You know you're getting old when....

[Darrell KSR]

I teach a class at a local college and enjoy it a lot. I poke fun at myself and my age--talk about when I was in college, before electricity, before paper was invented when I took notes by chiseling on stone tablets, etc.

But I'm not *really* that old. Just like to play that angle for some humor.

Or so I thought.

Yesterday I had my class. Was talking a little bit about the old McDonald's coffee cup case, and mentioned that before the case, McDonald's was serving it at 180-190 degrees fahrenheit. To put that in perspective, I asked the class if they knew what was boiling?

Of course, the answer I was seeking was 212 degrees F.

Instead, in this age where microwaves replaced regular ovens as the "norm," an immediate answer came from one of the 20+ year olds--

"2 minutes."

Back to those stone tablets for me. I am out of touch and old.

[SalsaKat]

Okay, I'm 30, so I'm not old but maybe I'm not young enough, but regardless I just think that's kind of a "dim" answer. If anything, I think it reflects poorly on the quality of science education these days.

Of course, the geek in me immediately thought "373.15K".

[CitizenBBN]

I'm with SalsaKat. That's a pretty unintelligent answer. It does highlight an age difference, but also an education difference IMO. Hoping he was just being humorous.

[suncat05]

Okay, I'm 30, so I'm not old but maybe I'm not young enough, but regardless I just think that's kind of a "dim" answer. If anything, I think it reflects poorly on the quality of science education these days.

Of course, the geek in me immediately thought "373.15K".

Most assuredly not a budding "rocket scientist" there. Or maybe he just has poor communications skill. I can think of a few more things the lad might be, however, a critical thinker would not make that short list.

[elicat]

Yesterday I had my class. Was talking a little bit about the old McDonald's coffee cup case, and mentioned that before the case, McDonald's was serving it at 180-190 degrees fahrenheit.

The lawyer who filed that case is a cousin of my previous boss's wife. I hadn't realized until recently what a legitimate claim the lady had, at least arguably. She was really, seriously hurt. I used to make fun of it, like most people do I think, but I don't anymore.

[Doc]

Okay, I'm 30, so I'm not old but maybe I'm not young enough, but regardless I just think that's kind of a "dim" answer. If anything, I think it reflects poorly on the quality of science education these days.

Of course, the geek in me immediately thought "373.15K".

My techs will often tell me that a patient "has no temperature". I always correct them, "it has no fever"...it does have a temperature unless its at absolute zero (-273C).

[CitizenBBN]

The lawyer who filed that case is a cousin of my previous boss's wife. I hadn't realized until recently what a legitimate claim the lady had, at least arguably. She was really, seriously hurt. I used to make fun of it, like most people do I think, but I don't anymore.

This was a LONG discussion back years ago on here and Darrell finally, and very grudgingly , convinced me it had some merit. Honestly I never did come to a clear conclusion, but it does have merit.

It's unclear what the 'best' coffee temperature would be to server it to customers, and a lot of people apparently get coffee at McDonald's b/c it was served hotter than most places, but the clincher was that McDonald's had settled and/or had reports of 100s of injuries.

That's what got them IMO. Had there been some kind of container design or warning added in response to those cases they may have gotten by, but that sunk them.

On the other side, hot coffee is, well, hot. You're foolish to sit any coffee between your legs, and she was too, but McDonald's had reason to know theirs was having a particular issue. Would a big red label have made a difference? No, people would do it anyway, but if I felt like there wasn't an asymmetry of information I'd be more comfortable with McD's position. As it was people had no reason to believe a coffee burn from their coffee would be worse than another coffee.

You're still a fool to put any temperature of liquid between your legs in a car. If it spills you can't get away from it so it does from "ouch" and red to a real burn. But McD knew people were being injured and didn't seem to do anything to address it, and that isn't acceptable either.

[Darrell KSR]

Yeah, I'm going through it tomorrow with the class.

I tell them that I don't care what their "answer" is. I just want them to know what the facts are. Part of law is being able to evaluate both sides and articulate both sides of a particular dispute, too.

I won't go into it here, but there were lots of things that never made the media reports. Consumer Reports magazine had a decent article on it, although they didn't get everything, either.

Bottom line--when I finish, I'll ask the "jury" -- the students, in my case--to assign "responsibility." The law is all about responsibility, contrary to what newspaper reports would be.

By and large, they come up with something 'similar' to what the jury in New Mexico came up with--the lady was partially responsible, and McDonald's was partially responsible. In Alabama, that means the defendant wins. In New Mexico, it means that the plaintiff "might" win (depending on the percentages).

