To think prejudice against low intelligence is a big problem.

[Bluebirdsflyover]

I just read a thread on here about the tour de France crash and that woman who caused it.

Now, the woman was culpable for sure, regardless of what you think is a proportionate punishment.
But some of the comments (in fact the vast majority of the comments) were along the lines of:

“She deserves what’s coming to her, stupid woman”

“Nobody is THAT thick”

“I’m glad she will be made an example of, bloody idiot”

And so on.

Like it never crossed anybody’s MIND that some people are actually not as quick witted as others? Some people just aren’t that bright. That they don’t deserve to be punished for that?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not making any assumptions about the woman’s cognitive ability, hell we ALL make mistakes, even those who have been to flipping Harvard, and often big ones. Mostly we are lucky and they are not broadcast to the whole world.

If was the way people on that post used perceived intelligence (or lack thereof) as a justification for vindictive retribution that really bothered me.

Cruel people and actions - punish them.
Malicious people and actions- punish them.
Spiteful, sadistic, abusive, coercive, etc etc - punish them all!
‘Stupidness’ (for lack of a better word... it’s quite telling we haven’t really got a world for low intelligence or poor judgement that isn’t derogatory)... should it be punished?
I don’t think so.

Our absolute distain for people who are deemed to act in a ‘stupid’ way is testament, I think, to deeply prejudicial attitudes about intelligence.

Of course there's a stigma on low intelligence, as a society we function because of our individual and collective intelligence, by acting stupid you break the social contract which human societies are built upon.
Being intelligent is basically your main job as a human being.

Of course we have compassion towards people with who are intellectually impaired, but for people who passed the filter of "average intelligence" we have to keep the standards as high as possible, and hold them accountable for their actions.

We can't just shrug and say "I guess she's just not super smart, bless her" when someone puts other at risk.
I'm talking about that woman on the Tour de France, but also Donald Trump, Margaret Thatcher, the waiter who messed up with our order and put some nuts in your plate when you said you were allergic, the surgeon who cut the wrong blood vessel, the person who decided that it was a brilliant idea to feed cows with animal meals, or the finance advisors who went for the sub-prime mortgage applicants...

The human social contracts implies that we make well-informed decisions, tradeoffs within our realm of knowledge and competences, and foresee the short and long-term impacts.
So yes, there is a stigma, and there should be one.

I also agree with a PP who said intelligence and common sense are different.
I consider myself reasonably smart, but I can lack common sense sometimes, like everyone.
I'm able to hold a conversation on french philosophy but may lack common sense when I say something hurtful to someone.
I can identify the subtext in a piece of art, but I can also put too much weight on a shelf to the point it falls down and rips off the plaster of my wall.

For the vast majority of people including me, the impact of lacking common sense is minimal, it's fine, you live and you learn (to re-plaster a wall for example), but sometimes, the impact is massive, and we need to hold people accountable for that.

So yeah, that woman should be punished, she had a duty to foresee the consequences of her actions when she stepped on that road.
That's her job as an adult responsible human being.

The Guardian says;

^^Tour de France officials have withdrawn a lawsuit against a spectator who caused a mass crash during the opening stage of the race.
“We are withdrawing our complaint. This story has been blown out of proportion but we wish to remind everyone of the safety rules on the race,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme said. “If you come to the Tour, you hold your kid, you hold your pet and don’t cross the road carelessly. And above all, you respect the riders – they’re the ones worthy of live TV^^

So I'd imagine she's medically vulnerable in some way, having special needs or a brain injury or something.

So I'd imagine she's medically vulnerable in some way, having special needs or a brain injury or something

That’s possible but another reason might be that ASO (the organisers of the Tour) have now demonstrated to the world that they/ the “law” are prepared to go after anybody who for whatever reason does something that puts riders at risk, and that seeking further sanctions now might lead to adverse PR.

I suspect that many people are a bit more aware than they were a week ago of the risks and that lady is going to feature in the “what not to do when watching the tour” adverts for years to come. It interesting to see if as a result spectator behavior in the mountains is a bit more restrained this year….

I dunno. I got the impression they were itching to make an example of her.

Also, something about the clothes and sign struck me as childlike.

