Jolie Rouge
07-18-2007, 10:42 AM
Climbed electric tower on dare
http://www.overlawyered.com/2007/07/climbed_electric_tower_on_dare.html
On a $5 dare from friends, 13-year-old Justin Porter climbed 35 feet up an electric transmission tower. Who was to know such an adventure might prove dangerous? 19,700 volts later, his mother, Anna Thebeau, is suing the electric utility, Ameren, saying it should have fenced off the tower against trespassers, should have posted a big warning sign on it, should have designed it so that it could not be climbed up, and should have insulated the wires far overhead.
Jim Suhr, "Ameren asks judge to toss lawsuit over boy who fell from tower", AP/Bloomington, Ill., Pantagraph, Jun. 12; http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/06/12/news/doc466dc4106254f239822116.txt
Steve Gonzalez, "Boy was negligent in climbing power pole, Ameren argues", Madison County Record, Jun. 11; http://www.madisonrecord.com/news/196444-boy-was-negligent-in-climbing-power-pole-ameren-argues
Brian Noggle "Because teenagers heed all signs and obey all posted rules", May 13, 2005. http://stlbrianj.blogspot.com/2005/05/mother-displays-ignorance-of-13-year.html
Note : a 19700 volt 35 foot tower is not one of the big long distance transmission lines. It is most likely a neighborhood thing, probably not the one down every street, but just the neighborhood feeder. It's worth noting as well that those lines are held by foot or two foot long insulators. To require sufficient insulation to contain 20kV (which is neighborhood distribution, not big lines) would require quite a bit of extra weight on the lines. Exactly how much more do we want to pay for our electricity? So, you want fences and signs around every power pole? Be reasonable, what happened to personal responsibility? Besides, when did signs and fences ever stop a kid or a lawsuit?
More zapped pylon-climbers here http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/00mar1.html#000306a
and here http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/99sept2.html#990917d
http://www.overlawyered.com/2007/07/climbed_electric_tower_on_dare.html
On a $5 dare from friends, 13-year-old Justin Porter climbed 35 feet up an electric transmission tower. Who was to know such an adventure might prove dangerous? 19,700 volts later, his mother, Anna Thebeau, is suing the electric utility, Ameren, saying it should have fenced off the tower against trespassers, should have posted a big warning sign on it, should have designed it so that it could not be climbed up, and should have insulated the wires far overhead.
Jim Suhr, "Ameren asks judge to toss lawsuit over boy who fell from tower", AP/Bloomington, Ill., Pantagraph, Jun. 12; http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/06/12/news/doc466dc4106254f239822116.txt
Steve Gonzalez, "Boy was negligent in climbing power pole, Ameren argues", Madison County Record, Jun. 11; http://www.madisonrecord.com/news/196444-boy-was-negligent-in-climbing-power-pole-ameren-argues
Brian Noggle "Because teenagers heed all signs and obey all posted rules", May 13, 2005. http://stlbrianj.blogspot.com/2005/05/mother-displays-ignorance-of-13-year.html
Note : a 19700 volt 35 foot tower is not one of the big long distance transmission lines. It is most likely a neighborhood thing, probably not the one down every street, but just the neighborhood feeder. It's worth noting as well that those lines are held by foot or two foot long insulators. To require sufficient insulation to contain 20kV (which is neighborhood distribution, not big lines) would require quite a bit of extra weight on the lines. Exactly how much more do we want to pay for our electricity? So, you want fences and signs around every power pole? Be reasonable, what happened to personal responsibility? Besides, when did signs and fences ever stop a kid or a lawsuit?
More zapped pylon-climbers here http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/00mar1.html#000306a
and here http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/99sept2.html#990917d