Fear of large judgments in absurd lawsuits is evidently not confined to the United States’ side of the Atlantic.
Over in Great Britain, a lot of fairgrounds have begun posting signs forbidding bumping – on the “bumper cars” ride!
Some have gone so far as to require drivers of cars to leave the premises if they’re caught bumping other cars.
In fact, some facilities no longer even label the small vehicles “bumper cars.” They would rather refer to the cars as “Dodgems” – the idea being that drivers ought to dodge, rather than run into, the other vehicles.
Apparently what’s behind all this silliness is the fear that fairgrounds will be sued if somebody gets hurt when a bumper car is struck by another car.
A columnist for The Telegraph newspaper in Britain lamented how boring it has now become to ride bumper cars – or rather, “Dodgems.”
It’s like “trundling round an exitless roundabout,” said Michael Deacon.
He added: “I’m not convinced that the dangers were great, given that the bumper cars were equipped with bumpers. Seat belts, too. There were no airbags for the drivers, but it can be only a matter of time.”
Isn’t it sad to see one more bit of innocent, wholesome, playful enjoyment “bumped off” by the threat of lawsuits.