Tiger, tiger, burning bright...

[glenn kangiser]

Wonder if anyone really knows for sure how the cat did get out?  We may never know. hmm

I have been to the SF Zoo.  It is pretty old - not state of the art.

[glenn kangiser]

PS.  Note that I did have to take the Tigers side on this.

I was Class of '69 -- the Taft High Tigers, Lincoln City, Oregon.

We always lost -- I didn't do sports, but our team always lost.  It really sucks when you come from a loser school so I just felt I had to stick up for my fellow Tiger.  Note that I skipped graduation -- made them mail my diploma to me.  Nobody was gonna stick one of those goofy looking hats on me. 

[PEG688]

Didn't two guys survive? They should be able to tell the whole TRUE storey . Hell even IF they did bad things to that tiger the fact that it got out is going to cost the city or at least the zoo (, I guess that will depend on how good the lawyers are on both or all sides) BUT no jury in Ca. is going to allow the zoo / city off on this one.

That tiger NEVER should have been able to get out over the walls , like I said before IF it dragged the guy into the cage maybe it's the humans fault( in my eyes it would be ,,,,in a jury's eyes it may still be the zoo's  ) 


BUT the cat got out so no matter how or why IT IS THE ZOO'S fault.

Note I'm in NO way placing ANY blame with the tiger, it just did what any tiger should have done , KILL TO EAT!  The tiger is in no way at fault in this issue IMO.

You'd look good in a cap and gown.

[glenn kangiser]

I did put on a see through evening dress in the Janet Reno look alike contest.

[sparks]

My guess is someone turned that cat loose for reasons of their own. And they felt justified doing it.

[benevolance]

tiger should not be able to get out....But you know I would not go near a tiger no matter how safe someone tells me it is...

I vacationed once in Florida and people were swimming where gators were sunning themselves on the banks...They asked me if I wanted to swim I told them to "F" off and got the hell out of there... They assured me that there was no danger...Well I was scared to death to swim in gator infested waters with gators in plain sight...

And I am sure that every year a couple people die from gators eating them...Simple solution to me...Do not swim with gators, and you cannot get eaten by gators...

Even at the Zoo I am not going right upto the tigers or whatever... "F" that...I would rather watch them on the discovery channel and live

So peg is right that the city will pay dearly for this for years and years...And those that think this is just natural selection are correct in their own way also...

Mother nature selected these idiots to be removed from the human gene pool....

[MountainDon]

Mother nature selected these idiots to be removed from the human gene pool....

Sometimes I feel she's not giving that job her full attention.

[benevolance]

I think that sometimes she is on holiday or has retired... She needs to hire an assistant methinks

[StinkerBell]

Anyone else enjoy reading The Darwin Awards?

[Drew]

It costs $11 for an adult who does not live in SF to visit the Zoo.  It's only $9 for a local because they voted for the bond measure that helped fund the Zoo.  I saw new exhibits there this year which might have come from that funding.

It will take another infusion of money to improve the cat environment.  Maybe it can be done economically with a big plastic screen, maybe not.  The Zoo will probably have to invest in cameras, extra security, management consulting, and PR to get through all of this.  There is also the revenue loss from having the exhibit closed while the building happens.

So we are likely to see an increase in the ticket prices.  Two parents and two kids ($ for ages 3-11, or $8 ages 12-17) is now $11x2 + $5x2 = $32 not counting lunch.  It's not Disneyland rates yet, but it is not cheap entertainment.

So what is the cost going to be to cover the plastic screen?  Another $2 per ticket over 10 years?

Keep in mind we are only talking about the tigers right now.  No one has tried to accuse the gorillas of substandard housing yet.

Wait.  Someone can still climb the plastic wall, or throw something over it.  Or write on it so that no one can take a picture.  Or fall off of it.

Perhaps we can post a guard at the tiger exhibit to make sure someone doesn't do something guaranteed to them in their civil rights and ticket price like the Freedom to Climb Fences and/or Taunt Animals.  I am not saying that the kids did this - I am responding to the "safety no matter what" conditions.

But what if there are more climbers/taunters than the guard can handle?

The only guarantee to not get hurt at the Zoo is to not go to the Zoo.  But people want to go, and the Zoo wants them to come.  In order to facilitate this, the Zoo and the visitor agree to the terms and conditions on the ticket.  That requires a standard of care on both sides of the agreement.  If I buy spray paint, throw the cans into the campfire, and get hurt when they explode, the proximate cause is not the faulty can but my abuse of the product.

