Liability Craziness in the U.S.

Angelika I was able to experience something else typically American during the earthquake training. Before it started, we had to sign a two-page document stating that we would not sue the fire department if we got injured during the training. It's important to know that in America, there are the most absurd liability lawsuits. The rule is that people sue when they believe they can get something out of it, meaning if you have no money, you don't need to worry about liability, but if you do have money, it's better to get good insurance. This liability policy is also the reason why McDonald's had to pay a woman millions a few years ago because she burned herself with coffee from a coffee cup, and there was no warning on the cup to be cautious because the contents were hot. Next time you're in America, you might want to pay attention to this. Almost every paper or plastic cup now bears this warning. In general, this liability hysteria has led to the most absurd precautions being listed on package inserts and instruction manuals, such as that it's not healthy to dry your cat in the microwave (this is actually true), or that you have to sign with doctors that you will settle out of court in the event of a liability case.

To return once more to the earthquake training: To ensure we don't fall out of practice, there is a so-called "drill" (something like a reserve exercise) twice a year. This year, the first one is on April 17th. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

So, now it's Michael's turn.