Experience: I killed my classmate with a javelin on sports day

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/14/experience-i-killed-my-classmate-with-a-javelin

by RHSeeger • 7 years ago

23 14 7 years ago

RHSeeger• 7 years ago

The title makes it look like I'm the person in the story; I am not. I did find it really interesting, though. The writing itself it short and to the point, but still managed to create an emotional reaction in me.

kabwj• 7 years ago

Killing someone unintentionally is pretty common (it’s happened to most people, I suppose) but this story in particular is very well written.

maxlamb• 7 years ago

heh?? most people have killed someone intentionally? That's a pretty bizarre/untrue statement.

undoware• 7 years ago

This claim made me double take, but after thinking about it, yes, we all probably have, if only stochastically, by carbon emissions if nothing else

IronWolve• 7 years ago

I think one of the most common deaths are caused by distracted drivers and implies the fault of the driver.

daveslash• 7 years ago

I'm not sure that I'd say "most", but I bet the numbers are higher than most people would think. My Wife's best friend was hit by a car and killed while trying to cross a freeway on-ramp on foot. A good college friend was killed when she ran a red light as a result of being distracted by her phone. A personally know a couple of people who had car accidents while driving and killed either (a) passengers in their car or (b) bystanders. In the drinking & driving example, you can say that the person drinking & driving was responsible, but it's still considered "unintentional". For the first two examples, the "unintentional killers" are completely innocent of any-wrongdoing, but you could still assert that they "unintentional killed someone in a tragic accident". I'm sure most people who have had similar experiences don't talk about it.

dean177• 7 years ago

I find it surprising they had anyone stood in the direction javelins would be thrown.

NikkiA• 7 years ago

They were distance markers, they're supposed to stand on the outside of the edge of the 'wedge' that the javelin area is marked in, but as the woman writes, as the javalin came down it veered to the right and sammy wasn't paying attention.

Clearly if anyone is to blame, it's either sammy herself for not paying attention while doing a job with an amount of danger, or the school for not making sure that the markers were staying aware of their surroundings.

But in the end it's an accident and these things happen - thankfully rarely.

i_can_c_sharp• 7 years ago

This scenario is one of my nightmares. It makes me extremely anxious to think about it. I’m absent minded all the time, preoccupied with work even while driving so it is not far fetched. I try to focus but I fail I lot.

And somehow my nightmares always come true. Maybe I attract them with thinking about them. Sounds silly I know, but can’t help feeling that way.

I wonder if anyone else has this feeling

jnwatson• 7 years ago

This is the fault of the school. Javelin, shotput, and discus are dangerous sports. My ex-wife had a similar experience seriously injuring someone at shotput. I hope safety is taken more seriously now.

pibi• 7 years ago

I was head injured at shotput by a classmate. Every person who met me at the time thought I had a motorcycle accident, which I think it's way more common.

Experience: I killed my classmate with a javelin on sports day

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