When you see an unsafe situation, when do you say something?

I responded sometimes cause honestly you saying its dangerous doesnt change there mind much if there already seen the conditions and decided to go out. Unfortunately danger has to be felt most of the time to understand and remembered, especially in adventuresome types.
I do say something along the line like " I wouldn't do that" 
Motherload is right though not preventing the unsafe from happening partially makes you responsible

I always say something, but I understand why someone would not want to say anything. I made some people very unhappy the last time I stuck to my guns on an obvious safety issue.

I always say something, but I understand why someone would not want to say anything. The last time I made a safety observation I made some people very unhappy the last time I stuck to my guns on an obvious safety issue.

IF YOU DON'T SAFETY HARD, DON'T TALK TO ME.

I always say something, but I understand why someone would not want to say anything. The last time I made a safety observation I made some people very unhappy the last time I stuck to my guns on an obvious safety issue.

IF YOU DON'T SAFETY HARD, DON'T TALK TO ME.

love it

I always say something, but I understand why someone would not want to say anything. The last time I made a safety observation I made some people very unhappy the last time I stuck to my guns on an obvious safety issue.

IF YOU DON'T SAFETY HARD, DON'T TALK TO ME.

 

It's usually the ones who THINK they have enough experience/skills/manliness who get themselves into trouble. This is why it's important to say something EVERY time you see someone putting their life at risk, even if they're talking the talk...

(And even if you end up getting shit for it)... Life goes on.

Didn't vote.

If I see something unsafe I'll say something.  Depending on the situation, I might get pretty insistent.  My story-

In early June 1994 I was backpacking with my roommate in the marble mountains.  The forecast was for mild weather and temperatures for our weekend trip.  We missed our trail junction under some snow and x-country hiked to intersect the trail.  The weather turned and it started to rain.  We were on some slick granite, so we made camp.  The next morning it was very foggy and temperatures were around freezing.  I decided to wait the weather out, but my roommate got impatient and decided to continue on without me.  I tried to talk him out of it, but in the end he left with a day pack, a fishing pole and little else.

When he didn't come back that night, and with a fresh dusting of snow, I set out at first light to find help.  I contacted the forest service, who called the sheriff, and a search was initiated.  By the following Friday there were almost 150 volunteers, 2 helicopters and a fixed wing aircraft involved in the search and rescue.

He was found, alive and well, 15 miles north of where he was trying to go.  He had been out for 6 nights.  He was checked out at Mt. Shasta City hospital and released.  That night we had a celebration dinner.  His mother came unglued on me for letting him go in such bad conditions, and I asked her what I should have done differently.  She said that I should have beat him up, and she was deadly serious about it.  So to this day I have standing permission to kick his ass if necessary to prevent him from doing something stupid. 

Whenever I see an unsafe situation or someone getting ready to do something stupid, I can't help but think of her words, and I'd rather lose a friendship than have to make another telephone call telling a mother that her son is lost and have her tell me that I didn't do enough to prevent it.  It remains one of the hardest phone calls I've ever had to make.  So I'll operate on the assumption that the person's mother would want me to kick his ass and act accordingly.

Yup, I Don't ever want to make that phone call EVER again...

Didn't vote.

If I see something unsafe I'll say something.  Depending on the situation, I might get pretty insistent.  My story-

In early June 1994 I was backpacking with my roommate in the marble mountains.  The forecast was for mild weather and temperatures for our weekend trip.  We missed our trail junction under some snow and x-country hiked to intersect the trail.  The weather turned and it started to rain.  We were on some slick granite, so we made camp.  The next morning it was very foggy and temperatures were around freezing.  I decided to wait the weather out, but my roommate got impatient and decided to continue on without me.  I tried to talk him out of it, but in the end he left with a day pack, a fishing pole and little else.

When he didn't come back that night, and with a fresh dusting of snow, I set out at first light to find help.  I contacted the forest service, who called the sheriff, and a search was initiated.  By the following Friday there were almost 150 volunteers, 2 helicopters and a fixed wing aircraft involved in the search and rescue.

He was found, alive and well, 15 miles north of where he was trying to go.  He had been out for 6 nights.  He was checked out at Mt. Shasta City hospital and released.  That night we had a celebration dinner.  His mother came unglued on me for letting him go in such bad conditions, and I asked her what I should have done differently.  She said that I should have beat him up, and she was deadly serious about it.  So to this day I have standing permission to kick his ass if necessary to prevent him from doing something stupid. 

Whenever I see an unsafe situation or someone getting ready to do something stupid, I can't help but think of her words, and I'd rather lose a friendship than have to make another telephone call telling a mother that her son is lost and have her tell me that I didn't do enough to prevent it.  It remains one of the hardest phone calls I've ever had to make.  So I'll operate on the assumption that the person's mother would want me to kick his ass and act accordingly.

I had a similar situation on a long range chrome hunt a few weeks ago. My buddy swamped his kayak and I assisted him pumping out his hull. Got all the water out and I told him I could tow him back in but he declined. He said he wanted to fish longer and I had to get home. We were 7 miles from the launch. I called him when I landed and he said everything was fine and he was heading in. Unfortunately his hull flooded again and he had to ditch at the beach hotel. He was fine but a lot of lost equipment. I only tell this because I never felt comfortable leaving him out there. Something I will always regret. Never leave your wingman in a situation you are uncomfortable with.

