Naw, David. There's a natural selection process in place that you shouldn't mess with. Let those fools remove themselves from the gene pool. You take on a great responsibility when you start putting up obstacles to their self-destruction and allow them to procreate. I could cite several examples. We need to be breeding people for intelligence, not stupidity. And blond hair would be a nice goal, too, but only because they have more fun. --Ediger
On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 6:34 AM, David <[email protected]> wrote: > It seems that the 2 recent caver fatalities could have been prevented > if the novice caver that died had had some basic information about > the cave hazards of that particular cave. > > I would propose that a list of Texas cave hazards be published on > CaveTex or in the Texas Caver, or in a special publication to be only > handed out at grotto meetings. > > Also, a PVC canister could be placed in a cave with a note inside warning > of the dangers in the cave, along with a list of known fatalities or > accidents. > > For example, where is the spot in a particular cave that a fatality would > most likely occur? > > For example, I would not recommend that a novice caver do certain pits, > or visit caves with possible histo, or visit caves with bad air, or sump > where > a novice caver could drown. > > I think the situation in Texas is far different than in other states. > It is hard for > a novice to get in a cave, and even less into a cave that is hazardous. > And > also, Texas caves are not as wet and cold at the same time as caves in > other parts of the country, so being lost is more of a dehydration issue > than > a hypothermic issue. > > The only place in a Texas cave that I have visited that I propose be > off-limits > to all novice cavers, is the last pit in "Emerald Sink." The hazard is the > air quality and the contact with bats. The crawlway beyond the 140 > foot pit leads > to the last pit. [ The 2nd pit is in a small enclosed area and the > only time I ever did the pit was in 1994.] At that time, there was a > bat roost in the pit, and the guano in the > pit was nasty. So I can't think of a good reason why a novice caver should > go down the crawlway to the last pit. There is a nasty sump a very > short ways beyond > the last pit. I think somebody dove the sump. Does it need to be > dove again ? If it > doesn't need to be dove again, then a good video needs to be made of > the passage, and > I propose that the crawlway be gated. > > I bet many cavers have been to a certain cave and not known there was > a fatality there ? Like out at Punkin ? > > How many new active Texas cavers can describe to a novice caver ( off the > top > of their head ) all the cave fatalities that we have had in Texas? > It seems like > the number was 13 or 14? Several were vertical related. > > I bet if you could asked the novice cavers that were on the trips with > the victim, if they had ever heard of the publication American Caving > Accidents, they would have said, "no." > > "Cave fatality funerals suck. I don't want to attend one, or be the > victim." > > David Locklear > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > >
