Everything that happens to everyone in life is “applied Darwinism”.
Do not call other posters trolls in Great Debates or any forum except The BBQ Pit.
But it would be practical to have, say, a dozen designated spectator areas with fences around them. The articles note that the accident happened at a spot known to be a popular vantage point. So why not set up spectator accommodations at all the top spots?
You don’t think this incident has just done that?
That is another thing about off road racing, often the spectators don’t stay in one place. They may go point A watch the leaders go by, then race themselves to point B to watch the leaders go by and then to point C to once again watch the leaders go by. Donb’t forget this is open desert, not the Indy Motor speedway.
You don’t think this incident has just done that?
[/QUOTE]
Not nearly as much as lying on the application would.
So put boxes around A, B, and C. Is this really so hard?
I read now that the BLM now is cooperating with a CHP investigation, looking at the question of whether this event’s organizers failed to enforce their own written “safety measures.” It seems likely that the conclusion will be either, yes, they failed to enforce their safety measures, or their stated safety measures are simply inadequate, or both. Coupled with a public outcry and lawsuits against both the organizers and BLM, I imagine the outcome will be that no more such events will be permitted without major procedural changes (such as a spectator arrangement like I describe) and increased fees (to cover huge new insurance policies).
Mkay we errect a fenced area 100 yards long 100 yards from the track at 4 or 5 different areas around the track.
Spectators then either walk around the end of the fence and get 20 yards from the track to be closer to the action, or they drive 1 mile further down the track and park 20 yards from the track.
Now what do you suggest?
Hey, I don’t give a crap if this sport is made extinct. You people who like it should be coming up with the suggestions if you want to keep it going.
Anyway, twenty yards? That would be far safer than what they had going. I wasn’t picturing keeping people any farther away than that.
It seems to me that this has less to do with any kind of Darwinism and more to do with the evaluation of risk. We seem to be very at considering worst case scenarios, or rejecting them because it has never happened before. Letting people stand next to race cars is going to inevitably lead to a disaster
For an even worse example, look at the financial crisis.
I thought the place for RO was the pit, not GD.
Also where did I say I was a supporter of off road racing?* Why should I come up with a suggestion as to how to keep the spectators off the course?
I have mearly been pointing out factual errors (monster trucks) and how simple knee jerk “fixes” aren’t.
*many many years ago I was on a professional off road racing team. The last off road race I attended was in 1985. While I admire the technology, and the effort put into ORR, I am not what you would consider a fan or supporter.
While this event is tragic, it’s also an inherent risk of the sport. I’m not sure I’d accept the OP’s term, but I certainly would accept that a spectator of an automobile race is subject to various risk, and by attending the event has accepted that risk.
I hadn’t seen any of the video until now.
The spectators are spectacularly stupid. My first reaction, even before seeing the accident was ‘Wow, that is mighty stupid’.
The drivers aren’t much better. It seems that a couple of the trucks slowed down a bit but the guy who wrecked was hauling ass.
The thing about these kind of situations is that, absent any control, people do dumb shit. Obviously the organizers need to come up with a way to keep the spectators at a safe distance. I imagine that state cops could be pulled in to watch. There is still the issue of the massive distances involved however.
Slee