16 year olds, hitting a town to try and get as absolutely smashed as possible, with the probably knowledge/help from their parents.

And that is before we get to the idea that wanting to emulate the worst excesses of stag dos is something to be applauded.

Malc · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 14:54

Malabar Front wrote:

Malc wrote:

So when you were 16, your parents knew exactly where you were, and you never ever drunk any alcohol?

Malc

My mum generally knew where I was. She'd certainly know where I was if I was miles from home — if I'd gone down to Cornwall she would know, as any parent should.

I went out drinking once at 16. I got so incredibly bollocked I didn't do it again until I was at least legal and [possibly] more responsible.

My parents had no problem with me going out drinking at that age as long as I didn't do anything stupid, but there were always areas they didn't want me to go, it didn't stop me going to them tho.

I must say the only times I stayed away from my parents when I was that sort of age was with scout trips, where once again they expected a certain amount of drinking to take place, but as long as no one complained, no one minded.

Also, I think children are patronised so much in this country (and in the US too) from about 13 years onwards you are essentially an adult, and your body certainly agrees, It's been 20 years since that age for me, and I really, honestly don't think I've changed that much since then. (apart from being fatter and balder). I was fully aware of what was what, and whilst I might have more confidence that I was making the right decision now, I think that given any specific incident, I would make the same decision at whatever point of time in the last 20 years it happened.

The law is totally arbitrary, at 16 you can get married and have sex, but you can't watch other people having sex, you can fight for your country, but you can't vote to help decide if the country should be fighting in the first place, and you can't buy buy alcohol, but if you're having a meal you are allowed to consume it. It's just so arbitrary.

And what's the point in having these arbitary lines in the sand anyway? so the day before I'm 18 it's wrong for me to drink, but the next day it's fine! Absolute bollocks.

Malc

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

At age 16, my parents knew I went out drinking but knew that there were limitations on how much damage Stafford could do to me, and also knew that no matter how pissed I was, I wouldn't shit on my own doorstep.

This was before BingeDrinking TM was invented, but there is no way on earth they would have let me go down to Newquay for a weekend on the sauce.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

Riles wrote:

At age 16, my parents knew I went out drinking but knew that there were limitations on how much damage Stafford could do to me, and also knew that no matter how pissed I was, I wouldn't shit on my own doorstep.

This was before BingeDrinking TM was invented, but there is no way on earth they would have let me go down to Newquay for a weekend on the sauce.

Precisely.

Plissken · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 15:10

Exactly. This isn't a case of "well, he's going to have a drink, because he is at that age" , it is a case of 16 year olds being encouraged to go on a stag do type bender. Ignoring the illegality of laws applying to 16 or 18 year olds, surely noone can see that as a good thing?

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16651

Plissken wrote:

Exactly. This isn't a case of "well, he's going to have a drink, because he is at that age" , it is a case of 16 year olds being encouraged to go on a stag do type bender. Ignoring the illegality of laws applying to 16 or 18 year olds, surely noone can see that as a good thing?

Yeah fair enough. Is this another of those traditions that has been imported from America? I note that many UK schools have "prom night" now :spew:

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 15:13

markg wrote:

Yeah fair enough. Is this another of those traditions that has been imported from America? I note that many UK schools have "prom night" now :spew:

I blame Mali.

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 15:16

markg wrote:

I note that many UK schools have "prom night" now :spew:

We had one in the 6th form, when everyone was 18. Now in my old school they have them at 16 as well, and although they're not allowed to drink at the prom (it's staffed by teachers) they all go off to afterparties and get slaughtered. Miss Malabar's younger brother just had his prom, and their parents were fully away and encouraging of him to get hammered afterwards — and I'm not saying that's particularly wrong, as he's a fairly level-headed lad, but they'd have gone nuts had she done the same at that age; my parents would have done the same.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

We had a ball in both years of the 6th form, with the local girls' grammar schools. Never called it a 'prom' though.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

Zardoz wrote:

markg wrote:

Yeah fair enough. Is this another of those traditions that has been imported from America? I note that many UK schools have "prom night" now :spew:

I blame Mali.

Is that where the picture of Kovacs in a dress came from? Was he the prom queen?

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Craster wrote:

We had a ball in both years of the 6th form, with the local girls' grammar schools. Never called it a 'prom' though.

Well it was different in your day:

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 15:36

...and Mali was the dancing Queen. Thumbed and reamed, only seventeeeeen, oh yeah.

Malabelm · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 16:03

Craster wrote:

with the local girls' grammar schools. Never called it a 'prom' though.

I ended up at the leaving party of an all-girls school in a swanky hotel. I'm still not sure how that happened. I've never been out with £100 or so for drinks and had to go to a cash machine halfway through the night before, or since. Hideously expensive, that mini-bar.

kalmar · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 16:04

Malabar Front wrote:

Craster wrote:

with the local girls' grammar schools. Never called it a 'prom' though.

I ended up at the leaving party of an all-girls school in a swanky hotel. I'm still not sure how that happened. I've never been out with £100 or so for drinks and had to go to a cash machine halfway through the night before, or since. Hideously expensive, that mini-bar.

"...Dash of opposite lock, and away".

Am I doing it right?

Be Excellent To Each Other

Understanding the gravity
of the situation in newquay,

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

Understanding the gravity of the situation in newquay,

Who is online

Understanding the gravity
of the situation in newquay,