quote:Shayna Richardson was making her first solo skydiving jump when she had trouble with her parachutes and, while falling at about 50 mph, hit face first in a parking lot.
Although badly hurt, she survived — and doctors treating her injuries discovered she was pregnant. Four surgeries and two months later, Richardson said she and the fetus are doing fine.
-------------------- On the crusade to eliminate Moral Asshattery wherever it exists Member: AAMAH Posts: 2940 | From: Michigan | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:During treatment, doctors found that Richardson was pregnant, which was a surprise to her. She said she would not have jumped had she known.
At least she didn't know. I was ready for a full five page rant about how stupid some people can be and about responsibility. Still pretty dumb though, IMO.
quote:Richardson said her due date is June 25. She plans to make her next parachute jump in August.
I take back my not-as-stupid claims. You'd think that you would only need one accident to really show that it is a bad idea.
posted
As far as I'm concerned, parachuting is something you do when the airplane is about to do a lawn dart, not as a hobby.
Doing it pregnant is just plain dumb (although, she did not know, so she's off the hook for now) and when she has just had a kid is even dumber (and there's the hook again). She has plenty of time to reconsider though, let's hope she'll use it.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
My wife and I wanted to go skydiving but felt that it was taking an unecessary risk as we have children. Of course, we then reasoned that we'd go on seperate jumps so that if the first one died, then the next spouse would be able to call off his/her jump
Seriously, though, I would not shy from saying that a known pregnancy should preclude one from engaging in risk-taking. However, I'm hard pressed to say where one should draw the line for the "sake of their kids".
Interesting quote along these lines though...My friend is a clinical thereapist and he says that the psychiatrists that he works with often prescribe 'adventerous' outings for patients dealing with the aftermath of life-altering experiences. I joked "like skydiving?".
He said, actually "No", because "it comes oftely close to suicide."
-------------------- As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly. Posts: 1679 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Dogwater: My wife and I wanted to go skydiving but felt that it was taking an unecessary risk as we have children. Of course, we then reasoned that we'd go on seperate jumps so that if the first one died, then the next spouse would be able to call off his/her jump
Seriously, though, I would not shy from saying that a known pregnancy should preclude one from engaging in risk-taking. However, I'm hard pressed to say where one should draw the line for the "sake of their kids".
Interesting quote along these lines though...My friend is a clinical thereapist and he says that the psychiatrists that he works with often prescribe 'adventerous' outings for patients dealing with the aftermath of life-altering experiences. I joked "like skydiving?".
He said, actually "No", because "it comes oftely close to suicide."
That's all very interesting since I had this incredible urge to take up sky-diving right after my sudden heart attack (at 31). It ended up being just what I needed though I only made it to my first jump before I quit.
See the thing is they spend 8 hours training you. There are 100 things to remember and forgetting any or them pretty much means death. something the instructors reminded me of often. So I went through everything and made actually jumped out of the plane.
I was falling at 120 miles an hour with two jump instructors when we got into a weird angle forcing one of the instructors to pull my rip cord for me. Now I didn't know he had done this, but sudenly both of my jump instructors dropped away below me. Once I was under silk I only had five thigs to say: 'fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.' Somewhere on the way down I decided that sky-diving was not the sport of someone with kids who were not yet grown.
I do have to wonder who among you agree with Dogwater, that as a parent, it is necessary to curb some of your more risky behavior. As opposed with those of you who think that a pregnant woman should be barefoot and bedridden for the entire 9 months.
You are aware that, thanks to great leaps of modern science, it is now possible for us to be pregnant and think at the same time, right?
Like, we drive cars and vote and eveything....
I'm just asking.
Ali "don't know how that question went off, I was sure it wasn't loaded" Baba
Posts: 3068 | From: Kensington, MD | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by AliBaba: I do have to wonder who among you agree with Dogwater, that as a parent, it is necessary to curb some of your more risky behavior. As opposed with those of you who think that a pregnant woman should be barefoot and bedridden for the entire 9 months.
Do you seriously think that those are the two positions postulated by this thread?
You have a tremendous imagination, AliBaba--I'm in awe.
Seaboe
-------------------- Education is not the filling of a hard drive, but the lighting of a bulb. -- Yeats via Esprise Me Posts: 5562 | From: Seattle, WA | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Yeah um, I said that has a parent I decided I shoulnd't be doing such risky activities. Does that mean I expect myself to be barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen? 'Cause the pregnant part will be kind of hard.
