MythBusters Cannonball Experiment Gone Wrong... Hits Houses

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

No matter what precautions you take, something can always go wrong.

[Gorille85]

LOL

[Sigz]

If the Mythbusters folks didn't have the feather in their cap of being a long-running, popular TV show, this (at least) second incident of needlessly endangering residential communities merely for the sake of making an entertainment-based TV show would've probably been met with swift and substantial consequences like arrests, etc.

They were on a police bomb range under police supervision. If this was their first episode they still would have been fine legally speaking.

[Neon]

I saw this on the news this morning.  I think it's kind of funny, but only because no one got hurt and because it's not my house with a giant hole in it 

[orcus116]

They were on a police bomb range under police supervision.

[black_biff_stadler]

Eh, some things you just can't plan for. There are tons of dangerous things that surround us every day. I'm still mighty indifferent considering it wasn't done maliciously.

But the difference here is that this was a danger that was voluntarily walked into. Not the accident itself, but the situation that led to it. Their job is to bust myths which means they have a virtually endless array of subject matter to work with (an overwhelming majority of which can be accomplished in a way that has a virtually 0% chance of putting people a half-mile away in any realistic danger.)

If they were contractors working on a government project to build interstate roads through a mountainous area and had no feasible option outside of TNT to blast away the all the rock in their way, it'd be a little different. With Discovery's financial backing, they should've been able to go to a more secluded area like the Bonneville Salt Flats or if that sort of thing is illegal there, there are a ridiculous amount of isolated areas in this country they could've filmed at where civilian lives would be at zero risk whatsoever excluding those working on the show itself.

If the Mythbusters folks didn't have the feather in their cap of being a long-running, popular TV show, this (at least) second incident of needlessly endangering residential communities merely for the sake of making an entertainment-based TV show would've probably been met with swift and substantial consequences like arrests, etc.

They were on a police bomb range under police supervision. If this was their first episode they still would have been fine legally speaking.

If this was their first episode, the cops probably wouldn't have signed off on it. I'd imagine the publicity of having a popular TV show filmed on their turf sweetened the deal somewhat. Also, it makes the cops look like morons for letting something like this happen where apparently all the necessary precautions weren't made.

[rumborak]

So, should no plane ever fly because of the risk of toilet ice falling through roofs?

rumborak

[Cool Chris]

No matter what precautions you take, something can always go wrong.

That's a little silly, though, in light of the fact that their actions were for purely entertainment value. Sometimes the best precaution is just not doing something that could cause harm.

Pay the people to fix their houses, give them some extra cash for the trouble and annoyance, and get the hell out of that town. I like to think I wouldn't' sure for millions.  But I would be goddamn pissed and would hope they would send the money via mail, lest someone from the show end up on my porch and get my fist in his teeth.

[MykeHavoc]

Would you sue someone for millions if they drove their car into your house and injured no one?

Probably. Especially if they were drunk.

Shooting a cannon ball threw my house and endangering my families lives would enrage me. I'd get a media blitz, then sue for millions. They at the very least have to move to a different, more desolate area. But ultimately, if this happens, you have to question the potential harm that could happen in the future. Didn't someone from the show die a year ago or so?

Why do you deserve millions?

We'll see how you react if the day were to come. Now imagine it killed one of your kids.

Shooting a cannon ball threw my house and endangering my families lives would enrage me. I'd get a media blitz, then sue for millions.

Except it was a complete accident. You're acting like they were being malicious.

Obviously I know that wasn't there intent. But now that the possibility of a mistake that bad is capable of happening, it's damn scary to think of the damage that COULD be done. I'm sure they take measures of precaution, but as it clearly has been shown, their efforts are not enough.

I agree wholeheartedly with the redded part. If the Mythbusters folks didn't have the feather in their cap of being a long-running, popular TV show, this (at least) second incident of needlessly endangering residential communities merely for the sake of making an entertainment-based TV show would've probably been met with swift and substantial consequences like arrests, etc. I like the show and have watched it numerous times but for how experienced and intelligent they describe Adam and Jamie as being during the opening segment of each show, it really looks bad when you have something like this happen (and even a tad worse considering the prior windows-blowing-out incident.)

It's ridiculous that some in this thread are acting like it's no big deal merely because no one got hurt and overlooking the fact that an airborne 10"-diameter cannonball shot with enough force to travel nearly a half-mile through the air careened through a densely-populated suburb where it easily could've killed/maimed dozens when you consider its initial impact did little to slow it down since it had enough momentum to make its way through someone's bedroom, bounce off the pavement and still (being that heavy of a projectile) make it back up to a rooftop and finally stop when hitting a minivan.

God, I was starting to wonder if I was the only sane one here

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Would you sue someone for millions if they drove their car into your house and injured no one?

Probably. Especially if they were drunk.

