Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
I don't know what the result was on rec.scuba but I think your story reinforces my point. I see a lot of questions (if i'm reading into it too much , I apologize): Unmarked cylinders, assumable, by untrained, run of the mill divers to be compressed air. Should they have used a cylinder with someone else's name on it? Of course not. Could the captain have led them to believe all the cylinders were ok to use? Maybe. Should an untrained nitrox student have known an "air looking" cylinder might not contain air? How? That's why gas cylinders get color coded, labeled in words, and in general id'd in the first place - for the uninformed moron. All the nitrox marked cylinders didn't contain nitrox - they contained air. All the "air looking" cylinders didn't contain air, they contained nitrox. This seems too predictable. None of the tanks contained what they reasonably said to the world was in them. That's why they became meaningless. They didn't inform. Was the guy looking for an air cylinder? If so, I think the labeling did exactly what it was supposed to do. The contents were incorrect, not the labeling. The world is not populated with techdivers only. Most recreational divers have varied amounts and qualities of training and experience. There are masses of asses out there and they are trained to recognize an unmarked cylinder as meaning something. It's an implicit training assumption. "Absolute personal responsibility?" Of course, for me, for you, we *know* what to do. The world at large does not dive from the same self sufficient, survival point of view. Labels are there to protect them too. Does a nonnitrox trained, air diver, picking up an air cylinder have to analyze it before use? And if so, for what? And how do we reeducate everyone to know this? "If you use my tanks, you might die." - Your tank had better make some effort to get that point across. Sure no one should be touching them in the first place. That, by virtue of your story is already past the point. . Skull and cross bones, danger, high voltage, beware of dog, warning, caution, KEEP AWAY - all meant to protect the unaware. It's almost like removing the labels on medicine bottles.... Believe me, I am not trying to be obstinate. I think I'm just looking from a different perspective. Art (rat) Smith
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]