Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihnet.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!cord!pierce!bentley!ihnp1!ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad From: eklhad@ihnet.UUCP (K. A. Dahlke) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: The free market and scuba diving Message-ID: <287@ihnet.UUCP> Date: Sun, 25-Aug-85 05:29:48 EDT Article-I.D.: ihnet.287 Posted: Sun Aug 25 05:29:48 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:09:09 EDT References: <9563@ucbvax.ARPA> <1106@umcp-cs.UUCP> <10166@ucbvax.ARPA> <10169@ucbvax.ARPA> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 39 > --Barry > When we went to get equipment, the dive > shop wouldn't rent anything to me because I wasn't certified; my > wife had to get gear at two different dive shops in her name. I > spoke at great length with a dive shop owner about this. Apparently, > there are no laws in Hawaii that forbid renting to non-certified divers. > Instead, the companies that insure the dive shops require that their > customers be certified. My gut reaction was "What a crock", since in > diving I endanger only myself and perhaps my wife, and we're both > consenting adults, but since the regulations were strictly > noncoercive I couldn't get too riled up. An interesting example of > how the free market keeps a sport safe, even though it may piss > off libertarians. It *should* piss off libertarians, it pisses me off!!! These restrictions *are* instances of coercion, albeit indirect. Our absurd (and getting worse each year) legal system allows anyone to take anyone to court for any reason, and probably win. If your relative drowns, get a good lawyer, you can get money out of: the store that sold him the scuba equipment, the spectators on the beach, the airline that flew him to said vacation spot, anyone!!! Even if you haven't got a valid case, the store will settle out of court, to avoid the inevitable lawyer bills that the innocent party *always* has to pay. That's right, no risks in life, anything goes wrong, you get money back. Just remember to cry a lot in the courtroom. You might consider breaking something on purpose! I apologize for the exaggerative flammatory nature of the above paragraph, but it is a serious problem, and it is growing worse. Absurd cash awards for absurd reasons represents a coercive force, distorting the free market, and ruining a few lives along the way. If sufficiently provoked, I can expound on this topic at length, providing some thoughts on how we can improve the situation. Fortunately, now that we are on the edge of a disaster, a few legal higher-ups are *finally* seriously studying the problem. -- This .signature file intentionally left blank. Karl Dahlke ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad