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From: brown@cmu-cs-k.ARPA (Andy Brown)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Public Perceived as Stupid
Message-ID: <496@cmu-cs-k.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 14:31:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-k.496
Posted: Wed Aug 14 14:31:59 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 22:51:50 EDT
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 18

> The local power company has recently attached a bright red and white
> sticker to EVERY POWER POLE IN THE CITY informing one and all the there
> are hazardous voltages about 30 feet up and that climbing the pole is a
> stupid thing to do.

As silly as it sounds to put big signs on all the utility poles,
there are a surprising number of people who would do something
stupid like electrocute themselves by climbing a utility pole.
These same people then have the nerve to sue some company for
enormous sums of money, trying to pass off their stupidity as
the negligence of someone else.  I'm not saying that companies are
never negligent, but many times they are held accountable for things
which are beyond their control.  If you're thinking about things
in terms of money, maybe it's cheaper to spend a few thousand dollars
putting signs on the poles than to spend a few hundred thousand defending
against a million dollar or so suit.

Andy Brown