Saturday, January 23, 2016

In Park City, is Offense taken when it Need not be?

   Here's a civil disobedience question for you: Transit companies Uber and Blade arranged to fly people from the Salt Lake International Airport to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. Trouble is, a number of residents in the Summit County called on county officials to stop the air trafficking, saying it was too noisy and that it posed a safety hazard. If you are Uber and Blade, do you go ahead with the flights, despite a sheriff's department cease-and-desist order?
   The landing sites are on private property. You believe those landowners are within their property rights to allow helicopter visitors to land. I did not notice while reading the news article that there is any county ordinance being sited saying the flights are in violation, just that a number of residents have called in complaining about the noise and safety.
   I wonder but what you must comply, even though it seems you are within your rights. But, first, reason with the county officials in hopes they will abandon the cease-and-desist. As for whether the flights are noisy and dangerous, and you ought to discontinue them just as a courtesy to the complaining residents, I tend to think not. You also are concerned about the feelings of those you are providing the flights to. If the service is a benefit to them, it is also courtesy to provide it.
   I do wonder from time to time, of people's propensity to find fault and how we, as a people, jump to find offense. I would that the Summit County residents not be so easily provoked. If there are safety issues, first, spell them out and specify them a little clearer, and if they are things needing to be dealt with, deal with them. But, I cannot help but wonder if this is more a matter of people taking offense simply because they have opportunity to take offense.
   I am not saying that the helicopters do not surely make a noise. But, yes, I would that the residents be less inclined to find it offensive. It may be that I am not the one listening to it, and that it is extremely loud, but I tend to think not.

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