Pole Dancing In The Dark

I'm going to Dis-knee-land

I'm really quit bummed out right now. All I really want to do when I get out of here tonight is go home and continue my quests through Arx Fatalis. Yes, yes, I know it's a fairly old game and I should have finished it long ago… but I feel as if now it is patched well enough that I can play through it all the way without it crashing and corrupting all my previously saved games. I won't even bother to mention how close I was to finishing the game way back when it happened the last time. I was so angry I nearly threw my computer out the window. Why I was going to take it out on a perfectly good computer, I don't know (shhhhush you… I hear the beginnings of the lecture about how wonderful a Mac is brewing, so shush!)

Anyway, since that was the third time I had to start from the beginning, I decided that I could live happily without knowing how the game ended… or so I thought back then. The thing is, after playing Morrowind through for the second time, I realized that my gaming options have really been limited as of late. I will not break down to purchase a console of any kind because it's against my gaming religion… oh yes, I said religion. So, instead of continuing to pout because Call of Cthulhu has been pushed out to February 06 and because I heard Area 51 wasn't all that good, I decided it was time to see what patches were available and load the game. I played some this weekend, but I cannot put the time into gaming that I used to. Mainly because when I do, my hands and arms start aching within the first couple of hours. Such is the life of a computer geek. So I know that when I get out of work tonight I won't be able to play… unless of course, I want to dose myself with some of my Flexeril so I can sleep… and that never leads to good things.

But enough of my whinging. I know, I do it a lot, but it is just because I am so good at it.

~~~

I came across an article the other day that really struck a nerve with me. It had to do with a consumer safety group called Saferparks. While I believe their intentions are good, I can't say that I am impressed with their response to the situation that happened down at Epcot (Eisner's Pay Comes Off the Top). As a matter of fact, the response of one of these nanny state minded asshats was

""Parents can't possibly assess, you know, whether their 4-year-old child is suitable for a particular motion on a ride. They don't have the expertise to do that," said Fackler."

Um, what?

Parents can't possibly assess something that may not be suitable for their own children? Since when? Now, don't get me wrong, I feel horrible that a four year old boy lost his life on a ride at Disney, but I am wondering at the lack of common sense behind letting him on a ride like that. He's four for bog's sake and any reasonable adult would check out what a ride was before letting their four year old on it, regardless of his height… especially one that has all the warnings reserved for intense rides of that nature. I've been to Disney and I have had relatives and friend work for the mouse and they really do take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their rides. The four year old would have been good in the Magic Kingdom (with the notable exception of Alien Invasion - because that even gave me nightmares) but to go on a ride that "simulates a rocket and spins riders around in a centrifuge" is over the top. Oh, I don't think so.

I know that some regulations on parks should be necessary because people are entrusting their lives with a company to seek a few thrills without actually having to defy death. I also realize that many are dishonest by nature and try to scam the systems to accumulate some wealth. But many of these parks are holders of some pretty expensive insurance policies to ensure that if something unfortunate happens, that they won't lose their entire livelihoods. And I am assuming that if their multimillion dollar policies are the least bit like my puny little homeowners policy, there are quite a few hoops that they need to go through. Plus, I believe these parks are inspected on fairly regular basis.

Also, as in the case of Disney, Themeparks by nature are not some fly by night operations and many people have been going to them for years. I am interested to find out the injuries per volume the big parks have. And when is the last time you have heard of a fatality due to malfunction within theses places? Besides, this child didn't die from a malfunction. There were people getting on and off that ride all day long that didn't have any issues. His mother was right next to him during the ride and noticed that he was suffering some form of distress. I hate to blame her for now she has to deal with the loss of her child, but that is where the blame belongs.

It is the responsibility of a parent to know what sort of ride the child wants to go on and whether or not it is suitable for their child, It's just like everything else, movies, tv, music and video games. Ultimately it's in the parents' power to allow or deny because their child's safety needs to be their primary concern. It is one of the few aspects of their kids' lives that they can exercise some control over.

Posted by Ethne at June 21, 2005 05:50 PM