Crocodile hunter escapes charges(child endangerment) - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

papermachesatan · 01-02-2004, 11:40 PM

Quote:

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Australia's crocodile hunter Steve Irwin has escaped charges after a storm of criticism erupted over him taking his month-old son to within a few feet of a feeding crocodile.

The televised incident sparked an investigation by the Queensland state Families Department over whether Irwin had breached workplace safety regulations.

The man known internationally as "The Crocodile Hunter" was branded as reckless and irresponsible by family and children's groups for the stunt Friday at his Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Australian Family Association spokesman Bill Muehlenberg said Irwin had no right to put his baby in peril, according to the Courier-Mail newspaper.

Parliamentarian Wayne Swan, the families spokesman for the Federal Opposition, called it a "very irresponsible action".

VIDEO
'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin held his baby son about 3 feet from the mouth of a crocodile

PLAY VIDEO

Another critic was more blunt.

"I think he's a bloody idiot," the owner of the rival Cairns Crocodile Farm, Keith Cook, told the Courier-Mail.

Irwin held his baby son Bob under one arm while he fed a 13-foot (4-meter) crocodile named Murray with a dead chicken. Irwin later walked the baby inside the crocodile's enclosure as crowds looked on.

The acting premier of Queensland state, Terry Mackenroth, said Saturday Irwin would not face charges after the Department of Families contacted Irwin and his wife Terri.

"They (the Irwins) claim that the child was not in danger. They understand people's concerns and have assured Children's Services that it won't happen again," Mackenroth told the Australian ABC radio service.

Australia's Seven television network was flooded with complaints from callers after the incident appeared.

Irwin was shown on television telling the crowd that his son was now one-month old, so it was "about time Bob got out there and did his first croc demo."

Queensland Families Minister Judy Spence told the Courier-Mail newspaper that while she had no doubt the Irwins loved their children, it was "an error of judgment" to put a baby into a potentially dangerous situation.

Under workplace health and safety regulations, unauthorized people are not allowed to enter a crocodile enclosure which is part of a public display.

Irwin said his son was never in danger.

"I was in complete control of the crocodile. Robert was tucked right in my arm," the Courier-Mail reported him saying.

Irwin is best known domestically as a spokesman for the Australian government's quarantine campaign and as an enthusiastic proponent of wildlife and environmental protection.

Internationally he has achieved fame through his "Crocodile Hunter" character and the 2002 film "The Crocodile Hunter. Collision Course".

Irwin's stunt with his son has invoked comparisons with the bizarre actions of pop star Michael Jackson, who showed off his baby to fans by dangling him over a hotel balcony in Germany in 2002.

linky

What a fucking dick.

aarchaon · 01-03-2004, 03:13 AM

Agreed. I am Australian and I hate him. I can't fathom why Americans love him so goddamn much. He is retarded.

yabobo · 01-03-2004, 06:18 AM

He is a goofball .
He showed a lack of judgement but I'm sure everyone on the Tfp
has done something equally stupid.
I can't imagine him doing any harm to Bindi or Robert.
Forgive him and move on.

quadro2000 · 01-03-2004, 07:42 AM

When I first read this article on CNN, it just stated that he did the stunt, without remarking on the danger, and I almost posted it to TFP - asking why it was okay that he would do this to his baby yet it was reprehensible for Michael Jackson to dangle his baby out the window. I'm glad to see I didn't have to ask that question.

ARTelevision · 01-03-2004, 07:55 AM

It looked like a really clear-cut case of "child endangerment" to me and the girls...

timalkin · 01-03-2004, 08:48 AM

It looked like he was riding high on his career, what with his movie and all. Unfortunately for him, this little stunt was probably a career ending move. He should have just left good enough alone.

Sleepyjack · 01-03-2004, 09:01 AM

Yeha it was fucking stupid, even moreso him saying that he would be a bad father if his children weren't crocodile savvy and he might be inclined to do it in the future. Maybe when the child is more than a few months old and can fully sense fear.

That said, he did save a guys life a few months back.

