Germany or Florida? Nope, Colorado.
Feb. 4th, 2005 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plutherusWanita Renea Young, 49, said she was at her rural home south of Durango around 10:30 p.m. when she saw "shadowy figures" outside the house. Apparently living alone, she was frightened by these two figures, and left her house to go spend the night at her sister's home.
The next morning, she was still so badly frightened that she checked into a hospital, with "an upset stomach".
When she finally did get home, she found on her doorstep the package which she must have stepped over on her way out the previous night. It turned out to be cookies. Chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Left there by two teenage girls who decided one night to have fun by surprising all their neighbors with gift baskets of home-made cookies. The cookies were accompanied by a construction-paper heart bearing the message, "Have a great night. Love, the T and L club."
Feeling embarrassed at her reaction, she called the girls to thank them, and finally settled down, knowing that she was still safe and not being stalked.
Ha ha! No, that's not what happened!
This is America! If you're frightened or embarrassed, the only option is to SUE! It doesn't matter that you over-reacted, or that someone was doing something nice for you! There's money to be made! (Well, not made perhaps, but certainly obtained.)
After complaining to the girls' parents, they offered to pay for her medical bills. I'm not sure how you get $900 in medical bills for an "upset stomach", but Ms. Young somehow managed it. Declining the girls' offer to pay for her unneccessary medical care, she took them to court demanding punitive damages too.
The judge, who apparently was too drunk to just laugh the matter out of court, actually awarded her the $900 in damages that the girls had originally offered for her medical care. He did, however, decline to award punitive damages as he couldn't figure out how leaving your neighbors a gift basket of cookies could really be considered a malicious act.
Oh, yeah, and then, in a move that's sure to reduce the number of shadowy figures at her door, or phone calls or mail telling her what a swine she is, she allowed herself to be interviewed by the press, during which she mentioned that she hoped "the girls learned a lesson." Oh, I'm sure they did: If you want to do something nice for your neighbors, the mean crotchedly old lady down the street who used to yell at you to stay away from her lawn when you were younger will not be made happy if you include her in your gesture of good-will. She'll still be the mean old lady she was before, and just use anything you do as an excuse to feed her own sense of persecution. It's not you, she hates everybody because she's lonely. But it will never cross her mind that she's lonely because she hates everybody.
Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stonemirror for the Link. Embellishments were my own. If the story gives you an upset stomach, please don't sue me.
The next morning, she was still so badly frightened that she checked into a hospital, with "an upset stomach".
When she finally did get home, she found on her doorstep the package which she must have stepped over on her way out the previous night. It turned out to be cookies. Chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Left there by two teenage girls who decided one night to have fun by surprising all their neighbors with gift baskets of home-made cookies. The cookies were accompanied by a construction-paper heart bearing the message, "Have a great night. Love, the T and L club."
Feeling embarrassed at her reaction, she called the girls to thank them, and finally settled down, knowing that she was still safe and not being stalked.
Ha ha! No, that's not what happened!
This is America! If you're frightened or embarrassed, the only option is to SUE! It doesn't matter that you over-reacted, or that someone was doing something nice for you! There's money to be made! (Well, not made perhaps, but certainly obtained.)
After complaining to the girls' parents, they offered to pay for her medical bills. I'm not sure how you get $900 in medical bills for an "upset stomach", but Ms. Young somehow managed it. Declining the girls' offer to pay for her unneccessary medical care, she took them to court demanding punitive damages too.
The judge, who apparently was too drunk to just laugh the matter out of court, actually awarded her the $900 in damages that the girls had originally offered for her medical care. He did, however, decline to award punitive damages as he couldn't figure out how leaving your neighbors a gift basket of cookies could really be considered a malicious act.
Oh, yeah, and then, in a move that's sure to reduce the number of shadowy figures at her door, or phone calls or mail telling her what a swine she is, she allowed herself to be interviewed by the press, during which she mentioned that she hoped "the girls learned a lesson." Oh, I'm sure they did: If you want to do something nice for your neighbors, the mean crotchedly old lady down the street who used to yell at you to stay away from her lawn when you were younger will not be made happy if you include her in your gesture of good-will. She'll still be the mean old lady she was before, and just use anything you do as an excuse to feed her own sense of persecution. It's not you, she hates everybody because she's lonely. But it will never cross her mind that she's lonely because she hates everybody.
Thanks to
stonemirror for the Link. Embellishments were my own. If the story gives you an upset stomach, please don't sue me.
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no subject
Date: 2005-02-05 04:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-05 08:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-05 09:14 am (UTC)That is just unbelievable. If that ever got to court in this country, and I doubt it would, the judge would throw it out immediately.
I think it's the petty small mindedness as much as anything, that gets to me about this. I'll bet those girls never do another random act of kindness as long as they live.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-05 05:30 pm (UTC)I hope it doesn't turn out that way. If I'd been one of the ones who received the cookies, and I heard about this, I'd do everything I could to show my support (and gratitude) for the girls. Hopefully, one of her neighbors will take up a collection from the rest to pay for the lawsuit, and express their thanks.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-05 08:57 pm (UTC)Judicial Performance Commission c/o Steven W. Brittain, District Administrator Sixth Judicial District La Plata County Courthouse 1060 2nd Avenue Room #106 Durango, Colorado 81302
Apparently, you can send the girls a donation via the address listed in this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1335950/posts?page=80#80
or contact one of the local news agencies in that area, I'm sure they can forward the donation