Think of the dogs (and children)
Think of the dogs (and children)
Author
Discussion

Chim450

Original Poster:

1,452 posts

283 months

Friday 18th June 2004
quotequote all
Sorry, I can't find a link to this story on line but it appeared in this weeks Rochcale Observer.

The story goes (accompanied with pictures of ex-dog and some very sad looking youngsters) that a ickle dog was run over outside the house of said sad youngsters by a van. Inevitably speed was brought up with local residents "demanding a speed camera" and said sad looking youngsters mother being apalled that "her children had to see this".

Of course there was no evidence that the van was speeding. What was the dog doing in the road in the first place? And lastly the think of the children bit, it might actually encourage her kids to not play on the road now they have seen what can happen.

This sort of bullit reporting really winds me up, but unfortunately seems to be the norm, and again unfortunately the majority of the population are too fuing stupid to see it, especially when you have those images of sad looking youngsters staring back at you.

And breathe.

C C

8,012 posts

261 months

Friday 18th June 2004
quotequote all
“Never let the facts get in the way of a good story”

JOURNALISTS !! ar5e holes the lot of them.

te51cle

2,342 posts

270 months

Friday 18th June 2004
quotequote all
I think the key point is that even journalists describe themselves as writing 'stories' rather than reports or even articles.

dontlift

9,396 posts

280 months

Friday 18th June 2004
quotequote all
Think of the poor van driver - who's going to pay for his new bumper (not the stupid bint that let her dog out on the road of that i am pretty sure)

streaky

19,311 posts

271 months

Saturday 19th June 2004
quotequote all
dontlift said:
Think of the poor van driver - who's going to pay for his new bumper (not the stupid bint that let her dog out on the road of that i am pretty sure)

Ah. IIRC, there is an obligation on dog and many other animal owners to keep their animal(s) under control and the owners are responsible for damage caused by a failure so to do. My pet insurance covers this. Doesn't apply to cats though - Streaky.

PS - perhaps the kids could sue the woman for the trauma they've witnessed through her failure! - S

>> Edited by streaky on Saturday 19th June 10:46

Deester

1,607 posts

282 months

Saturday 19th June 2004
quotequote all
Accidents happen... The sooner people in the UK realise that life is not predictable we can get back to being an almost acceptible society.

bryan35

1,906 posts

263 months

Saturday 19th June 2004
quotequote all
Inetersting point about journalist that I picked up on some time ago. (I work with journalists by the way). Have you ever noticed that whenever a story is reported that's on a subject that you are familiar with (you might be a miner, a teacher, an electrician, a nurse, whatever), how you noticed how glaringly innacurate they are?. Now you only notice that when a subject is presented that you're knowlegeable in, what about the perhaps 96% of stories that you aren't?
'Everyone knows speed kills' so it must do then. Everyone knows. Scary eh?

mike s

2,919 posts

271 months

Saturday 19th June 2004
quotequote all
had a story a few month's ago in our local paper. Woman wanted speed cameras and humps installed in her road because her cat had NEARLY been run over, and she was quoted as "Children PLAY in this road"

Alan

regmolehusband

4,097 posts

279 months

Saturday 19th June 2004
quotequote all
Picking up on Bryan35's point about journalists, I recall reading an article about a plane crash that had apparently been caused by metal fatigue. The journalist helpfully informed his readers that metal fatigue occurs "when metal gets tired"!! I almost wrote a letter suggesting that all metal on aeroplanes should be allowed to have a little sleep once a day.

If he didn't know what it was a little research would have shown him it's the propogation of a crack from a stress point.

Pigeon

18,535 posts

268 months

Sunday 20th June 2004
quotequote all
No, it's a change in the crystal structure of the metal from repeated cycling of stress below the elastic limit.