Jury Awards $3.3 Million Verdict Against Wachusett for Chairlift Incident

[thetrailboss]

Must be everyone is focused on Vail and did not see this.

https://www.telegram.com/news/201907...ea-awarded-33m

Apparently, the kid did not properly load the Polar Express and lifties did not notice as he hung off the lift for three minutes before hitting a snowmaking tower and falling.

[BenedictGomez]

An interesting situation that seems to demonstrate that perhaps the role of lift operator is more important than that of a minimum-wage job for a stoned failure-to-launch adult.

[Edd]

Whoa, that’s a nasty accident. I agree that the lifty job should be taken very seriously. Any of these jobs, driving a Greyhound or whatever, where the employee in charge of a bunch of people’s lives, should be staffed by competent, decently paid people.

That sounds so obvious but I feel the calculation is often made that anyone can perform these tasks and that’s ridiculous.


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[abc]

Which job in a ski area isn’t important enough to require a competent well paid adult but can be done by stoned failure-to-launch loser? Patrol? Groomer driver? Ski instructor? Rental shop staff?

How much more are people willing to pay in their lift tickets?

[Newpylong]

Considering people complain about ticket rates when many ski areas already do not break even on them, probably not much.

[cdskier]

That sounds so obvious but I feel the calculation is often made that anyone can perform these tasks and that’s ridiculous.

If you're not capable of watching to ensure people load properly and stopping a lift if they don't, then I'm not too sure what job that person would be capable of doing. While this is certainly an important job, it isn't rocket science. This case sounds like someone that simply wasn't paying attention (which can happen regardless of pay if the employee just doesn't care).

I don't normally like ski area lawsuits, but this one seems justified (the amount of the verdict I can't say without more info whether or not it is appropriate though).

[Siliconebobsquarepants]

3 minutes!!!Blows my mind that nobody in line yelled for the lifty or hit the stop button on their own.??? 3 minutes at X amount feet per minute on a high speed Quad!!! That’s a long way up!!!

[Edd]

If you're not capable of watching to ensure people load properly and stopping a lift if they don't, then I'm not too sure what job that person would be capable of doing. While this is certainly an important job, it isn't rocket science. This case sounds like someone that simply wasn't paying attention (which can happen regardless of pay if the employee just doesn't care).

Some highly intelligent people just suck at awareness and focus. Best to keep them at a desk or otherwise not directly responsible for lives. Your post demonstrates the hiring attitude I mentioned earlier.

[cdskier]

3 minutes!!!Blows my mind that nobody in line yelled for the lifty or hit the stop button on their own.??? 3 minutes at X amount feet per minute on a high speed Quad!!! That’s a long way up!!!

That's pretty crazy too...only thing I can think of is that maybe it was a day/time when it wasn't busy and no other skiers were in line behind him to see it.

[Domeskier]

An interesting situation that seems to demonstrate that perhaps the role of lift operator is more important than that of a minimum-wage job for a stoned failure-to-launch adult.

+1. When I was a kid, some lifty wasn't doing his job and I ended up on a chair wrapped in caution tape with the safety bar tied up. And he had the nerve to yell at me for not watching the chairs coming around the bull-wheel. I had to ride up on a busted chair expecting it to fall off the line at any moment.