He's good and bad though. Cause on one hand it gives Australia some good tourism and exposure, but also, people may think all Australians are like him. Sooo......

madp · 01-03-2004, 09:49 AM

This is a man who knows more about about handling crocodiles than anyone else on the planet. He had the croc out of the water where it's range of motion is significantly limited. If it had been ANYONE ELSE besides him, I'd agree that they deserved a kick in the jimmy. However, Irwin's case is completely different, and I'll give him a pass.

My guess is that most people expose their children to more danger when they strap them into a car seat (or not) and take them for a ride in their automobile. Yet, would we be up in arms if Michael Schumacher took his child for a hotlap in the Ferrari? Would we all be wetting our pants over it (sorry, talk radio has reduced my vocabulary to provocations)? My guess is "no."

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Irwin would be wise to remember how irresponsible his stunts <b>appear</b> to people who don't have his rarified abilities, and leave his child out of his show next time.

WhoaitsZ · 01-03-2004, 10:25 AM

the kid was not in danger. crucify someone else.

like madp said... it looks ludicrous and horrorifying but how a sittuation looks through the eyes of layman who do now understand can be quite different than the truth.

he's been with crocs his whole life. got his first at age 9. he knows them.

think of this...... crocs are alien to most of us. we never work with them, we see urban legend after urban legend be turned into 'news' and what not.

I do think he used some very stupid judgement. dude..... out with the kid. but anyway... the kid was and is fine.

WhoaitsZ · 01-03-2004, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by aarchaon
Agreed. I am Australian and I hate him. I can't fathom why Americans love him so goddamn much. He is retarded.

spoken like a scholar... oh, wait...

Baldrick · 01-03-2004, 11:18 AM

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=40404

Like I said there, Steve Irwin has been around crocs and gators his entire life, and knows their demeanor and the "safety zone" better than any of the self righteous know-it-alls who are crucifying him right now. I am about as certain as I can be that his baby was in no "life threatening" danger. I'm definitely no big fan of Steve Irwin, but comparing this to Jackson's baby dangling incident is absolutely ridiculous.

The only real mistake Irwin made was perform this in front of the self righteous public and media, who have nothing better to do than condemn to make themselves feel better.

timalkin · 01-03-2004, 02:43 PM

Actually, the worst part of the entire video clip was when he was pretending that the baby was walking away.

That baby is so young that it can barely hold it's head up. That just looked mean.

Stare At The Sun · 01-03-2004, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Like I said there, Steve Irwin has been around crocs and gators his entire life, and knows their demeanor and the "safety zone" better than any of the self righteous know-it-alls who are crucifying him right now. I am about as certain as I can be that his baby was in no "life threatening" danger. I'm definitely no big fan of Steve Irwin, but comparing this to Jackson's baby dangling incident is absolutely ridiculous.

Ditto.

krwlz · 01-03-2004, 04:23 PM

Not my kid, what the fuck do I care? Ever read the darwin awards...?

EDIT: Just read the second half of the posts, I also agree that the kid was probably in no danger... But if he was, refer to my above staement.

crewsor · 01-03-2004, 08:33 PM

I can't believe people don't see the stupidity in what he did. If that Croc lunged at him and he tripped backwards and accidently fed his child to that beast for lunch would he still be defended?

Sure he knows Crocs well and is sure of himself, but what purpose did it serve to endanger his child at all? Just to stoke his ego.

I have always found him entertaining but think he must now be considered a jerk.

sky_driver · 01-03-2004, 09:24 PM

Sorry, but I think it was a stupid stunt and he ought to be castrated for being such an idiot. And from the articles I read about it, his wife is just as much to blame, and just as stupid. I have lost a lot of respect for " Steve Irwin ".

SecretMethod70 · 01-03-2004, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aarchaon
Agreed. I am Australian and I hate him. I can't fathom why Americans love him so goddamn much. He is retarded.

I'm American and I can't stand him. What he did was absolutely ludicrous.

present_future · 01-03-2004, 10:53 PM

Blimey! Watch me while I feed an animal with twice my size and strength while holding my infant son in one hand. She's a beaut! What's that sound? Oh bloody hell! It's the sound of my career taking a nosedive because of my stupidity.

