Agnostic.com

26 10

Bravery or shear stupidity?

The question is rhetorical. The publisher titled the video "crazy people" then states in the infobox:

"Vintage footage of an icebreaking boat in Finland with some very brave people coming out to see it."

Nevertheless, it's very cool footage (no pun intended).

Under a minute.

VictoriaNotes 9 Feb 27
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

26 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

2

YIKES! Maybe a little of both.

Duke Level 8 Feb 27, 2018
0

I'm going to cast my vote for "shear stupidity". Humans are prone to it, especially in groups.

2

that ship is moving FAST

2

reminds me of canoeing with a slightly altered friend of mine. We would go out on the Ohio River and explore, usually on the shore. Whenever he saw a barge making headway he always wanted to see if we could paddle across in front of it and beat it, He was older and I was stronger. We didnt do that challenge

6

Amazing video. The people are not in danger, as long as the ice is of consistent thickness. They probably have had the same experience before Thanks for posting that.

they looked pretty relaxed

3

Wow! Yep, a little crazy.... just thinking of all the possible things that could go wrong. Seeing that one young boy, right up close, only a foot or two from the edge, scary.

1

You ever heard or seen the running of the bulls all over Spain during the bullfight season? Like anything else we are not familiar... there is a science to it... an inside knowledge we don't grasp. To a foreigner is suicide but to a local that been doing it since age 12, it is like riding a bike. They know what they are doing... they had seen it before.

2

So they have white trash in Finland too?

godef Level 7 Feb 27, 2018

@VictoriaNotes Derp?

@VictoriaNotes The intent was to make an analogy to the current state in America that led to Mr Trump being elected more than it was on Fins from a hundred years ago.

@VictoriaNotes It was hard to tell if you were agreeing with or criticizing me from the definition you gave.

10

I get it. After all, they didn't have cat videos to keep them entertained.

That's too funny.

0

Crazy!!

2

Neither brave nor stupid.

There is little danger, regardless of appearance.

I have no idea if they did even the following week. That could have happened just the once, for all I know.

6

We have college and professional 'sports' so people can live vicariously and associate themselves with events and actions bigger than themselves. Interesting how we behave...and then I joined this site🙂

1

The craziest is a motorcycle riding out there. I remember seeing a cycle riding through a few inches and a blizzard here in Denver. I was thinking, I wouldn’t have to worry about falling off, the powerful pucker factor would have me held to the seat.

5

I think that some of those people were really cutting it close. Some big ice chunks were within about a foot of one young man. He could have won a Darwin award very easily!

Thing is, they weren't allowing for a slip-up. As fast as that ship was going...and as close as these daredevils were to the ship...one miscue and that bow would have mounted them from the rear. YEOW!

3

This looks like it isn't a new activity, they don't appear to be worried in the least.

@VictoriaNotes I'm thinking no, but there are crazier things than that going on now.

2

That ship was built in 1907 and wasn't decommissioned until 1970. I know I would have loved a closer look at her in action.

Kimba Level 7 Feb 27, 2018
1

What a waste of an opportunity... I saw no one with fishing gear...

1

more like sheer curiosity ! I'd probably be in the crowd myself...

0

I think a combination of brave with a little stupid mixed in. Most stayed a fair distance from the icebreaker but some had to get real close. The thickness of the ice was more stable and consistent than it would be today giving them a sense of security. This was almost a hundred years ago long before climate change.

Betty Level 8 Feb 27, 2018
0

It's the same spirit of defiance that got them out of WWII without being a Soviet satellite.

not in the 1920s.

3

I think it's good commonsense and reason something lacking these days. Ice breakers break through ice that's 3 metres or more thick the locals would know this. Looking at this youtube the path that's left behind there isn't much local disturbance beyond the channel.

So I think looking at where it has been would enable you to work out the safe standing distance and then just keep that distance 5 - 10 metres looks enough. Looks good fun I'd do it doesn't seem to move very quickly either. There are some people who skate on ice that's only 20cm or so thick yes cracks form as they go by. If you know what your doing that's even safe.

@VictoriaNotes Thanks Victoria I think it was a trailing . or that it was https anyway removing both seems to have fixed the video.

0

I'll go with thoughtless, careless, ignorant.

1

IMO the video speaks of serious boredom. What do you do for fun on frozen tundra for 6 months? Reminds me of participating in the "real balls" test of the abandoned grain elevator way out in the corn fields. The elevator was used for loading trains long ago and had concrete walls slightly more than 3 feet from the tracks. The test was to stand against the wall as a train went by. The trains went by about 60 mph and created suction pulling one toward the train. It was very loud and the ground shook. Done after dark of course.

jeffy Level 7 Feb 27, 2018
0

Thank you. not sure whether I should be the judge here, but it sure looks crazy... & cool 😀

0

Why stupid? This was Finland in a period that the winters were really fierce and the ice was always thick during the long, long winter. They used ice breakers all the time and knew what to expect. So there wasn't more danger, I guess, that nowadays the risk of an airplane crashing. Yes, if this would have happened yesterday I would not have been so sure and depending on the circumstances it might be foolish.

Gert Level 7 Feb 28, 2018

@VictoriaNotes Well, first of all I'm not controlling my wife. Normally the ice that an ice breaker breaks is not very risky for standing or walking around the path of the ship. The only risky situation is when it follows a path a previous ice breaker has made. Than you have damaged ice and the cracks are much more unpredictable. I would stay away in both cases, but I did not grow up in an icy country and not close to ice breaker paths.

@VictoriaNotes Actually you're right. But still, judging my wife's behavior is not what I want, but we can have a conversation afterwards about how and why. I remember the time that my son was about 8-10 years old and we were walking past the river quay (the Rhine in Arnhem NL). He walked just on the edge. I did not like it at all, but I knew and saw him being very natural, so I turned my head away, telling my wife that I did not want to interfere because he was so secure and of course I did not want to take the risk bringing him out of balance, and we walked on. Every thing went fine. Only I became afraid of heights because of that. That lasted for years and slowly I succeeded in extinguishing the fear by looking up heights, moving very carefully. I still have respect for heights though and stay careful.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:29831
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.