Weapons of war on the streets of Boston

[yanquidog]

Whatever happened to personal accountability?

I should cite before I postulate, but IIRC, part of the pedestrian crosswalk law includes words to the effect that pedx are responsible for crossingg safely. I.e situational awarenesss before they step into traffic

 

[krallstar]

Seventeen dead after Missouri tourist boat sinks in storm
By Brendan O'Brien and Andrew Hay
Reuters

(Reuters) - Divers on Friday pulled the last four bodies from the wreckage of a "duck boat" that sank in a storm in a Missouri lake, killing 17 people in one of the deadliest U.S. tourist incidents in recent years.

The World War Two-style amphibious vehicle was filled with 31 passengers including children when a microburst storm hit Table Rock Lake outside the tourist city of Branson, Missouri, on Thursday. A video of the incident showed it battered by waves.

Officials pulled the bodies of four people from the sunken duck boat 80 feet (24 m) under water, Ozarks Public Radio reported, citing Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader.

"It's important that we find out for sure what events did occur," Governor Michael Parson said at a Friday morning news conference. "Today it's just still early."

The incident began around 7 p.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday after thunderstorms rolled through the area, when two duck boats were out on the lake, officials said. Both headed back to shore but only one made it.



(Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Gina Cherelus in New York, Writing by Scott Malone; Editing Bernadette Baum and Steve Orlofsky)

07/20/2018 11:47

© Copyright Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Reuters Ltd.

 

[Drix]

Seventeen dead after Missouri tourist boat sinks in storm
By Brendan O'Brien and Andrew Hay
Reuters

(Reuters) - Divers on Friday pulled the last four bodies from the wreckage of a "duck boat" that sank in a storm in a Missouri lake, killing 17 people in one of the deadliest U.S. tourist incidents in recent years.

The World War Two-style amphibious vehicle was filled with 31 passengers including children when a microburst storm hit Table Rock Lake outside the tourist city of Branson, Missouri, on Thursday. A video of the incident showed it battered by waves.

Officials pulled the bodies of four people from the sunken duck boat 80 feet (24 m) under water, Ozarks Public Radio reported, citing Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader.

"It's important that we find out for sure what events did occur," Governor Michael Parson said at a Friday morning news conference. "Today it's just still early."

The incident began around 7 p.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday after thunderstorms rolled through the area, when two duck boats were out on the lake, officials said. Both headed back to shore but only one made it.



(Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Gina Cherelus in New York, Writing by Scott Malone; Editing Bernadette Baum and Steve Orlofsky)

07/20/2018 11:47

© Copyright Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Reuters Ltd.

Dunno if you saw the video of this but it was pretty crazy- strong gale came out of an approaching storm. Clearly the duck boats were unable to handle the weather they were shown and honestly, I'm going to place most of the blame on the operating company. I find it unlikely the drivers or company were listening to the weather- something I do with obsession when I'm on the water, and I find the company at fault for that- had they been tuned in they would have heard the warnings from the area about the front moving through.

I'm going to guess that after the boat capsized people got trapped inside the curtains and drown that way, potentially with jackets on- this may be a flaw with the equipment of the boat, I'm not sure who to blame, but there should be an easy way to exit from any one of those windows.

 

[shootymacshootface]

Very sad .

 

[AHM]

Check this out: Ethan Allen boating accident

You and your spouse are Seasoned Citizens, taking a luxury motor coach tour halfway across the country, including a one-hour foliage lake ride. You're having a wonderful time. And then the stupid boat swamps in cold water and you and your spouse are trapped underwater by the festive canopy. (Not to mention you have no time to don a PFD). Explain that fail to the next of kin.

This duck boat tragedy is going to be comparable.

 

[jct61765]

Whatever happened to personal accountability?

That went away when obama became president.

 

[BrianWilson]

I also love stopping and telling cars to go when I'm in Boston,

Unfortunately even a well intention-ed signal to another driver to proceed makes you partly liable for whatever happens next. If you do wish to allow another driver to go before you it's best to just sit there and wait until they figure it out, in case they decide to pull out in front a duck boat or something.

 

[Broc]

Unfortunately even a well intention-ed signal to another driver to proceed makes you partly liable for whatever happens next. If you do wish to allow another driver to go before you it's best to just sit there and wait until they figure it out, in case they decide to pull out in front a duck boat or something.

I was talking when I am a pedestrian, I dont jump in front of cars, and a lot of times a car will have the green light and stop for no reason to let me cross, which I won't do because the cars coming the other way also have a greenlight and I have a red walk light.

 

[quincy]

Let’s not forget the morons that push the walk button but just continue to cross into traffic without even looking. That way we all get to sit at the red light for an extra minute staring at each other.

