I’ve read most of the thread, and am without broadband for a week – so the video will have to wait. BUT, I think whether or not a boater left the bridge unlocked, she was stupid to sit in a point where a big heavy bridge meets a concrete wall. Don’t tell me she had no idea of what could happen, or what was happening at the time it did. These things don’t move at a million miles an hour, I’ve pushed the length of the L&L both ways twice – not to mention the Ashton twice, I know they don't budge easily!
As far as the aspirations of “get a job, find a man, get married, have kids” or whatever the quote was mid page two, I think living in that area - it's fair to say there is a great probability she's already found the man, had the kids and got a council flat because of it. Now we will have to pay for her to have the flaming thing adapted for a wheelchair, because of her own stupid actions. We as boaters will also pay in higher fees to have these bridges "accident" proofed, or permanent overbridges fitted in their place.
The fact that kids muck about where they shouldn’t is a fact of life. The fact that they will get hurt is also a natural progression. Unfortunately these days it’s never their fault. They can be warned a dozen times not to stick their fingers in a plug socket, but will still do it because they can, and then sue anyone and everyone because we didn’t actually intervene before they got to the socket and of course that the socket was live in the first place.
My reply to the solicitors' advert, "Have you had a trip or fall?" IS: If yes, then you should have been looking where you were bloomin' going!!
Rant over.
RJT
