For all you cop-lovers out there, here’s a thought from Badtux:
So yeah, being a cop isn’t the safest job in America. But it’s far from being the most dangerous one either. If you’re going to justify tasing or shooting someone because “he had his back turned to me and started turning toward me and I couldn’t see his hands and I was scared”, may I suggest the purchase of some stones from a steel rigger or crop duster or fisherman? ‘Cause those dudes have some cast-iron stones. Unlike, apparently, today’s cops, who apparently think “to serve and protect” applies only to their own safety, not to the safety of the general public they encounter.
this is purely anecdotal, but i vaguely remember that a study revealed that waste removal specialist [we used to call them "garbagemen"] is the most likely job to get you sick, injured or killed on the job.
i think the study didn't include "prostitute" as a job description though. or "drug dealer" for that matter. those are jobs. they're not legal, at least in most cases, but they're jobs, by any definition you choose to refer to.
you may have already linked to this study on the subject of police violence in america - but just in case you haven't...i think it illustrates rather vividly the problem of the growing "militarization" of domestic police forces and their tactics.
part of the picture is not simply how dangerous any given job is, but also the fact that [perhaps uniquely to police and other security forces] their job is often dangerous to others.
Posted by: r@d@r on December 13, 2007 1:49 PMHmmm, thanks. I wouldn't have thought of looking to the Cato Institute for anything useful.
Posted by: Jerry Doolittle on December 13, 2007 2:03 PMThe last time I saw dangerous jobs data, the worst jobs were road construction flaggers and third-shift convenience store clerks. There may not be enough of either to warrant a DoL ranking.
Posted by: Joyful Alternative on December 13, 2007 3:03 PMThis reminds me of another photo from the '30s that
showed iron workers having their lunch while sitting
on open frame girders very high up.
I like the ground.
Just to note that the necessary equipment is above the neck, not below the waist.
Posted by: Martha Bridegam on December 13, 2007 8:05 PM