Posted on 08/04/2005 7:17:34 PM PDT by Aliska
DAVENPORT --- A developmentally disabled man riding the Ferris wheel Tuesday at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport slipped out of his car and dropped between the wheel's spokes before being rescued by six employees of Evans United Rides, which operates the ride.
Caleb Hill, 31, a slightly built man, was one of 120 clients of Davenport's Handicapped Development Center attending the first day of the fair called "Special Needs Day" at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. He was not seriously injured.
The dramatic incident was captured live by KWQC-TV6 in Davenport during its noon telecast, where the station was located to do a live report on the opening day of the fair.
(Excerpt) Read more at wcfcourier.com ...
Story is going national and they've had several requests for film footage.
I think the source is or near Cedar Falls, Iowa; couldn't find anything yesterday. Looked on qctimes website and kwqc just now, and still can't find it.
ping
What the hell is a "developmentally disabled man" doing on a ferris wheel?
Do we need posters that not only say you must be "this" tall, but also "this" bright?
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Wasn't there something a few years ago at Elitch Gardens in Denver about a "developmentally disabled person" who stood up on a ride and subsequently fell off?
Why are they knowingly putting people into situation that they are not able to handle.
Probably what we use to call a "Spaz".
She performed heroically, because it bought enought time for the carnival worker to jump into action. The man finally slipped away from the woman's grasp, fell and temporarily lodged on another chair, then fell again and landed on one of the spokes precariously. By then the carnival worker had climbed up and grabbed ahold of him long enough before others got up there to help get him down.
I don't blame the center for taking the people out to the fair, but they'll probably reconsider which rides the people can go on. It really dampened the spirit for the rest of the afternoon. Kids especially were afraid to go on. People were screaming in shock and horror as the drama unfolded.
His do-good liberal handlers were giving him the opportunity to be scared to death.
ROTFLAMO
Translation:
I get paid for being entertained by these retards.
Maybe so. Haven't heard of any talk about blame locally. Everybody seems so thankful he was only slightly injured.
This is taking a direction I didn't expect.
Redcloak, I don't watch South Park.
Wasn't there something a few years ago at Elitch Gardens in Denver about a "developmentally disabled person" who stood up on a ride and subsequently fell off?
Why are they knowingly putting people into situation that they are not able to handle.
thompsonsjkc, I don't know and I don't know.
Every so often, I read about a tragedy at a fair or amusement park, but I don't recall the most recent one(s). We had a bad one locally when I was a kid, but I don't remember the details.
Ya know, I hate PC (I blame it for a lot of crap in the world), but "retard" is a bit sophomoric, doncha think?.
This is thread thread you read and hate yourself for snickering.
Only one "thread". Cripes, I'm retarded.
Please extend to me the same poetic license that was used in the movie, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY.
That's okay; just wait a few years, and "developmentally disabled" will be the "derogatory" phrase, as a new, more PC term takes its place.
Retard is just the shorthand for the next to last previously favored phrase, "mentally retarded", which was replaced by mentally disabled, which has been replaced by "developmentally disabled".
The current phrase for any "difference" or handicap becomes derogatory as soon as "less judgmental" and "less prejudicial" "non-stigmatizing" phrase comes along.
Works the same way with racial epithets, too. Today's slur is yesterday's accepted term; and, today's accepted term is tomorrow's slur.
A lot of "bigots' are just plain people who haven't kept up to date on pop-culture terminology...they still call a spade a shovel.
For some reason, it's always seemed to me that it is still acceptable to talk about the "mentally retarded" but the word "retard" is more offensive and insensitive. One could say "a retarded man was injured at the fair" and few would be offended, but if one said "a retard was injured at the fair" it would strike many as insensitive and rude.
Um, no.
Also, according to the rules laid down by the regional center, if a consumer/client wants to go on a carnival ride, the direct care staff is not allowed to keep them from doing so.
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