Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Waivers for minors

In a message dated 7/24/2002 4:39:23 AM Pacific Standard Time, plasmatica@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:


>  This case was 
> about a teenage boy training on a ski racing course who smacked a tree adn 
> ended up blind.  Though his parents had signed a minor release form waiving 
> sueing, they sued anyway, claiming negligence on the part of those who set 
> up the course.


You know what? I don't know about all of you, but I for one am SO SICk and tired of people engaging in activities which are like, SO CLEARLY challenging, to say the least, perhaps NOT being schooled well enough to do it - then when something goes wrong, they sue. What IS THIS??

If a judge has to spend any amount of time LOOKING for some kind of negligence, PROBABLY there WAS none, and the individual simply had no business doing what they were doing in the first place. Our daughters are not only being TAUGHT but seeing their parents as examples of responsibility and consequences. If you DON'T want to risk bashing into a tree, stay out of the forest - or get some quality instruction. It puts me in mind of the parents - moms particularly - who put their young daughters, 8-10 years old - into riding lessons, and scream bloody murder if they are not jumping fences and showing and winning inside of 6 weeks. (I don't take those people myself!) Then when little Janey goes off and breaks an arm, the parents sue the riding school. You wonder why lessons, boarding, etc are so expensive these days. That is why. No common sense or sense of personal responsibility. I now have to charge $40 an HOUR - with at least a few weeks spent on a line for ANY new student - thanks to teh costs of insurance. So anyone who thinks th
ese lesson costs are high - now you know. Grrr. Sorry - this just chaps my hide.:)

San (off the sopabox now and into the shower)