Nefir · 01-04-2004, 07:09 AM

I'm surprized most of you don't see any problems with the fact that you are attacking someone who knows more about crocodiles and their safety zones than you, for putting his OWN child in what YOU perceive as danger, but he doesn't. There are several problems here:

1)The prosecutors (or should I say persecutors) act as if they know more about what was happening in that croc pen than Mr.Irwin does, which is not necessarily true.

2)Most of you put your child into equal or greater danger on a daily basis via the presence of small household objects to choke on, junk food to clog their arteries, and car trips that put your child's life in the hands of YOUR driving skills! I guess I better accuse you all of possibly being bad drivers, just like Irwin here is being accused of possibly being a bad crocodile handler.

3)Dangling a baby out of the window is different from taking a baby on a risky job with a professional on hand. Those childrens' groups seem to lack the common sense to see a difference.

Bah.

PS: I'm an American citizen, and I do not perceive Australians to be anything like Steve Irwin. I think he's pretty funny, and makes his shows interesting to watch. As for the rest of the Aussie population, everyone knows they get around in Kangaroo pouches (or outrageously tricked-out cars, with spikes and guns), and wear mostly leather and oversize boots.

EruptiveDreamz · 01-04-2004, 08:07 AM

Wow .. I can't believe I haven't seen this. Michael Jackson hangs his kid out a window and gets major publicity. How much publicity has this gotten? I myself personaly think a situation like this one is far more dangerous than Michael Jacksons stunt, but on either behalf they are both a couple of idiots.

Bad thing about these stunts and the media along with the publicity it gets is that it is going to wind up having an impact on the laws and people are going to start looking for situations people maybe doing in everyday life that could endanger a child that we may not think of it as a situation involving child endangerment, Just sitting here thinking about things I have seen people do and things I have done I could name alot of diffrent situations. Just walking out on an ice covered sidewalk carrying a child could be looked at as child endangerment. If you slip and fall that child is going down with you. How far will this go I have to wonder what kind of am impact is this kind of publicity going to have on us when it comes to changes in the law.

santafe5000 · 01-04-2004, 10:09 AM

Just another publicity stunt. The prosecutor won't take it any further. Animal channel has chastized him. Case closed.

GoldenOuroboros · 01-04-2004, 02:57 PM

I'm in agreeance with Nefir on this one..

From what I can see in that picture it looks like he'd have to toss that piece of meat to the croc anyways.. crocs can only lunge from when they're in the water as it's their huge tails that propel them.

The only part that I thought that made him look like a fool was when he was making his bub walk away.. idiot! lol.. ahh wells

Stiltzkin · 01-04-2004, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aarchaon
Agreed. I am Australian and I hate him. I can't fathom why Americans love him so goddamn much. He is retarded.

I'm American and I don't get it either.

KWSN · 01-04-2004, 08:21 PM

I think that it's stupid for people to compare this to the Jackson thing. The baby wasn't in danger any more than he was, and that's not a lot. He's a trained professional with god-knows-how-many years of experience under his belt. He knew what he was doing and he knew that his baby wouldn't have been in danger otherwise he wouldn't have done it. That's why it's idiotic to compare it to the Jackson thing. He's a professional Croc handler. Jackson is NOT a professional baby-dangler. Jackson DID NOT know what he was doing and therefore WAS endangering the child. Irwin DID know and therefore he WASN't. End of story.

guthmund · 01-05-2004, 09:53 AM

I can't fault the guy. Whether you like him or not, you have to admit the guy is an expert on handling crocodiles and if you had to trust anybody in that situation it has to be Steve Irwin.

I'm not an expert and neither or any of you (if I'm wrong please PM with your credentials and I'll apologize

) so if Steve Irwin the expert tells me that there was little or no danger then I believe him.

The only thing Mr. Irwin did wrong was to do it in front of the media that couldn't wait to put it on the big screen and a public that didn't hesitate an instant to pass judgment.

Buzz · 01-05-2004, 10:14 AM

Mr Irwin made a bad Judgement call. Would I do that," No" even if I was a expert.

