An oldie but a goodie, from back in the day.
These days, there’s be a Prius or two in the mix.
Posts Tagged ‘accident’
Hit and Run: Frisco Driver Hit a Car, Which Hit Another Car, Which Hit Another Car, Which Hit Another Car
Friday, May 5th, 2017The Last Person in Frisco to Call a Pedestrian Accident a “Pedestrian Accident”
Tuesday, March 7th, 2017The preferred word these days is “collision.” Or maybe crash. But collision is #1. So much so that you can read the word four times in three sentences when some reporters report on traffic accidents:
Now let’s hear from a junior SFMTA spokesperson (Total Cost Of Employment = five figures per month) on the topic of traffic accidents:
“When describing traffic collisions, most of us have grown up using the word “accident.” But traffic “accidents” are preventable, which is why we at the SFMTA refer to them as collisions or crashes.”
Let’s see here, if you crash into something, either you did it on purpose or it was an accident, right? Preventability doesn’t enter into the equation. At all. And if we’re searching for a term for a preventable accident, why not use “preventable accident?”
Moving on:
The words we use can have a powerful influence on the way we view traffic injuries, and calling them “accidents” implies that nothing can be done to stop them.
I’ll disagree again here. Calling an accident an accident does not in any way imply that that nothing can be done to stop them. In fact, studying accidents, like “airplane accidents” for instance, is a really excellent way to determine who was at fault and what can be done differently in future.
Trader Joe’s Parking Lot Inconveniently Located Across Four Lanes of Traffic – Was This Good Planning?
Tuesday, February 21st, 2017I say four lanes ’cause even though the unit block of Masonic is six lanes wide at this point, the outer two are almost always used for parking.
Anyway, this northbound lane is a de facto parking lot for Trader Joe’s #100. This is because the real parking lot is far too small. Of course, there’s a place for parking on the roof of the building, but you can’t use it. And of course these days you can also park in the lot of the former (and quite horrible, remarkably so, but also beloved by some) Lucky Penny diner (but that’s not going to last forever, as condos are slated).
Those shoppers queueing up to use the main lot line up all the way to Euclid sometimes, and even getting to the back of the line involves awkwardly driving going around a huge MUNI yard or a large swath of the inner Inner Richmond.
So people simply park for free on Masonic northbound and run/walk across Masonic, speed limit 30 MPH by the way.
Hey is this good planning? Nope. Hey who planned this design, the Planning Department? Yep.
Are you going to die by shopping in this fashion? Probably not, but somebody has already. Will somebody else die doing the same thing? Yes.
We Have Bollards All Over the Place to Protect Not-So-Precious Things, But Installing Them in at Chinatown Bus Stops is Controversial?
Tuesday, January 31st, 2017So the reaction from SFGov is “Meh. So what’s in it for me?”
I know this isn’t a sexy issue for our local appointed/elected pols, but why are they against this idea?
Recalling (Again) the Close Call United Flight 863 had with Mount San Bruno Back in 1998
Thursday, December 8th, 2016Here’s an excellent report from the WSJ back in 1999.
And here’s a more better photo than I had in back in aught-nine:
Same mountain, same antennas, same general direction for the plane (except the 1998 incident occurred at night and with fog/clouds).
Anyway, United Airlines took things seriously and aviation is the better for it…
Giant Fake Victorian Kiosk at Sutter and Market is Back to Work After Getting Taken Out by an SFMTA Taxi
Friday, September 9th, 2016See it on the left there – they’re still working on it:
I’m sure we’re all happy that it’s back, except what does it do? Nothing? So why do we have it there? Oh, to pay for a public bathroom, except where is it?
This crazy, cheesy, steampunk bathroom/ad contract should NOT be renewed…
The Quiet Scene After a Hit and Run on Clement?
Wednesday, August 17th, 2016One assumes. The Mercedes driver seemed combobulated enough, but she was satisfied to sit there for minutes and minutes. (This would not have been my reaction.)
One attempts to offer assistance, but then one just moves on with one’s day as the snap crackle and pop, pop, pop of traffic driving over Mercedes plastic fades away…
An Algonquin Round Table in the Middle of Masonic – People, GET OUT THE WAY After Minor Fender Benders
Monday, August 1st, 2016Look at this:
You can’t do this – it’s agin the law.
Sry.
Taco’ed Tuesday
Tuesday, July 19th, 2016
“Crash, Not Accident” – A Misguided Campaign – It’s Why Journalists Now Use the Word CRASH Four Times in Three Sentences
Wednesday, July 6th, 2016Here’s how things are in 2016:
.@WillOremus – Please don't call this an "accident" until investigation makes that determination. #crashnotaccident https://t.co/2811awR1Ov
— Drop The 'A' Word (@DroptheAword) July 1, 2016
All right, here’s what the “crash coalition” has to say.
“Accident” Definitions – Merriam-Webster: An unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought
Really? That’s odd. What kind of definition is this to cite? Hey, lets punch that phrasing into the Google to find:
Accident | Definition of Accident by Merriam-Webster
Now we’re cooking. It turns out the real definition, the primary one, is:
“a sudden event (such as a crash) that is not planned or intended and that causes damage or injury”
So I don’t know how you could miss this at the very top of the webpage you cited, unless you’re being dishonest.
Similarly, I could tell you that the word “bad” means:
outstandingly excellent; first-rate
But that wouldn’t be honest, as that one is 35 definitions down from the typical meaning, which is, of course:
not good in any manner or degree
What accident means is that whatever occurred wasn’t on purpose. Like this aircraft accident, for example. These pilots didn’t intentionally kill themselves, right? If they had, you’d say, “This was no accident,” right?
OK, look forward to seeing the magic CRASH word all over even more, as journalists and MSM institutions bend to this campaign. It’s going to be crash this and crash that all the time. Crash crash crash, like a mantra.
But sometimes there’ll be pushback, like this:
You think the autopilot software hit the truck on purpose? https://t.co/pC8tClyB7r
— Will Oremus (@WillOremus) July 1, 2016
That’s the ticket…