Beach...but I do already spend a lot of time barefoot and in the kitchen...Life!
posted
she is a very lucky woman im glad her and her baby in her belly are doing well godbless them both wishing her and her family a safe and HAPPY HOLIDAYS
-------------------- chicky Posts: 2 | From: Brooklyn, NY | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I'm really torn on this one to be honest. I have nothing but respect for any man or woman who goes into any kind of risky profession (or riskier than the average office job anyhow) and stays there even with kids. That said I don't disagree that some activities (like sky diving, bungee jumping, hitchhiking etc) are a needless risk to take if you've got kids depending on you.
But :shrug: like I said I'm really torn on this one. I do think that a parent's first priority should be doing everything possible to make sure they survive to bring up their own kids..but what does that mean? All police officers, firefighters etc have to choose between having a family or keeping their jobs? That's insane!
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Christie: ...But :shrug: like I said I'm really torn on this one. I do think that a parent's first priority should be doing everything possible to make sure they survive to bring up their own kids..but what does that mean? All police officers, firefighters etc have to choose between having a family or keeping their jobs? That's insane!
I think that every responsible parent is a bit torn on this one. Yeah, you hold a responsibility to support your kids and see then as far into life as practical. But you are also responsible to demonstrate how to _have_ a life. As the unexamined life is not worth living, so too is the unlived life not worth examining.
The way I figure it, without the rock climbing, the motorcycle racing, and the experimental nuclear fusion powered aircraft, I won't have any way to start a conversation with my grandkids.
Bob "BoKu" K.
Posts: 2079 | From: California | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by BeachLife: Yeah um, I said that has a parent I decided I shoulnd't be doing such risky activities. Does that mean I expect myself to be barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen? 'Cause the pregnant part will be kind of hard.
Not really. All you've got to do is get yourself written into some slash fanfic!
But that's another thread....
Nonny "I ship BeachLife and First of Two" Mouse
-------------------- When there isn't anything else worth analyzing, we examine our collective navel. I found thirty-six cents in change in mine the other day. Let no one say that there is no profit in philosophy. -- Silas Sparkhammer Posts: 10141 | From: Toronto, Ontario | Registered: Apr 2000
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posted
Great, there's a mental image I can't get rid of with all the brain bleach in the world. Really, Nonny, was that necessary?
-------------------- There is no interpersonal problem so big that it can't be solved with a suitably large amount of high explosives. ~ Bufungla Posts: 3562 | From: South Texas | Registered: Oct 2001
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Joe Bentley
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
Pregnant women should not be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.
A pregnant woman in the kitchen requires more arch support then that. Therefore pregnant women should be in the kitchen wearing good flat soled shoes with adequate ankle support.
Here I got it
-------------------- "Existence has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long." - Rorschach, The Watchmen Posts: 8929 | From: Norfolk, Virginia | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
No, Seaboe. I don't have much imagination at all - what I did was write sloppily, which I do more often than I care to admit.
Let me clarify. I agreed completely with Dogwater - that as a parent, there are certain risks I try not to take. Jumping out of a perfectly good plane would be one of them, but that's because I'm chickenshit.
What I was surprised at was the number of people who seemed to be appalled that this woman had the audacity to go skydiving (cue scary music) when she was pregnant.
What I meant to ask was, would these people be as horrified of any parent skydiving, or just one who was pregnant at the time? In other words, after giving birth, is it then okay to go skydiving? Or should all extreme sports be given up altogether by all parents? What about jogging? My sister jogged up until her 8th month, and had a perfectly healthy (10 pounds!) boy. But there are people who would be horrified by that, too, I'm sure.
My point is that being pregnant doesn't usually equal being an invalid. (I'm not taking about cases where due to a medical condition, the woman must be on bedrest - I'm generalizing about the average healthy pregnancy.)
Sorry I didn't phrase it better. Note to self, don't post when angry.
Note to Beachlife: where in my post did I say you should be pregnant, barefoot or otherwise?
