The other night on 20/20, John Stossel did a report about the disappearance of high diving boards from public swimming pools across America. Even though, as the report pointed out, the chances of a serious incident on high diving boards are rare, people are afraid that the mere presence of a high diving board would increase the chances of their poor little kids getting hurt.

John Stossel said that there was a chance kids could get hurt using these diving boards, but kids need to take that chance. He says that kids need to test their limits in order to discover their capabilities, and if they don't get to do that kids will grow up to become wussies.

Schools are cancelling their diving programs because of possible lawsuits, and that is taking away the good opportunity for kids to get exercise and to compete healthfully against other divers.

Stossel further pointed out that diving boards increase the safety of the pools because most of the diving incidents happen when kids dive off the shallow end of the pool. The diving boards are there to point out which end of the pool is deeper than the other, and to give kids an opportunity to dive safely.

Stossel also did a piece on private ponds and lakes - where people used to swim freely in the 'old' days - and how they are being fenced in and prohibited because of possible lawsuits from accidents. Again, Stossel points out how the fences actually make people less safe because people like to test their limits and will get over the fence by using more dangerous (and maybe fatal) methods.

I thought the report was very sad for the kids of today. They will never get the experience of diving off the high board, or swim to their hearts contents in a lake. I hope they don't grow into wussies, but since hearing about this report my hope is getting dimmer.

Now, I never got to dive off a high diving board. When I was smaller and at the pool, mother never wanted me to get hurt, which was understandable. But I would always dream about the day that I would get to dive off a high diving board. Several years later, when I went back to the same pool, I thought I was going to get to dive off the diving board. Unfortunately, the pool's owners had taken down the high diving boards because of the "dangers". I guess my chances of getting to dive off a high diving board are diminishing. I know how John Stossel feels now when he says "Give me a break!"

Fortunately, though, I have gotten to swim in a lake when I was growing up.

So, I am wondering, how did it feel to dive off the high dive? Did anyone else see this episode of 20/20 - what do you think? Do you think diving boards are dangerous, because I think if precautions are taken that it isn't dangerous.

I wish the only thing I had to worry about was my kid jumping off a diving board. This is just stupid to me. If they are worried about kids getting hurt maybe they should get rid of football.

parenting bs again. this year is dead to me now.

I don't swim at all, so meh

but yes, just another contribution to the overly PC, lawsuit happy, etc world

Are these the same people who complain about kids getting fat because of cartoon characters?

First, you destroy recess, and now you get rid of high diving boards....

When the fuck have you EVER heard of a diving board accident??! How the fuck do you get in a diving board accident?!?!?!?!

They straight made that up, I swear.



:eek: :eek: :eek:
My heart just stopped for a moment...
If those asshats got rid of football, there would be untold amounts of riots everywhere. You don't want your sons to get hurt, huh? Well, your son will become a rioter and may kill a few folks if he's banned from football cause of some pansy ass bitch and his mamma....

People have been injured on them but kids have also been injured on escalators and trees. Are we going to get rid of all the trees next?

i'm leaving America for sure now, unless it's like this everywhere else! Now, i was never good at diving, i would just jump off the board to get a good splash and a thrill, but i LOVED the high dive, i remember i went on my first high dive when i was about 8 years old and it was the coolest/scariest thing i had done thus far and i tell ya, kids today growing up to be wimpy, vein adults, people i can't stand!!

Its not just this generation. I remember a lot of wimpy kids back in the 80s and 90s.

Like I said all my life: Some parents are just ignorant pigs. Ever notice how the same parents who want violent cartoons taken off the air are also the ones beating kids with weapons (belts, pans, etc.)? There's a good reason why diving boards have warning signs close by.

I've still never in my life heard of someone getting injured on a fuckin diving board...if they did, it's probably because they were acting like dumbasses and did something they had no business doing...
And I think South America, mainly Brazil, is have a "Kids getting injured from trees" problem, cause they're cutting them all down there!

Someone was always getting injured at the diving board down here. It was either cursed or the kids were drunk because they were falling left and right. lol

*shakes head* wow....

And are there injures the boards fault? No, it's not.
Like Larry the Cable Guy said, "From now on, I'm blaming pencils for my spelling errors. And people sueing McDonalds for gettin fat? Well hell, I'm sueing Hustler for givin me carpotunnel!"

What? LOL is there a thread on this?

I'm not saying I agree with taking the boards away. I was just letting people know from my experience that people have gotten injured.

Yeah, I know. I was just sayin for the sake of sayin...

Its cool. I still think parents have way too much free time on their hands.

make a youth rebelon online-heck i'll start it.

hmm. Another back in the day story for us.


"Back in my day, we had these flimsy boards bolted at one end, and wobbly on the other, that we could haphazardly dive off of head-first into the pool"

Parents today are just idiots TOTAL IDIOTS I did not think the diving board was the best thing but once you jump off its so fun and excting I hate parents and Idiotic soccor moms gah morons.