Gotta Watch Where You're Going

I was surfing around the web the other day and I came across a website extolling the virtues of the latest craze: Virtual Reality (VR) Headsets.  At least with the Pokemon game that has swept the world, users could at least say they were unobstructed as they walked into traffic or off cliffs or into trees.

With these VR headseats, users wearing sets that cover their eyes and ears, can transport themselves into virtual universes, battling dragons, ogres, or evil corporate giants.  Of course, the biggest drawback is the fact that while you are battling said dragons and giants, your eyes and ears are covered by a bulky VR headset allowing pick-pockets and other thieves to rob you of everything whilst you clamor around the countryside.

But clunky walking aside, imagine a scenario where a person is walking up a virtual reality path and suddenly a truck takes them out because what they thought was a path was actually the street that they had just walked into (and, subsequently, the path of that truck that had your name on it).  The result, of course, will be a mountain of lawsuits - because people don't kill people - VR headsets do.  

I can just hear it now from a personal injury attorney, "The manufacturers of these VR headsets negligently put these evil machines on the market for the poor, unsuspecting public (who can't think for themselves).  The public needs to be protected from the greedy corporate giants (that my client(s) were fighting in their virtual reality world just before being killed by a truck when said client(s) stepped in front of it as it barreled down the road)."  Oh, the humanity!

Then, of course, there will be politicians who can't wait to get their 15 minutes by drafting some inane legislation outlawing VR headsets because people must, after all, be coddled like sheep (and who better to coddle (and fleece) the sheep than politicians?).  Then there will be the protests against VR machines and calls to ban the use by people under the age of 21.  Then there will be "non-profit" groups creating outreach programs (funded by your tax dollars) to help those addicted to VR headsets.

The sad thing is, this is all possible due to the ever increasing hunger for litigation by people who have nothing to do but file lawsuits.  No, I'm not talking about attorneys.  I'm talking about the general public who abuse the legal system by hiring personal injury attorneys or file in pro per just to make a buck.  There is no liability, just legal extortion and sad that the judiciary can't see that. Instead, judges perpetuate litigation until things snowball so much out of hand that it becomes its own industry!

I have an idea.  Why not, when the first lawsuit(s) against VR headset manufacturers are filed, the judges tell counsel that their clients should have known better and dismiss the lawsuit?  Maybe insist that people take personal responsibility for their actions and not try to blame someone else for their buying a headset that shackles and blinds them.  You knew what you were doing when you bought the fool toy.  If you're going to buy a VR headset, for goodness sake play with it in your own backyard - away from trucks and cars and criminals (or politicians) who are just out to fleece you and stop with the litigation madness.  

I mean, really!