Ali "stuck on stupid" Baba
Posts: 3068 | From: Kensington, MD | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
I just really hope that this woman walked to the SkyDive shop. Those parents (mothers and fathers) who insist on driving to work and driving to the store are so god-damn ignorant that it drives me up the wall. I mean, sure we reduce risk by having seatbelts, and sure there are "child restraints" but the risk is still there. And, it is a HUGE risk. Yeah, now thanks to safety features, we get to have a crippled parent raising a cripled child. Great idea. They're bastards all.
Or worse, those greenies who buy the "smart cars" and raise their kids on "organic" foods so they are not exposed to "chemicals". They may as well be pushing their kids into traffic! I mean, anyone who is on the road, with child... with a child and is in anything less than an A1 Abrahms should be charged with reckless endangerment.
-------------------- We're not insured for pickles. Posts: 2358 | From: Fort McMurray, Alberta | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by AliBaba: What I was surprised at was the number of people who seemed to be appalled that this woman had the audacity to go skydiving (cue scary music) when she was pregnant.
What I meant to ask was, would these people be as horrified of any parent skydiving, or just one who was pregnant at the time? In other words, after giving birth, is it then okay to go skydiving? Or should all extreme sports be given up altogether by all parents? What about jogging? My sister jogged up until her 8th month, and had a perfectly healthy (10 pounds!) boy. But there are people who would be horrified by that, too, I'm sure.
Ali "stuck on stupid" Baba
To me, just the simple fact of someone being a parent (including pregnancy) should make them more responsible. I'm not saying that they can't do anything, I just think that anything with a really high risk factor should be deeply thought about before engaging in. I was appalled by the woman doing it pregnant, because IMO, the risk would not be worth the fun. I really don't have standards or anything for what parents can or cannot do, but I just think that some don't consider enough what would happen if something went wrong in those types of high-risk situations.
posted
Granted, you wouldn't catch me jumping out of an airplane unless it was on fire. That said, however, I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with a parent skydiving. Look at all the other high risk recreational activities parents engage in without one batted eye. For examply, Fowlplay takes Duckling fishing. They both love it. It's great bonding for them. But more people die in boating accidents than in skydiving accidents. Thus, perhaps they shouldn't be fishing? It's all about taking precautions, whether in skydiving or fishing.
~I swear I had a point~
-------------------- There is no interpersonal problem so big that it can't be solved with a suitably large amount of high explosives. ~ Bufungla Posts: 3562 | From: South Texas | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
I think it's a bit different though if one is already a skydiver or whatever and chooses to continue to do something one has already gained some skill in. Quite another to do something so dangerous for the first time whilst pregnant -- although the woman in the OP did not know she was pregnant which I think most people in this thread did acknowledge.
And c'mon Jon are you really going to compare a novice skydiving experience to someone driving in a car?
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
If I recall my biology correctly, there shouldn't be anything detrimental to mother or fetus anymore from flying than skydiving - other than the possibility of course meeting the unmoveable earth.
Obviously it's up to the individual to make their own choices, and not for others to make their choices FOR them. Rant and rave all you want to, but it's her life and that of her fetus/baby. Had she known she was pregnant, I'm sure she would have had different consideration - she said as much in the article. For her to have recovered from the incident and STILL want to skydive - I commend her for her bravery. I'm also sure her Doc will clear her before she jumps. She seems to be an avid skydiver, and knew how to react in the emergency that unfolded.
That being said - for ME...I'm with others who wouldn't jump out of a plane unless it was heading down and I saw the pilot with his 'chute on
-------------------- "You never know when you will be attacked by a wild tortilla" - José Zavala "Happiness isn't happiness without a violin playing goat" Be good and you will be lonesome Posts: 3569 | From: USVI | Registered: Jun 2000
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Joe Bentley
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
quote:Originally posted by Christie: And c'mon Jon are you really going to compare a novice skydiving experience to someone driving in a car?
quote: How does the fatality rate in skydiving compare to other common activities? Since most adults in America drive cars, let's compare skydiving to driving. Roughly 40,000 people die each year in traffic accidents in the United States [ref]. That's 1.7 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. Therefore, if you drive 10,000 miles per year, your chance of dying in a car wreck in any given year is something like 1 in 6,000. In other words, we accept a higher level of risk by getting into our cars every day than people do by occasionally skydiving. You would have to jump 17 times per year for your risk of dying in a skydiving accident to equal your risk of dying in a car accident if you drive 10,000 miles per year.
