[Lee54]

Much has been made of the deaths at the IOM races but after just hearing the news on ITN, climbing mountains makes the TT child's play. This year alone on the French Alps over 100 have been killed and that does not include those killed yesterday. Should the same opinions about banning the TT be also applied to climbing.

[RC-Drift.com]

Think you'll find horse riding is more dangerous!

[Lee54]

http://climbing.about.com/b/2008/08/25/ano...-mont-blanc.htm

[immortalpuppet]

They should be fully aware of the dangers before commiting to the sport, there is a large part of acceptable risk involved so if that is placed on the organisers/members then why try and ban it?

Look up how many people get killed falling down stairs each year, lets ban them too?

[Amadeus]

Ban mountains! It's the only way to put a stop to this nonsense - and we get some nice new carparks as well...

[Lao]

All sports (and for that matter just about any activity) can be dangerous. I am a mixed martial arts instructor, that is the genre of fighting popularised by 'cage fighting' as seen on the tv. my lads are only amateurs so you wont be seeing any of them on the television any time soon, however i often find myself having to explain and justify my sport in the face of horror from others.

Many people decry my sport as dangerous, brutal or barbaric and are often beyond listening to any resonable arguments i may have come up with. One of my old Knee-jerk arguments was that it was a lot safer than boxing, (mixed martial arts has had only two deaths related to it since its modern day reincarnation) but i began to realise that it wasnt much of a justification that my sport was not as dangerous as another, it is not enough to shift the blame, especially to another sport that i greatly admire and respect. I have since tried to used the safety record, the heavily moderate rule set and a more logical/moral argument for my sport.

As a Manxman who enjoys the atmosphere of the Island come TT week, and as a sportsman myself i can understand anothers enthusiasm for his own particular sport, i hope that the only argument for the continuation of the races does not lie in the fact that there are 'more dangerous sports out there'

I hope the TT continues for a long time to come but if it is to be justified let it be on its own merits and not on the downfalls of another sport.

i will leave the argument of its merits to the more knowledgable.

[Slim]

Lee54, on Aug 25 2008, 10:58 PM, said:

Much has been made of the deaths at the IOM races but after just hearing the news on ITN, climbing mountains makes the TT child's play. This year alone on the French Alps over 100 have been killed and that does not include those killed yesterday. Should the same opinions about banning the TT be also applied to climbing.

People falling down mountains don't tend to hit innocent non competitors.

[Max Power]

Slim, on Aug 26 2008, 08:29 AM, said:

Lee54, on Aug 25 2008, 10:58 PM, said:

Much has been made of the deaths at the IOM races but after just hearing the news on ITN, climbing mountains makes the TT child's play. This year alone on the French Alps over 100 have been killed and that does not include those killed yesterday. Should the same opinions about banning the TT be also applied to climbing.

People falling down mountains don't tend to hit innocent non competitors.

How do you define 'innocent'?

By spectating at an event you are condoning the activity and by placing yourself in a dangerous position you are participating to some degree.

People falling down mountains put rescuers at risk and can start avalanches.

[The Old Git]

RC-Drift.com, on Aug 25 2008, 11:05 PM, said:

Think you'll find horse riding is more dangerous!

I think fishing is the "sport" with the most casualties. Probably because it's the most popular. I think more people drown while fishing than any other water based sport

[GD4ELI]

Seven died in my Canton last year while picking mushrooms. Hundreds die every year in the Swiss Alps - climbing, walking, etc.

[Slim]

Max Power, on Aug 26 2008, 09:57 AM, said:

How do you define 'innocent'?

By spectating at an event you are condoning the activity and by placing yourself in a dangerous position you are participating to some degree.

People falling down mountains put rescuers at risk and can start avalanches.

Bless, how dare I speak against the church of the TT.

[GD4ELI]

Slim, on Aug 26 2008, 12:21 PM, said:

Bless, how dare I speak against the church of the TT.

I'm neither for nor against but really enjoyed the TT as a young kid in Ramsey.

By comparison with any other outdoor sport I can think of the TT really is safe. Here in the Alps we get many bikers killed every week driving too fast downhill, then as already mentioned there are the mountaineers, add to the list in those who go para-gliding and even just walking.

[Slim]

GD4ELI, on Aug 26 2008, 11:29 AM, said:

Slim, on Aug 26 2008, 12:21 PM, said:

Bless, how dare I speak against the church of the TT.

I'm neither for nor against but really enjoyed the TT as a young kid in Ramsey.

By comparison with any other outdoor sport I can think of the TT really is safe. Here in the Alps we get many bikers killed every week driving too fast downhill, then as already mentioned there are the mountaineers, add to the list in those who go para-gliding and even just walking.

These aren't really very good comparrisons in my view. A few bikers going too fast on a hill isn't the same as putting all of us at risk by thousands of invading two wheeled lunatics racing on our public roads. Still, it's my view that the TT should be stopped not for safety reasons, but because most of the Island simply don't seem to give much of a damn about it.

[bluemonday]

Blindfolded ordnance disposal never really caught on did it?

I expect it will go the same way as Morris Dancing in Minefields.

Fun while it lasted.

[Sophie =)]

GD4ELI, on Aug 26 2008, 11:15 AM, said:

Seven died in my Canton last year while picking mushrooms. Hundreds die every year in the Swiss Alps - climbing, walking, etc.

Had they been eating the mushrooms?