Snakebyt · 01-05-2004, 10:26 AM

IMO, he is an expert in what he does, and i think in this case the child was perfectly safe. BUT yes there is a small chance that somthing could happen to hurt the child, it could happen, but prolly wont.. same could be dsaid about putting your baby in a carsear and going to the grocery store, you and the child are safe, but there is a slight chance of a semi hitting you and totaling the car...
what im trying to say is that i thinkin that situation, the child was in no more danger than he is any alot of other situations

BentNotTwisted · 01-05-2004, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Snakebyt
IMO, he is an expert in what he does, and i think in this case the child was perfectly safe. BUT yes there is a small chance that somthing could happen to hurt the child, it could happen, but prolly wont.. same could be dsaid about putting your baby in a carsear and going to the grocery store, you and the child are safe, but there is a slight chance of a semi hitting you and totaling the car...
what im trying to say is that i thinkin that situation, the child was in no more danger than he is any alot of other situations

Expert or not, there's no reason for his child to be put in that situation. It would be different if he were trying to teach an older child something, but that's not the case here. It was definitely a stunt.
Regarding the baby seat analogy, it doesn't apply. When I put my child in a baby seat, it is to protect her from danger. I drive even more cautiously than usual when my daughter is in the car. I don't take her out in the car on icy snowy streets just for the thrill of it.

krwlz · 01-05-2004, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BentNotTwisted
Expert or not, there's no reason for his child to be put in that situation. It would be different if he were trying to teach an older child something, but that's not the case here. It was definitely a stunt.
Regarding the baby seat analogy, it doesn't apply. When I put my child in a baby seat, it is to protect her from danger. I drive even more cautiously than usual when my daughter is in the car. I don't take her out in the car on icy snowy streets just for the thrill of it.

No... You dont drive when its icy, you are careful... But that doesnt make the possibility of a semi barreling through your car dissapear.

Would I do that with my kid even if I was a profesional? Probably not.

Like everyone else said, there are soooo many things that people do to put their child in danger, without even knowing it, that its ridiculous to criticize him.

At least he fully realized the dangers...

Litespeed · 01-05-2004, 06:25 PM

Odd. That's all I know to say. Odd.
Why does he like the crocodiles in the first place?
I just don't get that guy

macro · 01-07-2004, 01:11 AM

It has been a media circus here since he did that. He got the support of the premier of Queensland (croc country mate!) today. I don't think it was a big deal, there were that many people there to help out if things got outta hand, which was unlikely.

skysooner · 01-07-2004, 06:50 AM

Was it endangerment? Probably. Does he know what he is doing? Absolutely.

I still don't know how I feel about this one. I do think he showed a pretty bad lack of judgement, but I don't really hold it against him given his experience level.

Inexistance · 01-07-2004, 10:23 AM

He got everyones attention didnt he?

krd913 · 01-11-2004, 06:13 PM

With what he knows I think his kids was as safe as mine are when I driving to the store

crewsor · 01-11-2004, 06:38 PM

The difference in the driving and everyday activity analogy, is that there is a need to drive your child in a car and do the other mundane things which could endanger a child. There was no need for that child to be in that situation, period, however slight the Croc. expert claims the danger was. I don't believe for a minute there was NO danger.

*Nikki* · 01-11-2004, 07:39 PM

My take on this is no matter how much you know about an animal its behavior can still be very unpredictable.

He cannot claim to read the crocs mind as well.

He did endanger his baby. I am sure now he will think twice about doing something like this again.

Fearless_Hyena · 01-12-2004, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WhoaitsZ
the kid was not in danger. crucify someone else.

[...]

Steve Irwin used *horrible* judgment here, but I'm with Z on this one. I don't think he'd ever recklessly put his own child in serious danger, he knows what crocs can and can't do, is familiar with the animal and wouldn't do anything *too* stupid, I don't think.

It's not like he was letting the kid run around and play with the croc, after all!! But he's dumb for making a spectacle of it.

01-03-2004, 03:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
aarchaon Insane	Agreed. I am Australian and I hate him. I can't fathom why Americans love him so goddamn much. He is retarded. __________________ Green. Yellow. Blue.

01-03-2004, 06:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
yabobo Lust Puppy Location: in your closet and in your head...	He is a goofball . He showed a lack of judgement but I'm sure everyone on the Tfp has done something equally stupid. I can't imagine him doing any harm to Bindi or Robert. Forgive him and move on. __________________ Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? Only in America......do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.

