Can’t help thinking that if this had happend in the US, she would probably try to sue the bear afterwards.
No, she would sue the zoo because they didn’t have a sign up that said “warning do not jump into enclosure, Polar Bears can bite”.
Support Crew
which one is the bear?
which one is the bear?
The one NOT getting it’s ass kicked and chewed upon.
And they claim a Polar Bear can swim 10 KM/HR!!! So if she thought she could out swim it she had made yet another error in judgment.
JJ
Damn, almost as fast as Tigerchik!!
Mmm, polar bear. My tiger-fangs wish to sink into polar bear meat. I am salivating.
No, she would sue the zoo because they didn’t have a sign up that said “warning do not jump into enclosure, Polar Bears can bite”.
Although it is changing, one of the nice things about Germany is you don’t have many BS lawsuits like this. In a park in the city I used to live there was a trampoline surrounded by concrete. It wasn’t very bouncing but if you bounced high and got hurt, everyone knew who was at fault. At swimming pools, you rarely hear the lifeguards whistle. If you run and slip and crack your head open that was your mistake. Very few kids would run though. And of course many countries in Europe still have the ultimate child killer, the teeter-totter. Lack of an influence of lawyers is one of the biggest differences between living here and there.
German zoos always seem fairly casual in security. (not that this has anything to do with the bear freak) I’ve seen cheetahs in very large pens where the fencing mesh was about 4x4" and maybe 1/8" wire. Looked awfully flimsy but maybe it was electrified – I could have reached my hand through the fence and pet them. Plus, they have enclosures where lemurs and other animals their size run free with people. Another thing strange about German zoos - people bring their dogs with them.
I was thinking she would sue because they didn’t have a sign up that said DON’T FEED THE BEARS
I see dumb people, they’re everywhere, they don’t even know that they’re dumb.
It really does look like he is smiling. Damn!!! Almost weeded another one out of the gene pool.
In Southern Germany near the Lake of Constance is a town called Salem that is well known for the cool old abbey in that town. But they also have something called “Affenberg” where you can directly interact with about 200 monkeys in a huge fenced in forest. People get bitten sometimes, but no one ever sues the place.
I blame Coke. Who can blame her urge to swim with them after all of those cute commercials of the bears drinking Coke.
Sue the pants off of Coca-Cola for not having adequate disclaimers for the real-world behaviors of a polar bear before we all get sucked in!
Polar Bear: The only other animal that hunts for sport.
And they claim a Polar Bear can swim 10 KM/HR!!! So if she thought she could out swim it she had made yet another error in judgment.
JJ
Damn, almost as fast as Tigerchik!!
Even the “fleet of fin” Tigerchick wouldn’t have a prayer against a polar bear in open water.
DON’T YOU GUYS REALIZE??? All you swim coaches out there have it ALL WRONG!!!
The DOG PADDLE is the fastest stroke!!! Now where can I find me some You Tube video detailing polar bear swimming mechanics so I can work on my technique.
JJ
But they also have something called “Affenberg” where you can directly interact with about 200 monkeys in a huge fenced in forest.
Cool. My daughter was thrilled when a lemur ran into her by mistake at the Muenster zoo. ** Another example: In German second grade my daughter’s class had swimming lessons as part of their curriculum. They were picked up from school by a city bus, brought to the city pool and taught swimming by their regular teacher. If they tried this in the states, the first time a kid skinned his knee, that would be the end of it. They have this weird idea that everyone is responsible for their own actions even if it you climb into a cage and get bit by a monkey. **I could make a long list of how this makes life better.
I forgot another thing they have in parks besides teeter-totters, they have zip lines. Those are a lot of fun.
Mmm, polar bear. My tiger-fangs wish to sink into polar bear meat. I am salivating.
So…we should toss you in for a training swim? 
John
The reason you don’t have as many personal inury suits in Europe is because you don’t need them. The social security safety net in Europe provides for people’s health care and disability needs; therefore there is usually no need for the PI suit. Most people in the US bring PI suits to cover damages that their health or disability insurance does not cover. In Europe that’s a foreign concept.
Besides, the whole idea that there is widespread tort/lawsuit abuse in the US is pretty much a myth anyway. There are always a few high profile cases that sound ridiculous in sound bite form (suing McD’s for hot coffee), but ususally when you peel back the story you find out there was more to it (like 3rd degree burns from coffee superheated to nearly 200 degrees, hundreds of previous incidents and a refusal to cover the initial minimal medical bills). And those cases that are ridiculous are routinely dismissed at an early stage. In fact, there are a lot more people that are injured and don’t receive anything than those that file silly suits.
The reason you don’t have as many personal inury suits in Europe is because you don’t need them. The social security safety net in Europe provides for people’s health care and disability needs; therefore there is usually no need for the PI suit. Most people in the US bring PI suits to cover damages that their health or disability insurance does not cover. In Europe that’s a foreign concept.
Besides, the whole idea that there is widespread tort/lawsuit abuse in the US is pretty much a myth anyway. There are always a few high profile cases that sound ridiculous in sound bite form (suing McD’s for hot coffee), but ususally when you peel back the story you find out there was more to it (like 3rd degree burns from coffee superheated to nearly 200 degrees, hundreds of previous incidents and a refusal to cover the initial minimal medical bills). And those cases that are ridiculous are routinely dismissed at an early stage. In fact, there are a lot more people that are injured and don’t receive anything than those that file silly suits.
Spoken like a true lawyer.
Actually, I’m usually an insurance defense attorney so I don’t bring these kinds of suits; I usually defend them. But I can tell you that it’s not hard to get truly frivolous suits dismissed and that a lot of valid claims settle for a less than they may be worth because of cost concenrs and the difficulty of actually taking cases to trial. In my career I have only seen a few truly ridiculous cases. And many of those were brought by people who would at the same time bitch about everybody else’s frivolous lawsuits.
Most people like to talk a good game about personal responsibility until they’re the injured party. Then they usually like to talk about how irresponsible the other guy was and how they’re entitled to damages because of it. Same thing with property covenants or zoning issues; most people like to talk about their own property rights, but not necessarily the guy down the street’s rights. This is just human nature.
As for the zoo case, I expect the woman likely has some severe mental illness. That’s not just stupidity, that’s delusion.
In Reply To
Mmm, polar bear. My tiger-fangs wish to sink into polar bear meat. I am salivating.
So…we should toss you in for a training swim?
Maybe tomorrow, I already swam twice today.
Good point. But I think it goes deeper than just being covered for health/disability. German kids are WAY more independent and this was probably a harder adjustment for my kids than the language. In Germany, if their teacher is sick, many times the school just sends them home. The kids figure out on their own if they need to go home with a friend or call a parent or whatever but the school leaves it completely up to the kids. In fact, the first time it happened, it was the kids in my daughter’s class that helped her out and explained what she needed to do (these were 2nd graders). At my kids’ school in MA, they have someone from the school walk the kids almost all the way home and we live in a place where crime is just about zero. And that is for the very few who actually walk. It’s a joke. Kids spend 15 minutes extra at school because dismissal has to be a big organized “let’s not lose a kid” party where every bus is loaded separately. And schools do this because it will be their ass if they lose a kid and the parents freak, rather than blaming the kid who didn’t have the sense to get on the correct bus. Sorry for veering OT.