Teen killed on bus, Darwin is not popular (even a CC callout)

[FaC]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021248253

jsr (339 posts)

Teenager Dies After Sticking Head Through Bus Hatch and Striking Underpass

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/01/nyregion/teenager-dies-after-sticking-head-through-bus-hatch-and-striking-underpass.html
 
September 1, 2012
Teenager Dies After Sticking Head Through Bus Hatch and Striking Underpass
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

A teenager was killed when he popped his head out of a rooftop hatch on a double-decker bus and struck an underpass near the George Washington Bridge on Friday night, an official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.

Very 1st reply - I wonder what the joke was..

Onceuponalife This message was hidden by Jury decision.

We then have a very strange coversation, very long conversation for a bunch of that claim to believe in evolution and are the kindest people on the interwebs..

GCP (7,979 posts)

9. A young life was ended because kids do dumb things like this

And two of the first responders thought it would be funny to make wise-cracks. How many of us have done really stupid things at that age?
 I wish people would have some class.

RetroLounge (36,032 posts)

28. Yes, because wise-cracks on a member-only discussion board is so ****ing awful
Thanks for your concern.

RL

ann--- (112 posts)

79. It is when most people

on this forum have spent the day bashing Romney for HIS lack of compassion in his reply to the woman in Louisiana who lost her home.

Raine (18,868 posts)

95. DU was full of compassion shown to the guy killed by the bear a few days ago ... NOT

he got the Darwin award again and again. Why expect compassion here toward another who did an equally stupid thing.

renate (6,542 posts)

132. I agree
Welcome to DU. Most people here are compassionate so I hope you'll stay. I'm just so sickened by some of what I'm seeing but it's usually a nice and kind place here.

Right....

Alduin (297 posts)

11. Darwin Award winner.

Aldin is consistent - he uses the Darwin fish as an avatar

kentauros (19,371 posts)

15. I'll be so happy
when the "Darwin Award" meme dies. It's the epitome of callousness and anti-compassion.

At least he is consistent:

Alduin (297 posts)

21. I'll be so happy

Last edited Sat Sep 1, 2012, 02:05 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

when common sense is instilled in every individual. That way, senseless and stupid deaths like this won't happen anymore.
 
The whole "we all did stupid things when we were that age" meme is bullshit. If we all did something stupid like this kid, we'd all be dead, wouldn't we?

Response to Alduin (Reply #21)

Sat Sep 1, 2012, 02:12 PM

 TwilightGardener (35,114 posts)

23. Most of us survive our stupid years. It's luck. I was a passenger in a car once with

a friend who had just gotten her license (I didn't have mine yet)--we were coming home from an amusement park at night, and my friend became confused and mistook a highway off-ramp for an on-ramp. How did I survive that? Luck. How did I survive being drunk and climbing onto the steep roof of my apartment building during a party when I was 20? Luck. None of us are, or were, any better than this child, and it's ridiculous to feel superior to a kid who was out having fun with his friends and made a bad split-second decision.

I have to admire this Alduin character - he is consistent and sticks to his guns. Of course, this does not sit well at DU

Alduin (297 posts)

24. So millions of people who survive past that age it's because of luck?

No. Maybe some of us didn't do stupid shit like this kid did.

Response to TwilightGardener (Reply #25)

Sat Sep 1, 2012, 02:16 PM

 Alduin (297 posts)

29. I didn't stick my head out of a hatch on a bus...

and get it pancaked on the side of a bridge.

It is not my/his/their fault meme shows up

RKP5637 (21,036 posts)

67. Here is an interesting read ... "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet"

"It's the part of the brain that says: 'Is this a good idea? What is the consequence of this action?' " Jensen says. "It's not that they don't have a frontal lobe. And they can use it. But they're going to access it more slowly."
 
That's because the nerve cells that connect teenagers' frontal lobes with the rest of their brains are sluggish. Teenagers don't have as much of the fatty coating called myelin, or "white matter," that adults have in this area.
 
Think of it as insulation on an electrical wire. Nerves need myelin for nerve signals to flow freely. Spotty or thin myelin leads to inefficient communication between one part of the brain and another.
 
A Partially Connected Frontal Lobe
 

More at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124119468

snooper2 (13,940 posts)

122. I thought darwin awards were basically the modern day version of natural selection?

kentauros (19,371 posts)

123. Wouldn't they therefore go unnoticed?

No, this phrase or meme, "Darwin Award" is used mostly by those with either no empathy or no respect for the feelings of those involved. I find it distasteful, disrespectful, and frankly, immature.
 
