Wimpish Society

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by Mickmeister, Feb 15, 2007.

  1. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    I agree. We had 3 "snowdays" so far, not because of snow, but COLD. Mind you, it was drycold 10-20 degrees, but the roadsurfaces were all dry. And the next day they had to go to school anyway under the same circumstances, so what was the point of schoolclosings???
     
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  3. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    OMG, you are killing me here! I am sitting here in my office busting out laughing over that. I thought the thunderstorm closing was bad, but because of coldness...that tops it! I guess they were afraid parents might get mad if their kids got a chill going to school.

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  5. Bells Staff Member

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    Ah, but did the schools close because of the thunderstorm warning, or possibly because of the tornado watch that was in place at the same time?

    Because I could understand why schools might close if there was a tornado watch.

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    Especially when stuff like this can happen at a school when a tornado hits:

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    Now if there is a tornado watch, usually an indication that the severe thunderstorms could spawn some twisters, I could understand why a school would prefer to close.

    Inability to heat the classrooms properly due to the extreme cold maybe?
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2007
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  7. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    Nope. As I said, the rest of the week was the same cold, with very little or no snow.
     
  8. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    Bells, I don't think we're talking about those kinds of extremes.
     
  9. Bells Staff Member

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    Aren't we?

    Mick found it funny that they closed the schools because there was a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado watch. Now, I do not consider it 'wimpish' to close a school if there is a chance of a tornado. In fact, I would consider it essential. After all, you cannot predict how bad it might be, can you?
     
  10. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    Defenatiley, however, to close it because there is a 1% chance of tornado, that is "wimpish society", as oposed to there is a tornado coming your way, stay home, be safe. I'm all for safety, but not for silly "lottary" odds.
     
  11. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    You've obviously never lived in a tornado zone.
     
  12. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    No, and I think those living in one are probobly not "wimpish" sam.
     
  13. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    It would be a serious disadvantage if they were.
     
  14. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    Okay sam, i did say that 1% reasoning. i'm talking about the overall average.
     
  15. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    I think you'll find that tornados can only be predicted with complete accuracy within minutes.
     
  16. Bells Staff Member

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    A tornado watch is a 1% chance that there might be one or more? After all, if the weather conditions were right enough to warrant a tornado watch, one would assume that the chances of there being one would be more than 1%.

    And if there was one on the way, and the kids were in school, how could they get home to be safe? So the fact that there would have been people on the look out for tornados due to the severe weather condition, I would expect that the schools would contact parents to advise them of the danger their children might be in. Imagine if they had not and there was one. Imagine if they thought 'meh.. it's 1%.. be silly to fall for the "lottery odds"'.. and one hit and the result was anything like the one that hit the school in Alabama today? That's the thing with tornados, they are a lottery and they are so terribly unreliable and unpredictable. You can't know if one is heading your way until you actually see it on top of you because they can veer all over the place. It's not like a cyclone where weather forcasters can track its path and the path it is likely to take.

    If there was a 1% chance that your child could die in a tornado, would you ignore that 1% because it would be "silly" to take it seriously?
     
  17. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    Yes i would let my boys go to school if there was only a 1% chance of a tornado. You probobly have a better chance of being in a accident on the way to school than there is having this tornado happen! Again, i would never risk the lives of my kids, however, over worring does not make them , in turn, better equiped to handle the real world when they get to it.
     
  18. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Yep, you've never lived in a tornado zone.
     
  19. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    No I really haven't sam, believe me please.
     
  20. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    Sam, you live in a tornado zone?
     
  21. timmbuktwo Registered Senior Member

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    I have lived in a communist country though sam, what makes you more wimpy do you think , a deadly wind or a deadly bullet in the head when you escape?
     
  22. Bells Staff Member

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    Ah... But in this instance, there was a tornado watch so there was a high possibility that the severe storms would spawn a tornado. This was enough of a concern that they would have had people outside specifically looking at the storm to watch for tornados.

    So the risk was quite high and given their unpredictable nature, the school probably preferred to play it safe and send the kids home and close. This is not like an approaching cyclone where you have time to plan and get ready. Tornados spawn quickly and their path cannot be predicted or expected and if you are lucky, you might have a few minutes to prepare.

    There was a chance that none would spawn, but the conditions were right enough for them to actually be watching for them so I would say the risk would be much higher than 1% and that is frankly not a lottery I would wish to take.
     
  23. Mickmeister Registered Senior Member

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    I have always lived in the tornado alley. In fact, I grew up my first 10 years in Louisville, where a LOT of tornadoes have hit. We went to school if there was a tornado watch or not. When a tornado warning came, the school took appropriate actions of securing the students in the hall. Never once did my mom have to come get me, even after a warning had taken place.
     

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