Billie decided she wanted to go skydiving for her 60th
birthday. She researched the various
groups and styles and decided she didn’t want a tandem jump, she’d go for the
full training and solo jump with a coach
jumping next to her with whom she’d be in contact via radio during the fall.
After much time both in the classroom and in practice jumps,
she was ready. Ron, one of the
instructors, went with her and would jump simultaneously out of the plane with
her while connected to a radio so they would be able to communicate during the
jump. Billie, an avowed liberal, didn’t
like the idea, especially knowing that Ron was a conservative. She hadn’t liked him from the start of
training and was quite unhappy that he would be going with her on her jump.
Both Ron and Billie exited the plane at a very high
altitude. Billie found the rush of free
falling especially exhilarating. She played with different positions, seeing
which ones increased her speed and which ones slowed her down.
After falling for several thousand feet, Ron came on the
radio.
Ron: “Billie, you need to begin getting into position to
pull your rip cord.”
Billie: “Oh Ron, I’m having way too much fun to think about
slowing down now!”
Ron: “I understand
but you need to pull the cord while there is plenty of time. We don’t want anything bad to happen to spoil
such a good day!”
Billie: “You conservatives, always so gloom and doom, such
Henny Pennys! . I’m fine, I’m having a
great time – nothing bad has happened so far!”
Ron: “Billie, pull
the damn rip cord NOW! Or you’ll end up
smashing into the ground!”
Billie: “There you go
again! Worried about something that may
never happen. Everything is going just
fine here, sure seems sustainable to me!
I certainly am not going to ruin my birthday with your negativity!”
Ron: “Dammit Billy – you’ll ruin the day for everyone if you
get killed. Pull the rip cord!”
Billie: “Why should I
worry about those who follow, especially since you can only really speculate as
to the outcome. When I see the problem
actually affecting me, I’ll take action.”
Ron: “Go ahead then. “
With that, Ron pulled his rip cord, his chute inflated and
Billie continued rapidly downward.
About 100 feet above the ground, Billie finally realized Ron
was right. She quickly pulled her
ripcord, but there was no time for her chute to inflate and slow her down. She hit the ground and immediately died.
Billie’s equally liberal husband sued the skydiving school
that Billie wasn’t properly informed of the risk and the actions she was to
take.
The school presented the conversation between Ron and Billie
as evidence. It was thrown out by the
courts and Billie’s husband was awarded $2.5 million for his pain and
suffering.
Ron was fired from his job.
