• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

People Who Just Disappear (Go Missing)

escargot said:
Nah, a couple disappearing and living rough with a baby in winter would be a big story whoever they were.
Maybe not quite as interesting as these two though, with her being posh and him a sex offender.
Click to expand...
Do you really think it would have got more than a local paper byline if it were, for example, a young couple off a council estate in Coventry?
 
catseye said:
The other day, during a random browse through YouTube, I ended up watching a programme which featured missing people (in terms of 'this person has gone missing in this area, here are the police numbers if you believe you have any information'). Two of them were people who'd gone off walking in areas of the US (one of whom seems to have been done away with by her partner, but that's by the by). When they listed the clothing these people were wearing - the woman was setting out on a long hike wearing jeans, and the man was off trekking up a hillside wearing a leather jacket.
I was :eek:

They were both, apparently, seasoned hikers...
Click to expand...
I don't understand. What is wrong with hiking in blue jeans? I have done this my whole life.
 
Endlessly Amazed said:
I don't understand. What is wrong with hiking in blue jeans? I have done this my whole life.
Click to expand...
If they get wet, they don't dry quickly, chafing and rapidly causing sores. I once came across a couple trying to hike in the rainforest in pouring rain in jeans, and they just couldn't continue and had to return to civilization.
 
Endlessly Amazed said:
You have a very open heart and want to help people. You appear to have socialist tendencies, at least from my American (capitalist) perspective.

You also appear to think that the government "should" do much more than it does. How much would you agree to having your taxes increase to pay for all this increased government action? How much intrusiveness in people's personal lives do you think would be necessary for this level of actions? Etc.

You can see where I am going with this. I am not being merely rhetorical - I would like to understand your reasoning.
Click to expand...

I have (Christian) socialist tendencies. In a Capitalist society. Other forms of both Socialism and Christianity are available.

In general, I'm not prepared to buy my "lack of intrusion" in a currency of damage to the vulnerable. What @ramonmercado says is true - services are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The line on what is acceptible goes to-and-fro depending on the time distance from the last atrocity. As I push one way, another voter pushes back. Not an ideal system but it sorta kinda works.

How much will I pay? At least to Scandanavian levels. Enough to fund services so that, after decades of cuts, society has the capacity to meet the currently agreed actions, both pro-active and re-active. Those are the levels that society has decided (currently) are what it wants to see.

I'm a pensioner on a fixed income FWIW.
 
Last edited:
Frideswide said:
I have (Christian) socialist tendencies. In a Capitalist society. Other forms of both Socialism and Christianity are available.

In general, I'm not prepared to buy my "lack of intrusion" in a currency of damage to the vulnerable. What @ramonmercado says is true - services are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The line on what is acceptible goes to-and-fro depending on the time distance from the last atrocity. As I push one way, another voter pushes back. Not an ideal system but it sorta kinda works.

How much will I pay? At least to Scandanavian levels. Enough to fund services so that, after decades of cuts, society has the capacity to meet the currently agreed actions, both poth pro-active and re-active. Those are the levels that society has decided (currently) are what it wants to see.

I'm a pensioner on a fixed income FWIW.
Click to expand...
Yes, good points all. We have similar, but muted, push-and-pull debates here in the US, but a greater emphasis on civil liberties.

I think that for the foreseeable future, there is no ideal solution which would protect 100% of the vulnerable people. I have advocated for decades that the income taxes here be doubled across the board, which is universally met with horror, disbelief, etc.: "Its my money!"

The Scandanavian systems work well, and I think we would all be better off emulating them. Probably not in my lifetime. When I was a child, I decided life was unfair, and decided to work to make things fairer, knowing I could never solve the basic problem. I have carried through my childhood decision, and am very glad to have done so, even though of course my personal standard of living has taken a dollar-for-dollar drop. I too am retired.

I think that volunteerism is a huge undertapped resource, and have given presentations to international audiences showing baby-steps to helping which will not be unpleasant. These pitches were always at the end of my scheduled presentation on some academic or work-related topic, so the audience could not choose to not attend. :)

Can't fix stupid, selfish, crazy.
 
SimonBurchell said:
If they get wet, they don't dry quickly, chafing and rapidly causing sores. I once came across a couple trying to hike in the rainforest in pouring rain in jeans, and they just couldn't continue and had to return to civilization.
Click to expand...
Jeans are rubbish for anything except standing around in the pub. :chuckle:
 
SimonBurchell said:
If they get wet, they don't dry quickly, chafing and rapidly causing sores. I once came across a couple trying to hike in the rainforest in pouring rain in jeans, and they just couldn't continue and had to return to civilization.
Click to expand...
I don't hike in wet jeans. Jeans are inexpensive, easily worn, and so they are great for hiking. If the weather looks like rain - or is raining - I change into other gear. I recently bought snow gear for the first time in over 30 years, for hiking in cold weather.

