What has happened to commonsense and personal responsibility?

Once again, wonderful pearls of wisdom from gransnetters. My son is an Anglesey lifeboatman, I am very proud of him but also fear for his life at times when he has to go to the rescue of an unthinking idiot in a kayak in rough conditions or a ‘tombstoner’ Who thins it’s fun to jump from cliffs in to unknown swirling waters, don’t get me started on dog owners who didn’t think for a minute precious pooch would leap off a cliff to chase a bird.
I don’t remember having lessons in common sense. As children we played hard, took risks, learnt from our mistakes and only blamed ourselves when things went wrong.
We have to ask ourselves are we responsible, as society in general for a molly coddled generation who need signs to state the obvious and cannot take responsibility for their own mistakes. I’m sure our children are exceptions as we gransnetters have been responsible parents but gosh there are lots of idiots out there.

Many of these people seem to be after nomination for the Darwin Awards. Submissions for 2018 awards now open.

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Peardrop, I've heard that the lifeboat crews look on animal rescues as a practise opportunity. Would your son agree?

Morning all! this thread always makes me think of my lovely Mum when we saw some act of idiocy. She would say 'Aye, common sense is not so common' Remember it well. I do wish there was some sort of legislation whereby offenders were charged for services supplied according to their means but. on the other hand, this may curtail some sense of adventure. I think in terms of climbers etc. and not any acts of sheer and obvious irresponsibility. Don't even know if the act of pursuance would cost more than it would collect. Mmmmmm.

Baggs .
But there are notices and when I observe those who still allow their innocent pets off leads the song of the Tin Man {my version} comes to mind
' If they only had a brain'.

Vickya, I have just whatsapped him your question, his answer ‘ It’s all good practice when it’s not a tragedy’

To promote safe train travel for Melbourne Metro trains McCanns advertising came up with a song and YouTube clip called "Dumb Ways to Die" that went viral worldwide and could be the anthem for this thread.

Common sense has gone out of the window. People are scared to react in case it brings a law suit. Either that or it's someone else's fault!!
I can't remember the full story but wasn't someone in difficulties in a lake / pond some while back and an official of some sort wouldn't go in to help because of some silly rules?

Sadly, sign of the times - it's somebody else's responsibility to keep us safe! We might as well remove our self-preservation gene.

A sign may be appropriate if there are significant unseen hazards-always assuming people see the sign-but this incident was on the top of a socking great granite cliff! You can’t really miss it can you?

“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits”

Albert Einstein

A good idea, in principle, Fennel, but a) the idiots wouldn't watch it and b) even if they did, it wouldn't occur to them to apply the instructions to themselves.
Morecambe Bay is one of the most dangerous areas in Britain, with tides that sweep in at amazing speed, filling up gullies behind walkers and cutting them off. There are also very scary patches of sinking sands. Numerous warning signs are posted, yet every year people have to be rescued, (if they are lucky enough to be spotted)
We just have to accept that there are people in this world who think that nothing bad will ever happen to them, no matter what they do. Unfortunately we are too humane to leave them to get on with it, so rescuers put their own lives in danger.

Yes I agree. I would never let my dog run freely in such a dangerous place .
It would be exactly the same with my children and grandchildren.
Not the place to run free at all

Agree with Kim19, common sense is not common (nowadays?)

SNH spend a lot of money promoting the Scottish Countryside Code and by god, the number of people who appear to be in blissful ignorance of it.

Anyone stupid enough to have a dog running off lead next to cliffs in lambing season is bloody lucky to get the dog back at all. And frankly the dog should not be off lead in that situation.

Apricity, I know the ads of which you speak and now the tune is stuck in my head!

The RNLI did an excellent set about the dangers of British waters in recent years which I hope get another airing this summer. Most folks have no idea how cold British coastal waters really are, and cold water shock kills most drowners who die in fairly shallow waters.

goldengirl, the situation I remember something similar to the one you outline was when someone (a lady?) was trapped down a hole and, although the fire service were in attendance, they were not 'allowed' to intervene. I believe H&S was the reason given. I further believe that young lady died. My detail is sketchy but I do remember having strong feelings about what should have happened at the time. I totally accept that theory and practice are two different things and all my 'facts' were obtained via the media.

Personally, I say leave em to it lol no signage, and no rescue, if they have no common sense, then this website says it all! :-)
www.darwinawards.com/

Where has common sense gone? Off to live with Personal Responsibility in a climate more amenable than our own has become.

I am often on the Jurassic coast and wonder at the folly of parents who let their children wander near the edge at the Burton Bradstock cliffs which are as crumbly as a biscuit. Also, at parents who bring their kids to Lyme Regis and give them a hammer to find fossils directly under the blue lias cliffs. Again, as soft as butter and falling all the time.

However, I am generally a fan of personal freedom and an 'at your own risk' approach and while I don't condone putting children's lives at hazard I admire Lyme's famous Cobb rampart being completely rail free. It looks dangerous and it is. There is a sign which advises keeping off in high winds and that is all.

Fennel and GrandmaMoira are right, well most of you to be honest. I live by the sea in North Devon. I am a reasonable swimmer and swim in the sea. BUT you have to understand tides and rip currents. There should be education at school as many people on holiday here treat the sea like a giant paddling pool. I have tried warning people with children who let children go alone to the sea that the tide is going out and will drag them out to be looked at as if I am mad. One woman said well we just watched you swim out to that island. Yes, but I came back fast because I knew the tide was about to turn and I know where the submerged rocks are. I have had to walk away as I cannot bear to watch. A friend of ours was a senior lifeboat man for years and stories of people' s stupidity and arrogance around the sea are scary. People DO die. Have fun, it is beautiful, but show respect on the coast.

This sort of thing is not really wasting the rescue services time as they treat it as a learning experience/training opportunity. There will always be s...t for brains people out there as long as there are human beings!

The esplanade at my beach has an unfenced drop of about 15 feet onto rocks.The council refuse to put up railings. Last year a woman was pulled over by her dog and was seriously injured.Featured on saving lives at sea.
I am amazed by the number of people who let kids cycle close to the edge or jog with dogs. I don't think they ever look down.

Baggs it would be easier to put up signs saying don't be an idiot but then most of the idiots wouldn't read signs anyway. I'm all for making people who have to be rescued/animals rescued pay for the rescuing. My dogs would be on a lead for my sake as much as theirs I hate cliff edges and not a lover of the sea (love to look at it but not be in it) it is unpredictable. I worry for these kids who are never told "no" or not to do stuff as they wouldn't listen and are just the sort to go too far. As for the epidemic of "pedigree crossbreeds" don't get me started

Rescue drones that can tell the difference between a football and a human head in the sea are being tested: twitter.com/thetimes/status/987688906207432704?s=21

My sister lives in Devon and just this week teenagers were tombstoning from the Ho in Plymouth. One slip or missing the wave and they would be dead or probably even worse left in a vegetative and paralyzed state. They should fine these people hard as there is clearly a sign saying no jumpring in.

When I was a child in primary school we had one lesson a week called "Nature". In it we learned about trees and plants and animals. But we also learned that rivers and the sea could be dangerous, about tides, quicksands and other natural hazards.

I don't suppose anyone teaches children things like that any longer, do they?

I used to go down to East Sussex frequently where my late mother lived. The Seven Sisters Cliffs were nearby, loads of people take selfies on the edge in spite of the fact that someone has already died doing that, there are still loads of idiots sitting with their legs dangling over the cliffs. A great chunk broke away recently and no doubt there are warnings galore, but still...........anything for a good photo opportunity it seems