Game: Judge and Jury (part 2)

Question

This is a repeat of Judge and Jury. To learn how to play, see rules.

"An 18 year old young-adult is driving his car. As he is driving, he sees a young schoolboy crossing the street. The boy is being very careful to cross at the right time. Suddenly, a drunk driver comes around the corner of the road. His car is heading straight toward the schoolboy! Without pausing to think, the 18 year old guns the motor on his car. With great precision, he drives his car at 55 mph at the drunk driver. His car slams into the side of the drunk's car, causing both cars to suddenly stop. The drunken driver is seriously injured, but the boy escaped unharmed."

Was this the right thing for the 18 year old to do? Was there another way he could have done it?

Answer 1

I assume the 18 year old thought this was the only way to keep the young boy from being hit and possibly killed. Most people would only honk their horn to alert the young boy to the danger, a passive approach. The 18 year old took an active approach at a great cost to himself: police charges and major damage and liability but in return he gained the knowledge that he had saved a young boy's life. To me this is heroic.

Now my Spanish attempt. Please feel free to help me out.

Supongo que el hombre de 18 años pensaba que esta fue la única manera para prevenir lastimado y posible la muerte del niño. Mucha gente debería solo tocar su claxon para alertar el niño al peligro, un enfoque pasivo. Este hombre tomó un acción activo pero con gran costo al mismo: problemas con la policía y mucho daño a su carro y responsibildad pero él ganó el conocimiento que le salvo la vida del niño. Para mi esto es heroico.

PS: I like this game. I forces me to step out of my comfort zone in Spanish.

Glad you like it! I think your Spanish looks pretty good :) - 00ffada9, Feb 12, 2014

This is exactly what I would have said, although I'm sure my Spanish wouldn't have been as good as yours. ;) - Findy, Feb 12, 2014

Thank you both. - gringojrf, Feb 12, 2014

Definitely very heroic. I totally agree on the game. A good challenge! :)) - Noetol, Feb 12, 2014

Answer 2

Hay varios puntos de discusión en esta historia. Uno es que el joven no podía saber si el otro conductor fue borracho. Hay mucha posibilidades en vez de esta conclusión. También, es imposible pronosticar los efectos de una colisión de alta velocidad como esto. Otras personas en la vecindad podría poner en riesgo, incluso del niño en el paso de peatones. Todo eso es muy dramático, pero es como quemar su casa para eliminar las cucarachas.

There are a few points of discussion in this story. One is that the teenager couldn't know that the other driver was drunk. There are many other possibilities instead of this conclusion. Also, it is impossible to predict the effects of a high speed collision like this. Other people in the vicinity could be put at risk, including the boy in the crosswalk. All this is very dramatic, but it is like burning your house to eliminate the cockroaches.

¡Por favor, corrija mi español!

Good points. The story could have been clearer. Perhaps seeing the driver driviing erratically, no one else on the streets, etc. Or maybe it was vague on purpose. - gringojrf, Feb 12, 2014

I think it was open- ended on purpose, to get people to poke holes in it. Is HCA vying to be a prosecutor? :)) - Noetol, Feb 12, 2014

You caught me! I was trying to make it somewhat vague to give some Hole-Pokers an opportunity. It gives you more to think about when you are considering if it justified or not. - 00ffada9, Feb 12, 2014