Safety First

Silas and Martin have a beer in the middle of the busy street at night!

This is my fifth visit the Czech Republic.  Every time I am here I learn more about myself and about this culture and my own.  Now that I have been here several weeks I am learning about safety.  

At the giant grocery store, like a Wal-Mart, called Tesco, they have some very unsafe kiosks.  The one I am thinking of is the bread slicer, in the bread section.  Could you imagine being able to slice your own bread at the grocery?  The first idea I had, was to put a small dachshund into the machine, then I imagined putting my hand into it, then I imagined my kids doing that.  I am now thankful that you have to pass your bread over the counter for the lady in the bakery section to cut.  If she gets cut, she is covered by her union dues.  Here I am covered by no one, yet if I get hurt I can afford medical care.  Scout hurt her leg, and had x-rays, and a cast in the emergency room for $60.

There are many liabilities that I see here.  One I have noticed is railings and walkways.  Right now, I could walk right onto the train tracks, or right off of the balcony, or right into the river.  At the zoo I could have been very injured by the paths, as they were difficult to maneuver, if I were in a wheel chair.

Here you can walk around with open containers of alcohol, and people do.  Silas did it last night.  He waited with our friend Harry, until the road was clear, and then sipped a beer for the photo.  I'm sure he felt rebellious, or maybe he didn't.  Maybe he just felt like a person (who could be hit by a car any moment in the dark).

For the most part, I am all for rules that keep people safe.  What I am realizing is that we are only as strong as our weakest members.  Some folks will put their hands in a bread slicer,  let their kid tumble off a train platforms, or drink beer in glass containers while walking home in the street.  Those people must have troubles.  Here is the Czech Republic, those troubles are your own.  In the US, those troubles are everyones!

I'm going to talk on the phone while I drive.