Photographer under attack for photographing pothole victim

[ef2.eight]

I understand the "end defines the means" theory. But come on. As humans we use common sense to make our decisions. I understand that he did this to prove that someone can get hurt because of the municipality's lack of duty.
He could have used his camera to take pictures of the pothole and show it to the municipality. I do not know how his conscious allowed him to photography such a hurtful accident. For all we know, the guy could have broken his neck and spine. I guess this one man's ultimate extreme suffering , according to the photography, is worth proving his point. Which really isnt a valid point. I dont need to burn my hand twice to know that fire is hot and that driving blindly into a pothole will be painful. The photographer has no soul. He could have avoided it and been a hero. Hero infront of the people for saving the (his) people and hero infront of the government for being a smart citizen who saves his fellow man and contacts the municipality. Instead of cause such a havoc politcally.

 

[hot shot]

Yea but its given us something to talk about. The question the needs be ask if the cyclist didnt see the pot hole( not hard to miss) is he going to see the dog or even the kid hwo runs out infrount of him ??????????

 

[Alexandra]

mm, i like the way the whole thing is developping, here.

I think dom brought up an interesting point... but the thing is: the pothole was flooded with water, according to what i see on the pics. that kinda makes it unobvious.

ef2.eight, I totally get your point here, but i seriously doubt you can break you neck or spine or anything at all by simply falling off your bike on a (more or less ) flat street. If you fall off your bike, then off a cliff and then your bike lands on you, even then you have chances to get away in pretty good condition.
though actually hot shot is our racing man here, so he might know better about injuries than i do...

 

[Becky]

If deep down his point was to illustrate the danger of the pothole, then why wait for someone to have a reasonably bad accident and take pictures?

Seems to me like all he has done is make a deal out of himself rather than the issue at stake...

And its a bit cruel... if I was that cyclist I'd go and kick his sneaky ass.

 

[hot shot]

i seriously doubt you can break you neck or spine or anything at all by simply falling off your bike on a (more or less ) flat street. actually hot shot is our racing man here, so he might know better about injuries than i do...

It would depend on how the person fell, did he have a helmet on, was the helmet fitted correctly (over 50% are not) and most inportantly how fast was he going.

Its unlikly that he would of broken his spine but a fractred head is very common with falling off bikes wich can be just as dangerous as a broken spine.

Ive finaly been able to get on anova and look at the pictures and looking at it from that angle there is no chance of seeing a pot hole under that much water.

You could argue that the rider did not take approparte safty precautions (did not ware a helmet) so therefor he has to take responsibilty for any injurys that he incures

 

[jadin]

Take with a grain of salt I learned this watching law and order:

Under U.S. law the only way this would be illegal is if the person had a legal responsibility to help. The example given was a lifeguard has to help if someone is drowning. Someone just visiting the beach is not required to.


My plan is to watch that show until I have enough knowledge to be a lawyer.

 

[AprilRamone]

This reminds me of this photographer we learned about in my History of Photography class that I took in college. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name and I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but he took a photograph of a child starving to death with a buzzard looking/waiting for the child to die. I can't remember what award he got for the photograph, (some fancy important one) but after that, he fell under all sorts of scrutiny and people were having all sorts of debate about how immoral the photograph was. It's sad, but I think my professor said that he ended up killing himself later.
As far as the pothole/biker photograph goes, I would probably say that the photographer shouldn't legally be held responsible for anything, but it is a bit immoral to do something like that just to get a photograph.

 

[albo]

It's in poor taste alright, but in fairness most people probably just walked past the hole and thought... "Hmmm... that could be a bit dangerous" and never thought about it again. And if the photographer didn't want to take a photograph he would have done the same and no one would have said anything. So the cyclist was doomed either way.... and if he just told people about the pothole it's as likely as not that the town council would just put it on the long finger or ignored him altogether... It often takes a bit of a "personal touch" to get things done with governments and an actual accident proves it's a real danger.

Unfortunately, I can't remember his name and I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but he took a photograph of a child starving to death with a buzzard looking/waiting for the child to die

That was Kevin Carter, the Manic Street Preachers have a song about him... I believe it was the Pulitzer Prize he won... and yes I believe he committed suicide in the end

 

[Becky]

What in hell is that about? :x

Faced with the option of taking a photo of a dying child being eyed up by a hungry buzzard or giving the dying kid some food I know which one I'd choose.

Sick....

 

[sobolik]

The photographer should be thrown in jail, because the photographer's mom is unavailable for a good slapping up side the head session. . Any of you who defend the photographer are invited to demonstrate your commitment. I will set up a hazard that you can not see and I will take a pic of you as you crash. Come on now no back peddling. PS if you get hurt it is ok cuz it is for the greater good of demonstrating your commitment. hey! come back here! you are back peddling!

 

[Alexandra]

man, the photog didn't set it up, you're forgettin that.
feel free to set something up for me, I have the greatest ability to laugh at myself... but watch you back.

 

[darin3200]

The photographer should be thrown in jail, because the photographer's mom is unavailable for a good slapping up side the head session. . Any of you who defend the photographer are invited to demonstrate your commitment. I will set up a hazard that you can not see and I will take a pic of you as you crash. Come on now no back peddling. PS if you get hurt it is ok cuz it is for the greater good of demonstrating your commitment. hey! come back here! you are back peddling!

What does the photographer's mother have to do with this? Your example is one in which you are creating the risk solely for the purpose of taking the pictures. You are then the one actively causing what is going to happen. The photographer in China just took pictures of what was already there and what was going to happen without his action. If you pass a pothole during the day do you just stand there warning people until it is fixed, or do you just keep on walking?

Let's assume two courses of action
1. A person sees a pothole, keeps on walking, later that day the biker hits the pothole and falls.

2. A person sees a pothole, gets out their camera and takes a picture of the person who hits the pothole.

Most people are those who would do the first course of action and no one would have a problem with it, yet people have a problem with second. Yet in both cases the biker will crash so if one option produces pictures that make the news and get us talking about potholes in china wouldn't that be better than just the guy crashing?

 

[Don Simon]

Most people are those who would do the first course of action and no one would have a problem with it, yet people have a problem with second. Yet in both cases the biker will crash so if one option produces pictures that make the news and get us talking about potholes in china wouldn't that be better than just the guy crashing?

I would have thought so. Anyway, we're avoiding the real issue here. Who is willing to fly out to China with me and help fill in the potholes? Maybe we could have Bob Geldof come out and say "Think of the f***ing cyclists" (then we could fill in some of the potholes, with sand, and he could say what a wonderful job we'd done... ok getting off-topic now :mrgreen: ).

 

[Alexandra]

Agree with Darin.

And actually we can get accused of the next similar accident cause we're not doing anything but just uselessly debating.

...and get us talking about potholes in china...

dunno why, but the way you phrase it really makes me laugh.

 

[Alexandra]

Actually i think the attack on the photographer is a way get off the main thing: there are municipal authorities responsible for roads and everything related, including potholes, and these guys should've fixed it or at least put a sign. Which they didn't. So, municipal authorities don't do their job, nobody gives a damn and the only guy to do something to help the situation gets attacked and accused. I wouldn't call it fair.

We should all get "Free Liu Tao" t-shirts and make giant banners and send hate letters to the government. :riot smiley:
...and a riot smiley!!!