Will Sledding Soon Be Banned?
I REALLY wanted to go snowboarding this weekend, but the paycheck was already spent, so I had to resort to doing something FREE. So, I grabbed my sled. It has been awhile since I had that much fun, especially introducing my son to the powers of gravity. But, in a society filled with lawsuits, some lawmakers are trying to outlaw the winter past-time.
According to CBS MoneyWatch
More municipalities are taking the step of banning the time-honored winter pastime, citing legal costs and insurance payouts that amount into the tens of millions. While it may seem as if these cities are channeling the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge, they argue that the benefits don't outweigh the risks of sledding, which lead to thousands of injuries annually.
Take Dubuque, Iowa, a hilly city that's dotted with 50 parks that entice its residents to take advantage of winter activities. But the city council is moving forward with a plan to ban sledding in all but two of the parks, citing the sport's inherent risks and the city's lack of ordinances that provide immunity to lawsuits related to sliding down on a snowy slope.
I cannot tell you how many times I had some "close calls" while sledding. Everything from narrowly avoiding traffic, to taking flight without wings. But, thankfully nothing serious.
The CBS Money Watch article continues
"Sledding is a risky activity. Anyone that sleds knows that," Dubuque city attorney Barry Lindahl and leisure services manager Marie Ware wrote last month in a letter proposing the ban. "In conversations about sledding it is not unusual for people to talk about their accidents or near accidents along with the fun times they've had."
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