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It is horrible what happened to the author's father. But it is also inevitable. Like a morbid million monkeys mashing away on keyboards, operating at scale in
by jzwinck 11y ago
It is horrible what happened to the author's father. But it is also inevitable. Like a morbid million monkeys mashing away on keyboards, operating at scale in meatspace all but guarantees that someone will die whilst using the service.
In America we have become accustomed to guard rails everywhere, and signs announcing the smallest hazards. This is OK so far as it goes, but perhaps it makes us a bit soft. Here we read about a tree swing that fell down when a full grown man used it. At least 90% [1] of tree swings in America are built without professional engineering or even inspection.
I'm not apologizing for the host in this case, but I do think that some people are open to living in a world where not every conceivable danger has been mitigated. The hard part is finding anyone so willing once a freak accident happens to them.
[1] I'm lowballing this estimate so much that it should be obviously true to anyone who grew up in the non-urban US.
- reviseddamage 11y agocould i have resumed your post with "shit happens, sad though." ?
- TeMPOraL 11y agoIMO yes, and it would have been a perfectly correct way of putting it, but people are... sensitive about truths like this one, hence the need of an elongated, delicate approach.
- jimjimjam 11y agoYou're missing the point. Airbnb does not assume any responsibility when it comes to inspecting the "soundness" of a listed unit, including any means of evaluating very basic things like working fire alarms, interior mold, bed bugs, etc. I agree that this was something of a freak accident, but that doesn't invalidate the central argument that Airbnb has no real way to ensure even the most basic level of safety of its guests.
- bmmayer1 11y agoOf course they don't. That's why they don't assume any responsibility for it.
- jimjimjam 11y agoSo this begs the question...why would any sane human being decide to risk staying at a home with no safety record or proof of fire/mold/bed bug inspection to speak of? I think potential guests need to be more aware that renting an Airbnb is nothing like booking a hotel subject to rigorous safety standard governed by law. Part of the purpose of this story is to point that out.
- jzwinck 11y agoLots of people travel to places outside the US where none of these things can be taken for granted. I think most of them are sane humans. In 2013 two people died in a Best Western hotel (in the US) due to an improperly and illegally installed water heater. Seven weeks after that, one more person was killed in the exact same way, in the very same room. [1] Are you sure conventional hotels "ensure" safety? [1] http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/special-reports/nc-medical-examiners/article9093794.html http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/special-reports/nc-med...
- jimjimjam 11y agoIf you really believe the average Airbnb listing is safer than the average hotel room...then you are certainly not a sane human being. But I too would love to see some objective stats from Airbnb on the number and nature of inbound tickets related to serious safety issues from guests. I doubt we will ever see anything like it.
- arg-summarizer 11y ago1. I disagree with you, but will provide no argument. 2. I believe that staying in a suite posted on Airbnb is riskier than staying in a hotel room, but again will provide no argument.
- Mithaldu 11y agoYou put my thoughts more gracefully than i ever could have. We have this swing in our family garden: http://i.imgur.com/FsrfdVK.jpg http://i.imgur.com/FsrfdVK.jpg http://i.imgur.com/v6zx0d2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/v6zx0d2.jpg It has not for over 40 years, but someday it may kill someone. Everyone who steps near it knows this and treats it accordingly. Small children use it, after we do some spring tests that the rope, hooks and wood are fine this year. Adults maybe sit on it, not swinging, careful to keep plenty weights on the feet, just to enjoy the view or catch a breath. Nobody would even remotely consider blaming anyone if something happened to anyone while using it. The world is a dangerous place and everything done carries some risk.
- reviseddamage 11y agoI don't know whether he did correlate your thoughts. Going by your analogy, it's not the same is it? You have a very large incentive to ensuring it's safe, your family. An airbnb host might not treat a temporary guest's safety, the same way. What I got from the skinny of that general article and from all of my experiences at Airbnb is that: You will get the feeling that you would get at living at a family member's house, but you are not in one, ever. Therefore, maybe then, the host's liability should be treated that way, a service provider. P.S: I intend to keep on using airbnb for the very long foreseeable future.
- Mithaldu 11y agoThe point is we don't, except for cursory checks, since we expect and know that anyone going near it has some consciousness of self-responsibility.
- reviseddamage 11y agoyou're assuming that children that don't have the ability to exercise some consciousness of self-responsibility are always accompanied by adults that do. Any case, cool swing dude. I have to get mine replaced and maybe upholster the seat . I too have the board and want to make it more comfortable.
- 11y ago
- prostoalex 11y agoPeople slip, fall and suffer under things falling on top of them. Liability insurance is not exactly a new product. Underwriters that sell it do ask questions about swings, trampolines and other liability-generating items.