# Didn't her parents teach her better?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [May 12, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689 "2003-05-12T13:26:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DeskMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DeskMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeskMonkey)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/21 "2003-05-12T22:59:41Z")

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Sweet Lord, this brings back memories of Museum life! I worked at a Science Museum and they had a “musical stairway”. There were panels on the side of the steps that played different notes and sounds as people walked by them. You may as well have put up a sign that said “Hey kids! Please run as fast as you can up, down and ALLLL around the big marble stairs full of other people. It’s Learn-eriffic!”

I had the misfortune of working in the gift shop, so I spent every weekday with hordes of school groups shoplifting things and weekends with whiny kids and their parents. I once saw a kid pee in a bin of plastic dinosaurs. Every morning kids would climb the automatic gate that closed the store from the rest of the museum WHILE I WAS RAISING IT. If you think teachers and chaperones have any control on field trips like these, think again. It’s like shaking out a giant barrel of monkeys. You wouldn’t believe the things that go on there.

She shouldn’t have slid down the railing, but I assure you that hundreds of other kids have done it and will continue to do it without killing themselves. This gal just had the misfortune of being every teacher’s threat from now on when other kids get caught doing it.

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**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/22 "2003-05-13T04:26:03Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dinsdale \*  
> \*\*Haven’t been there for a while, but I think this was in the stairwell where they have the body slices.
> 
> In case you haven’t seen them, some guy and gal got put through a meat slicer (IIRC, him horizontally, her vertically) and are displayed in approx 1" thick slices.
> 
> Depending on how well she splatted, perhaps this teen genius could be slipped between two panes of glass as a supplemental exhibit. \*\*

Nope, this is the stairwell with Foucault’s Pendulum, in the blue stairwell, as mentioned previously. I think the body slice stairwell is red. The body slices are very interesting though. If you’re going to donate your body to science, that’s the best you could hope for. 😉  
Between this girl and the girl at Six Flags, I’m scared to do anything fun in my city anymore. (That is, I was until I found out that it’s their own fault.) But still. Kind of creepy and sad.

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**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/23 "2003-05-13T05:04:40Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bickering\_Annoys\_Me \*  
> \*\*  
> Please note, I do not wish to make light of the fact that somebody died. It sucks that she died and I feel for her family but I think she was an idiot. \*\*

Whoever, or whatever you are, your sensitivity brings tears to my eyes.

Asshole.

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/24 "2003-05-13T05:07:13Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jesuslynch \*  
> \*\*I blame it on Jimmy Oliver. \*\*

[Google search](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Jimmy+Oliver%22). To which Jimmy Oliver are you referring?

**AwSnappity** : Refresh my memory: what girl at Six Flags?

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**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/25 "2003-05-13T05:29:12Z")

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The kid was feeling stupid for a minute and the worst possible consequences were the result. It happens.

It’s pretty sad to expire from such a prank. Talk about a meaningless death.

But, like I said, it happens. In my life, I’ve done the following:

1. Rode on the hood of a car
2. Jumped off of 3rd story balconies into swimming pools (a act that just caused a teen fatality in Florida, I think)
3. Sky-dived (tandem, of course)

All of these were pretty reckless actions, of course. And they had a hell of a lot more chance for fatality or serious injury than sliding down a barrister on a museum. Just goes to show you that a little bad judgement and a little bad luck can go quite a long way as to determining wether you live or die.

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**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/26 "2003-05-13T06:31:16Z")

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[QUOTE]  
_Originally posted by JayElle_  
Fortunately no one has died, but I witness this type of behavior constantly in the museum where I work.

[QUOTE]

_networknetwork_  
Hi there, **JayElle** , from museum studies **moi**! 😃

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**Author:** ![ThawingSlowly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@ThawingSlowly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThawingSlowly)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/27 "2003-05-13T06:50:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \*  
> \*\*[Google search](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22Jimmy+Oliver%22). To which Jimmy Oliver are you referring?
> 
> **AwSnappity** : Refresh my memory: what girl at Six Flags? \*\*

That would be [\*Jamie \* Oliver](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%22Jamie+Oliver%22+staircase&btnG=Google+Search). The Naked Chef who used to slide down the spiral staircase in every episode of his show.

I’m assuming the Six Flags girl was reference to the one **Ferret Herder** mentioned.

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/28 "2003-05-13T06:58:59Z")

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I see. Thank you.

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**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/29 "2003-05-13T07:26:58Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by djf750 \*  
> \*\*Whoever, or whatever you are, your sensitivity brings tears to my eyes.
> 
> Asshole. \*\*

Oh fuck off. The fact that someone’s dead doesn’t magically mean they didn’t still do something idiotic.

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**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/30 "2003-05-13T07:40:13Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bickering\_Annoys\_Me \*  
> \*\*First attempt at a rant. Here goes nothing…
> 
> …
> 
> Please note, I do not wish to make light of the fact that somebody died. It sucks that she died and I feel for her family but I think she was an idiot. \*\*

See, I’m a little confused. I’m no Pitizen, but I thought people ranted to relieve real life pressures, to get stuff off their chests. I thought we like to vent in order to express our ANGER.

So you’re telling us that you’re ANGRY at this girl for killing herself in a fleeting moment of stupidity. You feel compelled to share with us all that she was an IDIOT and she was STUPID (despite the fact that a great many of us would have done some equally stupid in our youth, but were lucky enough to live). This episode of teen stupidity was sufficient to raise your ire – how your anger must burn! – such that writing a pit thread was warranted.

See, I thought the normal human reaction to needless death is sadness, not rage.

If you ask me, too many people compose Pit threads not to “rant”, but to show off. Attention whores.

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**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/31 "2003-05-13T07:49:33Z")

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[QUOTE\*\*If you ask me, too many people compose Pit threads not to “rant”, but to show off. Attention whores. \*\*[/QUOTE]  
I should clarify: I DON’T mean those who pen a witty and amusing thread about a real life incident, nor those with a legitimate grievance to gripe about.

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**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/32 "2003-05-13T10:56:23Z")

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Maybe the OP wasn’t angered, but saddened/disturbed at such a foolish risk taken that ended in a fatality? There are other threads where hurt, and despair, and deep sadness are shared here in the Pit too.

Some people curse when they are deeply hurt, or shocked etc. My first words, upon finding out about the World Trade Center for example were “What the FUCK?!!!” (I had been nowhere near a television, or radio when it first happened.) I was not angered, I was shocked and deeply saddened.

Just giving another’s perspective on the “attention whore” accusation that was flung.

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**Author:** ![Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bickering_Annoys_Me)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/33 "2003-05-13T10:59:54Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Daikona \*  
> \*\*Oh fuck off. The fact that someone’s dead doesn’t magically mean they didn’t still do something idiotic. \*\*

**Daikona** , thank you.

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**Author:** ![Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bickering_Annoys_Me)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/34 "2003-05-13T11:01:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \*  
> \*\*Maybe the OP wasn’t angered, but saddened/disturbed at such a foolish risk taken that ended in a fatality? There are other threads where hurt, and despair, and deep sadness are shared here in the Pit too.
> 
> Some people curse when they are deeply hurt, or shocked etc. My first words, upon finding out about the World Trade Center for example were “What the FUCK?!!!” (I had been nowhere near a television, or radio when it first happened.) I was not angered, I was shocked and deeply saddened.
> 
> Just giving another’s perspective on the “attention whore” accusation that was flung. \*\*

**Zabali\_Clawbane** - exactly. More distrubed that saddened that this happened. And expressing this in a forum other than the Pit would most probably be wrong (i.e. the cursing).

So, **Narrad** , fuck you.

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**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/35 "2003-05-13T11:24:23Z")

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Uh huh. You were deeply hurt and shocked at the news of a teenager accidentally killing herself. You were _so_ saddened and disturbed that you opened a RANT _aimed at the deceased_. Yes, I could see the compassionate tears in your eyes.

Tell me, if a young person you knew died in a stupid accident, would the first words out of your lips be to call them

> [@](#):
>
> **a complete stupid fucking dumbass**

or would

> [@](#):
>
> **she was an idiot**

suffice?

Would your “hurt” and “shock” manifest in the form of INSULTS hurled towards the deceased? Or would you first try to express some sympathy or – heaven forbid – some understanding?

Kids. Do. Stupid. Things.

And when they die for it, I don’t want to read someone crowing about how much of a “stupid fucking dumbass” the deceased was. It’s fucking unclassy.

