Risk and cost/benefit ...

[rslade]

I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  We have an abundance of natural beauty.  Therefore, we also have an abundance of tourists.

I was born here.  (So were my parents.  And 75% of my grandparents.)  Those of us who are long time residents know that the natural beauty comes with some natural dangers.

A lot of the tourists don't seem to realize that.  In our social media intense and almost virtual world, people don't seem to realize that you can't just press "undo" or "reload" when you do something stupid in the real world.

And we also seem to have a society that idolizes risk-taking.  You've got to live "on the edge."  You've got to get closer to the edge than anyone else.

Well, sometimes when you get to close to the edge, you fall off.

We've got a big tourist industry in BC.  (No, it's not just a business here, it's an industry.)  We've got lots of companies that spend time and money taking people out into the wild.  In a (reasonably) safe way.  But, for some, that isn't enough.  They've got to go beyond the bounds.  And then they get into trouble.

I live near Lynn Canyon.  I live between the fire station and Lynn Canyon.  We hear the sirens all the time, indicating that some tourist has decided that he's (it's usually he, or her, when some idiot convinces his girlfriend to accompany him) smarter then the locals who posted all the "don't jump off dangerous areas" signs.  We heard them again last night.  It was late last night, so I assume that whoever killed himself last night hasn't made the news sites yet.

For the reasons stated above, we have some of the best search and rescue volunteers in the world in our neck of the woods.  They are, unfortunately, extremely experienced.  We have, also unfortunately, a bunch of helicopter pilots who have lots of experience in trying to put a helicopter into deep canyons, or very close to waterfalls, or rock faces.  It's dangerous work.  Forced upon us by tourists who want the ultimate selfie ...

[rslade]

OK, now we have people who are willing to do risky and stupid things (jumping off a ski lift before you get to the top) in order to do stupid, risky, and illegal things (going skiing out of bounds) ...

[Shannon]

Somehow, I doubt those teenagers did any kind of analysis or consulted others before making a decision --- & even if they did, this wouldn't have involved the organization operating the chairlifts or the others going skiing.

[dreastans]

Let me just state- there is now a reason that Tidepods come with more warnings and in a child-proof container now.  

[Caute_cautim]

Is your life worth one photo?  https://www.fastcompany.com/90287323/people-are-falling-off-buildings-in-search-of-the-perfect-insta...

Regards

Caute_cautim

[rslade]

Oh, for crying out loud ...

Somebody has posted a video on Instagram showing a man sliding down the roof of a 42-storey building.  (No, the roof doesn't end at the ground.  It ends 42 storeys above downtown Vancouver.)

So far nobody has won any Darwin awards for rooftopping in Vancouver (they have elsewhere), but it's obviously only a matter of time ...

[rslade]

A southern right whale and calf came close to Manly beach in Sydney, Australia.

A whole bunch of people came out on surf and paddle boards to watch.  Until the mother "attacked" by swishing her tail near them.

Please people: whales are bigger than you are.  Mothers with calves can get a little upset when something gets too near the calf.  (If you watch the video, I think you'll agree she was remarkable circumspect.)

[rslade]

As I said:

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For the reasons stated above, we have some of the best search and rescue volunteers in the world in our neck of the woods.

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A documentary crew has done a five-part series, "Search and Rescue: North Shore."  It's great filming (and must have been an absolute bear to edit).  It's real stuff, on real rescues, with some interviews of some people on the teams.

I believe you can stream the whole thing if you sign up at Knowledge Network.  Here's a review by the CBC.