More Sad News From Orlando......

Airboat captain: Don't blame Disney for gators

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/16/us/airboat-captain-disney-gators/

I will always maintain know your surroundings, be cautious ... More about common sense. Like I said earlier I've been camping in northwest Ontario and you have to be cautious for bears and they go where they feel ...

I have pictures of my kids, ages 5 and 7 at the time, lounging in a hammock about 3 ft from the edge of a man-mad lagoon in an Orlando resort. The hammock was installed by the resort. No warning signs re gators, nor swimming, anywhere.
It was my third trip to Florida. I had heard all of the stories about gators. Seen pics of enclosed pools in private back yards. Knew about the fucking mascots and sports teams. I'm sure we even spoke about it with the kids - more from a tourist-y, local interest pov than a warning to avoid any water in which a gator could hide. Just did not even cross my mind that my kids could have been eaten while chilling near the lagoon, and that hammock being located where it was probably lulled me into a false sense of security. But was it really false? with the odds of a gator attack happening being so minuscule, I don't think it was a parenting lapse on my part. Nor was it really a serious liability oversight by the resort.
That said, Disney is one of the biggest corps in the world. It happened on their property. a civil settlement is still the right thing for them to do here. A parent living through the death of a child should not have to worry about mortgage payments for a while. Disney can make that happen for what amounts to a drop in the bucket for them. But as the article I posted earlier pointed out: we really need to stop playing the public blame game when accidents like this happen. It's a sick form of self aggrandizement enabled by the anonymity of the Internet.

lukin2006 said:

^^^actually I do expect people's coming to Florida to be aware of gators, who goes on vacation and doesn't research the area their going to, especially if it's your first visit ... I also expect people's visiting some areas of Canada to be aware of the possible dangers ... I'm planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies ... Never been before, but have done enough research to hopefully be prepared for the unexpected.

I think there's a huge difference between a trip to to the Canadian Rockies and a theme park/ resort that caters to young children.

Merkin Baller said:

lukin2006 said:

^^^actually I do expect people's coming to Florida to be aware of gators, who goes on vacation and doesn't research the area their going to, especially if it's your first visit ... I also expect people's visiting some areas of Canada to be aware of the possible dangers ... I'm planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies ... Never been before, but have done enough research to hopefully be prepared for the unexpected.

I think there's a huge difference between a trip to to the Canadian Rockies and a theme park/ resort that caters to young children.

You still have to be aware of your surroundings, Disney is built on swamp.

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

I see both sides. i fall on the Disney side though, myself. The Florida mascot is a freaking gator. Everyone knows those things are everywhere in Florida. There's pool toys and stuffed animal gators at the damn airport. Anyone who has ever been to Florida knows that ANY body of water is a possibly dangerous situation. Every hotel is filled with pamphlets for airboat tours and alligator farms and other gator shtuff. Disney should definitely have put better signage near the water, and therefore will have to settle the lawsuit and pay up. Total freak accident as this doesn't happen often or ever for that matter but sheesh man, the parents taking their kid to the edge of water at 9pm to dip his toes in?! Jesus. You just can't plan for stupidity of that level.

Actually you can. You can put up warning signs.

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

PJ_Soul said:

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

I see both sides. i fall on the Disney side though, myself. The Florida mascot is a freaking gator. Everyone knows those things are everywhere in Florida. There's pool toys and stuffed animal gators at the damn airport. Anyone who has ever been to Florida knows that ANY body of water is a possibly dangerous situation. Every hotel is filled with pamphlets for airboat tours and alligator farms and other gator shtuff. Disney should definitely have put better signage near the water, and therefore will have to settle the lawsuit and pay up. Total freak accident as this doesn't happen often or ever for that matter but sheesh man, the parents taking their kid to the edge of water at 9pm to dip his toes in?! Jesus. You just can't plan for stupidity of that level.

Actually you can. You can put up warning signs.

Yep, I agree, and that's why they'll be paying a lot to settle the lawsuit. It did say no swimming though, so the family shouldn't have been in the water, whether it's toes, head, whatever. No means no, it usually doesn't need any explanation as to why. But I feel for the folks, I get it, that's just terrible.

Just saying that the dad made a mistake, and whether or not there was adequate signage is a separate legal issue. Movie night or not, amusement park or not, don't even put your fucking kid in a swimming pool in Florida without checking it out first.

