# No sympathy for idiots... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111 "2003-07-13T05:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/1 "2003-07-13T05:12:15Z")
[If you are going to willingly attend a bull run don’t expect any sympathy from me when you get a bull stuck in your arse](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3061071.stm) This applies to all other mentalists who willingly put themselves in danger for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/2 "2003-07-13T05:26:42Z")
Amen. I was commenting to Jim today that “Another idiot hurt in running with bulls in Pamplona” does not qualify as news. Oh, and for people living in flood plains or Tornado Alley? When your house gets flooded or a tornado runs through your trailer park, IT IS NOT A FREAKIN’ TRAGEDY!!! It shouldn’t even make the news - people living on flood plains getting flooded IS NOT NEWS. It is THE NATURAL COURSE OF EVENTS WHEN YOU LIVE ON A FLOOD PLAIN. {pant, pant} ---
**Author:** ![headshok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@headshok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headshok)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/3 "2003-07-13T05:29:52Z")
Somewhere, Charles Darwin is smiling. Or snapping his fingers and saying “Dammit, he was _this_ close!” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/4 "2003-07-13T05:39:03Z")
Two questions: Is he asking for sympathy? \ What’s the cut off point for “putting yourself in danger for fun?” Skydiving? Skateboarding? Full contact football? Rugby? Okay, that last one might have been five questions. Still… ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/5 "2003-07-13T05:50:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\*Amen. I was commenting to Jim today that “Another idiot hurt in running with bulls in Pamplona” does not qualify as news. Oh, and for people living in flood plains or Tornado Alley? When your house gets flooded or a tornado runs through your trailer park, IT IS NOT A FREAKIN’ TRAGEDY!!! It shouldn’t even make the news - people living on flood plains getting flooded IS NOT NEWS. It is THE NATURAL COURSE OF EVENTS WHEN YOU LIVE ON A FLOOD PLAIN. {pant, pant} \*\* Does this apply to people who live in earthquake zones or in cities with high crime rates? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/6 "2003-07-13T06:08:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*What’s the cut off point for “putting yourself in danger for fun?” Skydiving? Skateboarding? Full contact football? Rugby? > > Okay, that last one might have been five questions. Still… \*\* The cut off point is the point after which what you are doing is stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/7 "2003-07-13T06:11:25Z")
Okay, by that definition, American football is _worse_ than running with the bulls. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/8 "2003-07-13T06:12:47Z")
Skydiving is not stupid (gutsy though) Skydiving with a pair of underpants as a parachute is stupid. Playing rugby is not stupid (well that’s arguable) Playing chase with bulls. That’s stupid. ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/9 "2003-07-13T09:54:28Z")
Greek Porno Titles I saw Nekkid Betty White!! 😮 ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/10 "2003-07-13T09:55:32Z")
oh oops… that was supposed to go in the sequential thread titles thread… this is what I get for being up too early in the morning due to heartburn ☹ Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/11 "2003-07-13T10:54:05Z")
I think it was in the right forum…😃 [Nigel Tufnel] _There’s a very fine line between clever and stupid_ [Nigel Tufnel/] ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/12 "2003-07-13T11:04:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\* Oh, and for people living in flood plains or Tornado Alley? When your house gets flooded or a tornado runs through your trailer park, IT IS NOT A FREAKIN’ TRAGEDY!!! \*\* Have you ever been in a tornado? Had to clean up in the aftermath? Ever help a friend who lost everything in 5 seconds because you can’t fucking predict where a tornado is going to go? MY GOD! SHOW SOME COMPASSION! Does your little rant include those millions who live on the coasts and may be devastated by a hurricane? Or our mountain or northern Dopers who just might get caught in the worst blizzard ever? How about any of the millions of major city residents who might get flooded out of their because of the highest rainfall amounts in a hundred years? Someone choosing to get themselves sodomized by a bull’s horn is not even close to the same thing as living through (or survivng when others didn’t) a natural disaster. Please, think a little more clearly before ranting. :wally ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/13 "2003-07-13T16:12:11Z")
The Monterey Bay area of California is not known as part of Tornado Alley; however, there have been tornados, even in very recent memory, in that area. The vast majority of the area of the US known as Dixie isn’t exactly known as an Earthquake zone; however, wasn’t the biggest earthquake to ever hit in the CONUS somewhere in that area? In case it’s escaped your notice, the Earth is a planet, not a finely tuned computer. Things Unexpected Happen. ---
