Comments on: ‘Tis better to have loft and lost…

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:50:23 +0000

I think I meant to post the last comment on the 217 million stroke misdiagnosis verdict. It would have made more sense.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:48:49 +0000

I don’t understand juries. Perhaps it’s the judge’s influence regarding following the judge’s instructions that pressures juries to vote a certain way (despite jury nullification)? Or, juries have some kind of magical groupthink that prevents them from making rational, common sense decisions? Can you write a post or reference links to why juries work the way they work?

By: Rufus

Rufus — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:44:39 +0000

Well, to be fair, Stockton State College is only a college in the broadest possible meaning of the word.

By: Jim Collins

Jim Collins — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:33:14 +0000

Even if there was a warning label on the bunkbed who’s to say that he would have paid any attention to it? I wonder if he could even read it? He is in college after all.

By: MF

MF — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 13:32:51 +0000

There is no way anyone who is on the ball enough to be in college (which, sadly, these days isn’t really saying all that much), would be stupid enough that he wouldn’t realize the hazard of a bunk bed.

Bottom line: The kid was lying to make a buck. How anyone could find in his favor is mind-boggling.

By: Phaedrus

Phaedrus — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:29:06 +0000

A fall-hazard warning label on a bunk bed would cause me to be overcome by an uncontrollable fit of laughter, quite possibly causing permanent physical injuries due to spasms and lack of oxygen to the brain, not to mention ruinous damage to my reputation. I would sue for $2.78 million.

By: Insomniac

Insomniac — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 10:17:43 +0000

admitted stupidity and propensity to blame others for his own acts

Might have a future in Congress...

By: nevins

nevins — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 09:41:06 +0000

In the end this kid (legally an adult) will get his just reward. The web remembers everything and all is searchable. As schools for graduate work or future employers interview him they will undoubtedly be curious about his past, as I routinely do with job applicants. His admitted stupidity and propensity to blame others for his own acts will be a sure coversation starter at a job interview.

By: J.T. Wenting

J.T. Wenting — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 08:19:28 +0000

Says a lot about the mental maturity of current generation students if they can’t imagine that falling out of a bed can hurt…

The manufacturer should sue the parents and schools of the kid for creating a nitwit like that, and the store should face criminal charges for selling a potentially dangerous implement to someone incapable of handling it safely.

Maybe also put in place a system of mandatory bed training, requiring a license to buy and use a bed (with type ratings per category of beds similar to what is present in aviation for different aircraft types).