Texting Teenager Walks Into Open Manhole

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grieve

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[citation][nom]o0RaidR0o[/nom]I couldn't disagree with most of you more! If I'm assuming the time line in the article is correct, the workers opened the manhole and then proceeded to place the safety cones, sorry but that is ass backwards, cones first then open the manhole...DUH! It's like driving down the highway and then putting on your safety belt, or bicycling half a mile before putting on your helmet, or only after take off or landing do you place your safety belt on. Bottom-line the open manhole was left unattended. It shouldn't matter if she was texting, or her attention was disrupted by a passing siren, or someone calling out her name.[/citation]

I think you and I are the only two people who think this way...

It just does not matter what she was doing... a manhole was left unattended.

WHAT IF it was a 4 yr old riding down street on his bike?
What IF it was you driving your car and ran into it? doin 40 your not gunna swerve in time.

The point is: this girl is an idiot but it should not have been possible to happen.

OHHH here ya go... your TXT'ing walking down the sidewalk when some drunk fool runs you down. It's your fault because you were TXT'ing? get your heads out of your asses.
 
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Seriously, The only two people who think alike....you two are obviously ones who don't take personal responsibility for things that happen to you and find ways to blame others for your mishaps or misfortunes....Take responsibility, the girl, no matter what age should have been paying attention to her surroundings. If you read the article, it says "the Department of Environmental Protection said its workers had turned away briefly to grab some cones when the incident occurred." Ass backwards or not, the girl should have been paying attention and the mother is an idiot as well. Suing because her daughter was stupid....If my daughter did that, it would be a lesson learned and she wouldn't forget to watch her surroundings...It's part of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!!!
 

airborne11b

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I think the state should sue her for being stupid, and give her a type of court appointed restriction on owning a cell phone. Ban her SSN so that if she tries to sign up to a cell phone provider that her name comes up blacklisted. Hey if you drink and drive you lose your driver's license, I think think if you're too busy texting and cause an accident they should ban your cellphone privileges. It's only fair.
Personally I can't stand people who can't unplug for for more then 1 minute, always on their iphone or some stupid gadget while working, driving. Always on myspace and facebook. It's sad. And to any of you idiots like this reading my post. Shut the F up and drive. Talk on your lame ifad when you get home. losers.
 

airborne11b

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And to just clear things up. I'm a very tech heavy guy like most people on this site. I build my own PC's and playing FPS's/MMO's (not WOW), I love having all the newest electronics, watching movies on my 50" 1080p TV w/blueray, I like my zune, ect ect. But there is a time and a place for it, and gabbing on your cellphone with your girlfriend about how you're going to get your nails done after work while you're sitting in front of patents/clients/customers, or talking/texting while driving ARE NOT THE PLACES TO DO IT.
 

Raidur

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HAHA PERFECT!!

This is awesome.

BTW people of all countries sue for stupid reasons. You just hear about it more here (in America) because women here are on a power trip.
 

valcron

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Everyone here is taking the girls side or the workers side when honestly both parties are at fault here. They should never have left a manhole unattended and she should not have been texting while walking.

Leaving it unattended allows for all kinds of accidents as mentioned by others. Kids riding their bikes...cars driving over, etc. And for the girl even if the orange cones were up since she was not paying attention she would have still fallen in the manhole. Or worse...tripped over a cone and dived head first into the cement on her way down the manhole.

Anyhow that's my 2 cents.
 

valcron

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Oh and on another note to all of those applying the Typical American label as if we are all that stupid....please get some common sense. At least more than this girl had.

Most Americans (in my experience) do not sue for every little thing. While there are a TON out there who do way more than should be allowed most do not. Besides this is not endemic to America I have seen many screwed up EU cases as well.
 

rockstone1

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[citation][nom]grieve[/nom]In general I’m against suing for almost everything. In this case I think it is grose negligence to leave a manhole cover off. This person could have been killed. Who cares if she was TXTing… What if she was walking and looked up @ a plane? Or saw a lambo and starred for a second? Or saw a cute guy and turned her head? Her actions don’t change the fact that there is no way a man hole cover should EVER be off and unattended, It’s just dangerous.[/citation]

She also should have learned how to walk when she was two.
 

grieve

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Believe me im not saying she's not an idiot (she is) and i personally don't think she should b aloud to sue anyone...
I do think someone should lose thier job over it however. This could have been far more serious, fortionatly no one was hurt.
 

trinix

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[citation][nom]valcron[/nom]Everyone here is taking the girls side or the workers side when honestly both parties are at fault here. They should never have left a manhole unattended and she should not have been texting while walking.Leaving it unattended allows for all kinds of accidents as mentioned by others. Kids riding their bikes...cars driving over, etc. And for the girl even if the orange cones were up since she was not paying attention she would have still fallen in the manhole. Or worse...tripped over a cone and dived head first into the cement on her way down the manhole.Anyhow that's my 2 cents.[/citation]

You are right, more than right. There should be a complaint to the person who left it open, he should receive some kind of punishment, either a small fee to pay to make him remember to do it correct, redo a course or whatever they do with people who make mistakes like that.