I suspect that many people are a bit more aware than they were a week ago of the risks and that lady is going to feature in the “what not to do when watching the tour” adverts for years to come. It interesting to see if as a result spectator behavior in the mountains is a bit more restrained this year….hmm

You'd like to think so but after 24hrs of vinocollapso waiting for the 'race, i doubt it.

Amazing result today for a rider written of with glandular fever and on the verge of retirement last autumn.

It does make me sad how many people want to get their moment of television fame rather than watching the amazing spectacle that is the Tour De France.

I love the traditions of the Tour, the camaraderie especially as the tour progresses, the sheer resilience of riders who get back on their bikes with horrible grazes, sometimes even with fractures, knowing that they have it all to do again the next day.

If you can get it, the Eurosport coverage is excellent. The commentary is good and the shots of the scenery from the helicopter beautiful.

It's also very dangerous to have people walking along pavements or even the side of the road where there are no pavements, in a 50/60mph road or country lane. There are no barriers,

A country lane doesn't have 1000's of vehicles & 1000's of people in close proximity though does it?

The underlying assumption with the tour is that spectators are there to watch the race go by, not gawp at the cameras. Most people manage this.

Unfortunately you will get the odd person who decides that a passing camera is their chance to get a moment of fame. Well, she has managed it.

I couldn’t agree more. No idea abouttheTDF but it has become acceptable to hate on people who might not be that bright. But similarly, it’s not socially acceptable to hate on people for their looks (although this obvs still happens).
Why is one acceptable and the other one isn’t?

@SomeoneInTheLaaaaaounge

I couldn’t agree more. No idea abouttheTDF but it has become acceptable to hate on people who might not be that bright. But similarly, it’s not socially acceptable to hate on people for their looks (although this obvs still happens). Why is one acceptable and the other one isn’t?

What about selfishness and thoughtlessness, often proliferated by the modern disease of social media making everyone speshul, with entitlement to be fayyymus.

People who plunge themselves into the spotlight open themselves up to public scrutiny and accountability. Their rights don't trump people's rights to observe their selfish behaviour. Maybe people lack the ability to express themselves in a 100% politically correct way, but they are right to call people to account if their "stupidity" becomes a public hazard.

We are all judged by our anti-social acts and this woman should be let off the hook by trying to rationalise her behaviour. She's bloody lucky the organisers decided to drop charges. One can only hope she's had a big scare and reflects on her actions in a quiet moment.....

this woman shouldn't be let off the hook

They dropped the charges?? Surely if those that did this were charged and fined, there might be less of it?

@DoubleTweenQueen

They dropped the charges?? Surely if those that did this were charged and fined, there might be less of it?

Less of what? I'm sure this doesn't happen every year, the placard-blocking is probably the first time in the TdF history. Most people know the score, they're there to support the event, they stand there, watch the bikes pass through their village and go back to having their lunch! No attention-seeking needed.

@daisychain01
Spectators crowd better or restricted viewing areas, narrowing and often cutting off the route until the lead motorcycles come through to try and make a path through for the riders
Spectators run along riders, often tripping or slamming into other spectators and causing hazard for the riders. Riders sometimes having to punch out or push people away as they're trying to make space to get through/not fall.
Spectators drape flags in front of riders, physically push them along, shout in their faces, throw water over them, get into silly positions to take selfies, let off smoke bombs. Once someone threw tacks in the road with 30 riders getting punctures.

Stage 12, 2018, Alp d'Huez as an example - extra measures were taken with police motorcycles leading, barriers and ropes were possible on the ascent. Vincenzo Nibali had a chat Ming together with a spectator, fell, cracked a vertebra and had to withdraw from the race.
Krujswijk - in the lead at the time? - had to take evasive action, narrowly missing a fall, due to a spectator running alongside him with a camera crashing into another spectator.
Barnet had to fend someone off him and avoid others.
Froome was approached and hit in the face by a spectator.

So yes, there are many incidents every year. Most don't attract the same coverage as this latest, but I don't suppose the carnage or fallout for the riders is as spectacularly newsworthy.

^^ This..

As you say the accident in question this TdF was spectacularly newsworthy, due to the speeds involved and the number of riders caught up in the carnage.