Law & Personal Responsibilities
Growing up in Hong Kong and returning to the States, I definitely prefer being in the US. Yet the legal system of this country continues to baffle me. Why is it that sometimes it feels like the laws are made to protect the dumb and the criminals?
Take a look at this article on today's San Diego Union Tribute titled Parents of dead teen sue eatery over booze by Dana Littlefield. The parents are suing the restaurant for contining serving Ryan Nielsen alcohol after he was visibly drunk. Nielsen later on picked up two passenager, one of whom being Eric Tryon. Nielson and Tryon were both killed in an accident where Nielson lost control of his SUV.
Granted, it's the state law that restaurants are not allowed to serve alcohol to anyone visibly drunk, but why is it the responsibly of the restaurants to stop people from drinking and driving? What about Nielson's personal responsibilities? Maybe he was no longer able to judge when he order subsequent drinks and got into his car, but if he knew he was going to pick up two passengers later on that night, what was he doing drinking in the first place? Should he survived, would the teen's parent be suing him instead of the restaurant?
I strongly dislike the fact that our judiciary system allows individuals to freely weasle out of personal responsibilities. I wonder if there's another country that require packaging on electronic devices to specify "batteries not included." Wouldn't that be the natural assumption? And products come with 20-pages user manaul with half a page of instructions and the other 19 1/2 pages on what not to do with the product. Other than the obvious, are manufacturers suppose to anticipate what individuals might do with the products that is entirely out of the normal? "Do not submerge hairdryer in bathtub"? Isn't that going a little bit too far? Why are we fostering the behavior of not taking personal responsibilties?
Back to our question at hand. If the restaurant employees were expected to be able to tell the external symptoms that Neil was drunk, i.e. slurring of speech. Whilst I am sorry for loss of the Tyron family, I must ask, shouldn't teen Tryon, at age 18, also exercise his judgement and refuse the ride?
Take a look at this article on today's San Diego Union Tribute titled Parents of dead teen sue eatery over booze by Dana Littlefield. The parents are suing the restaurant for contining serving Ryan Nielsen alcohol after he was visibly drunk. Nielsen later on picked up two passenager, one of whom being Eric Tryon. Nielson and Tryon were both killed in an accident where Nielson lost control of his SUV.
Granted, it's the state law that restaurants are not allowed to serve alcohol to anyone visibly drunk, but why is it the responsibly of the restaurants to stop people from drinking and driving? What about Nielson's personal responsibilities? Maybe he was no longer able to judge when he order subsequent drinks and got into his car, but if he knew he was going to pick up two passengers later on that night, what was he doing drinking in the first place? Should he survived, would the teen's parent be suing him instead of the restaurant?
I strongly dislike the fact that our judiciary system allows individuals to freely weasle out of personal responsibilities. I wonder if there's another country that require packaging on electronic devices to specify "batteries not included." Wouldn't that be the natural assumption? And products come with 20-pages user manaul with half a page of instructions and the other 19 1/2 pages on what not to do with the product. Other than the obvious, are manufacturers suppose to anticipate what individuals might do with the products that is entirely out of the normal? "Do not submerge hairdryer in bathtub"? Isn't that going a little bit too far? Why are we fostering the behavior of not taking personal responsibilties?
Back to our question at hand. If the restaurant employees were expected to be able to tell the external symptoms that Neil was drunk, i.e. slurring of speech. Whilst I am sorry for loss of the Tyron family, I must ask, shouldn't teen Tryon, at age 18, also exercise his judgement and refuse the ride?
posted by cahalan @ 09:35
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