It is a fun way to start a business law class, as we talk about things like what a corporation is (it's not a box, it's the people testifying), who testified for McDonald's, and what they said (some horrifying testimony that really hurt them), what the jury decided, what the law does after the jury makes a decision, what the Judge did after applying the law to the facts the jury found, the appeal process, and finally, the settlement process. I have spent as much as three class hours before on this one "little" case, going into great depth, but alas, I have cut it now to 75 minutes, and I fear I lose some of the pizazz as a result. Have to cover too many other things in an introductory level business law course to spend more time than that on it.

By the way, it is my opinion the student was trying to be humorous. At least, I sure hope so...

[CitizenBBN]

I think partial responsibility is the answer here, as muddy as it 'feels'. McDonald's could have/should have done more to address this risk given they knew people were getting hurt, but putting hot coffee between your legs is a dumb thing to do even if you're assuming it's some "normal" coffee temperature. Normal coffee temperature is going to hurt.

[Lfbj00]

In response to the thread title....it's no big secret that I work here in Louisville for UPS. On September 5th I'll have worked here for 27 years. I'm 45, started here when I was 18. Right about the time I turned 40, all the young 18 year old kids out here started calling me "Sir", and when they find out how long I've worked here, they always point out that they weren't even born yet when I started. Sometimes I just want to smack em!!!

[MickintheHam]

You know you are getting old when your kids get married. My son got married Saturday night. The upside to getting old is that all the young ladies wanted to dance with me. They thought it cute to dance with an old man. Women didn't dress like that when I was 26 or 27 years old, I can tell you that.

[CitizenBBN]

Women didn't dress like that when I was 26 or 27 years old, I can tell you that.

Hoop skirts are just prohibitively expensive these days.

Congrats Mick! On the wedding mostly, but also on the dancing with young girls.

[ukblue]

When you're standing in front of the urinal trying to do your business and your feet actually try going to sleep where it takes so long to pass a little water. BTW, nothing funny about it either.

[MickintheHam]

Hoop skirts are just prohibitively expensive these days.

Congrats Mick! On the wedding mostly, but also on the dancing with young girls.

LOL. I remember the hoop skirts with fondness. Hard to get close to a woman when your feet are five feet away.

[MickintheHam]

When you're standing in front of the urinal trying to do your business and your feet actually try going to sleep where it takes so long to pass a little water. BTW, nothing funny about it either.

Blue, you can leave the whole urinal thing out of it. That brings up a ton of issues on aging.

[ShoesSwayedBlue]

You're getting old when you hear people talking about not being able to do things as easily as they once did. And that their hair is turning gray or that they'll be totally bald in a few years it's thinning so quickly. And then you realize that they're young enough to be your kids. Or are your kids.

[suncat05]

Or what my pretty little daughter tells me whenever we get into those deep conversations(and yes, you guys, I AM capable of deep thoughts!)......"it's okay Dad, you're already OLD already!"

[blueboss]

You know you're getting old when you click on a thread titled "You know you're getting old when..."

[dan_bgblue]

What was the question again?

[Jeeepcat]

Your 13 year old tells you to stop saying certain things because "it's embarrassing when you use "our" words (lingo)".

Then I have to inform her that we used those words first.

[Lfbj00]

Your 13 year old tells you to stop saying certain things because "it's embarrassing when you use "our" words (lingo)".

Then I have to inform her that we used those words first.

True story here Jeep. We were sitting at a red light here in Louisville at a pretty big intersection listening to one of the "kids" music stations. That song "Sexy and I Know It" came on (the one where the M&M dude strips in the commercial). So I jump out of the car with the music blaring as loud as it could go, and started dancing like a complete idiot!! If you could have seen the expression on the face of my 11 year old son, you'd have peed yourself. The boy looked like he was gonna have a stroke, and sunk down in that backseat so far you couldn't see him. Needless to say, I do t have to listen to that station anymore!!

[suncat05]

YOU, Lfbj00, are my new hero!! LOL!

[Jeeepcat]

true story here jeep. We were sitting at a red light here in louisville at a pretty big intersection listening to one of the "kids" music stations. That song "sexy and i know it" came on (the one where the m&m dude strips in the commercial). So i jump out of the car with the music blaring as loud as it could go, and started dancing like a complete idiot!! If you could have seen the expression on the face of my 11 year old son, you'd have peed yourself. The boy looked like he was gonna have a stroke, and sunk down in that backseat so far you couldn't see him. Needless to say, i do t have to listen to that station anymore!!

this. Is. Awesome.