Swimming is not defined as walking in water. There were no obstacles to keep people from the water. Now there are....if I'm an injury attorney I'm going to look for before and after pictures of the site and the case is closed.

Gern Blansten said:

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

PJ_Soul said:

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

I see both sides. i fall on the Disney side though, myself. The Florida mascot is a freaking gator. Everyone knows those things are everywhere in Florida. There's pool toys and stuffed animal gators at the damn airport. Anyone who has ever been to Florida knows that ANY body of water is a possibly dangerous situation. Every hotel is filled with pamphlets for airboat tours and alligator farms and other gator shtuff. Disney should definitely have put better signage near the water, and therefore will have to settle the lawsuit and pay up. Total freak accident as this doesn't happen often or ever for that matter but sheesh man, the parents taking their kid to the edge of water at 9pm to dip his toes in?! Jesus. You just can't plan for stupidity of that level.

Actually you can. You can put up warning signs.

Yep, I agree, and that's why they'll be paying a lot to settle the lawsuit. It did say no swimming though, so the family shouldn't have been in the water, whether it's toes, head, whatever. No means no, it usually doesn't need any explanation as to why. But I feel for the folks, I get it, that's just terrible.

Just saying that the dad made a mistake, and whether or not there was adequate signage is a separate legal issue. Movie night or not, amusement park or not, don't even put your fucking kid in a swimming pool in Florida without checking it out first.

Swimming is not defined as walking in water. There were no obstacles to keep people from the water. Now there are....if I'm an injury attorney I'm going to look for before and after pictures of the site and the case is closed.

that's the thing. "no swimming" does not equte to "danger". there are so swimming signs in ponds, in wishing wells that are 1 foot deep (that people put their feet in all the time without losing their lives), in outdoor fountains that are there for decoration and not homelsss baths, and may I remind everyone, 9pm in the summer is not late. the sun is still up, at least in Winnipeg. we're in the longest days of the year right now. I would assume Florida would have adequate natural light as well.

Never, ever heard of anyone in Winnipeg getting attacked by a bear coming out of one of the fountains at the parliament building.

I'm in Indianapolis which is slightly west of FL....it's light here at 9pm

rustneversleeps said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Gern Blansten said:

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

PJ_Soul said:

RoleModelsinBlood31 said:

I see both sides. i fall on the Disney side though, myself. The Florida mascot is a freaking gator. Everyone knows those things are everywhere in Florida. There's pool toys and stuffed animal gators at the damn airport. Anyone who has ever been to Florida knows that ANY body of water is a possibly dangerous situation. Every hotel is filled with pamphlets for airboat tours and alligator farms and other gator shtuff. Disney should definitely have put better signage near the water, and therefore will have to settle the lawsuit and pay up. Total freak accident as this doesn't happen often or ever for that matter but sheesh man, the parents taking their kid to the edge of water at 9pm to dip his toes in?! Jesus. You just can't plan for stupidity of that level.

Actually you can. You can put up warning signs.

Yep, I agree, and that's why they'll be paying a lot to settle the lawsuit. It did say no swimming though, so the family shouldn't have been in the water, whether it's toes, head, whatever. No means no, it usually doesn't need any explanation as to why. But I feel for the folks, I get it, that's just terrible.

Just saying that the dad made a mistake, and whether or not there was adequate signage is a separate legal issue. Movie night or not, amusement park or not, don't even put your fucking kid in a swimming pool in Florida without checking it out first.

Swimming is not defined as walking in water. There were no obstacles to keep people from the water. Now there are....if I'm an injury attorney I'm going to look for before and after pictures of the site and the case is closed.

that's the thing. "no swimming" does not equte to "danger". there are so swimming signs in ponds, in wishing wells that are 1 foot deep (that people put their feet in all the time without losing their lives), in outdoor fountains that are there for decoration and not homelsss baths, and may I remind everyone, 9pm in the summer is not late. the sun is still up, at least in Winnipeg. we're in the longest days of the year right now. I would assume Florida would have adequate natural light as well.

Never, ever heard of anyone in Winnipeg getting attacked by a bear coming out of one of the fountains at the parliament building.

it is not light out at 9 pm in florida.

either way. I have taken my kids down to the beach at dusk and after the sun has gone down and they sometimes put their feet in the water. and that's not a resort. that's a natural lake.