United Settles "Cockpit Porn" Case

[AceCrackshot]

Which would effectively be the basis of all union employment. You really can't have your cake and eat it as well I am afraid.

Er, no.

Collective bargaining is simply a means for a large and diverse set of employees to negotiate with their employer a standard set of wages and benefits. It is simply a contract for the provision of labor for wages and benefits.

That there might be deadbeats, and that they are protected is the problem of management. After all, the company is the authority that employed said deadbeats, and any contract for anything has all sorts of caveats and provisions for the amendment or abridgement of the contract for purposes of malfeasance, misrepresentation, duress, nonperformance or the like.

So, is there any other part of the USAToday Op-Ed page that I need to explain to anyone?

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Do you remember a while back when McDonald's was sued by a woman who spilled some really, really hot coffee in her lap? After McDonald's had to dish out millions they decided it was a good idea to change/modify all their coffee makers. After all, they had been sued, and lost, before but it was worth it as the changing/modification of the coffee makers was very costly. Some of these big corporations only understands one thing: A big payout after a major lawsuit. I bet that United, Alaska etc. definitely will take it seriously if they ever get another complaint of porn in the cockpit again. Personally, I would be slightly offended but most of all, extremely embarrassed on behalf of my co-workers. How childish and immature.

I thought McDonalds began to label their coffee cups with the words "HOT COFFEE" or something to that effect.
Yeah, like the patron was surpised that fresh coffee might be scoldingly hot.

 

[Singlecoil]

I thought McDonalds began to label their coffee cups with the words "HOT COFFEE" or something to that effect.
Yeah, like the patron was surpised that fresh coffee might be scoldingly hot.

Yes, the McDonald's case. The woman in question received 2nd degree burns on her genitals. I wouldn't be too pleased about that if it were my jewels. She proved her case to a jury. If it were frivolous, the jury would have ruled against her. It ain't perfect, but it is how the system works.

As for this case, many women find that kind of stuff extremely offensive. What are the statistics? One out of four women in this country has been sexually assaulted or raped? What is harmless fun to you may cause extreme anxiety to someone who has been the victim of a violent crime. It is a man's world, but it shouldn't be a high school boy's world.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Not to open this can of worms, but the McDonald's Coffee Case is a lousy example to use in tort reform debates. Facts:

• 81 year old, articulate, lady suffers severe (3rd degree) burns to her legs, thighs and crotch. Due to her age, healing is slow and sometimes impossible.
• She was a passenger in a car which did not have a cup holder. She held the coffee between her legs to try to add cream and sugar. The contents of the coffee spilled between her legs.
• She spent 8 days in the hospital and received skin grafts to cover her dying tissue.
• The Plaintiff had never been a party to any previous litigation
• McDonald's took pride in serving the hottest coffee anywhere. Their coffee was better because it was hotter, being brewed at 205 and served at 190.
• Study found that McDonalds served its coffee at least 20 degrees hotter than any other location.
• The Plaintiff initially asked McDonald's for only $20,000 to help cover her medical expenses, McDonald's refused.
• Subsequently the matter went to mediation and the Mediator suggested to McDonald's they settle for approximately $225,000. McDonald's refused
• McDonald's had defended more than 700 coffee burn cases prior to this one and had reached settlements up to $500,000
• The Plaintiff's counsel said she would have settled for less than $130,000. McDonald's refused.
• Most vendors serve coffee at 135 to 140 degrees. At this temp it takes about 20 seconds to cause a third degree burn. At 190 degrees (which McDonald's was using, the time to cause a third degree burn is only 3 seconds)
• The jury found the lady 20% at fault for her injuries and reduced her award from $200,000 to $160,000. They added punitive damages of $2.7 million to punish McDonald's for serving 190 degree coffee despite the warning of over 700 prior cases and prior independent warnings from the medical establishment (including the Shriner's burn institute) that serving coffee at that temp was dangerous.
• Subsequently the Court reduced the award to $480,000 to the 81 year old.
• The coffee (and hot water for tea) on the airplane is served at about 120 degrees.

Believe it or not, it is an injury to a passenger when it happens on the airplane. It is supposed to be reported just like any other passenger injury.

Air Safety work ... who'd have thought we'd be studying coffee burns, but most passenger injuries are just this sort of stuff. Alaska airlines even had a "Tea Expert" for this very reason.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Thanks for the edification, Fin. I've heard the Mcdonalds "coffee lore" for years but not in such detail. I hadn't known that McDonalds used to served their coffee at such a high temperature. I thought it might have been a guy who sued due to the fact that it was a hot beverage he spilled on himself. Sounds like justice to me. Pretty awful to endure all of that at such an old age.

 

[Broke in CVG]

Here is CA Stout's new book.... and with a NUDE woman on the front?????

http://www.aardvarkmemories.com/authorbio.htm

 

[fuzzy077]

Here is CA Stout's new book.... and with a NUDE woman on the front?????

http://www.aardvarkmemories.com/authorbio.htm

I am offended. I'm going to sue her.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Here is CA Stout's new book.... and with a NUDE woman on the front?????

http://www.aardvarkmemories.com/authorbio.htm

She's one ugly puppy. I love how she avoids showing any part of her physique as it looks quite blubbery and unattractive.

 

[Exskydiverdrivr]

Say's in her bio she was an artist's model. I don't want to picture that! But, being that I'm a certified heathen who never attended college, wasn't she possibly posing nude?

What a great demonstration of hypocrisy.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

How about her outloook on work and retirement.

"Lisa Stout - RETIRE: Because I can."

http://www.aardvarkmemories.com/images/collages/IMG_5814.JPG

Of course you can... you hit the UAL jackpot.