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Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

bbc.com

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Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#61

Post by yellowstuff »

supernova87a wrote: post #25

By the way, I wonder if there is something about liability in English law that enables this to continue to stay open and posted as a path? I would imagine that in the US, liability would quickly force local government / whoever to take down the signposts, as they "entice" people to think there is a safe, established path and should risk their lives and are probably somewhat liable for the result. I guess there aren't…

About one tourist a week dies in Hawaii doing touristy stuff. Mostly snorkeling, but occasionally hiking or climbing on rocks near the ocean. My recollection was that in Maui there was a mix of dangerous areas with warning signs and dangerous areas with no signage at all.

https://www.civilbeat.org/2016/01/death-in-paradise-is-all-t...

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#62

Post by dasil003 »

aerovistae wrote: post #52
csours wrote: post #26

Things that look and feel like something you've done a thousand times, and may do a thousand times again with no danger. Except that sometimes, things can change very quickly. There's a creek bed near me that dried out almost completely over the summer; usually there's some water flow and occasional shallow pools where small fish live. While it was completely dry, I wanted to walk as far downstream as I could. I woke…

Maybe creeks are different where you're from, but as a young individual in the US northeast the idea of being "swept away never to be seen again" by a creek is a bit comical, torrential rain or not. You'd make it about a few yards before hitting one embankment or other and clamber out. Cold and wet, sure, but certainly to be seen again.

Now imagine you are here when the flash flood hits: http://www.cartogramme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kasha-...

By the way, it is sunny overhead. The water is coming from a torrential downpour some miles away in the mountains. This is normal in New Mexico which experiences highly localized heavy downpours during July/August.

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#63

Post by refurb »

schoen wrote: post #48
clairity wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's great to hear about these kinds of hidden dangers (immortalized by a wordsworth poem no less), but based on what's stated in the article, the sign shown in one of the photos seems to make the mistake of exhorting without informing (and persuading): > "danger. this pool is very dangerous. submerged rocks. diving, jumping & swimming prohibited." it seems it should say something more like "danger. hidden, swift und…

San Francisco has these signs on Ocean Beach: https://www.flickr.com/photos/c_nilsen/2823013166 They emphasize the concrete fact that people have actually died from the danger, which seems a little closer to your suggestion.

I’m wondering if the languages reflect who has died there?

Spanish and Mandarin make sense based on SF demographics, but the Russian (?) seems out of place. Although I know the Outer Richmond has a good size Russian population.

But if you at what languages SF offers information in, it usually also includes Japanese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and others, so I’m curious why they aren’t included.

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#64

Post by refurb »

supernova87a wrote: post #25

By the way, I wonder if there is something about liability in English law that enables this to continue to stay open and posted as a path? I would imagine that in the US, liability would quickly force local government / whoever to take down the signposts, as they "entice" people to think there is a safe, established path and should risk their lives and are probably somewhat liable for the result. I guess there aren't…

I’m not sure it’s entirely heightened US liability. I’ve been to a few places in the US (New Mexico Pueblos) where there is a serious risk of falling, yet no signs at all.

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#65

Post by Gibbon1 »

dasil003 wrote: post #62
aerovistae wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe creeks are different where you're from, but as a young individual in the US northeast the idea of being "swept away never to be seen again" by a creek is a bit comical, torrential rain or not. You'd make it about a few yards before hitting one embankment or other and clamber out. Cold and wet, sure, but certainly to be seen again.

Now imagine you are here when the flash flood hits: http://www.cartogramme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kasha-... By the way, it is sunny overhead. The water is coming from a torrential downpour some miles away in the mountains. This is normal in New Mexico which experiences highly localized heavy downpours during July/August.

To point out the reason. In the northeast a small creek represents a small drainage area. In the Southwest a small dry creek can represent a large drainage. All the water dropped by a thunder storm will end up in it.

I remember one time flying over the southwest with the light just right and you could see vast drainages with thin thin cracks that are the actual channels cut down into the sand stone.

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#66

Post by Balgair »

chrisacky wrote: post #53
WalterBright wrote: post #35

In Seattle, the old I90 floating bridge across Lake Washington had a "bulge" where a section of the roadway could be pushed into the bulge to make room for boat passage. When the section was retracted, the highway abruptly ended, and a barrier was put up. The Bulge was infamous for traffic accidents where you suddenly had to swerve right then left then right at highway speed, with narrow lanes lined with concrete wal…

I was curious too and found this Reddit write-up: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6zr2d6... Picture of the bridge. (I'm EU so couldn't view the previous link) https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/5ticw5/til_a_dange...

Oh now that is a very stupid design. Thanks for the picture!

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#67

Post by anyonecancode »

First time I ever saw tidal flats like this was in Maine this past summer. We stayed at an RV campground in the mid coast, and the tide was out by several miles. Kids and I walked out a ways enjoying the little pools, but the tide did come in fairly quick and I had to encourage them to keep moving and not dawdle on the way back. We live in NJ so our previous experience was just sandy beach. The variety of different kinds of coast in Maine was a lot of fun.

Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)

#68

Post by nradov »

clairity wrote: post #54
schoen wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

San Francisco has these signs on Ocean Beach: https://www.flickr.com/photos/c_nilsen/2823013166 They emphasize the concrete fact that people have actually died from the danger, which seems a little closer to your suggestion.

yes, that's better, but in that case, it's about possible death (how possible?), rather than probable death, so it's (intentionally?) ambiguous. it seems to lack information about when rip currents are most likely, and more to the point, the statistical likelihood of death from entering the water at all. i'm personally not a strong swimmer so would avoid it anyways, but that information might more readily dissuade ot…

Death is not probable. A lot of people swim and surf there. The majority survive.
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