Average teens think that all warnings are akin to "Don't run with a sharp stick." They are the definition of "Sophomoric" -- just smart enough to start figuring things out, but just foolish enough not to know what it is they're figuring. It's why we call them "Sophomores," for cryin-out-loud.
They should not be expected to know everything, and we as a community should do more than laugh at their parents and call them "stupid." -- especially considering that the folks who work in those facilities are probably required to have a whole slough of safety training/procedures on the exact dangers that facility poses before they're allowed to set foot on the equipment.
They should not be expected to know everything,
Are people incapable of learning anything without a "campaign"?
I grew up in East Texas too.
I don't remember any campaign either, but by the time I was old enough to wander around unsupervised I sure knew not to cross a fence, any fence. I knew not to mess with oil tanks or pipelines. I knew not to lay down between railroad tracks to see if the train could pass over me safely.
Can't we at least expect them to have a little basic knowledge of their world?
... we as a community should do more than laugh at their parents and call them "stupid."
Why?
They are stupid.
When you find stupid children like this, you will find stupid parents who "childproofed" the house, letting the kids grow up with an unrealistic huggy soft view of the world.
Kids have so little smarts cause mommy and daddy always coddled them and didn't let them get little hurts to learn not to get big ones. Their parents are the ones who taught them they are invulnerable.
Definite Darwin Award Nominees.
SO9