To: GPS Info who wrote (73422 ) 5/9/2010 8:30:03 PM From: Maurice Winn 1 Recommendation Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 74559 We can agree on that: <I think they should pay a penalty for safety lapses. > You almost certainly know whether you made a mistake or not: <The circumstances might give evidence one way or another, assuming the accidents were my fault > Or, if not a mistake, perhaps were being aggressive. I know of a criminal driver here who deliberately induced some accidents [so he said]. Were you at fault? It's an area I know something about, and it's of some interest to me, so I commented: <Do you need to take a terrible safety record and call it just random accidents? This seems like an unhealthy attachment to a corporation. > I have some attachment to my life experiences rather than to BP - I never really had much attachment to BP, seeing it more as an economic entity and a way for me to do good things while earning money. One of my problems initially was to demonstrate the level of "loyalty" they seemed to think was necessary. I joined the dopey pension scheme to pretend I might be there for a few decades, but I really couldn't imagine that. I was told I needed to become more of a corporate fanatic at one time by a junior manager. I told them they could have 8 hours [give or take depending on the situation]. It really doesn't seem a particularly terrible safety record. < Do you really need to defend their honor, having been once an employee? > You must be joking. Ailsa Duffy QC was planning on getting me legally for dishonouring them - bad luck for her and them. My arguments were normally that they were not doing enough. I spent considerable effort to improve things in my sphere of influence. I see this fits you too: <I understand that some people identify themselves with their jobs, past or present, and so I suppose that must include the corporate identity as well. > Indeed I do take pride in my accomplishments. Quite a lot actually, with more to go - can't rest on laurels. < I think I have accomplished enough over the last 30 years to create a viable sense of self-worth, and I need no further validation from SI. How about yourself? > So yes, punish whatever lapses and crimes have been committed. But the "boot on throat" language suggests a malevolence on the part of the Obama people which is disconcerting. Any mistakes are most likely those of people failing to do their jobs properly despite the best efforts of BP management. Government workers do the same, but on a far grander scale than a mere oil company. "Oooops, sorry, I blew up a wedding party". "Dang, there were no WMDs after all but at least half a million people are dead and $1 trillion is down the gurgler". Mqurice