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/14 "2003-07-13T18:37:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\*Amen. I was commenting to Jim today that “Another idiot hurt in running with bulls in Pamplona” does not qualify as news. Oh, and for people living in flood plains or Tornado Alley? When your house gets flooded or a tornado runs through your trailer park, IT IS NOT A FREAKIN’ TRAGEDY!!! It shouldn’t even make the news - people living on flood plains getting flooded IS NOT NEWS. It is THE NATURAL COURSE OF EVENTS WHEN YOU LIVE ON A FLOOD PLAIN. {pant, pant} \*\* All right, I’m calling ridiculous ignorant bullshit on this one. Being inside a 100-year FEMA floodplain is one thing, but do you think even a majority of the people that have been devastated by floods (and lost loved ones) were living in one? Tornados?? So the entire middle section of the United States should be evacuated? “Tornado Alley” refers to **all** of these states, it’s not like there’s a two-mile wide stretch of Oklahoma and Kansas that has annual tornados. If you take a look at the hundreds of years old buildings in all of these states (as well as take your head out of your ass) you’ll see that tornados, even in “tornado alley,” are a freak occurrence (an “act of god” in insurance speak) that is a tragedy for all involved. The number of deaths each year attributable to both floods and tornados is typically less than 100, making it a significantly lower risk than, say, driving. Plus, everything the other posters had to say about this. I’m glad most of humanity isn’t this callous and ignorant. And those guys are pretty callous and ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/15 "2003-07-13T20:29:40Z")
Actually, I agree with **featherlou**. People who live in flood plains are stupid, and deserve to be flooded. Same with people who live in Earthquake territory, or Tornado Alley. Or how about those freaks who live in places that get yearly blizzards? Hello, morons, it’s too cold to live there! And those assholes who live near active volcanos! Or in coastal lowlands that are regularly threatened by hurricanes! How dumb is that? Anyone who lives in any of those areas are fuckin’ losers, and I say to hell with them. Incidentally, I think I just declared the whole of the Earth to be uninhabitable. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/16 "2003-07-13T21:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*Two questions: > > Is he asking for sympathy? > > \ > > What’s the cut off point for “putting yourself in danger for fun?” Skydiving? Skateboarding? Full contact football? Rugby? > > Okay, that last one might have been five questions. Still… \*\* Every skateboarder I’ve had contact with just sucks it up when they get hurt and only bring up injuries to brag or show off the scars. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/17 "2003-07-13T21:48:51Z")
The point most of you are missing and which Coldfire made in the other thread is that people take risks for fun and just because you wouldn’t do it does not mean nobody should do it. people ride motorcycles, jump out of airplanes and do other risky things for fun and excitement. They travel to strange places, they climb mountains, the dive under water. All this things have a certain risk. Who is to say what risk is or is not acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![Venoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Venoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venoma)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/18 "2003-07-14T02:08:23Z")
I think more what featherlou was talking about was the media turning anything and everything possible into a hugely dramatic breaking story. Like… the ‘year of the shark attacks’ in which the media hyped the hell out of it - and THEN hyped the hell out of the fact that, despite the hype, it had been a relatively slow year for shark attacks. Floods may happen bi-yearly in some places - and in such cases, it would be rather silly to act as if it were unexpected. People running in Pamplona may be habitually gored by bulls - and in such cases, it would be silly to act as if it were unexpected. In reading the article, the subject was one of six people injured. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/19 "2003-07-14T02:58:02Z")
This reminds me of a news story on earlier this week: A man nearly drown near Horseneck Beach and and his daughter was missing presumed drowned. Oh really? You don’t say. Someone drowns there at least every other fucking year! The latest drownings are in the news summer after summer, yet people still go there to swim. News stories include lines like " The first drowning case at horseneck beach this summer…" yet people continue to flock there. The unusually strong undertow is commented on often, both in the news and in conversations, yet people still go there to swim. What’s it going to take to keep people from swimming there, a score board?! I don’t feel a lot of sympathy for people who go there to drown. I know, it’s cool and everybody’s doing it, but that’s no excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111/20 "2003-07-14T03:22:02Z")
Wow, guess I hit a nerve there. Please allow me to clarify my position; people getting hurt in situations that are preventable and predictable does not get a lot of my sympathy, whether it is from running with bulls or living places where you can reasonably expect bad things to happen weatherwise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-sympathy-for-idiots/188111.md?page=2)