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What has happened to commonsense and personal responsibility?

(90 Posts)
Katek Fri 20-Apr-18 11:01:02

These has been a great furore on FB this week regarding an incident that happened here last weekend.

We live on the coast and there are 130ft cliffs (see pic) just outside the village along with a ruined castle. It’s very popular with tourists, birdwatchers and dog walkers. Last weekend a small dog described as a puggle (jack Russell/Pug cross??) ran over the edge. It wasn’t killed and landed lower down the cliff face. Cue full scale operation with lifeboat and two coastguard teams to rescue the dog. It now seems to be recovering well.

People have been commenting on FB as to why the dog wasn’t on a lead as it’s a/public place, b/lambing season, c/hazardous. The owner’s reply? There wasn’t a sign saying to keep dogs on leads and she didn’t know it was dangerous. Hallo??

Others are saying that the council should do ‘sonething.’ What? Fence the Scottish coastline?

Why is this someone else’s responsibility?

glammanana Fri 20-Apr-18 11:14:07

I do think the owner should be presented with the cost of the rescue by the emergency services.
The same goes for people who go climbing without the safety equipment needed they are just thoughtless and putting other peoples lives at risk.
It shows how people expect others to do their thinking for them.

Teetime Fri 20-Apr-18 11:29:20

In answer to your question Gone with Wind - like most things I fear.

grannyactivist Fri 20-Apr-18 11:34:19

This is a particular bugbear of mine as I live on the Jurassic coast where there are regular cliff falls. I get very cross when I see parents ignoring danger signs in order to take their children to walk under cliffs that can come down at any minute - recent cliff falls can be seen and still they do it!!! I can't for the life of me understand what would persuade someone that the clearly stated danger doesn't apply to them.
The local lifeboat/coastguard will be tasked to go in and perform rescues at the risk of their own lives.

SueDonim Fri 20-Apr-18 11:57:14

I know the incident you speak of, Katek - we must live in the same region. We always regard someone/thing falling down the cliffs as a marker of the first day of summer as there always seems to be some idiot or other doing something stupid at this time of year.

felice Fri 20-Apr-18 12:05:56

One of my cousins is a Lifeboatman on the North East coast of Scotland, and some of the stories he can tell would make your hair curl.
There are some really naive and stupid people out there who seem to totally disregard the safety of themselves and others.
Is the Castle near Cruden Bay by any chance?

NanaandGrampy Fri 20-Apr-18 13:41:37

Only yesterday we were walking along a cliff top near us, there has been a lot of slippage in recent months and some of the fencing has slipped down also.

We watched as dog owner after dog owner let their dogs run free.

The dogs did , as dogs do and ran right to the very edge of the cliff, in some cases the bit they were standing on was a couple of feet thick overhang.

I cringed and both Grampy and I agreed IF we had taken our dog he would have been on his lead. A free run is nice for him but not where there is obvious danger.

We did mention it to one couple and they simply smiled and agreed their dogs were idiots.

I had to hold my tongue and not say 'They aren't the only ones'!

Luckygirl Fri 20-Apr-18 13:46:43

This happens on the Pembrokeshire coast path, in spite of the notices exhorting owners to keep their dogs on leads.

It is so dangerous - a dog jumping up could send someone over a cliff to their death.

Fennel Fri 20-Apr-18 13:54:50

There seems to have been more corrosion than usual on the east coastline the last few years - higher tides etc.
We were at Marsden last week ( no dogs) - in the past I would have been happy to descend to the shore, but there was a full tide and I didn't want to risk it.
There needs to be an educational programme, probably on TV, about the destructive power of the sea, and the strength of tides. Unless you've lived by the sea, you don't realise this.

MawBroon Fri 20-Apr-18 13:59:28

There are two schools of thought aren’t there?
1
You can do whatever you like unless there is a law against it.
2
Unless you are advised that you should or must do something, best to exercise personal discretion also known as common sense.
There probably isn’t a sign anywhere saying “Do not swallow razor blades” but only an idiot would assume from that that it is OK.
Sadly because there are so many pettifogging little regulations , such as “do not run for the train if the platform is wet or slippery” or “take care when alighting from the train” (presumably instead of jumping out while it is still chugging into Euston) too many people do just switch off any common sense they might have had.