01-03-2004, 07:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
quadro2000 All Possibility, Made Of Custard Location: New York, NY	When I first read this article on CNN, it just stated that he did the stunt, without remarking on the danger, and I almost posted it to TFP - asking why it was okay that he would do this to his baby yet it was reprehensible for Michael Jackson to dangle his baby out the window. I'm glad to see I didn't have to ask that question. __________________ You have to laugh at yourself...because you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't. - Emily Saliers

01-03-2004, 07:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	It looked like a really clear-cut case of "child endangerment" to me and the girls... __________________ create evolution

01-03-2004, 09:49 AM	#8 (permalink)
madp Insane Location: New Orleans/Chicago	This is a man who knows more about about handling crocodiles than anyone else on the planet. He had the croc out of the water where it's range of motion is significantly limited. If it had been ANYONE ELSE besides him, I'd agree that they deserved a kick in the jimmy. However, Irwin's case is completely different, and I'll give him a pass. My guess is that most people expose their children to more danger when they strap them into a car seat (or not) and take them for a ride in their automobile. Yet, would we be up in arms if Michael Schumacher took his child for a hotlap in the Ferrari? Would we all be wetting our pants over it (sorry, talk radio has reduced my vocabulary to provocations)? My guess is "no." Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Irwin would be wise to remember how irresponsible his stunts <b>appear</b> to people who don't have his rarified abilities, and leave his child out of his show next time. __________________ why are you wearing that stupid man suit? Last edited by madp; 01-03-2004 at 09:52 AM..

01-03-2004, 08:48 AM	#6 (permalink)
timalkin Addict Location: watching from the treeline	It looked like he was riding high on his career, what with his movie and all. Unfortunately for him, this little stunt was probably a career ending move. He should have just left good enough alone.

01-03-2004, 09:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
Sleepyjack Fast'n'Bulbous Location: Australia, Perth	Yeha it was fucking stupid, even moreso him saying that he would be a bad father if his children weren't crocodile savvy and he might be inclined to do it in the future. Maybe when the child is more than a few months old and can fully sense fear. That said, he did save a guys life a few months back. He's good and bad though. Cause on one hand it gives Australia some good tourism and exposure, but also, people may think all Australians are like him. Sooo......

01-03-2004, 10:25 AM	#9 (permalink)
WhoaitsZ Crazy Location: right behind you...	the kid was not in danger. crucify someone else. like madp said... it looks ludicrous and horrorifying but how a sittuation looks through the eyes of layman who do now understand can be quite different than the truth. he's been with crocs his whole life. got his first at age 9. he knows them. think of this...... crocs are alien to most of us. we never work with them, we see urban legend after urban legend be turned into 'news' and what not. I do think he used some very stupid judgement. dude..... out with the kid. but anyway... the kid was and is fine.

01-03-2004, 11:18 AM	#11 (permalink)
Baldrick We are everywhere... Location: Barrie, Ontario	http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=40404 Like I said there, Steve Irwin has been around crocs and gators his entire life, and knows their demeanor and the "safety zone" better than any of the self righteous know-it-alls who are crucifying him right now. I am about as certain as I can be that his baby was in no "life threatening" danger. I'm definitely no big fan of Steve Irwin, but comparing this to Jackson's baby dangling incident is absolutely ridiculous. The only real mistake Irwin made was perform this in front of the self righteous public and media, who have nothing better to do than condemn to make themselves feel better. __________________ You can be young only once, but you can be immature for the rest of your life...

01-03-2004, 02:43 PM	#12 (permalink)
timalkin Addict Location: watching from the treeline	Actually, the worst part of the entire video clip was when he was pretending that the baby was walking away. That baby is so young that it can barely hold it's head up. That just looked mean.

01-03-2004, 04:23 PM	#14 (permalink)
krwlz Fledgling Dead Head Location: Clarkson U.	Not my kid, what the fuck do I care? Ever read the darwin awards...? EDIT: Just read the second half of the posts, I also agree that the kid was probably in no danger... But if he was, refer to my above staement. Last edited by krwlz; 01-03-2004 at 04:26 PM..

