It may come as a surprise to anyone who’s become cynical about media in the 21st century, but the truth is, we really hate reporting about the bad things that happen in our city.
We’d love nothing better than to have an edition in which we had nothing unpleasant to report: no accidents, no fires, no crimes, no one hurt or harmed in any way.
We’d like to have one of those weeks this summer.
That’s why we’re issuing this plea to please, please, use your common sense this long weekend and try not to contribute to the news cycle.
By which we mean: Drive safe. Boat safe. Camp safe. Play safe. Work safe.
Long summer weekends are notorious for claiming more than their fair share of accident victims. According to Insurance Corporation of British Columbia stats from last year, a typical B.C. Day long weekend will see five people killed and 600 injured in crashes throughout the province.
And that’s just on the road.
Throw in other hazardous behaviours – foolish boaters taking to the water without the know-how and skill to keep themselves safe, or careless campers whose unattended campfires spark fires in tinder-dry forests – and you’ve got a recipe for danger pretty much everywhere that summer fun happens.
No, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun this weekend. But it does mean you should follow some basic rules: Drink responsibly. Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking or if you’re overtired. Don’t go out boating without the knowledge to do it safely. Don’t leave the kids unsupervised at the swimming pool. And whatever you do, don’t under any circumstances be the jerk who starts the next forest fire.
Let’s all just stay safe and ensure next week’s headlines are good ones.