The Zoo (the gas station, the nail gun manufacturer, whatever) must cover the risk for the reasonable use of its product and advise the consumer of that reasonable use (We have all seen the warnings on tools.).  If the customer insists on abusing the tool/service, the manufacturer/provider should not be held responsible.  We as a society can decide the standard for "reasonable use".  We don't want companies to make bad tools and hurt a person who is acting reasonably.  But to expect perfect safety under all conditions advised and unadvised is not feasible.  The result would be that no one would put those tools and services on the market.

[benevolance]

i love the darwin awards!

the guy who put his testicles in the golf ball washer.... pure genius

[glenn kangiser]

Anyone else enjoy reading The Darwin Awards?

I have seen this guy nominated several times in reading comments looking for info.

[PEG688]

I have seen this guy nominated several times in reading comments looking for info.

So Glenn did you ferget to add a link or somethin

  And I'd think it would be pretty hard to get nominated more than once for the same Darwin award / act wouldn't it?      

[glenn kangiser]

It was mentioned in comments after news stories -- I read a ton of them looking for more than the MSM was saying.  Sorry - no link -- Just comments from people who thought he deserved it - not a real live nomination.

Here's one.  http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3292296 caution

nuther

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/rnr/520415256.html

[John_C]

it would be pretty hard to get nominated more than once for the same  Darwin award / act wouldn't it?

Nah.  Several people could nominate a person for the same event.  But if you don't win you can't go out and try something else 

[glenn kangiser]

That's an understatement, John.

[John_C]

It had to come to this

Two brothers who were attacked by an escaped tiger at the San Francisco Zoo have filed claims against the city alleging negligence and defamation.

Kulbir and Amritpal "Paul" Dhaliwal are seeking monetary compensation for "serious physical and emotional injuries." The claims filed this week are a prerequisite for filing a civil lawsuit.

Here is the story. I don't know how long it will stay up

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080328/ap_on_re_us/tiger_attacks

In the end: 
Tiger - dead
Taxpayers - screwed
Lawyers - Enriched

[glenn kangiser]

Sad part is that these two Darwins will likely prevail.

[Drew]

Prevail with what?  Winning a suit?  BFD.  That happens to a million morons a day.  Are these guys actually going to turn their lives around and have a happy, productive life with a bunch of tax payers' money?  I seriously doubt it.  More likely they will have an initial rush (like a lottery winner) and things will return to "normal".  The money will go to booze and drugs (Like the stuff in the car) or other things that won't have a lasting effect.  Cars that are great for a few weeks, then become the norm.  Maybe a house that the payments aren't kept up on.  Will these guys learn new values?  Will they go to school?  Will they think, "Well, I don't have to work now.  What can I do in my life to create something positive?  Is there something I feel is important that I would be willing to volunteer my time for?"  I don't think we're looking at that kind of life change.  Then there are the family and friends that will come around.

Things that are not earned do not increase our permanent state of happiness.  If someone's waiting for money to make them happy, that bus is not coming.  Sure, money gives you more choices in this world, no doubt about it.  But if you're ability to make good choices is limited, you are not going to be happy.

Prevail?  They cannot prevail because they haven't even joined the game.

[MountainDon]

You're probably right on their eventual outcome. They are not smart enough or they wouldn't be in the position they are in. The thing that bothers me though is the share that will be eaten up by their mercenary, scum sucking lawyers, AND the fact that the money is coming out of the city/county/state, whatever taxpayer surrendered dollars.

[glenn kangiser]

I can't add much to that Drew, because you have it nailed to a tee.

An early teacher I had said you could take a drunk out of the gutter, give them a million dollars and a new start, and they would find their way right back to the gutter in just a short time.

Likewise, take a successful person -- take away everything they have and they will again become a success.

[glenn kangiser]

...I guess I should add, take a failed contractor who just can't make the grade, and he will become a building inspector...

[Drew]

Yow!  You've got it, Glenn!

I've sometimes said that if I ever sustain a crippling head injury I could always find work as a [insert job].

I try not to think about the taxpayer money that's going to these clowns and their entourage, MD.  It only makes me crazy when I do.  I have to think that some of it is paid to keep the noise level down so we can get on with our personal business.  I know people who apply for credit cards, fill them up on a cash advance, and tell the bank they won't be paying, all as part of a plan.  They probably think they are being clever, but I have no respect for that.

Again, it goes back to this:  Is what I am doing right now part of what I want to be?  In one case you're carrying a heavy load for the third trip back to the truck.  It's hot out and it's no fun.  But you're packing up after a 4H competition you attended with your kid.  So maybe the work sucks, but the job is great!  Sometimes we're having a great time, but it's not doing what we should be doing.  We can make excuses why it's okay to do it, but in the end we aren't doing ourselves any favors.  Make a life of this and no amount of money, molecules, or comfort will rescue you.