Thread: Paying for your stupidity

New York City man mauled by tiger in Bronx Zoo charged with trespassing | Fox News

Do you think people who purposely put themselves in harms way should have to pay a penatly (financial or time served) for putting others in harms way to save them?

I think that if they break the law to do so, they should be charged. But, "purposefully putting themselves in harms way" is a nebulous term if they aren't actually breaking any laws. Like, skiing. You can easily hurt or even kill yourself skiing, and depending on the situation, (maybe an avalanche or something?) someone coming to save you could also possibly get hurt. But if you're skiing in a designated skiing area where you are allowed to ski, I can't see penalizing you for it, even though everyone knows skiing can be dangerous. If you were breaking the law by tresspassing though, then I think you should be charged with tresspassing at least.

They should have just left him in there. He can "be one with the tiger" after the tiger finishes eating him.

I think if you knowingly do something that you aren't trained to do you should be liable like the above instance. Skiing in general is okay but if you are a first time skiier and try to go on a (is it a black diamond...I don't ski) ...course and get stuck or hurt then I can see emergency personnel charging you. You did NOT belong there.

I know NH charges those that are not properly experienced in hiking, climbing mountains if they get lost. Every year there is some bozo who gets stuck in tuckerman's ravine during a blizzard who has never hiked. They get charged for the rescue.

Alissa, the govenrment can't really regulate common sense though. Who would have thought New York needed a law concerning jumping into a carnivore's cage from a train?

He should absolutely be charged.

He did something extremely reckless and, if it wasn't suicide, he was counting on someone else putting themselves in danger to rescue him.

If it is against the law then yes, they should be charged

Lillie, I'm not saying that the government should try to legislate common sense, I'm just saying that if what they are doing is legal, I don't know how they can be penalized for it. On the other hand, if it is illegal (as this was) then they should be penalized.

There's a difference between being penalized and being held accountable. This man clearly trespassed, and he should charged for trespassing & serve whatever is the appropriate sentence in that jurisdiction. He should also be held accountable for any direct costs related his adventure & rescue -- lost revenue from the ride being closed, the paramedics who treated him, repair any damage to the ride or tiger enclosure, etc. And I would include therapy bills for the people who put their lives in danger aiding him. However, he should not be fined an additonal penalty amount "just because" he was stupid enough to pull this stunt.

I am torn on this. I think in situations of trespassing, you should be held liable for if something happens to you while on someone else's property. For example, if you trespass onto someone's land and then fall in a whole and twist your ankle, it is your own fault for trespassing and should not be able to sue. On the other hand there are times when I think the natural consequences of your actions are more than enough punishment for your crime. For example, there was recently a story in the local news of a young mother who left her baby sleeping while she was cooking dinner. She needed something (I forget what, maybe an egg or cup of butter) and ran next door to the neighbour's house. While gone the house burnt down and in it the baby died. I feel her pain and suffering of a lost child was more than enough punishment for her and she should not have been charged with anything. (I am not sure if she was charged or not)

I hope this made sense.