My 2 cents and a story,

At work we had safety programs out the ass, (which BTW I believe is a good thing) one of them stressed how you'd feel it you didn't say anything and it cost a life,

Christmas week 1997 (or so) my son and I were camped at Salt Pt, we were hiking around the park and were in the Grestle Cove parking lot when 3 people arrived and started to suit up for a scuba dive, at that point I was a pretty experienced diver.

No question some of the best dives I've had were around Xmas, but not on this day, swells were seriously 14 ft,

I stopped by the group and did my best to talk them out of going, they explained to me that it would be OK on the bottom, I explained to them that I'd been in conditions with less swell where even 60 ft down it was too surgy to dive safely,

The conditions were really bad and I was pretty insistent, and the conversation ended on an unfriendly note,

My son and I went off and came back around in about 45 minutes, the 3 were on the surface at the mouth of the cove, one was obviously helpless and was being washed around in a circular eddy, but at least afloat, the other 2 had abandoned him and were trying to get in but making little headway, 

We were on foot, cell service back then was nonexistent, I was able to flag down a car and ask them to go hunt down a park employee and call for help, and they said OK and drove off,

Luckily, one of the group of divers was a tremendous swimmer (if not too smart), She ended up finally dragging the first guy in, and swimming all the way out and dragging the second one in too,

About that time Henry 1, came screaming in over the tree tops, so I guess the car I stopped did go for help.  They all met in the parking lot and everything ended OK.

The reason I tell the story, is that sometimes it won't matter what you say they're gonna do it anyhow, but you gotta try,

And even with all that said I still only voted sometimes.

If I ALWAYS did it I'd never have time to fish.   
Most of the time I'll say, "Dude, you're an accident waiting to happen", then explain why.
Then I'll follow up with, "If you start to drown, I'm not puttin' my @$$ on the line to save you since you're not making the effort to save yourself".
Then in the tone of Shooter McGavin I end it with, "Good luck".

Didn't vote.

If I see something unsafe I'll say something.  Depending on the situation, I might get pretty insistent.  My story-

In early June 1994 I was backpacking with my roommate in the marble mountains.  The forecast was for mild weather and temperatures for our weekend trip.  We missed our trail junction under some snow and x-country hiked to intersect the trail.  The weather turned and it started to rain.  We were on some slick granite, so we made camp.  The next morning it was very foggy and temperatures were around freezing.  I decided to wait the weather out, but my roommate got impatient and decided to continue on without me.  I tried to talk him out of it, but in the end he left with a day pack, a fishing pole and little else.

When he didn't come back that night, and with a fresh dusting of snow, I set out at first light to find help.  I contacted the forest service, who called the sheriff, and a search was initiated.  By the following Friday there were almost 150 volunteers, 2 helicopters and a fixed wing aircraft involved in the search and rescue.

He was found, alive and well, 15 miles north of where he was trying to go.  He had been out for 6 nights.  He was checked out at Mt. Shasta City hospital and released.  That night we had a celebration dinner.  His mother came unglued on me for letting him go in such bad conditions, and I asked her what I should have done differently.  She said that I should have beat him up, and she was deadly serious about it.  So to this day I have standing permission to kick his ass if necessary to prevent him from doing something stupid. 

Whenever I see an unsafe situation or someone getting ready to do something stupid, I can't help but think of her words, and I'd rather lose a friendship than have to make another telephone call telling a mother that her son is lost and have her tell me that I didn't do enough to prevent it.  It remains one of the hardest phone calls I've ever had to make.  So I'll operate on the assumption that the person's mother would want me to kick his ass and act accordingly.

I had a similar situation on a long range chrome hunt a few weeks ago. My buddy swamped his kayak and I assisted him pumping out his hull. Got all the water out and I told him I could tow him back in but he declined. He said he wanted to fish longer and I had to get home. We were 7 miles from the launch. I called him when I landed and he said everything was fine and he was heading in. Unfortunately his hull flooded again and he had to ditch at the beach hotel. He was fine but a lot of lost equipment. I only tell this because I never felt comfortable leaving him out there. Something I will always regret. Never leave your wingman in a situation you are uncomfortable with.

I'll take that a step further and just say never leave your wingman.  Ever.  I've made that mistake before too.  Situations can change quickly.

Headed over to Shadow Cliffs for some exercise. By 4:30 PM it was blowing 10-15kt with 1 foot short periodicity white caps.

I grew up with SC as my local lake, and I think I've seen those conditions maybe once or twice. That's crazy for that little lake!  Can't believe the rental shed was still open at that time with that wind.

Always. I have done too many rescues of the stupid, the clueless, and the skilled but overconfident in my years as a Dive Master, and as a Firefighter.  Nothing worse than seeing Dad lose it and run screaming into the woods and having 3 little kids with watery eyes ask you if mommy is going to die....Step up and say something as it may prevent others from having to answer that little kids question

I always say something, but I understand why someone would not want to say anything. The last time I made a safety observation I made some people very unhappy the last time I stuck to my guns on an obvious safety issue.

IF YOU DON'T SAFETY HARD, DON'T TALK TO ME.

F'ing priceless!!!