Man suing after giant pine cone crushes skull at San Francisco park

Press Democrat ^ | 13 Oct 2015

[Twotone]

They should've posted a 'beware' sign...

[Popman]

So if a non-native (illegal) hit him over the head with a non-native pine cone, would he still sue?...

[ameribbean expat]

“the veteran was relaxing under a non-native pine tree...”

Doesn’t stand a chance. SF is a sanctuary city.

[Scrambler Bob]

Brit school children already have this problem. Solved by signs, taping off the area, and googles for students playing “conkers”.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3261382/Health-Safety-gone-nuts-Waitrose-forced-cordon-supermarket-car-park-concerns-falling-CONKERS.html

[SZonian]

I got hit on the shoulder by a “green” pine cone about the size of a pear, a squirrel had chewed it loose from a Ponderosa pine tree that I was under.

Felt like I got hit by a Randy Johnson fastball...hurt like hell, ended up with a bruise the size of Texas and could barely use my arm for a couple of days.

Hearing about this unfortunate fella, I feel lucky now.

[TexasRepublic]

Such flukes are a reminder to us mere mortals that we should be ready to check out at a moment’s notice. Life is as ephemeral as a mist.

[Calvin Locke]

Had a stop over in Honolulu years ago. Somebody said that you won't see any coconuts on trees in public spaces or private property for that very reason.

The trees are kept free of fruits for liability reasons.

[roadcat]

That’s a pretty hefty pine cone.

16 pounds! That's a bowling ball. Falling on the head from a tree, yikes! I can't believe it, must have been a cluster on a section of branch to be that heavy.

[Calvin Locke]

The Wiki says “... and weigh 2–5 kg (4.4–11.0 lb) when fresh ... (people are actually advised to wear hardhats when working in Coulter pine groves) ... earned them the nickname “widowmakers” among locals.”

[DH]

Hey Sailor! Don’t let the pine cones hit you in the ass when you leave!

[VanShuyten]

I came about two feet from getting speared by a falling palm frond when we were in Thailand.

(I also got bonked on the head by a walnut from our tree.)

[T-Bone Texan]

This late heat has caused the acorns to drop.

I’m getting pelted constantly last few days.

[bgill]

From a non-native pine tree. It was an act of love.

[Theoria]

But, this isn't about a Coulter pine African Swallow, but a Araucaria bidwillii pine European Swallow. From Australia.

[Theoria]

[TigersEye]

That is a bodacious pair of bunyas!

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

I think 3-4 people in Maine die each year from falling tree limbs. After living for a while in the boonies, I believe it. Large rotten branches fall from our oaks after every thunderstorm.

[Twotone]

I took a picture of that sign in Waikiki some years ago. I guess they’ve become pro-active about the liability issue.