01-03-2004, 08:33 PM	#15 (permalink)
crewsor Women want me. Men fear me. Location: Maryland,USA	I can't believe people don't see the stupidity in what he did. If that Croc lunged at him and he tripped backwards and accidently fed his child to that beast for lunch would he still be defended? Sure he knows Crocs well and is sure of himself, but what purpose did it serve to endanger his child at all? Just to stoke his ego. I have always found him entertaining but think he must now be considered a jerk. __________________ We all have wings, some of us just don't know why.

01-03-2004, 09:24 PM	#16 (permalink)
sky_driver Insane	Sorry, but I think it was a stupid stunt and he ought to be castrated for being such an idiot. And from the articles I read about it, his wife is just as much to blame, and just as stupid. I have lost a lot of respect for " Steve Irwin ".

01-03-2004, 10:53 PM	#18 (permalink)
present_future Take my hand Location: Everywhere, but nowhere	Blimey! Watch me while I feed an animal with twice my size and strength while holding my infant son in one hand. She's a beaut! What's that sound? Oh bloody hell! It's the sound of my career taking a nosedive because of my stupidity. __________________ The only thing I'll ever ask of you... you gotta promise not to stop when I say when.

01-04-2004, 07:09 AM	#19 (permalink)
Nefir Junkie Location: Louisville, KY	I'm surprized most of you don't see any problems with the fact that you are attacking someone who knows more about crocodiles and their safety zones than you, for putting his OWN child in what YOU perceive as danger, but he doesn't. There are several problems here: 1)The prosecutors (or should I say persecutors) act as if they know more about what was happening in that croc pen than Mr.Irwin does, which is not necessarily true. 2)Most of you put your child into equal or greater danger on a daily basis via the presence of small household objects to choke on, junk food to clog their arteries, and car trips that put your child's life in the hands of YOUR driving skills! I guess I better accuse you all of possibly being bad drivers, just like Irwin here is being accused of possibly being a bad crocodile handler. 3)Dangling a baby out of the window is different from taking a baby on a risky job with a professional on hand. Those childrens' groups seem to lack the common sense to see a difference. Bah. PS: I'm an American citizen, and I do not perceive Australians to be anything like Steve Irwin. I think he's pretty funny, and makes his shows interesting to watch. As for the rest of the Aussie population, everyone knows they get around in Kangaroo pouches (or outrageously tricked-out cars, with spikes and guns), and wear mostly leather and oversize boots. __________________ You do not use a Macintosh, instead you use a Tandy Kompressor break your glowstick, Kompressor eat your candy Kompressor open jaws, Kompressor release ants Kompressor watch you scream, Because Kompressor does not dance Last edited by Nefir; 01-04-2004 at 07:15 AM..

01-04-2004, 08:07 AM	#20 (permalink)
EruptiveDreamz Crazy Location: Good Ol' Iowa.. Home of The Hawkeyes	Wow .. I can't believe I haven't seen this. Michael Jackson hangs his kid out a window and gets major publicity. How much publicity has this gotten? I myself personaly think a situation like this one is far more dangerous than Michael Jacksons stunt, but on either behalf they are both a couple of idiots. Bad thing about these stunts and the media along with the publicity it gets is that it is going to wind up having an impact on the laws and people are going to start looking for situations people maybe doing in everyday life that could endanger a child that we may not think of it as a situation involving child endangerment, Just sitting here thinking about things I have seen people do and things I have done I could name alot of diffrent situations. Just walking out on an ice covered sidewalk carrying a child could be looked at as child endangerment. If you slip and fall that child is going down with you. How far will this go I have to wonder what kind of am impact is this kind of publicity going to have on us when it comes to changes in the law. __________________ Can you imagine Moses asking Congress to pass the ten commandments?

01-04-2004, 10:09 AM	#21 (permalink)
santafe5000 EVIL! Location: Southwest of nowhere	Just another publicity stunt. The prosecutor won't take it any further. Animal channel has chastized him. Case closed. __________________ When all else fails, QUIT.