Besides, wouldn't normal "natural selection" follow a genetic direction? What does that have to do with deaths like this? And if you are making some kind of scientific connection between "natural selection" and these kinds of deaths, then I think you need to either rethink your supposition, or we should all be quite afraid for the future of the human race. This is not a "trait" we should be thankful for.

muriel_volestrangler (60,496 posts)

171. The idea is that the person was genetically stupid

and that their death, before they reproduce, is an example of natural selection.
 
It's somewhat callous, but has been used extensively on DU for years. I'm surprised to see so many people suddenly saying it doens't belong here.

kentauros (19,371 posts)

180. "Genetically stupid" implies the kind of thing

we don't make fun of on DU. If that's what it really means to those that use it, then perhaps we need some admin action on it, and ban its use.
 
As for people "suddenly saying it doesn't belong here", did it occur to you that we've finally become fed up with it? All it takes is a thread like this to get more people realizing that it's as stupid a thing to say as the decision it's supposed to mock

You are going to be in trouble when your father gets home:

renate (6,542 posts)

135. I would never have guessed that anything in this thread could ever make me smile

You proved me wrong.

How utterly humiliating would it be if this thread were used as an example of the kind of people who were on DU? Of course, there are no barriers to joining... which would explain a lot of the comments here.

CC Callout:

UnrepentantLiberal (7,110 posts)

65. Folks, look at post count for the trolls in this thread.

It looks like the Conservative Cave is at it again.

The truth is spoken but ignored...

Ms. Toad (6,374 posts)

73. low post counts like

2,595; 25,540; and a few more in the 200s?

Most of this thread looks like our own home grown insensitive and inappropriate responses.

11 Bravo (14,073 posts)

173. However, it's good to be reminded occasionally that the right wing hasn't cornered the market on ...

callous jackasses.

Ah - there might be a whiff of 1%...

dkf (28,743 posts)

178. This actually seems awfully excessive for a 16 year old's party.

The crowd of 65, including many from a Queens Catholic high school, was gearing up for a wild Friday night, tweeting about getting “sauced” at a friend’s Sweet 16 party at a catering hall in Garfield, NJ.
 
Friends posted pictures of party girls in blue dresses. One kid bragged, “The amount of bottles on this limo is rediculous.”
 
http://m.nypost.com/p/news/local/life_death_G4MAedA398IYckdvg3hDTK

There were no parental chaperones on the bus, according to Kotary.

Other guests already at the Venetian, a posh catering hall, learned of the tragedy via text.
 
http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1149861

WilliamPitt (51,510 posts)

182. This is the ugliest thread I've seen on DU in years.

Comprehensively shitty.

but diligently preserved by your humble servant...

[Evil_Conservative]

I love how DU looks at post count to determine if someone is a troll or not.  God forbid a new liberal hippie joins the board.  I wouldn't feel welcomed there if I was looked down on until I hit 5,000 posts.

[ChuckJ]

Response to Alduin (Reply #21)

Sat Sep 1, 2012, 02:12 PM

 TwilightGardener (35,114 posts)

23. Most of us survive our stupid years. It's luck. I was a passenger in a car once with

a friend who had just gotten her license (I didn't have mine yet)--we were coming home from an amusement park at night, and my friend became confused and mistook a highway off-ramp for an on-ramp. How did I survive that? Luck. How did I survive being drunk and climbing onto the steep roof of my apartment building during a party when I was 20? Luck. None of us are, or were, any better than this child, and it's ridiculous to feel superior to a kid who was out having fun with his friends and made a bad split-second decision.

Bad news for Twilight. If you're posting at DU it means you have not yet survived your stupid years.

[Undies]

WilliamPitt (51,510 posts)

182. This is the ugliest thread I've seen on DU in years.

Comprehensively shitty.

That's because you've been cross-eyed drunk since high school.

[Freeper]

Here is what they hid,

Onceuponalife This message was hidden by Jury decision. Hide
1. Darwin award.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Another hidden post,

aquart This message was hidden by Jury decision. Hide
149. Many children die. The earth is littered with dead children. We pay no attention.

They die through absolutely no fault or contribution of their own and we pass by on the other side.

