Aspen Highlands Incident

[mdf]

Anyone that would push someone off a chairlift is quite capable of killing someone and probably has already done so in the past.

Blue part, yeah. Red part, jumping to "probably" seems a bit of a reach to me too. But unless that guy's actions are totally disconnected to his brain, he would have thought he was severely injuring or killing the snowboarder.

 

[SShore]

What I want to know is what the third guy was doing before and after the incident. If I was sitting there and someone chucked the guy next to me off the lift, I would be yelling bloody murder and certainly trying to stop the guy as he got off the lift.

 

[Tricia]

Which part... I agree it isn't likely that he jumped. How about suggesting the guy that pushed him may have killed someone already if they're willing to do that?

All of it
For starters, if the guy jumped with the intent of causing trouble for the skier, he'd have reported it immediately and had him caught
Beyond that, why would you jump to the conclusion that the skier is a killer or sociopath? Further, why would you post it?

 

[Don in Morrison]

The account given by the boarder as to what he said to the skier doesn't strike me as being particularly offensive. I also wonder if there is more to the conversation than was reported.

Riders in the chairs behind probably weren't looking directly at the incident when it happened, but probably saw the falling body after he went out of the chair. The lift operator has to make sure the current chair unloads safely before turning attention to the next chair. When the incident occurred, relative to unloading of the chair ahead, is unclear, but the operator at least must have seen the boarder lying in the snow and stopped the lift because of that. He may not have directly witnessed the event either. There was supposed to be another rider on the chair at the time. They need to find that person too, but if he/she was a friend of the pusher, it won't help much.

If someone fell out of a chair I was riding in, after getting off I'd tell someone and then try to go down and assist them if possible. That the skier didn't do that suggests the boarder's story has some validity.

 

[Tricia]

The account given by the boarder as to what he said to the skier doesn't strike me as being particularly offensive. I also wonder if there is more to the conversation than was reported.

Riders in the chairs behind probably weren't looking directly at the incident when it happened, but probably saw the falling body after he went out of the chair. The lift operator has to make sure the current chair unloads safely before turning attention to the next chair. When the incident occurred, relative to unloading of the chair ahead, is unclear, but the operator at least must have seen the boarder lying in the snow and stopped the lift because of that. He may not have directly witnessed the event either. There was supposed to be another rider on the chair at the time. They need to find that person too, but if he/she was a friend of the pusher, it won't help much.

If someone fell out of a chair I was riding in, after getting off I'd tell someone and then try to go down and assist them if possible. That the skier didn't do that suggests the boarder's story has some validity.

After reading several news reports, I think you're right. The first report in this thread was a little lacking in details

 

[markojp]

@crgildart - that's a bit of a reach.

And he reaches often.

 

[DeAnn Sloan]

Well, it is possible he jumped or fell then made up the story about being pushed. I don't think any real motive to do so has presented itself beyond 5 minutes of almost nothing. Weird. Anyone that would push someone off a chairlift is quite capable of killing someone and probably has already done so in the past. Total socio/psychopath!

I actually don't think this is a huge reach. I agree with @crgildart -- if someone reacts that strongly with behavior that is capable of maiming/killing someone with such little provocation, the person has sociopathic tendencies. It the very least, there probably aren't a lot of squirrels and loose family pets roaming that neighborhood!!

What I want to know is what the third guy was doing before and after the incident. If I was sitting there and someone chucked the guy next to me off the lift, I would be yelling bloody murder and certainly trying to stop the guy as he got off the lift.

I would do all these things AFTER I got my skis safely on the snow.

 

[fatbob]

Sounds a weird story but what is it that has everyone rushing to say the alleged vic sounds fishy while reacting badly to any theories about the perp. People do drugs and have psyche problems in ski towns. Hell Aspen has a heck of a murder rate for a small town. Just saying.

 

[AmyPJ]

Sounds a weird story but what is it that has everyone rushing to say the alleged vic sounds fishy while reacting badly to any theories about the perp. People do drugs and have psyche problems in ski towns. Hell Aspen has a heck of a murder rate for a small town. Just saying.

True, which makes the story seem it could go either way. Crazy guy on drugs pushes guy off lift, or crazy guy on drugs jumps/falls off lift and blames it on another guy. It's going to be very interesting to see how this shakes out, for sure.

 

[DeAnn Sloan]

Update:

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2016/01/person-of-interest-comes-to-light-in-aspen-chairlift-scuffle

 

[crgildart]

All of it
For starters, if the guy jumped with the intent of causing trouble for the skier, he'd have reported it immediately and had him caught

OK for the third time I also said...

"I don't think any real motive to do so has presented itself beyond 5 minutes of almost nothing. Weird."

I don't think that he jumped, just not beyond all possibilities though.

Beyond that, why would you jump to the conclusion that the skier is a killer or sociopath? Further, why would you post it?

How can anyone in their right mind push another person, a complete stranger off a ski lift??? That's intent to kill or cause serious injury. Only a sociapath or psychopath would do something like that. Odds are slim to none that this was the first time that maniac did something like that. Why would anyone say someone that did something like that is not a dangerously unstable person???

 

[Lorenzzo]

The article is short on quotes, the facts don't add up, calling into question the reliability of what's being reported and making any conclusions at this point tenuous.

 

[Carl]

Looks like they identified the perpetrator...

http://www.powder.com/stories/news/...01798C2519D203FAD4C2B5A274FDAC966706BD0AD4B50

 

[Michael R.]

That article read kind of weird as well

"The snowboarder seemed to find the comment offensive, and asked Beckton if he was mocking him. “If you think that’s funny, do you think this is funny?” he demanded, then shoved Beckton off the chair as they approached the lift’s last tower. Beckton waited below the chair to confront the skier, but never saw him again"

I think they meant to say skier.

 

[James]

Should've put the bar down?

 

[crgildart]

Article meant to say skier instead of snowboarder

^^^I thought the same thing... Geez, our education system and journalistic review process sucks if mistakes like that get through for mass consumption.

 

[Drahtguy Kevin]

Should've put the bar down?

Footrest yo.

 

[mdf]

Article meant to say skier instead of snowboarder

^^^I thought the same thing... Geez, our education system and journalistic review process sucks if mistakes like that get through for mass consumption.

The problem is the process, not the journalist. Newspapers (and other businesses that generated public statements) used to have proofreaders. They were eliminated to save money, relying on spell check (and wishful thinking) instead.

I see egregious proofing errors in the Boston Globe all the time, so it isn't just small town papers.

 

[crgildart]

The problem is the process, not the journalist. Newspapers (and other businesses that generated public statements) used to have proofreaders. They were eliminated to save money, relying on spell check (and wishful thinking) instead.

I see egregious proofing errors in the Boston Globe all the time, so it isn't just small town papers.

That link was from POWDER MAGAZINE. If you no longer have peeps paid to proof your work you are going to have to take the time to proof it yourself before submitting it. Seems like everyone is getting paid less to do more except a few getting paid more to do less hummmmm...

 

[AmyPJ]

Should've put the bar down?

So, that's exactly what I said.