Millions!?!? You're exaggerating, right?

No matter what precautions you take, something can always go wrong.

That's a little silly, though, in light of the fact that their actions were for purely entertainment value. Sometimes the best precaution is just not doing something that could cause harm.

So the best solution is cancel the show then?

[Chino]

So, should no plane ever fly because of the risk of toilet ice falling through roofs?

rumborak

You should also never buy a dog because of the risk that it may attack someone.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

And the entire human race should be wiped out in case of them evolving into serial killers.

[black_biff_stadler]

So, should no plane ever fly because of the risk of toilet ice falling through roofs?

rumborak

Although we could revert to strictly travelling by cars, trains, and other means of land-only transportation, planes are somewhat of a necessity for our society to carry on with our daily activities and obligations. An experiment sheerly for the sake of entertainment is anything but. How your statement, even for one second, seemed like an apples to apples comparison in your mind as you typed it baffles me.

No matter what precautions you take, something can always go wrong.

That's a little silly, though, in light of the fact that their actions were for purely entertainment value. Sometimes the best precaution is just not doing something that could cause harm.

So the best solution is cancel the show then?

His post seemed to indicate avoiding doing anything that would cause harm to third parties, not specifically the cast and crew of the show itself. Also, they've done shitloads of experiments that had virtually no dangerous element(s) at all like the pykrete boat one.

It's funny how folks are letting their fandom of the show cloud their judgment, arguing skills, and apparently now, even their ability to post without being sarcastically condescending. Bravo chaps.

[rumborak]

While I absolutely believe that Adam and Jamie were horrified, Discovery managers probably made backflips after they learned nobody was hurt. You can only imagine the rating jump after this.

rumborak

[Sigz]

It's funny how folks are letting their fandom of the show cloud their judgment, arguing skills, and apparently now, even their ability to post without being sarcastically condescending. Bravo chaps.

Oh please. I haven't watched the show in at least two years, I just don't see this as being a huge deal. It was an accident and fluke in a controlled setting, that's it.

[black_biff_stadler]

It's funny how folks are letting their fandom of the show cloud their judgment, arguing skills, and apparently now, even their ability to post without being sarcastically condescending. Bravo chaps.

Oh please. I haven't watched the show in at least two years, I just don't see this as being a huge deal. It was an accident and fluke in a controlled setting, that's it.

If it was truly controlled, the artillery wouldn't have ventured past the area they'd predicted it would travel and it was careless and dangerous for them to even be doing something like this where even the most microscopic of a chance that human life could be endangered existed when there are a wealth of far-more-isolated areas available for them to go. Like I said before, they proudly mention Adam and Jamie's 30+ years experience in the fields pertinent to the experiments they carry out. A potentially-fatal accident of this caliber blows any "controlled-environment" defense clear out of the water.

[Implode]

I think we should look at the details of the experiment before we determine that it was completely controlled/uncontrolled.

Anyone have those?

[black_biff_stadler]

All I'm saying is that they failed with having the results reflect any precautionary measures they may have taken since the accident happened. I seriously doubt that they intentionally glossed over any clearly necessary aspects of the safety process but the big thing I take issue with is that they were doing something this dangerous in an area where the artillery proved it could reach civilians. You'd think with the intelligence they possess, they'd know what the outer limits of cannonball travel are based on whatever ignition devices they were using and thusly would've conducted the whole thing from an area far enough away where something like this would be an absolute impossibility and not just extremely unlikely.

[kári]

Umm, if anybody should be sued it should be the state as they put that bomb range so close to a civilian area or that civilian area so close to a bomb range.

[orcus116]

black_floyd, if it's safety you're worried about I'm pretty sure every logical gun law would require houses to be thousands of yards away from each other due to the range of a bullet. I mean in my area of New York state (not sure about other places) the law is 500 feet minimum from a neighboring property. There's a guy who uses his apple orchard as target practice right next to an apartment complex with playgrounds all over the place and no one gives a shit, because that's the law. Could a stray bullet hit someone one day? Sure, but hey it's every day danger.

[Chino]

Has anyone heard whether this myh was busted or confirmed?

[black_biff_stadler]

black_floyd, if it's safety you're worried about I'm pretty sure every logical gun law would require houses to be thousands of yards away from each other due to the range of a bullet. I mean in my area of New York state (not sure about other places) the law is 500 feet minimum from a neighboring property. There's a guy who uses his apple orchard as target practice right next to an apartment complex with playgrounds all over the place and no one gives a shit, because that's the law. Could a stray bullet hit someone one day? Sure, but hey it's every day danger.

I'm not arguing the law, but rather the practicality of doing something that's for entertainment only for a show that has had numerous episodes that didn't involve any life-threatening danger and also the fact that the show has deep enough pockets to do this in an area where no one would have been placed in a situation of danger (the nearby civilians that is.) If they didn't have the budget to film in a location that had the remoteness necessary to completely guarantee the safety of all third-party civilians then they shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.