This one did it to himself in so spectacularly stupid a way that he made the news and you want to go all mushy about it?

You really want other children to believe that someone who does this is worthy of honor? Go for it. Maybe you want to buy a few more decorous items in black for those funerals.
A Jury voted 4-2 to hide this post on Sun Sep 2, 2012, 11:14 AM. Reason: This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See Community Standards.)

[Chris_]

UnrepentantLiberal (7,110 posts)

65. Folks, look at post count for the trolls in this thread.

It looks like the Conservative Cave is at it again.

Another lurker comes out of the closet.  Hi, DUmmy!

[JohnnyReb]

...and his last words were, "I'm king of the w............"

[FaC]

High post slap fight 

In reply to WillliamPitt:

muriel_volestrangler (60,503 posts)

186. Really?

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2536315&mesg_id=2536551

Following the provided link:

Somebody got eaten/mauled by a tiger at the SF zoo and the speculation was that the victim was dangling their leg over the fence???

Pitt jumps in (his reply to the SF Zoo/Tiger thread):

WilliamPitt  (1000+ posts)        Thu Dec-27-07 08:03 AM
Response to Original message
4. Darwin strikes again.
 "Here kitty kitty...heh, stupid cat...here ki-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

*growl*

kentauros (19,378 posts)

191. That post was from over five years ago.

Are you trying to say that people don't change?

If you were to go searching on my posts (which you are already doing) you may find posts from many years ago where my behavior is contrary to what I am espousing today. It won't negate what I'm saying today, either, unless in your opinion "people don't change, ever!"
 
I've got news for you: people do change, and for the better.

muriel_volestrangler (60,503 posts)

196. I'd expect a bit of understanding about the attitude

if it's one you used to hold. Or at least an acknowledgement that you did, rather than constant scolding of DUers.

cleanhippie (11,648 posts)

193. Again, brilliant!

You are on FIRE!

Well Done.

[JohnnyReb]

kentauros (19,378 posts)

I've got news for you: people do change, and for the better bitter.

Corrected his spelling.

[jukin]

RKP5637 (21,036 posts)

67. Here is an interesting read ... "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet"

"It's the part of the brain that says: 'Is this a good idea? What is the consequence of this action?' " Jensen says. "It's not that they don't have a frontal lobe. And they can use it. But they're going to access it more slowly."
 
That's because the nerve cells that connect teenagers' frontal lobes with the rest of their brains are sluggish. Teenagers don't have as much of the fatty coating called myelin, or "white matter," that adults have in this area.
 
Think of it as insulation on an electrical wire. Nerves need myelin for nerve signals to flow freely. Spotty or thin myelin leads to inefficient communication between one part of the brain and another.
 
A Partially Connected Frontal Lobe

And yet this is one of the strongest voter blocks the democrat party has.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

These people complain because Darwinism is portrayed and inconsiderate and unfeeling?

WTF do they think "survival of the fittest" means?

[Airwolf]

Well since now that they say that they do not like Darwin Awards then how about this,

"Play stupid games,Win stupid prizes".

[Mr Mannn]

Its hypocritical to complain about Darwin when DUers thing killing babies is not just a right, but want to charge all taxpayers to kill even more.

[FaC]

The thread that just keeps giving and giving...

cherokeeprogressive (13,245 posts)

203. Hey people - the kid's dead. D.E.A.D. He doesn't give a f*** about your empathy, or lack thereof.

No amount of sadness for his family, or hand-wringing, or wailing, or gnashing of teeth is going to change the fact that he did a mightily stupid thing and paid the ultimate price for it. Saying he's a Darwin Award winner doesn't make one a bad person any more than overflowing with empathy, sympathy, grief or whatever makes one a good person.
 
What he did isn't going to deter other teens from acting stupidly, nor is it going to increase the possibility of same. I'd wager a fair amount that few teenagers living more than 500 miles away even heard of the tragedy. 99.99% of teenagers do stupid things. Some of them get unlucky, and dead. Trying to change that is a fool's errand.
 
Yes, it's a tragedy, but let's not get lost patting ourselves on the back for being empathetic; no one cares what DU thinks but DUers.
 
I've read some pretty rabid shit here over the years when someone hated by DUers has died. I've read some pretty rabid shit here in the form of hopes for different types of illness up to and including cancer for people hated by DUers. For that reason, I find the hand-wringing over someone's comment re: Darwin Awards funny as hell. I know one thing to be a certainty though: The dead kid doesn't give a f*** what DUers say or don't.

[MrsSmith]

RKP5637 (21,036 posts)

67. Here is an interesting read ... "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet"...

And yet this is one of the strongest voter blocks the democrat party has.

Well, DUH!!  The vast majority of Dem voters have under-developed brains!!  If they'd grown up, they would understand simple concepts like the right to life, personal responsibility, and the most efficient way to provide charity for those in need.   

[98ZJUSMC]

These people complain because Darwinism is portrayed and inconsiderate and unfeeling?

WTF do they think "survival of the fittest" means?

The theory they base their entire worldview on actually kills that worldview.

Hence.......

 RKP5637 (21,036 posts)

67. Here is an interesting read ... "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet"

"It's the part of the brain that says: 'Is this a good idea? What is the consequence of this action?' " Jensen says. "It's not that they don't have a frontal lobe. And they can use it. But they're going to access it more slowly."
 
That's because the nerve cells that connect teenagers' frontal lobes with the rest of their brains are sluggish. Teenagers don't have as much of the fatty coating called myelin, or "white matter," that adults have in this area.
 
Think of it as insulation on an electrical wire. Nerves need myelin for nerve signals to flow freely. Spotty or thin myelin leads to inefficient communication between one part of the brain and another.
 
A Partially Connected Frontal Lobe
  

Yet, they will tell you how smart college kids are.    Of course, they will not nor can not make the connection with the ease of liberal indoctrination at that age.

[FaC]

And it flames out...

Iggo (20,059 posts)

212. Enough of this crap.

Thread.Officially.Trashed.

jsr (343 posts)

This message was self-deleted by its author

This message was self-deleted by its author (jsr) on Sun Sep 2, 2012, 09:10 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[diesel driver]

I've said this a thousand times, and I'll say it again.

THE number one reason why there are SO MANY STUPID PEOPLE alive today is BECAUSE of so damned many WARNING LABELS!!!

If you need a warning label about putting a fork in an electrical outlet, using an umbrella during a thunder storm, and not using a garbage bag for a mattress cover in a crib, WE HAVE TOO F'N MANY F'N WARNING LABELS!

Look under the hood of your car. What do you see?  F'N WARNING LABELS!  Labels like the fan could cut off your fingers, exhaust manifolds are hot, the battery has electricity in it...

Behind the visors or in the glovebox, more labels!  SUV's and trucks may roll over if you take a curve too fast, air bags can cause injury and might blow up in your face, etc.

So I guess there was NO warning label on the overhead hatch on that bus that said "If you stick your head out of this hatch, you might get it cut off on a bridge!" 

How much money you want to loose on a bet that there WILL be a warning label on that hatch in the very near future.

Also, how much you want to bet the last words from the headless party goer was "Hey, y'all!  Watch th..!"

[vesta111]

I've said this a thousand times, and I'll say it again.

THE number one reason why there are SO MANY STUPID people alive today is BECAUSE of so damned many WARNING LABELS!!!

If you need a warning label about putting a fork in an electrical outlet, using an umbrella during a thunder storm, and not using a garbage bag for a mattress cover in a crib, WE HAVE TOO F'N MANY F'N WARNING LABELS!

Interesting read, so who had the good idea to head west 200 years ago knowing there were people out there that were savage.???
Who in their right mind would load up a waggon with 5-6 kids and wife and head out into the unknown hostile world ???? No phone, mail, no roads, doctors, armed with a few guns against 15 savage Nations that were watching and waiting to pounce every day.

Who would believe that two bicycle repair brothers would start the age of flying above the clouds ? 

A marvel that adult men risked their lives to climb into a small capsule and agree to be strapped to a rocket and sent into space.

It is nuts to say this young man was stupid for his actions, Had he not had BAD LUCK, he had the same make up as the other dare devils that built our country.    His age and lack of planning were his undoing.   Sad, had he lived he may have been one of the first humans to walk on Mars.

Those that take no risks in life, be they man, boy, woman or girl, these are the people that go no where.  There are no hero's only villains, no lessons to be learned and little satisfaction for them.

Sad this young mans life was cut short but check out the number of test pilots as adults that also run into Bad Luck.

