Hyperbole

Why is it that the most stupid things are said on TV? I was watching the cricket on saturday at the gym. Victoria versus WA. The usual commentators were on talking their usual crap about this player and that player. Most of this I can handle. But I almost caused myself serious injury when Ian Healy said the following phrase, "The legend that is Langer..". Just let me check the Oxford, Chambers or Maquarie...... Yep there it is under legend: Langer. What drugs is Healy on? Sure Langer is a good cricketer, but legend? If this is the case, Healy must be changing his underwear every time McGrath or Warne bowls. Me thinks he's been drinking too much of his own bathwater.

But ads are the worst. During the cricket, an ad came on for a Current Affair or one of those programs. The story wast about the most dangerous job in the world,....... wait for it, ..........have a think about what this could be,.............., yep, your right, being a jockey. Sure, it can be dangerous, but the MOST dangerous? Sure being a short arse might get you crushed in a stampede during the Boxing Day sales, but I think there are jobs far more dangerous that having a funny high pitched voice. Let's look at the data. (Fatality rate per worker is a very good measure).

America's top 10 most dangerous jobs in 2000. No 1: Timber cutter. I don't see a jockey in the top ten. Being a fisherman is a more dangerous job. Maybe the data is a bit old. There may have been a hugh increase in jockey deaths in America recently. Here are the figures for 2004. No jockeys here either. Being a taxi driver is more dangerous. Could you image that story on A Current Affair? But these figure are for America. Maybe the world as a whole has an epidemic of jockeys dying in work related incidents.

According to this the most dangerous job in the world is fishing. 24000 fishermen lose their life every year. Maybe Australia is different. Guess what, this site shows that we are not. The three most dangerous jobs are mining, fishing and transportation. Sure, being a jockey is one form of transportation but that job isn't included in that section.

So being a jockey is not the most dangerous job. But here is a plan for jockeys if they want their job to be the most dangerous. Walk around the streets talking in your high pitched voices wearing your silks and you may annoy enough people that your death rate may well sky-rocket.