PSA: The World is not Disneyland, Part Four Thousand Forty-Two

[rolanni]

OK, who here does not know better than to go swimming in the ocean when there's been a Big Storm within the last couple days? Show of hands, here, people.

Right. The ocean is not your friend. The weather is not your friend. I speak here as one who is very much attracted to both the ocean and to dangerous weather. I understand the allure. But for cryin' out loud, don't dice with either for your life. Unless you're very, very lucky, you will lose.

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I didn't know, but then, I grew up in Alaska, where one doesn't swim in the ocean anyway, because it will freeze you to death. :)

My hand is raised

[muehe.livejournal.com]

But, as my excuse -- I have never lived on a costal state.
Actually I can probably count the number of times I have been in the ocean on one hand.

Bill

[(Anonymous)]

Actually, the people in Maine weren't swimming, they were "observing" and a particularly nasty wave swept some of them onto the rocks and some of them into the ocean. Unlike the idiot who went swimming in Florida.

However, both sets of people showed really poor judgement. I have gone to watch the ocean a couple of times when storms were out to sea. It is awesome and beautiful, but CLEARLY deadly. A smart person stays really, really far back from any of the waves.

Susan from Florida

[aitchellsee.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but just think what the Imagineers at Disney could do to bring the descriptions in the story to life:

"It just kept coming higher and higher, and as the waves crashed on the rocks, the ground actually shuttered," said Carole Thompson, a summer resident.

[janni.livejournal.com]

During a storm, of course not. After--unless the sea actively looked stormy still--I'm not sure I would know.

But I've lived my adult life inland, in spite of growing up on the coast.

[mardott.livejournal.com]

I couldn't believe it when I read those reports. I suspect these people will get posthumous Darwin Awards.

Even a calm sea, in some areas, must be watched at all times. We lost our camera when a rogue wave hit us while walking on a Mendocino beach. I was climbing on a rock and was able to hold onto it when water suddenly poured all over me from above. My husband was farther up on the beach, but he got knocked down. Neither of us saw the wave - me, because I was climbing and Rick, because he was trying to take my picture.

We were lucky. Every year, people die on those beaches because of rogue waves. There are warnings everywhere: "don't turn your back on the ocean!"

It's a serious warning.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Here in greater San Francisco we have many, many dangerous beaches, with powerful currents leading directly out to sea. They are signposted, aggressively, including the phrase PEOPLE HAVE DIED WADING.

People still die wading every year.

I had NO idea

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

I guess I have to raise both hands. I live near relatively placid Lake Michigan, although I would have never used that term before reading theses posts. Lake Michigan is an inland sea, it does have it's rip tide areas (usually posted) but... After Mardott and Jonquil's posts... Don't turn your back on the ocean? People have died wading? Holy crap! I promise to take all of the postings much, much more seriously during my lake side vacation this week. (Looking sideways at Lake wondering if it's planning something...)

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

between the oceans and the rivers, the Water Gods have been well fed this year.

[baggette.livejournal.com]

Long Live Darwin!

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

What part of "Don't go there, its dangerous, you could be killed" do people not translate. It is not as if the rangers were speaking a lesser dialect of Rigellian for frells sake.