Katek Fri 20-Apr-18 14:29:21

It is indeed felice! Perhaps it was your relative who rescued the puggle!!

wildswan16 Fri 20-Apr-18 14:47:48

There are some people who just don't "think" ahead. I suspect the owner is trying to justify herself because she felt guilty about the incident. I hope she put a hefty three figure sum into the rescue organisations coffers.

BlueBelle Fri 20-Apr-18 15:16:02

Rescue a human, a dog horse cat or goat if rescued should be paid for by the owner
No such thing as a puggle its a very expensive mongral?
These cross breeds are given fancy names and sold for £ hundreds, and daft people fall for it nothing wrong with a cross breed usually great dogs but to pay £600 or £800 or more is just plain ridiculous

GrandmaMoira Fri 20-Apr-18 15:21:51

It reminds me of the men who drowned at Camber Sands a couple of years ago. The families said there should have been more warnings and lifeguards. Surely everyone should know that the sea is dangerous and you can drown/

Katek Fri 20-Apr-18 15:37:28

Oh how I agree with you Bluebelle! I have seen many of these crossbred/mongrel dogs for sale-Cavachons, Cockapoos, Labradoodles and recently saw Jackawawas (sic) for sale! They’re not pedigree dogs and anyone who pays hundreds of pounds for one also falls into the lack of commonsense mould. Unscrupulous breeders are making a fortune out of this and there are some very sick and abused dogs out there. Rescue centres are full of dogs looking for good homes-they should be first port of call if looking for a dog.

sparkly1000 Fri 20-Apr-18 16:11:19

We have several thousands acres of ancient parklands locally, much of it covered in bracken. In certain areas the public are advised to keep to the main paths and keep their dogs on a lead because of adders.
Well one dad and his 11 year old lad decided to go " off piste". The lad did come across an adder basking in the sunshine, his dad told him to poke it with a stick to see what it would do.
Well you can guess what it did. The lad was taken to the local hospital and treated with anti-venom serum and discharged.
The following day the local papers were full of the dad demanding to know what the park were going to do about it? Beggars belief.

harrigran Fri 20-Apr-18 16:15:16

I agree that dog walkers should pay to have their animal rescued, people are risking their lives because of thoughtless owners.

felice Fri 20-Apr-18 16:20:32

It would be the Peterhead Lifeboat then, not his. Still taking Men and Women away from the jobs and families, highly trained volunteers putting their lives at risk because of STUPID people.
Sorry I feel strongly about this subject, no I am not sorry, could we put fines for stupidity.
The courts would be overflowinghmm

Fennel Fri 20-Apr-18 17:28:22

From the Glencoe Mountain Rescue website:
"Q: Should climbers and walkers be made to pay towards the cost of their rescue?
A: No. A simple cost/benefit analysis shows mountaineering generating a massive tax take through v.a.t and fuel duty as well as millions of pounds spent within the local economy. Set against this the cost is very small. Hill goers tend to be fit and do not put high demands on the health service. Those we help usually financially help us."
I was surprised to read that.

grannyactivist Fri 20-Apr-18 17:35:58

The human cost of some of these rescues is incalculable; can you imagine the trauma resulting from digging out dead bodies from under tons of earth? Our rescue services face untold dangers needlessly.

BBbevan Fri 20-Apr-18 18:18:33

Sadly everything is someone else's fault these days. People are very self obsessed. They do what they want and no one can say then nay

Eloethan Sat 21-Apr-18 01:27:35

I'm just glad the little dog was all right. Maybe the owner should have had more sense but I can't see the problem in putting a warning notice somewhere - but not a fence, obviously.

I agree asking a young boy to poke a snake with a stick is a stupid thing to do and the father is being unreasonable in blaming anyone other than himself.

Apparently the tide at Camber Sands sweeps in very quickly and can leave people stranded on sandbanks, surrounded by deep water and strong currents. In my view, there should have been notices and a lifeguard.

Baggs Sat 21-Apr-18 07:45:03

There are fast incoming tides all around the UK. Perhaps people need educating more about the forces of Nature. Nature isn't all warm and cuddly. I do feel people should know that without needing to be told.

Baggs Sat 21-Apr-18 07:46:28

Also outgoing, the sort that sweep people off their feet and carry them out to sea. My dad told we kids about stuff like this whenever we went to a beach.

Baggs Sat 21-Apr-18 07:48:22

I wonder what it would cost to put up notices saying things like "Cliffs are dangerous", "Beware of tides", etc.

I'm getting to a fuxake moment. Better baggy off.