A logical question to ask here is this: Given these statistics, why do we think of skydiving as dangerous and driving a car as safe?
The first reason has to do with frequency. At 30 per year, fatal skydiving accidents are infrequent. That tends to make each one newsworthy, so you are likely to hear about them. On the other hand, there are about 110 fatal car accidents every day in the United States. In a city of one million people, 160 people die every year in car accidents. If you heard about every car accident, you would go insane, so you only hear about a few of them. That leaves you with the impression that car accidents are infrequent even though they happen constantly.
The second reason has to do with familiarity. Most people drive every day and nothing bad happens. So our personal experience leads us to believe that driving is safe. It is only when you look at the aggregated statistics that you realize how dangerous driving really is.
So no you can't compare skydiving to driving. Driving is far, far more dangerous.
-------------------- "Existence has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long." - Rorschach, The Watchmen Posts: 8929 | From: Norfolk, Virginia | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Joe Bentley: So no you can't compare skydiving to driving. Driving is far, far more dangerous.
Which doesn't really change anything though does it? I mean seriously do you actually need to skydive (I mean as others have said unless the plane you're on is about to hit the earth *hard*) on the other hand most of us have to get into cars once in awhile. There is risk for the sake of risk taking and risk that when all else is equal makes sense. Well mostly makes sense...
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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Joe Bentley
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
No of course not. I'm just arguing raw numbers. Risk versus acceptance is much more complicated.
I was just saying you can't argue that skydiving is inherently all that risky. Whether's its worth it or not... I'll leave that up to people smarter then me to figure out.
-------------------- "Existence has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long." - Rorschach, The Watchmen Posts: 8929 | From: Norfolk, Virginia | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
Christie, nope, I don't need to skydive, and I don't need to drive. Actually, this comes down to Optics. "I can't get by without driving". "It is an acceptable risk, but skydiving is just frivolity".
I work at the airport, a long ways from where I live. I get by fine without driving. Mostly, I walk, bike, I'd take a horse if I had a bigger yard.
I'm not a tree-hugger either. I just don't see driving as required. I see it as a risk, and one which I don't have to engage in.
Optics, Christie. You see jumping out of an aircraft as a frightening thing. Therefor it is risky. But really, compaired to driving, there is little risk.
To be fair -and ask manta about this- recreational boating is very very safe, but I'll be damned if I get more than a quick leap from the dock when it comes to the ocean.
-------------------- We're not insured for pickles. Posts: 2358 | From: Fort McMurray, Alberta | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Joe Bentley: From Stuffo
quote: How does the fatality rate in skydiving compare to other common activities? Since most adults in America drive cars, let's compare skydiving to driving. Roughly 40,000 people die each year in traffic accidents in the United States [ref]. That's 1.7 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. Therefore, if you drive 10,000 miles per year, your chance of dying in a car wreck in any given year is something like 1 in 6,000. In other words, we accept a higher level of risk by getting into our cars every day than people do by occasionally skydiving. You would have to jump 17 times per year for your risk of dying in a skydiving accident to equal your risk of dying in a car accident if you drive 10,000 miles per year.
So no you can't compare skydiving to driving. Driving is far, far more dangerous.
I have trouble with arguments like this. It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong) that the vast majority of car fatalities are either (a) caused by stupid behaviour (driving while intoxicating, speeding, or playing chicken at train crossings), or (b) happen at high speed on country roads. If I don't do the stupid things mentioned, and nearly always only drive around my town/city, the chances of a fatality go down significantly. IOW, careful driving reduces the chance of fatality significantly.
OTOH, if the parachute fails, it doesn't matter how good a skydiver I am: I'm screwed.
Posts: 225 | From: Adelaide, Australia | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote: OTOH, if the parachute fails, it doesn't matter how good a skydiver I am: I'm screwed.
Actually, you have a backup parachute. So you're not screwed. Much of the ground school involves how to reduce the risk, when to choose to use your backup chute, etc. By training and being careful, the risk goes down substantially.
-------------------- We're not insured for pickles. Posts: 2358 | From: Fort McMurray, Alberta | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote: OTOH, if the parachute fails, it doesn't matter how good a skydiver I am: I'm screwed.