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**Author:** ![Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bickering_Annoys_Me)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/36 "2003-05-13T11:41:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Narrad \*  
> \*\*Uh huh. You were deeply hurt and shocked at the news of a teenager accidentally killing herself. You were _so_ saddened and disturbed that you opened a RANT _aimed at the deceased_. Yes, I could see the compassionate tears in your eyes.
> 
> \<snip\>
> 
> Kids. Do. Stupid. Things.
> 
> And when they die for it, I don’t want to read someone crowing about how much of a “stupid fucking dumbass” the deceased was. It’s fucking unclassy. \*\*

No, I wasn’t deeply hurt. I am saddened (and maybe scared) for the future of this world when kids do such stupid stuff. I’m disturbed that this shit happens more and more (like when the high school kids laid down in the street to show how manly they were after it was done in {IIRC} Varsity Blues - so the movie company edited the scene out of the movie)

Yes, kids do stupid things but this was a completely fucking stupid thing. Just like the kid that jumped out of a window towards a swimming pool and missed - Darwin Award winner. Hope he didn’t reproduce yet.

And if you don’t want to read about it, stop FUCKING reading. Simple, huh? And when did the SDMB have a “class” requirement???

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**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/37 "2003-05-13T12:06:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bickering\_Annoys\_Me \*  
> \*\*No, I wasn’t deeply hurt. I am saddened (and maybe scared) for the future of this world when kids do such stupid stuff. I’m disturbed that this shit happens more and more (like when the high school kids laid down in the street to show how manly they were after it was done in {IIRC} Varsity Blues - so the movie company edited the scene out of the movie)
> 
> Yes, kids do stupid things but this was a completely fucking stupid thing. Just like the kid that jumped out of a window towards a swimming pool and missed - Darwin Award winner. Hope he didn’t reproduce yet.
> 
> And if you don’t want to read about it, stop FUCKING reading. Simple, huh? And when did the SDMB have a “class” requirement??? \*\*

Ah. You’re scared for the future of the world. Kids do more stupid stuff these days, huh? Good thing the stupid ones are killing themselves before they breed, right? :rolleyes:

Then again, I suppose in the old days prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and kids weren’t such fucking stupid dumbasses.

:dubious:

On “stop fucking reading”: see, here’s the thing about the Pit – you can freely post your rants but _people will comment on them_. They may not all agree with you. Just as you cast judgment on your subject of your Pitting, so too will we – your readers – judge you by your words. Sucks, but that’s how these “discussions” go.

Then again, if you don’t like dissenting opinions, you can “stop FUCKING reading”, right?

Simple, huh?

On class: yes, you’re right; there is no “classiness” requirement here. I hope I didn’t give you that impression. It was an _opinion_ that your words were unclassy, not a statement of the rules. There’s no moderator title under my name, I hope.

–

I just noticed that you’re new to (posting) to the Boards. Welcome aboard (and I mean that. I may not agree with you here, but that won’t keep me awake at night). 🙂

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**Author:** ![Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Bickering\_Annoys\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bickering_Annoys_Me)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/38 "2003-05-13T12:12:57Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Narrad \*  
> \*\*On “stop fucking reading”: see, here’s the thing about the Pit – you can freely post your rants but _people will comment on them_. They may not all agree with you. Just as you cast judgment on your subject of your Pitting, so too will we – your readers – judge you by your words. Sucks, but that’s how these “discussions” go.
> 
> Then again, if you don’t like dissenting opinions, you can “stop FUCKING reading”, right?
> 
> Simple, huh?
> 
> On class: yes, you’re right; there is no “classiness” requirement here. I hope I didn’t give you that impression. It was an _opinion_ that your words were unclassy, not a statement of the rules. There’s no moderator title under my name, I hope.
> 
> –
> 
> I just noticed that you’re new to (posting) to the Boards. Welcome aboard (and I mean that. I may not agree with you here, but that won’t keep me awake at night). 🙂 \*\*

On “stop fucking reading”: You said

> [@](#):
>
> I don’t want to read someone crowing about how much of a “stupid fucking dumbass” the deceased was.

If you don’t want to read it, don’t read. I didn’t say that I don’t like your opinion so don’t read my posts. You said you don’t want to read this type of thread.

And thanks for the welcome (and I mean that too). I didn’t take the classy statement as a rule.

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**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/39 "2003-05-13T12:43:13Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ThawingSlowly \*  
> \*\*That would be [\*Jamie \* Oliver](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%22Jamie+Oliver%22+staircase&btnG=Google+Search). The Naked Chef who used to slide down the spiral staircase in every episode of his show.  
> \*\*

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-her-parents-teach-her-better/174689/40 "2003-05-13T12:58:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bickering\_Annoys\_Me \*  
> **I’m disturbed that this shit happens more and more (like when the high school kids laid down in the street to show how manly they were after it was done in {IIRC} Varsity Blues - so the movie company edited the scene out of the movie)**

[**The Program**](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0107889).

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