Danger: Snowflakes falling on stairs
The New York Times has a piece on Long Island City’s acclaimed new library:
In his 2010 renderings for the children’s wing, Steven Holl, the project’s lead architect, had sketched images of children reading on bleacher-like seats that spanned from the lower level of the wing to the upper one, adjoined by an interior staircase.
But library officials, in a walk-through before the building opened, instead saw a potential liability for small children who could jump and fall on them. They have closed off the stairs and the top five bleachers until fixes can be made, said Elisabeth de Bourbon, a spokeswoman for the Queens Library.
Wood panels now block the staircase entrances and protective glass barriers have been added to the tallest bleachers. The bottom three bleachers remain open, however, and a security guard who usually stands there keeps an eye on them.
. . .
“What the lawyers believe is safe or not is a constantly evolving thing in this society,” he said. “Five years ago, they wouldn’t have even thought to block off that area, or even two years ago.”
When you get to be my age the world will seem increasingly crazy.
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6. November 2019 at 12:15
We did not have seat belts in our car until I was 11 years old. Then we did not use them. I walked back and forth to school by myself from kindergarten on. I rode my bike in the neighborhood from six year olds on.
I am constantly amazed that I survived into adulthood.
6. November 2019 at 12:31
David, You must be about my age.
6. November 2019 at 14:52
I blame the lawyers.
Also, as a society becomes more prosperous, more people are insulated from various aspects of reality, so status principles tend to dominate reality principles. From that much (purity spiral) madness flows …
6. November 2019 at 14:53
Yep.
7. November 2019 at 13:07
The blinding “snowstorm” of Snowflakery created by the Millennial’s perennial remaking of what is not culturally acceptable anymore is the height of absurdity.
Oh- but I can’t use the term “blinding” because it might offend the visually challenged…
8. November 2019 at 01:45
The current standard for how much dispersed cost/inconvenience we are willing to impose on the general population to maintain a concentrated legal liability on a single entity when something goes wrong is that we are willing, apparently, to shut off electricity to millions of Californians to maintain legal liability on the electric company for wildfires. Compared to losing electricity, not having access to the top bleachers seems like a minor inconvenience.
8. November 2019 at 08:20
The USA is one of the worst countries to live in. In my country, you can get wasted on the beachfront anytime you want, take a swim in crystal clear blue water, and drive home on your motorbike with a beautiful babe behind you – no helmets, completely inebriated, and with no clue where you are, and sometimes who you are 😀 If you have an accident, then the morning crew will simply remove your body from the road, or ditch, or if you fell off the bridge into the ocean they will happily let the waves take you away! 🙂 Now, you dont want to do that every night. But my point is that is true freedom! The government should never be involved in regulating petty things, because when they do life is completely, and utterly, miserable. That is why 80% of americans are depressed. They just have very little fun in their lives. I went to California in 2009, and there was sign that the beach closed at 9pm. You cannot even walk on a beach at night because of city regulations…..I feel bad for US citizens. I wish they could experience real freedom.
8. November 2019 at 08:23
more safety regulations means less freedom and almost always less fun. Govt shouldnt choose for you. enjoy boring usa life, hehe.
8. November 2019 at 09:30
John, Just to be clear, this isn’t just directed at millennials. Boomers are just as bad. When I was young, boomers believed in freedom. Now they are just a bunch of frightened control freaks.
Ralph, It’s gotten a lot worse during my lifetime.
8. November 2019 at 23:29
Has life become more valued? People have fewer kids, so value the ones they have more? I value my current dog like crazy – more than my childhood dog, which I loved (although I was a stupid teenager then).