[lordxizor]

Would you sue someone for millions if they drove their car into your house and injured no one?

Probably. Especially if they were drunk.

Millions!?!? You're exaggerating, right?

Common misconception about lawsuits is that the person suing decides how much the lawsuit is worth. A person can sue for millions, but in reality all they're doing is making a suggestion at the amount that should be awarded. If a person sued for millions in a drunk driving situation like MykeHavoc is suggesting he would, the judge would probably just laugh at you. It would then be on Myke and his lawyers to prove that it's worth the millions he asked for. In all likelihood, he'd get the cost of replacement of the vehicle and a bit more for the headache. Not to mention that random-drunk-driver-man would never have millions to give him, nor would his insurance cover it.

[yorost]

I don't know much about law, but they fired a lethal weapon at a community.  A lawsuit would be about some kind of reckless endangerment, not property damage, right?  You fire a gun in the air and you can be in criminal trouble.

Doesn't matter because there is no harm or damage beyond the property damage.  Assuming the studio (or, more likely, its insurance carrier) pays for the property damage, there's nothing to sue for civilly, and there's nothing about what they did that was criminal.

Huh, thanks.  What if the cannonball had hit someone?  Still only civil?

[chknptpie]

Wow @ the hole the cannon ball put into the side of the house. Pretty funny situation, want to see the high speed on that one!

[Gorille85]

Some of you guys worry too much.

[Dr. DTVT]

Hey, that neighborhood is safer than Virginia Tech

[Dark Castle]

Hey, that neighborhood is safer than Virginia Tech

Not to be that guy, but I had cousins who were in the next building over when the previous on campus shooting happened, thank god they were alright.  I just don't find that in very good taste :L
But disregard me as I get a little over touchy on that subject.

[Sigz]

Hey, that neighborhood is safer than Virginia Tech

Not to be that guy, but I had cousins who were in the next building over when the previous on campus shooting happened, thank god they were alright.  I just don't find that in very good taste :L

Seeing as how DTVT was there during the shooting, I'm sure he's very well aware of how touchy a subject it can be.

[bosk1]

I don't know much about law, but they fired a lethal weapon at a community.  A lawsuit would be about some kind of reckless endangerment, not property damage, right?  You fire a gun in the air and you can be in criminal trouble.

Doesn't matter because there is no harm or damage beyond the property damage.  Assuming the studio (or, more likely, its insurance carrier) pays for the property damage, there's nothing to sue for civilly, and there's nothing about what they did that was criminal.

Huh, thanks.  What if the cannonball had hit someone?  Still only civil?

Probably, yeah. 

The "I'd sue for millions" crowd have no idea what they're talking about.  If the studio paid for everything, and you tried suing them anyway, after you lost your lawsuit, you would probably be hit for a counter suit for malicious prosecution.

[Dark Castle]

Hey, that neighborhood is safer than Virginia Tech

Not to be that guy, but I had cousins who were in the next building over when the previous on campus shooting happened, thank god they were alright.  I just don't find that in very good taste :L

Seeing as how DTVT was there during the shooting, I'm sure he's very well aware of how touchy a subject it can be.

Yeah, just saw that, didn't know, sorry being a nag guys    It's just that my cousins are really really awesome and a friend of mine was making really inappropriate jokes during lunch so I was already on a roll with being a nag.

[DebraKadabra]

No matter what precautions you take, something can always go wrong.

Failure is always an option.

Has anyone heard whether this myh was busted or confirmed?

House? Busted.

Well, there's your problem right there...

[glaurung]

If it was truly controlled, the artillery wouldn't have ventured past the area they'd predicted it would travel and it was careless and dangerous for them to even be doing something like this where even the most microscopic of a chance that human life could be endangered existed when there are a wealth of far-more-isolated areas available for them to go. Like I said before, they proudly mention Adam and Jamie's 30+ years experience in the fields pertinent to the experiments they carry out. A potentially-fatal accident of this caliber blows any "controlled-environment" defense clear out of the water.

All I got out of this was: "HEY GUYS NOTHING IS PERFECT AND YOU MADE A MISTAKE. YOU CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND SEND ME MILLIONS OF DOLLARS NOW"

Seriously, accidents happen. They took the precautions as they thought necessary. The police supervising the experiment obviously agreed everything was safe. The show has a pretty impressive track record concerning safety.  This was just a freak accident and making them pay anything other than property damages would be ludicrous.

[7StringedBeast]

Hey, that neighborhood is safer than Virginia Tech

FUCK https://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/08/reports-of-shots-fired-at-virginia-tech/?hpt=hp_t3

[AcidLameLTE]

Yeah, he definitely knows about that