[diesel driver]

Interesting read, so who had the good idea to head west 200 years ago knowing there were people out there that were savage.???
Who in their right mind would load up a waggon with 5-6 kids and wife and head out into the unknown hostile world ???? No phone, mail, no roads, doctors, armed with a few guns against 15 savage Nations that were watching and waiting to pounce every day.

Who would believe that two bicycle repair brothers would start the age of flying above the clouds ? 

A marvel that adult men risked their lives to climb into a small capsule and agree to be strapped to a rocket and sent into space.

It is nuts to say this young man was stupid for his actions, Had he not had BAD LUCK, he had the same make up as the other dare devils that built our country.    His age and lack of planning were his undoing.   Sad, had he lived he may have been one of the first humans to walk on Mars.

Those that take no risks in life, be they man, boy, woman or girl, these are the people that go no where.  There are no hero's only villains, no lessons to be learned and little satisfaction for them.

Sad this young mans life was cut short but check out the number of test pilots as adults that also run into Bad Luck.

My entire contention is that MORE stupid people exist today because of warning labels.

You reinforced my point with your post.  IF warning labels existed 200 years ago, warning of such dangers, perhaps mankind wouldn't have risked everything to migrate west, build the first airplane, break the sound barrier, walk on the moon, and perhaps someday, Mars.

ALL life is risk.  And yes, the party goer WAS EXTREMELY STUPID!  To the point of his STUPID being FATAL, which for the rest of mankind, may be a GOOD THING!

As for your last statement about the test pilots, yes, they ran into "bad luck", but they knew the odds going in. I fail to see how some dumbass getting decapitated at a bridge overpass because he stuck his head out an overhead hatch has anything to do with pioneers who KNEW the risks involved in what they were doing, but did it anyway.

[FlaGator]

I feel of this young man's family and friends and I pray for God's comfort for them.

Now, if I die because I'm doing something really stupid, feel free to make fun of me.

[Big Dog]

I've said this a thousand times, and I'll say it again.

THE number one reason why there are SO MANY STUPID PEOPLE alive today is BECAUSE of so damned many WARNING LABELS!!!

If you need a warning label about putting a fork in an electrical outlet, using an umbrella during a thunder storm, and not using a garbage bag for a mattress cover in a crib, WE HAVE TOO F'N MANY F'N WARNING LABELS!

Look under the hood of your car. What do you see?  F'N WARNING LABELS!  Labels like the fan could cut off your fingers, exhaust manifolds are hot, the battery has electricity in it...

Behind the visors or in the glovebox, more labels!  SUV's and trucks may roll over if you take a curve too fast, air bags can cause injury and might blow up in your face, etc.

So I guess there was NO warning label on the overhead hatch on that bus that said "If you stick your head out of this hatch, you might get it cut off on a bridge!" 

How much money you want to loose on a bet that there WILL be a warning label on that hatch in the very near future.

Also, how much you want to bet the last words from the headless party goer was "Hey, y'all!  Watch th..!"

Warning labels- one of my favorite rants!


Warning on a Ruger handgun, warning you to read the warnings in the owner's manual.

[diesel driver]

Warning labels- one of my favorite rants!


Warning on a Ruger handgun, warning you to read the warnings in the owner's manual.

Like Jeff Foxworthy once said:  "The only reason there is a warning label for something, is because somewhere, sometime, someone tried it!"

[obumazombie]

There needs to be a logarithmic level of warnings, to warn people who ignore warnings.

[thundley4]

Just a "heads up" for everyone.  There were two Darwin Award winners at one time in Illinois 3 years ago or so.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-06-02/news/0906010606_1_bus-killed-overpass

2 suburban men killed in bus accident in Mattoon, Ill.
Men were struck by overpass while standing atop open-air bus
June 02, 2009
 
As they partied atop an open-air double-decker bus, the passengers were unaware of the low overpass rapidly approaching.

Though several people were standing on the top level with the wind whipping in their faces, two 22-year-old men stood slightly taller than the others.



Those extra inches perhaps proved deadly Saturday night, friends said. The two men -- Justin Sleezer of Yorkville and Cameron Chana of Clarendon Hills -- were killed when their heads struck the Interstate Highway 57 overpass on Illinois Highway 16 in Mattoon, just west of Charleston, Ill., authorities said.

"It's just one of those things you would never think you would see," Mattoon Police Chief David Griffith said Monday. "It was a horrible accident."

How's the weather up there, stretch?