But sue him/the state/the company he works for whoever? Why. Do you mean she would have looked if there were cones? Do you think she would have even considered before it happened. She was clearly too busy with it. I'm not saying all Americans are dumb, you are dumb if you say that, because I've seen things far more ridiculous happen all over the world, where you would be amazed of it even being possible.

If you ask me, they both need to be punished for their crime, they both did something wrong. No but someone else could have died, someone took an action and that action caused an accident. Two people made mistakes that lead to the accident, so both should be punished. But sue? Get money for half the case? I should say she has to pay him the same amount back for mental stress of possibly killing someone by his and her mistake too.
 

surfer1337dude

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@ Grieve: if it was a case of she turned her head for a second then it still wouldn't have happened because she would have seen the manhole way before. Also as for themm leaving it unattended. Something that is lacking from this are details that include things like where was the truck with the cones from the manhole? Around where I live the trucks with things like this are withing 3 feet of a manhole. So the guy could have turned his back for a second when he walked into the hole.
 

Parrdacc

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[citation][nom]o0RaidR0o[/nom]I couldn't disagree with most of you more! If I'm assuming the time line in the article is correct, the workers opened the manhole and then proceeded to place the safety cones, sorry but that is ass backwards, cones first then open the manhole...DUH! It's like driving down the highway and then putting on your safety belt, or bicycling half a mile before putting on your helmet, or only after take off or landing do you place your safety belt on. Bottom-line the open manhole was left unattended. It shouldn't matter if she was texting, or her attention was disrupted by a passing siren, or someone calling out her name.[/citation]

While a case be made for the manhole not being marked before they opened it that still does not excuse the family for suing. First, the girl was so distracted from texting that she failed to recognize a gaping hole in the ground, so what makes you think she would have even seen the cones even if they were there? Second "attention was disrupted by a passing siren, or someone calling out her name." does not excuse her or anyone from rear-ending the guy in front of you with a car or her falling off a cliff or in this case a manhole.

In the end if it goes to court both side should balance out and no-one gets paid or pays and basically wastes the courts and tax payer money.
 

valcron

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[citation][nom]trinix[/nom]You are right, more than right. There should be a complaint to the person who left it open, he should receive some kind of punishment, either a small fee to pay to make him remember to do it correct, redo a course or whatever they do with people who make mistakes like that.But sue him/the state/the company he works for whoever? Why. Do you mean she would have looked if there were cones? Do you think she would have even considered before it happened. She was clearly too busy with it. I'm not saying all Americans are dumb, you are dumb if you say that, because I've seen things far more ridiculous happen all over the world, where you would be amazed of it even being possible.If you ask me, they both need to be punished for their crime, they both did something wrong. No but someone else could have died, someone took an action and that action caused an accident. Two people made mistakes that lead to the accident, so both should be punished. But sue? Get money for half the case? I should say she has to pay him the same amount back for mental stress of possibly killing someone by his and her mistake too.[/citation]

I think you misinterpreted part of my post. I was blaming both parties. I was saying the Girl would still have fallen in even if the cones were there since she was not paying attention and could have possibly injured herself more. Her family has no right to sue anyone IMHO.
 

socrates047

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[citation][nom]tenor77[/nom]Yes, luckily there wasn't a woodchipper around.[/citation]
Holy Sh!t!
im literally rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off!
 

Jinx13

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While I think it is incredibly stupid to sue for every little thing in life I do feel compelled to point out the other side. She shouldn't have been able to walk blindly into a manhole in the first place!! The majority of blame falls on the workers. This is probably an area she knew and even walked on a regular basis, peripheral vision should have been enough. That said, this girl is a candidate for the Darwin Award, even if she only shares a small part of the blame
 

mdillenbeck

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Haven't read through all the comments, but I just have to say...

I've heard so many times people complaining about the "Nanny State" - well, it is people like this that require the government to be so coddling to our population. If you think this story is ridiculous, I recommend you go to the library and check out "The Collapse of the Common Good: How America's Lawsuit Culture Undermines Our Freedom" by Philip K. Howard - it is filled with wonderful examples about the effects of our sue-happy society.
 
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