And don’t forget about watching out for skateboarders at 3am in middle of street vying for their place amongst the drunks and sleeping drivers.

 

[AHM]

I was talking when I am a pedestrian, I dont jump in front of cars, and a lot of times a car will have the green light and stop for no reason to let me cross, which I won't do because the cars coming the other way also have a greenlight and I have a red walk light.

If a give-way boat is approaching a stand-on boat,
the give-way boat must notify the stand-on boat of it’s intentions
by making a clear and decisive change in course or speed.

You don't tweak the wheel by a hair -
you bang enough of a turn that
even a moron will notice that you changed course.

1. Point at the illuminated Don't Walk sign (a.k.a. the Red Hand of Death).
2. Turn your back on the car.
3. Back off from the curb.
4. Pretend to poke at a phone.

They'll clue up forthwith.


Closest I've come to road rage was when some dame behind us honked
while we were stopped at the No Turn On Red traffic light exiting Harbor Freight/Amherst.
I got out, and (athwart my open car door)
pointed at the No Turn On Red sign like Marcel Freaking Marceau.
Had plenty of time to get back in, too.

Nowadays I'd just ratchet up my awareness and let her stew.

 

[AHM]

Ethan Allen boating accident

You and your spouse are Seasoned Citizens, taking ... a one-hour foliage lake ride. ... the stupid boat swamps in cold water and you and your spouse are trapped underwater by the festive canopy. (Not to mention you have no time to don a PFD). ...

This duck boat tragedy is going to be comparable.

One possible difference:

Drudge: Captain told passengers NOT to don life jackets?

Tia says the captain of the boat told them “don’t worry about grabbing the life jackets – you won’t need them,” so none of the family members grabbed them.

“However in doing that, when it was time to grab them, it was too late and I believe that a lot of people could have been spared,” said Tia.

Don't have to take her word for it -
were the bodies recovered with or without PFDs?

I've crewed on a 32' sailboat when it got its ass kicked by a squall in Salem Sound.
The wind went from "shoulda reefed" to "shoulda furled" to
"everyone sit on the gunwhale that's above the Atlantic Ocean"
in about 15 seconds...

It's no time for a commercial captain to be worrying about
having to neatly stow a few dozen PFDs afterwards.

It's not even time to be worrying about instilling panic in the passengers.

You can't don a PFD in the water.
You can't don a PFD as you're sinking.
You can't don a PFD in the dark or smoke.

If you don't know how they go on and hook up,
many many people will get it wrong -
floating face-down,
or it falls off and bobs gaily while you sink like a rock
or get strangled by a strap you can't loosen or tear.

 

[TC McQuade]

Is this the end of Duck Boat Tourism?

Federal agency warned about danger of duck boat canopies before Table Rock tragedy

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the Arkansas incident and arrived at this conclusion: “Contributing to the high loss of life was a continuous canopy roof that entrapped passengers within the sinking vehicle.”



'Death traps': Federal officials have warned about dangers from duck boats for two decades

Federal officials have warned tourists for nearly 20 years about the dangers posed by amphibious tour boats, which have spotty and sometimes contradictory safety regulations because they are neither entirely boat or bus.

“Duck boats are death traps on both on water and on land,” said Andrew Duffy, whose Philadelphia law firm Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky has represented families in accidents involving the vehicles. “They should be completely outlawed.”

 

[The5thDentist]

That went away when FDR became president.

FIFY

 

[Bob P]

Is this the end of Duck Boat Tourism?

Federal agency warned about danger of duck boat canopies before Table Rock tragedy

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the Arkansas incident and arrived at this conclusion: “Contributing to the high loss of life was a continuous canopy roof that entrapped passengers within the sinking vehicle.”



'Death traps': Federal officials have warned about dangers from duck boats for two decades

Federal officials have warned tourists for nearly 20 years about the dangers posed by amphibious tour boats, which have spotty and sometimes contradictory safety regulations because they are neither entirely boat or bus.

“Duck boats are death traps on both on water and on land,” said Andrew Duffy, whose Philadelphia law firm Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky has represented families in accidents involving the vehicles. “They should be completely outlawed.”

Just a note: that last quote is from an ambulance chaser who makes a living off the lawsuits. It’s hardly a disinterested party. Whether you should take a tour on them or not the last thing we need is more regulation. There’s plenty of fail by the tour company here already to say they were in violation. Ignoring the small craft advisory was more than enough on its own.

 

[Mr.E]

Well, that's my point- this lady was just walking down the sidewalk and she ****ing did a heel turn like a soldier with that carriage. So any layperson would not have known she was intending on entering the crosswalk until it just suddenly happened. This is a common thing in Cambridge and Boston, usually people who look like commies just dart into crosswalks, they don't even stop for like half a second or anything.