Having to buy specific equipment or clothes should not be a deterrent for poor people to enjoy the outdoors.
 
Endlessly Amazed said:
I don't hike in wet jeans. Jeans are inexpensive, easily worn, and so they are great for hiking. If the weather looks like rain - or is raining - I change into other gear. I recently bought snow gear for the first time in over 30 years, for hiking in cold weather.

Having to buy specific equipment or clothes should not be a deterrent for poor people to enjoy the outdoors.
Click to expand...
You don't need specific equipment. Even running gear is better than jeans though. Fine if the weather stays all right during your hike (although jeans don't really stretch enough to allow for flexibility of movement), but if a sudden unexpected rainstorm comes in, as can happen if you're hiking high ground, moorland or mountain, you can be suddenly wearing sodden, heavy, inflexible and, most of all, cold trousers.

I wear walking trousers from Cotton Trader. Cheaper than jeans and dry in an instant. Or running leggings.
 
Thanks, everyone for the recommendations. I sometimes hike and climb in bad enough situations - rocks, thorn shrubs, etc. that thick jeans work well. If it is cold, I wear running tights underneath. If really cold, then thick fleece. If its wet, rain pants over the jeans. I must say that I am really surprised at all the comments that jeans don't work out well. I have noted the suggestions and will be on the hunt. Since I am not in the UK, it is easy to not hike in the rain.
 
Naughty_Felid said:
Richard Morris vanishes after going out for a run. Not seen since the 6th of May

_112226278_capture.jpg


https://news.sky.com/story/richard-...-as-foreign-office-extremely-worried-11986613

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-52635741
Click to expand...
Richard Morris's body was found shortly afterwards. No suspicious circumstances, to my knowledge.
 

Constance Marten arrest: Remains of baby found after massive search​

The remains of a baby have been found by police after a huge search for the two-month-old child of arrested couple Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.
The couple are being held in custody on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
Police have been granted an extra 36 hours to question them.
The discovery of the remains in an area of woodland came after hundreds of officers scoured a 90-square-mile area near Brighton.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64815323
 
Erinaceus said:

Constance Marten arrest: Remains of baby found after massive search​

The remains of a baby have been found by police after a huge search for the two-month-old child of arrested couple Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.
The couple are being held in custody on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
Police have been granted an extra 36 hours to question them.
The discovery of the remains in an area of woodland came after hundreds of officers scoured a 90-square-mile area near Brighton.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64815323
Click to expand...
This is about what most of us expected. Very sad all round.
 
SimonBurchell said:
Within limits... poor preparation can be lethal. A few hours in inclement weather in inadequate clothing will be enough for hypothermia to set in.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Just ask the Mountain Rescue crews who are often having to pull people down off mountains that they have attempted to 'walk up' in flip flops or sandals and shorts.
 
Erinaceus said:

Wakefield man fell nearly 100ft to his death trying to carry his dog in 'appalling' weather​

Kyle Sambrook and his beagle Bane were found dead after climbing a mountain in Scotland
33-year-old Kyle Sambrook and his beagle Bane went missing on Sunday, February 19 in Lost Valley, Scotland. The bodies of the man and dog were found around 2.15pm on Saturday, February 25 in Glencoe.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/wakefield-man-fell-nearly-100ft-26340056
Click to expand...
Carrying his dog? Sounds thin to me. I'd rather expect him to have it walking
on the lead.
 
I suppose the dog might have been injured and he was trying to save him by carrying him down, only to lose his way and his footing. How very sad.

Also the sad news of the baby, which i was also expecting. Sounds a bit horrific for the finder too.
 
staticgirl said:
I suppose the dog might have been injured and he was trying to save him by carrying him down, only to lose his way and his footing. How very sad...
Click to expand...

Yes, I can see it. The dog may have been injured, or exhausted. I don't know the area around or above Fionn Ghleann, but I've walked in the general region, and there are areas of very stony ground - and I mean, pretty relentless rubble field - which I cannot imagine are particularly easy going for a dog, at least not in savage weather. And I don't think it's really that unusual to see walkers with more modestly sized dogs giving them a ride over tough ground.
 
escargot said:
Jeans are rubbish for anything except standing around in the pub. :chuckle:
Click to expand...
Or, if you're on a motorbike, they are cheap but effective protection. Many a time I've seen lads showing how the jeans took the damage that several layers of skin and muscle might've experienced.
Coal said:
Can fix under educated, poverty, badly run.
Click to expand...
Linked to this is a phrase from Jon Snow I heard this morning that hit a nerve: "Governments all talk about relieving or helping those in poverty - but it's harder when you talk of stopping poverty!"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top