cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Apologies if this has been posted here before, but another thread just reminded me of this conundrum: Imagine you are the only person in a points box for a section of train track. Heading down the track at 120mph is a scheduled intercity train. If it continues on it's scheduled path, it will head towards and rapidly reach a group of seven children who are playing on the track. They are too far away for you to contact them in any way. You have no way of contacting the driver or stopping the train. The only way you can divert the train is to pull a lever to change a set of points. This will send the train onto a disused piece of track which runs across some slightly overgrown wasteland. However, playing on this piece of track is a lone boy. Although no trains have used this track in recent years you know that the track has been inspected and can be confident that the train will not derail as a result of the diversion. You have no way of contacting the lone boy either. What do you do and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Resign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Resign. Does that mean you wouldn't change the points? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest X-QUORK Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I'd make sure the camera was rolling for Youtube glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6538 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 No idea and I doubt anyone would know what they would actually do unless they were put in the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 I wouldn't change the points because when there are seven children it is more likely that one of them will notice the train coming than if there is only one child. That is true and valid. I'm not changing the poll question here but out of interest, if all 8 children were deaf and blind would you still not pull the lever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiney Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I'd change the tracks. Why? Well the needs of many out weigh the needs of one. Spiney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 No idea and I doubt anyone would know what they would actually do unless they were put in the situation. Fair point. I have edited the poll to add a "don't know" option. I've only every asked this question in a pub before and people are usually very quick to answer with the ratio of answers being around 80/20 (not saying in what direction) with most answerers prepared to back up their choice with reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.C. Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 What do you do and why? Tut and blame the parents for letting their kids play on the tracks. These 'maximum utility' moral dilemma's are always bullcrap and never realistic, but if you are sitting comfortably you might like this 12 lecture series: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Benedict XVI Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 They should be able to feel the vibrations of the train approaching. Also, the seven children should have an expectation of a train coming along the tracks whereas the lone child on the abandoned tracks has no such expectation - should I choose the life of seven people who should realise they've put themselves in a dangerous situation over one person who is in a situation where they have every expectation of being safe? I think not. Good post. I agree with mmm...beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Tut and blame the parents for letting their kids play on the tracks. These 'maximum utility' moral dilemma's are always bullcrap and never realistic, but if you are sitting comfortably you might like this 12 lecture series: Am watching the vid now. I notice it's sponsored by the Goldman Sachs Foundation The vid opens with a similar dilema but the question he sets is quite vague. I'm curious if he follows up with the question I'm going to ask after a few people have voted in the poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Oops - I think I just killed the thread with my logic. You have but no probs. There is a followup question. I'll leave it a bit incase anyone else votes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Blair Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 does not intervene in the affairs of puny mortals (policy of non-interference and all that) unless perhaps the planet were about to be destroyed .... maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.C. Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Oops - I think I just killed the thread with my logic. If the pope agrees with you I should be worried... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordieskin Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Pull the lever, no one will miss billy-no-mates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatchkid Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Am watching the vid now. I notice it's sponsored by the Goldman Sachs Foundation The vid opens with a similar dilema but the question he sets is quite vague. I'm curious if he follows up with the question I'm going to ask after a few people have voted in the poll. Yeah, At 11 minutes he does ask the next question. Usual pub response is 80% change the points 20% let the train run on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadman Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I'd ring the British Transport Police. End of story. No points change. That's what I'd do in real life. You can be sure of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Does that mean you wouldn't change the points? I don't know what I would do until I was in a situation where I had to make that decision.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I wouldn't do anything. Logic would have nothing to do with it. Time would. By the time I had the initial thoughts of what to do - the train would have gone past. I reckon, if this situation was real, this would happen for 99% of people. You would not have a chance to think logically through both the options. You would do nothing. You may think you would change it. You would not. Unless you were given a few minutes to think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntb Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 It's probably a gang of feral chavs so I'd let nature take its course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.C. Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I wouldn't do anything. Logic would have nothing to do with it. Time would. By the time I had the initial thoughts of what to do - the train would have gone past. I reckon, if this situation was real, this would happen for 99% of people. You would not have a chance to think logically through both the options. You would do nothing. You may think you would change it. You would not. Unless you were given a few minutes to think about it. If this were real life, interfering would mean you getting arrested and going to prison for murder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 If this were real life, interfering would mean you getting arrested and going to prison for murder. And by the time the train went past at 120mph that would not have even crossed your mind. No offence to the OP - but the question is stupid. Nobody would do anything in real life. However if the question is a teaser to get people's opinions on things - it is a bit interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldbug9999 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Change the points after the first carriage has crossed them, the train would be derailed and theres a small possibility that noone would get killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worzel Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I think you asked me this down the pub, and my initial reaction was to pull the lever to change the points, but that was before I knew about the little guy playing by himself. Assuming that I had time to make the decision etc, I would still not pull the lever and kill an innocent even if it meant that 7 (blind or non blind makes no difference) kids got squished. Quite frankly, blind kids should have more sense than to play on train tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Ask yourself why you are standing beside a railtrack naked watching groups of children play. * I admit the 'naked' bit was added for impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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