Actually, you have a backup parachute. So you're not screwed. Much of the ground school involves how to reduce the risk, when to choose to use your backup chute, etc. By training and being careful, the risk goes down substantially.
Point taken, but I don't think it affects my argument: that the supposed danger of dying in a car accident is grossly inflated, unless you are in one of the high risk groups.
Posts: 225 | From: Adelaide, Australia | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I agree with those who say the only reason I'd do any sky diveing would be if the plane was going to nose dive right in to the earth. My feeling is, why would I want to jump out of a perfectly good ariplane? Makes no logical sence to me.
Ever notice how we always fall in love? We never climb gently in to love, or step lightly in to love. If love is such a good thing than why is it described as a fall. Posts: 918 | From: La Salle Illinois USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by rocksong: Point taken, but I don't think it affects my argument: that the supposed danger of dying in a car accident is grossly inflated, unless you are in one of the high risk groups.
But you must also take into consideration that you are sharing the road with people in these high risk groups. Just because you drive safely doesn't protect you from some idiot that got his license from a cereal box.
Posts: 27 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
i don't know how it is elsewhere, but all the skydiving school I've heard of around here insist that your first dive is a "tandem" dive. That is, you are strapped to an instructor, they jump, they pull the ripcord, and you are just along for the ride.
So my question is, if this is the woman's first jump, why the NFBSK was she going it alone?!
-------------------- Back in the days before electricity, we were forced to watch TV by candlelight. Posts: 229 | From: Paoli, PA | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I think it said it was her first solo jump (not her first jump). Where I learned (IIRC) the first 3 jumps had to be tandem then there were about 5 or 6 after that which had to be made with an instructor before a true solo could be made. She was probably fairly familar with the experience if she was allowed to jump alone.
While I haven't jumped since I had my child, as a single parent I get a bit nervous, I rationally know that its a fairly safe activity. Although I might jump again (but I will have an instructor present since its been 7 years since my last jump). The boy wants to see mommy fall from the sky and I only have one video of a jump where I'm not making obsene gestures with my hands and screaming "I am Iccarus!" while falling.
I don't think its irresponsible when compared to other activities. In fact my insurance company will pay off if I die durring sky diving but not if I die while flying a single engine aircraft (I figured if I'm ever going to crash I'll jump out and my estate can claim I was trying to skydive but forgot my chute.).
However I do think there are certain things that should be avoid if pregnancy is known. Most places won't allow known pregnant women to engage in certian activities. The Miami Seaquarium wouldn't let me play with dolphins when I was 3 months pregnant due to posible hazzards and liability. Although with skydiving I'd worry more about the guys who someday wish to father a child (have you seen where the harnesses go?). Then again I also don't know how men ever learn to ride a bannana seat unicycle either. Sometimes its good to be a woman.
IMHO the OP was a freak accident. I think she could've just as easily slipped on a patch of ice while getting her mail and died. For the most part I think that people who participate in "extreme" activities take extreme precautions and that balances the playing field.
This reminds me of the "Oh my! Juggling fire tourches is dangerous!" argument. Yes it is dangerous, if you make a mistake you can get a bit of carbon on you! I know skydiving has greater risk (that's why there are greater precautions) but I think the risk are exagerated.
Last thought: I have always flown plane, bungee jumped, hang glided, skydived, or something equally as rediculous when I've been depressed. I find the thrill of throwing my life away, hopefully without the consequences, is theraputic. Its like "Life's crap. I'm going to jump. I'm jumping! Oh crap, what have I done!?! Oh, right, good... the bungee cord! Hmmm... life's not all that bad. Hey, I love life!".
-------------------- "The question for joining the protected forum for real magicians should be:
What is the use of women?" Steve W. from JREF's 'This is no fun' Posts: 7622 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by rocksong: Point taken, but I don't think it affects my argument: that the supposed danger of dying in a car accident is grossly inflated, unless you are in one of the high risk groups.
But you must also take into consideration that you are sharing the road with people in these high risk groups. Just because you drive safely doesn't protect you from some idiot that got his license from a cereal box.
You beat me to it. I'd be willing to bet that most of us who run in your supposed "low risk groups" still know people who've been killed by drunk or stupid drivers.
Also, most people who drive will occasionally make a stupid decision -- speed a little bit in poor weather, for example. We gloss over lots of little stupid choices in our own driving. It only takes one particularly bad moment for such a stupid choice to wrap your car around a tree.
