# Omnibus Stupid MFers in the news thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 5, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657 "2024-01-05T16:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 233
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4641 "2025-05-23T16:26:24Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Just a trifling navigational error. Nothing to see here. > > [Man in Norway wakes to find huge container ship in garden](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8nk279ydyo) I can’t help but wonder if this is karmic payback for some Viking longship raiding one of his ancestors did. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4642 "2025-05-23T16:29:49Z")
He should have [read the book.](https://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/dp/0870334336/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=4D7CNGEIS26G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ubr8ezMY0Mfvatf1pw8YXtAWK3ZqpGVuy8lcDnDc9NLFoVkeARzT9HzyA2NhOdrcqqFq71AQrJHhURaSdkJMPJXxaxiE1XcpnCcZDRawEcsBlnDj_NuF9dYX9njVYdqm_XhFwfjs6Ipdusiqm7c6D7t6UCWmyjtzumRn2_wXmf8u-5wz6ySPoo-_7mozl8fh.VtUrGysZsZyWTvubkg0bwKUwIBg6iEbQf9_wVTbU0EU&dib_tag=se&keywords=how+to+avoid+huge+ships&qid=1748017681&sprefix=how+to+avoid+huge+ships%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4643 "2025-05-23T16:35:47Z")
I deal with vehicle impacts to homes a fair bit in my work. There are a lot of cases of a person having just left a room before a car lands in it. There are of course the clowns that are just driving too fast and lose control, or drivers having a medical emergency. Most are just people hitting the accelerator instead of the brakes and the common reaction is to press harder. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4644 "2025-05-23T17:10:49Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > There are a lot of cases of a person having just left a room before a car lands in it. I was in the airline biz. Darn near any time a jet crashes there are interviews with a very relieved somebody who missed that flight or was booked on it and changed plans to another flight at the last minute. And also interviews with tearful relatives telling us that the dearly departed had talked about changing flights, or almost missed the flight but successfully ran halfway across the airport to catch it, and it’s a darn shame that alternate future wasn’t the one they got. Of course people that do change flights, or almost changed flights, or had to run to catch the flight or just missed catching it, occur on substantially 100% of departures. What’s novel and makes the story interesting is the plane / car crash. Not somebody changing flight plans or getting up out of bed to pee or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4645 "2025-05-23T17:41:30Z")
Did all that discoloring in the water come from the ship, or is that just a coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4646 "2025-05-23T17:46:20Z")
That looks like oil/fuel coming from the ship. BTW, this is the 2nd time this guy has run aground. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4647 "2025-05-23T17:47:55Z")
Update to the story. [Watch officer was asleep at the helm](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e6jp6z6lgo). > He has been charged with negligent navigation and police are also investigating whether rules regarding working and rest hours were adhered to on board the vessel. They better. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4648 "2025-05-23T17:57:37Z")
According to recent news, the helmsman fell asleep. Already yesterday, the only sensible hypotheses were “helmsman dead drunk” or “helmsman asleep”. After all, they failed to turn 90-120 degrees port when they should and just kept their course onto land. And kept their speed until they hit land. It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes to get the ship afloat again. It’s lodged some three meters down in the mud, it’s 135 meters long and weighs some 11 000 tons. They’ll probably have to unload quite a bit of the cargo to be able to pull the ship out, and there aren’t too many barges which can float in those shallow waters. My money are on “quite some time”. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4649 "2025-05-23T18:00:01Z")
It’s clay, from a clayslide. There’s a lot of clay and quick clay in that region. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4650 "2025-05-23T18:03:36Z")
Glad to hear it is not a mini-Valdez. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4651 "2025-05-23T18:04:52Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > According to recent news, the helmsman fell asleep. I have absolutely no idea how many crew members were/are on that ship, but did nobody notice anything wrong with the course? It was 5:00 in the morning, so assumedly it was light enough to see the shoreline from a good distance away. (I obviously am not a sailor, nor do I have any idea of how ships operate.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4652 "2025-05-23T18:16:23Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Darn near any time a jet crashes there are interviews with a very relieved somebody who missed that flight or was booked on it and changed plans to another flight at the last minute. > **[https://preview.redd.it/if8slg48fif91.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp...](https://preview.redd.it/if8slg48fif91.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=446726d4c3ef93646bbdbeedb71b86b7b3a98d7c)** ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4653 "2025-05-23T18:19:59Z")
You know that is an old old Ziggy, because the aisle is too wide! The airline would have put two more rows in there by now. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4654 "2025-05-23T18:26:53Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > With that picture I can imagine a knock at the door, you open it to see a dozen sailors and one asks, “Sorry, but can we use your restroom?” I showed these pictures to my wife, who replied that she bet that both of us would have slept through the collision. It’s probably true in my case. I slept through the very loud and annoying carbon monoxide detector going off in the middle of the night (false alarm – it was a dying battery). And we both did sleep through a tree falling and _just barely_ missing our house. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4655 "2025-05-23T18:28:01Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I have absolutely no idea how many crew members were/are on that ship, but did nobody notice anything wrong with the course? It was 5:00 in the morning, so assumedly it was light enough to see the shoreline from a good distance away. > > (I obviously am not a sailor, nor do I have any idea of how ships operate.) Good bet of the 15 people on the ship, at 4am 10 are sleeping and 5 are working. Of the 5, exactly 1 is on the bridge with windows. Everyone else is in the bowels of the ship. And the bridge guy is asleep. There’s probably a watch officer who’s in charge of the ship who isn’t the helmsman. But that person could have been in an office, elsewhere on the ship, or taking a dump when this whole thing happened. They _ought_ to have been on the bridge the whole time net of minor quick exceptions. Almost all mishaps, regardless of industry, start with a bunch of _oughts_ that aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4656 "2025-05-23T18:31:12Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I showed these pictures to my wife, who replied that she bet that both of us would have slept through the collision. I’ve slept through two typhoons, one hurricane, and countless earthquakes. I’d probably sleep through this too. I’m a deep sleeper. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4657 "2025-05-23T18:44:35Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I can imagine a knock at the door, you open it to see a dozen sailors and one asks, “Sorry, but can we use your restroom?” What, have you never pissed in the ocean? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4658 "2025-05-23T18:51:32Z")
I wonder how loud it really was? Ships don’t make much noise moving through the water. The engine noise is all coming from the other end. I would expect a whooshing scraping sound as it starts to run up onto the shallows and eventually onshore. Which might actually be kind of a soothing noise not unlike the sound of surf. I’ve seen many videos of ships being deliberately grounded for subsequent breaking = disassembly and salvaging. There’s not a lot of noise to be heard over the hubbub of the workers. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4659 "2025-05-23T18:52:53Z")
Well, the ship should have turned port a long time before it ran ashore if it were to keep course. The only possible explanation is 1: The helmsman was sound asleep (stongly indicated by current knowledge) or 2: The helmsman was dead drunk (no indication from available data). There was only one person on the bridge, and that person fell asleep. As a small boat owner, that’s kinda worrying. I’ve lost control of my boat and had to raise the A flag. If the big boats weren’t paying attention I’d probably been dead by now. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/4660 "2025-05-23T18:56:51Z")
It was bright daylight; the sun was well above the horizon at that latitude. But since it was 5 in the morning, I guess the rest of the crew was fast asleep. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=232) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=234)