01-04-2004, 02:57 PM	#22 (permalink)
GoldenOuroboros The Cheshire Grin... Location: An Aussie Outback	I'm in agreeance with Nefir on this one.. From what I can see in that picture it looks like he'd have to toss that piece of meat to the croc anyways.. crocs can only lunge from when they're in the water as it's their huge tails that propel them. The only part that I thought that made him look like a fool was when he was making his bub walk away.. idiot! lol.. ahh wells __________________ Can you see me grin grin grrriiiiinnnning?!

01-04-2004, 08:21 PM	#24 (permalink)
KWSN green	I think that it's stupid for people to compare this to the Jackson thing. The baby wasn't in danger any more than he was, and that's not a lot. He's a trained professional with god-knows-how-many years of experience under his belt. He knew what he was doing and he knew that his baby wouldn't have been in danger otherwise he wouldn't have done it. That's why it's idiotic to compare it to the Jackson thing. He's a professional Croc handler. Jackson is NOT a professional baby-dangler. Jackson DID NOT know what he was doing and therefore WAS endangering the child. Irwin DID know and therefore he WASN't. End of story. __________________ Your arms are broken!

01-05-2004, 09:53 AM	#25 (permalink)
guthmund big damn hero	I can't fault the guy. Whether you like him or not, you have to admit the guy is an expert on handling crocodiles and if you had to trust anybody in that situation it has to be Steve Irwin. I'm not an expert and neither or any of you (if I'm wrong please PM with your credentials and I'll apologize ) so if Steve Irwin the expert tells me that there was little or no danger then I believe him. The only thing Mr. Irwin did wrong was to do it in front of the media that couldn't wait to put it on the big screen and a public that didn't hesitate an instant to pass judgment. __________________ No signature. None. Seriously.

01-05-2004, 10:14 AM	#26 (permalink)
Buzz Addict Location: Earth	Mr Irwin made a bad Judgement call. Would I do that," No" even if I was a expert. __________________ The Only BEER is a Cold BEER. And a Single Malt will get ya every time.

01-05-2004, 10:26 AM	#27 (permalink)
Snakebyt Psycho Location: Lubbock Texas	IMO, he is an expert in what he does, and i think in this case the child was perfectly safe. BUT yes there is a small chance that somthing could happen to hurt the child, it could happen, but prolly wont.. same could be dsaid about putting your baby in a carsear and going to the grocery store, you and the child are safe, but there is a slight chance of a semi hitting you and totaling the car... what im trying to say is that i thinkin that situation, the child was in no more danger than he is any alot of other situations

01-05-2004, 06:25 PM	#30 (permalink)
Litespeed Loser Location: Thousand Oaks, CA	Odd. That's all I know to say. Odd. Why does he like the crocodiles in the first place? I just don't get that guy

01-07-2004, 01:11 AM	#31 (permalink)
macro Crazy Location: where you live	It has been a media circus here since he did that. He got the support of the premier of Queensland (croc country mate!) today. I don't think it was a big deal, there were that many people there to help out if things got outta hand, which was unlikely.

01-07-2004, 06:50 AM	#32 (permalink)
skysooner Registered User Location: Oklahoma	Was it endangerment? Probably. Does he know what he is doing? Absolutely. I still don't know how I feel about this one. I do think he showed a pretty bad lack of judgement, but I don't really hold it against him given his experience level.

01-07-2004, 10:23 AM	#33 (permalink)
Inexistance Tilted Location: Rochester, NY	He got everyones attention didnt he?

01-11-2004, 06:13 PM	#34 (permalink)
krd913 Crazy	With what he knows I think his kids was as safe as mine are when I driving to the store

01-11-2004, 06:38 PM	#35 (permalink)
crewsor Women want me. Men fear me. Location: Maryland,USA	The difference in the driving and everyday activity analogy, is that there is a need to drive your child in a car and do the other mundane things which could endanger a child. There was no need for that child to be in that situation, period, however slight the Croc. expert claims the danger was. I don't believe for a minute there was NO danger. __________________ We all have wings, some of us just don't know why.

01-11-2004, 07:39 PM	#36 (permalink)
Nikki ~~~~~~~ Location: Charleston, SC	My take on this is no matter how much you know about an animal its behavior can still be very unpredictable. He cannot claim to read the crocs mind as well. He did endanger his baby. I am sure now he will think twice about doing something like this again.