garyb1st
Well-known member
Back in the day, when I would read the local newspaper or watch the local news, there weren't many stories of break-ins, robberies or muggings. In fact, I'd say it was rare. But that was in the Midwest and I didn't read the New York or Los Angeles Times. The only national paper I would look at from time to time was the Wall Street Journal. The only criminal activity the Journal reported on was associated with Big Business or well known individuals. Things have changed. We have Facebook and Yahoo News. We read about things that occur around the country. We read about things that happen in Europe and other parts of the world. We read about things that the Press, in their infinite wisdom, thinks we want to read about. We also read about RVing things that are scary. Things like motorhome tire failures resulting in serious accidents. Or propane refrigerators starting fire. But is this really a fair representation of the risk.
I watched an interesting YouTube video the other day. It was Ted Koppel talking about how the news has change. He said that back in the day, guys like Cronkite, Brinkley and Huntley reported the news they felt we needed to know about. Today he said reporters are reporting the news they think we want to hear about. And it's all because of ratings. There's something considerably more interesting about criminal activity and disaster than a couple of old folks fishing or out for a bike ride. So that's what we get to see, hear and read about. The attention grabbing headlines that every news stations hits the viewer with just before the commercial break. Don't want anyone switching channels when big Pharma is going to talk about their latest new Drug.
So just like there's a bit of paranoia over the safety of propane refrigerators and driving a motorhome without a TPMS, I personally believe the risk of spending a night in a rest area or Walmart, where the lights never go out, is maybe a bit overstated. And just like we check our tires periodically and make sure there's no crud in the fridge burner tube or yellow stuff dripping from the cooling unit, we need to lock our doors and make sure only 95 lb. weaklings can skinny through an open window.
I watched an interesting YouTube video the other day. It was Ted Koppel talking about how the news has change. He said that back in the day, guys like Cronkite, Brinkley and Huntley reported the news they felt we needed to know about. Today he said reporters are reporting the news they think we want to hear about. And it's all because of ratings. There's something considerably more interesting about criminal activity and disaster than a couple of old folks fishing or out for a bike ride. So that's what we get to see, hear and read about. The attention grabbing headlines that every news stations hits the viewer with just before the commercial break. Don't want anyone switching channels when big Pharma is going to talk about their latest new Drug.
So just like there's a bit of paranoia over the safety of propane refrigerators and driving a motorhome without a TPMS, I personally believe the risk of spending a night in a rest area or Walmart, where the lights never go out, is maybe a bit overstated. And just like we check our tires periodically and make sure there's no crud in the fridge burner tube or yellow stuff dripping from the cooling unit, we need to lock our doors and make sure only 95 lb. weaklings can skinny through an open window.