The best is the shitbirds who walk out from behind parked cars into crosswalks.... if I see a car near a crosswalk like that I always try to slow down, lest some ******* magically appear in the crosswalk after leaving the concealment of a parked car/SUV.

-Mike

It’s because most of these idiots don’t drive and have no idea what it takes to see everything going in around them and stop accordingly. It’s like when you were a kid and your parents would say “just because you can see the vehicle doesn’t mean the vehicle can see you”. This was one of the first lessons I was taught when learning to cross the street or ride my bicycle to friends houses. These people did not get that lesson..

 

[Radtekk]

Whatever happened to personal accountability?

Lol, you're cute when you're delusional

 

[cams]

I have had morons walk into the side of my parked ambulance before. Never underestimate human stupidity

Had a guy one time open the rear door of a fully marked police cruiser and jump in, asked me to take him to xxx thinking I was a cab.

I turned and looked at him, in full uniform, which still didn’t faze him, then handed him a set of cuffs and said, “Sure, put these on first though.”

Guy about sh*t himself. Started apologizing profusely and trying to get out as fast as he could, but the back doors won’t open from the inside. Put his window down for him and he reached out and scampered off to his next meeting as I sat shaking my head in dismay at how GD clueless people are these days.

Seriously, lot of dumb out there these days.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Let’s not forget the morons that push the walk button but just continue to cross into traffic without even looking. That way we all get to sit at the red light for an extra minute staring at each other.

And don’t forget about watching out for skateboarders at 3am in middle of street vying for their place amongst the drunks and sleeping drivers.

As a kid, not knowing, I’d walk thru Boston pressing every single one of those things.

Of course this was 1970’s Boston. Not sure they were ever connected. Lol

Is this the end of Duck Boat Tourism?

Federal agency warned about danger of duck boat canopies before Table Rock tragedy

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the Arkansas incident and arrived at this conclusion: “Contributing to the high loss of life was a continuous canopy roof that entrapped passengers within the sinking vehicle.”



'Death traps': Federal officials have warned about dangers from duck boats for two decades

Federal officials have warned tourists for nearly 20 years about the dangers posed by amphibious tour boats, which have spotty and sometimes contradictory safety regulations because they are neither entirely boat or bus.

“Duck boats are death traps on both on water and on land,” said Andrew Duffy, whose Philadelphia law firm Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky has represented families in accidents involving the vehicles. “They should be completely outlawed.”

And so it begins.

Was talking at dinner table. Did you know that MA licenses horseback riding trainers? For safety?????

Honestly, sometimes you can’t legislate away danger. Duck boats on TRL are probably a dumb idea. Someone deciding to pass a law to outlaw them everywhere (or just here, because this IS Mass) is dumbbbber.

 

[shootymacshootface]

Honestly, sometimes you can’t legislate away danger. Duck boats on TRL are probably a dumb idea. Someone deciding to pass a law to outlaw them everywhere (or just here, because this IS Mass) is dumbbbber.

Maybe we should outfit some surplus tanks with rubber tracks and conduct tours with them. Just think of all the cool places you could take tourists through historic boston, off roading through the parks and nature trails. Rolling through Dorchester, JP, or Revere has never been so safe!

Have mentioned how much I hate this state?

 

[The5thDentist]

Had a guy one time open the rear door of a fully marked police cruiser and jump in, asked me to take him to xxx thinking I was a cab.

I turned and looked at him, in full uniform, which still didn’t faze him, then handed him a set of cuffs and said, “Sure, put these on first though.”

Guy about sh*t himself. Started apologizing profusely and trying to get out as fast as he could, but the back doors won’t open from the inside. Put his window down for him and he reached out and scampered off to his next meeting as I sat shaking my head in dismay at how GD clueless people are these days.

Seriously, lot of dumb out there these days.

What, people didn't call your department for rides to the ER like in Lynn?

#BlueTaxi

 

[Mr.E]

Had a guy one time open the rear door of a fully marked police cruiser and jump in, asked me to take him to xxx thinking I was a cab.

I turned and looked at him, in full uniform, which still didn’t faze him, then handed him a set of cuffs and said, “Sure, put these on first though.”

Guy about sh*t himself. Started apologizing profusely and trying to get out as fast as he could, but the back doors won’t open from the inside. Put his window down for him and he reached out and scampered off to his next meeting as I sat shaking my head in dismay at how GD clueless people are these days.

Seriously, lot of dumb out there these days.

That is hilarious and terrifying at the same time. You should have asked "sirens or no sirens" to see if that would jog him into reality.