Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Hello, Mr. or Ms. Survivor Bias! I used to cut firewood with my father using a 3 foot buzz saw made over 100 years ago*, and had but only the most token of safety guards (ignore the giant power take-off belt that's just waiting to consume some of your loose clothing, and you with it), yet I still have all limbs, fingers, and toes!

And yet I still think it asinine to shrug shoulders and say, "I dunno, nobody I know ever got hurt, yuk, yuk, yuk." If one cannot see the potential for harm in such scenarios, you are one of those accidents waiting to happen.

*yes, really



Speaking of a 3 foot buzz saw, my grandpa is rebuilding a sawmill with a 54-inch blade powered by a 1990's corvette engine. Fairly certain someone is going to get hurt on that one.


Is he angling for a spot on _Top Gear_?


1990s Corvette engine is just marketing wank on top of "boring 90s smallblock V8"

It was probably just what he had sitting around.


> If one cannot see the potential for harm in such scenarios

This is a strawman. Nobody claimed that any activity was perfectly safe.


> > these things are accidents bound to happen > Dunno, I have used both since I was like 13 ... I don't remember any accidents.

Seems like their response is kind of implying an inaccurate level of safety, along the lines of "Well I didn't have issues, so..."


Nothing is "perfectly safe". Many things are egregiously, unnecessarily unsafe.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: