What has happened to commonsense and personal responsibility?

Says it all Glosgran

fennel I think you’re talking about ‘rip tides’. Very dangerous. The French wording is contre-courant.

Glosgran

Ain't that the truth. √

Common Sense - Rest in Peace, dear friend.

An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly rather true.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with
us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were
long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such
valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn’t always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can
earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations
were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing
a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a
teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they
themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further
when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin
to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted
to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals
received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you
couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you
for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a
steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded
a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and
Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is
To Blame, and I’m A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still
remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

the problem with common sense is that its not common

and too many people have too little sense

probably nurtured by the facebook generation

Where there is obvious (well, to anyone who thinks) danger then people should be aware and act accordingly. The problem, I think, stems in part from childhoods spent devoid of risks and so people don't know what risks are manageable. My sons were raised to take risks; they cycle, hike, camp, sail, windsurf, snorkel, climb - and in all these things there are inherent dangers, but The Wonderful Man did an excellent job of teaching our sons which dangers can be managed and which cannot. There are times I have been on the edge of my seat for days when one of my boys has been on Dartmoor for three days/nights in dreadful weather, or cycling from one end of the country to the other, but whilst accidents can and do happen I know that my menfolk will have assessed the risks and taken appropriate precautions.

Baggs wrote (page one)
"Also outgoing, the sort that sweep people off their feet and carry them out to sea. "
I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about tides etc, having grown up on the NE coast. But this one caught me out when paddling on the french Atlantic coast. I ended up on my bum!
There's a french phrase for these under-currents, which cause many drownings. I can't remember it.

Sue, I have an interest in the old Public Information Films and that one has to be the scariest of all time.

Time to bring it back!!!

DD didn't do much running wild as a child because all her free time was taken up with gymnastics. Her brother on the other hand used to disappear for the whole day. He was always out on his bike - I thought he was riding round the village, it was a long time before I discovered that he was travelling miles! Funnily enough the only accidents he had were five minutes from home. He regularly fell out of trees but was nearly grown up before he told me about falling through the ice on a frozen stream!

They probably aren`t there anymore, I hope not anyway, and it was the fault, I presume of the local council. When I was a child, we used to go on a yearly trip to Whitby. On the beach there were swings and a slide, directly in front of the cliffs, on which there was a sign, in red and white, saying, "Danger, falling cliffs." And there were parents there, letting their children play there. Fortunately, my mother had the sense to keep us away from there.

"nature" lesson as referred to by grandtante was one of my favourite lessons. She's right of course, lessons like that aren't taught any more - it's all national curriculum, which has its place but increasingly children are missing out on music, signing, dance, art, nature studies and play.

I failed to learn to swim till my mid twenties, despite every encouragement at school swimming lessons and when chucked into freezing outdoor and indoor swimming pools by well meaning adults. As for swimming in the freezing cold sea on holiday in north Wales, I shiver at the thought. So, when we all went fishing for stickle backs in the pond in the field at the back of our houses, I took the warning "not to fall in" that we were all given by our parents, very seriously. We were a group of about 10 children aged 8 - 11. We didn't fall in, because the consequence of going home with wet socks was so humiliating, or for some poor kids, terrifying, we just didn't fall in. My cousin fell out of a tree and broke his arm, that had us all "thinking on".
I feel for children these days,who have so little opportunity to take risks and run a bit wild out of sight of their parents. I don't blame the parents. The roads are so dangerous that riding bikes and ponies is generally impossible till mid teens. If any danger befalls the children, their parents are roundly castigated for letting them out of sight.
Rant of the evening over.

Public Information Films should be reinstated. I can't be the only person to have been terrified by Donald Pleasance intoning, 'I am the spirit of dark and lonely water'....

There is no such thing as 'personal responsibility' nowadays. You can't tell anyone they've done the wrong because you're 'victim blaming!' which is just not fair <stamps foot>

Totally irresponsible, and putting others in danger, Lifeboat crew,Coastguards and other rescue services. Sense has long gone with some people.

www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/video-captures-dramatic-moment-part-of-a-cliff-collapses-1-5432115. (This is a newspaper article and takes ages to load.)

Our cliffs are sand. There are warning signs where you access the beach saying not to climb the cliffs. Locals don’t.

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

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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/