mtbc: maze A (black-white)
Mark T. B. Carroll ([personal profile] mtbc) wrote2019-09-05 07:07 pm
Entry tags:

Prodding the stubborn

A month ago the English village of Whaley Bridge was evacuated because a dam threatened to fail catastrophically, flooding the area. Some residents refused to leave and the emergency services were rather annoyed because they did not want to be risking their own lives coaxing these people out or rescuing them if the dam collapsed. At the time I thought, Well, don't bother then, you told them the risks, they're adults. Let them sink or swim, it's not worth your life too. In the end disaster was averted.

As Hurricane Dorian reached the Bahamas I was thus pleased to hear that the advice to the stubborn remainers was to hunker down and not expect any help. People can risk their own lives but I do not want them risking others' too, however willing and altruistic the helpers. It's already a large task to help those who took refuge in the evacuation centers.
wpadmirer: (Default)

[personal profile] wpadmirer 2019-09-05 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I think it's really difficult for people whose job it is to rescue people to not want to go do it, even when people are stupid.

But I agree, that they shouldn't die trying to rescue the stupid.