That's why I have no real trouble accepting the "driving is more dangerous than skydiving" argument.
terralioness
-------------------- "I never liked Hemingway." "I never liked you." Posts: 543 | From: Brooklyn, NY | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:Or should all extreme sports be given up altogether by all parents? What about jogging? My sister jogged up until her 8th month, and had a perfectly healthy (10 pounds!) boy. But there are people who would be horrified by that, too, I'm sure.
There's a big difference between skydiving and jogging.
As for parents giving up risky activities, it's not my call to make for other parents. Personally, I wouldn't do it, especially since I'm a single mom, but I'm not particularly drawn to extreme sports, anyway.
I used to think about this a lot when I lived in the Seattle area. There were several fatalities onn Mount Rainier during the 5 years I was there, and at least one guy had small children. Was the satisfaction he got from mountain climbing really worth losing the chance to see his kids grow up? Only he would know, and he's not talking.
A more important question to me is, was it worth it to his kids? Would they have chosen "Daddy's gone, but he died doing what he loved" over "Daddy's still with us, but he misses climbing mountains"? Will they grow up to feel that he chose his personal fulfillment over their needs?
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Let me make a few points here, as a catch if I may, and beg forgiveness for not properly quoting other posters:
1. IMHO, a pregnancy should preclude a woman from taking on unecessary risks. In the end, it's up to her, but if her end goal is to bring a child into the world, then putting the fetus at risk goes against that plan. What's unecessary? There's the rub. Is being a policeman or fireman unescessary when it's your carreer? I think the line is a personal one. 2. Driving, going to the mailbox and even moderate excersise are all things that one can reasonably call necessities of daily living. Yes, they carry dangers, but that's why our car does not move until seatbelts are buckled, our steps are salted, wifey wears a heart rate monitor during excersise, etc, etc. 3.BoKu
quote:I think that every responsible parent is a bit torn on this one. Yeah, you hold a responsibility to support your kids and see then as far into life as practical. But you are also responsible to demonstrate how to _have_ a life. As the unexamined life is not worth living, so too is the unlived life not worth examining.
Wonderfully stated...as a caregiver one must weigh options as to what risks outweigh what rewards. Should I never fly? Should I never ride a motorcycle? Snowboard? Hell, I was a bartender and my insurance called that high-risk.
Personally I know that I have unfounded prejudices against certain activities. I know that skydiving is safer than other activities that I engage in otherwise. Maybe it's just me rationalizing so that I don't feel like a chickenshit!
By the way, this pic of a Shayna Richardson is making the internet rounds. I'm not sure if it's the same Shayna, a photoshop or the real thing. I'll post in Photo Gallery.
-------------------- As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly. Posts: 1679 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Dogwater, glad you liked it. I learned both flying and the love of words and language from my dad. My favorite advice of his is "always remember to temper your caution with a touch of boldness."
Heading off on a tangent, I seem to be among a minority of recreational aviators who disagree with the assertion that the drive to the airport is the most dangerous part of flying or "intelligent falling" or whatever. Here's my favorite article on the topic. It is specifically about gliding, but I think that it applies to some degree to most aviation sports.
The statistics that I find on the Web suggest that on a participant/year basis gliding is almost twice as dangerous as skydiving. However, I am leery about those stats. I suspect that if you included in the skydiving fatalities all of the fatalities from aircraft accidents that involved jump planes they would be much worse. My belief (based on casual observation and anecdotal evidence) is that jump planes tend to have greater than average accident rates than most of the general aviation fleet since they tend to be maintained less rigorously and are more often operated out of their weight and balance envelopes. My reasoning for thinking that jump plane fatalities should be included with skydiving fatalities is that the activities are to a great degree inseparable - it's pretty hard to skydive without a ride in a jump plane. Not impossible, as BASE jumpers are wont to demonstrate, but still not very easy or common.
And, for soaring, my lists run eight, zero, and zero.
Bob "Joe F. Diane W. Bob S. Jack B. Skip L. Reuben Z. Dave R. and Tim B." K.
Posts: 2079 | From: California | Registered: Feb 2000
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etc) are a needless risk to take if you've got kids depending on you.![[fish]](graemlins/fish.gif)
