Diving, Fitness, Obesity and Personal Rights

[dmaziuk]

they have that right. By not working in the industry.

This argument assumes there's plenty of other jobs available and everyone's hiring. IME the only place that was somewhat true was the USSR and even then it wasn't quite how it worked IRL.

And even if it did, methinks it'd maybe work out if you're changing careers from waiting tables to janitorial services. Switching from marine biology to washing dishes is slightly different story (and a waste of a perfectly good marine biologist).

So yeah, you shouldn't do stuff you're not cut out for, but how about stuff you are cut out for and are good at -- except when the customer is a 300-lb walking heart attack who couldn't get to their junk without a boat elevator.

 

[drrich2]

Since fire fighters and paramedics sometimes have to evacuate seriously compromised people from residential areas, whether due to smoke inhalation, heart attack or whatever, and could herniate a disk trying to get a fatty down stairs, perhaps we should pass laws that obese people can't live above the 1st story of buildings. After all, we wouldn't want rescue workers getting injured moving them, or sued for failure to do so, right?

Richard.

 

[admikar]

Since fire fighters and paramedics sometimes have to evacuate seriously compromised people from residential areas, whether due to smoke inhalation, heart attack or whatever, and could herniate a disk trying to get a fatty down stairs, perhaps we should pass laws that obese people can't live above the 1st story of buildings. After all, we wouldn't want rescue workers getting injured moving them, or sued for failure to do so, right?

Richard.

So, if a person weighs 300+,you say it is OK to sue a firefighter because he/she was unable to extricate someone out of danger in time? Or when paramedics were forced to use fork lift to take some people out of their rooms? And what you talk about is part of life. Scuba diving is a choice, not a fact of life. Diving is a physical activity, that put some strain on your body.
If I use BMI scale, I'm overweight. Yet, I run 6 mile course in 50 minutes. What I talk about is people that get in serious danger of a heart attack just from walking onto a dive boat. I'm a newbie, but I witnessed a couple that almost collapsed from climbing ladder out of water. I don't care if you're fit or not, I just think it is unfair to sue someone for other people's mistakes.
Private pilots have strict medical rules for flying. If you die flying with serious medical condition that contributes to your accident, your family don't go and sue plane owner/operator for their loss. And I don't see airlines getting sued if someone dies in their planes after having a heart attack. Why should dive industry be different?

 

[drrich2]

"So, if a person weighs 300+,you say it is OK to sue a firefighter because he/she was unable to extricate someone out of danger in time?"

No. If it's beyond his/her reasonable capability, no fault by me.

"And what you talk about is part of life. Scuba diving is a choice, not a fact of life."

That which enriches life is a part of life. It's not an essential life function to live on the 2nd, 3rd, etc...floor of a building.

"Diving is a physical activity, that put some strain on your body."

Yes, exercise, that legions of people are always pushing us chubsters to get more of.

"What I talk about is people that get in serious danger of a heart attack just from walking onto a dive boat."

Such a person wouldn't be recommended to dive regardless of obesity. It's like a skinny person with bad emphysema who reached the oxygen gasping and begging for oxygen. Yes, a dive op. might decline service reasonably.

"I don't care if you're fit or not, I just think it is unfair to sue someone for other people's mistakes."

Agreed.

"If you die flying with serious medical condition that contributes to your accident, your family don't go and sue plane owner/operator for their loss. And I don't see airlines getting sued if someone dies in their planes after having a heart attack. Why should dive industry be different?"

It shouldn't.

My point wasn't to endorse the 'right' to sue rescue workers who can't reasonably handle a person's morbid obesity in a crisis. I brought it up because the fear of such lawsuits is sometimes used as a justification to discriminate against these people.

Richard.

 

[admikar]

I obviously missed your point in previous post.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree with Richard on every point.

 

[dmaziuk]

My point wasn't to endorse the 'right' to sue rescue workers who can't reasonably handle a person's morbid obesity in a crisis. I brought it up because the fear of such lawsuits is sometimes used as a justification to discriminate against these people.

Which is precisely the argument for having a clear-cut written down law that one can read before letting them on one's boat. Mind you, I do not for a second believe that the best government the money can buy could actually pass such a law, or any sensible law, but still... I'm assuming that fear is not entirely ungrounded?

 

[gcarter]

I obviously missed your point in previous post.

Sarcasm.

 

[drrich2]

Concern about potential to get sued is seldom entirely ungrounded in the 'United' States of America.

Richard.

 

[admikar]

A question for US folks:how does US judicial system works? If you sue someone and you lose, do you have to pay all defendants expenses regarding lawsuit?