Fan Dead After Falling Over Rangers Ballpark Wall

[PSKsilver]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

That link as a video and the comments are RIDICULOUS. People are so cold and heartless sometimes. SMH I feel so badly for that little boy and his family.

The comments are ridiculous, and I'm not just talking about the ones making fun of the guy.

People calling for the announcers to be fired need to calm down. It's natural to laugh at someone falling at first (unless it's obvious that the person would die)

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PSKsilver

It's natural to laugh at someone falling at first (unless it's obvious that the person would die)

No, it is not natural to laugh at someone falling at first when they are falling that many feet down. 20 feet? I don't think the announcers should be fired. It's more of a learning lesson.

I remember years ago when I was at a college football game. A fan was carelessly joking around the edge and fell. He only fell about 3 feet and we STILL all said "ooooooooooooh" and watched in silence. It wasn't until he jumped back up 2 seconds later and went back to his joking self with no need for medical attention that we all burst out laughing.

[TonyB06]

Reporting over the weekend said the fencing (railing) exceeded federal occupational safety hazard standards. It was just a tragic, unfortunate accident where the player was honoring a baseball customer-friendly tradition of tossing a bad (or otherewise unplayable ball) to a fan who unfortunately fell.

Usually it is infielders tossing balls to fans in seats nearest the dugouts -- with no chance of falling 20 feet.

[PSKsilver]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

No, it is not natural to laugh at someone falling at first when they are falling that many feet down. 20 feet? I don't think the announcers should be fired. It's more of a learning lesson.

I remember years ago when I was at a college football game. A fan was carelessly joking around the edge and fell. He only fell about 3 feet and we STILL all said "ooooooooooooh" and watched in silence. It wasn't until he jumped back up 2 seconds later and went back to his joking self with no need for medical attention that we all burst out laughing.

Maybe its just me.

I still feel bad for the guy, even worse for laughing at first.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

No, it is not natural to laugh at someone falling at first when they are falling that many feet down. 20 feet? I don't think the announcers should be fired. It's more of a learning lesson.

With that barrier in place, the visiting announcers likely couldn't see how far down it was or that there was no safety net. Once they realized (by the crowd still looking down) that Stone wasn't getting up, they started expressing concern. I'm not saying it's okay to laugh at ANYONE who falls but it's a learned reaction for most people who have no reason to believe the person isn't perfectly fine.

What got me are the people who made fun of him, saying "it's his own fault." It was an accident. People are just...ugh, let me not start.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

With that barrier in place, the visiting announcers likely couldn't see how far down it was or that there was no safety net. Once they realized (by the crowd still looking down) that Stone wasn't getting up, they started expressing concern. I'm not saying it's okay to laugh at ANYONE who falls but it's a learned reaction for most people who have no reason to believe the person isn't perfectly fine.

What got me are the people who made fun of him, saying "it's his own fault." It was an accident. People are just...ugh, let me not start.

Everyone knows how far the fall is and that there are no safety nets at these stadiums. These announcers are professionals who are very aware of the logistics and layouts of baseball stadiums.