I started diving off of starting blocks when I was eight years old. I am now 51, and train at the Y, almost always alone, as there is no Masters program in the county where I live, or in any of the immediately adjacent counties. (There are several age group programs.) I want to work on my starts, but none of the Y's where I swim will let me use the blocks - saying that a national Y policy prohibits anyone from using the blocks unless a team/club coach is on the deck.
I have never heard of anyone suing a YMCA because of an accident on a starting block.
Yes, perhaps a coach would be valuable to me in this regard, but I'm not looking for a coach - I need and want a cooperative facility. The age groups' program schedules are not conducive to my schedule, and besides, the age group coaches already have enough on their hands during those times with lanes full of kids working their programs. I also am not excited about having to dodge those kids to do the work I need to do.
Anyone find a way to conquer this litigation-fear-induced insanity yet? Thank you.
BTW, in my pool thought experiment, you had tested the pool depth in some of the other lanes, but not all of them, before diving in. Just enough to let your common sense know how safe it was to dive into 4 ft of water.
Originally posted by aquageek
I take responsibility for my own actions.
Let's push this one a little further. After your accident (which you didn't sue the pool management about), you become pool manager. You see person after person diving into that one special lane (without checking the depth). Despite the fact that you have had first hand knowledge of diving into that lane, despite the fact that you've seen dozens of people make exactly the same mistake, you say nothing to the swimmers. In fact, you point out to other people how deep the other lanes are (without mentioning the one exception). Are you responsible for your (in)action?
Personal responsibility comes with information. Do you think that she had it in her lap, because in her past experience with other (normal temperature) hot coffee, her common sense said it doesn't cause any real damage if you spill it? If this woman knew that this particular coffee would cause hospitalization if you spilled it in your lap (which McDonald's knew happened to others before her), do you think she would still do it? (I don't know, maybe she would have. But if you check the trial details, the average consumer had no idea how much of a difference those extra 10-30 degrees made.)
BTW, in my pool thought experiment, you had tested the pool depth in some of the other lanes, but not all of them, before diving in. Just enough to let your common sense know how safe it was to dive into 4 ft of water.
Originally posted by aquageek
I take responsibility for my own actions.
Let's push this one a little further. After your accident (which you didn't sue the pool management about), you become pool manager. You see person after person diving into that one special lane (without checking the depth). Despite the fact that you have had first hand knowledge of diving into that lane, despite the fact that you've seen dozens of people make exactly the same mistake, you say nothing to the swimmers. In fact, you point out to other people how deep the other lanes are (without mentioning the one exception). Are you responsible for your (in)action?
Personal responsibility comes with information. Do you think that she had it in her lap, because in her past experience with other (normal temperature) hot coffee, her common sense said it doesn't cause any real damage if you spill it? If this woman knew that this particular coffee would cause hospitalization if you spilled it in your lap (which McDonald's knew happened to others before her), do you think she would still do it? (I don't know, maybe she would have. But if you check the trial details, the average consumer had no idea how much of a difference those extra 10-30 degrees made.)
