Horns Of A Dilemma
‘AFTER the human solidarity of London, we need assurance that life goes on.
|
| Steak a la mode |
AVOID LONDON AREA CLOSED TURN ON RADIO, says the panel on the 25 motorway, reproduced in the Times. But its not closed. London is open. The city goes on. Life goes on.
And a version of life, in all its mad glory, has been spotted by the Telegraph in Pamplona, where the annual running of the bulls has begun.
The race to see who is the biggest idiot, who can get closest to the bulls horns without getting gorged, is not without peril. It might even be dangerous.
And the local authorities have heard the squeals of pained Spaniards, Australian tourists and assorted meat fanciers trying to reconnect with their inner steaks.
And in response, the mayor of Pamplona has given the go ahead to coat the route used for the bull run, the half-mile course from the corrida to the citys bullring, in non-slip paint.
Designed to stop both bull and runner from falling over, the Spanish experiment with health and safety is proving to be less than faultless.
One of the massive beasts, all half a ton of it, slipped at the very first corner. It then fell again, injuring itself so badly it had to be killed at the butchers, rather than in the ring.
A 19-year-old Canadian woman was trampled in the melee. The whole herd went over and trod on her, says a spokesman for the local hospital.
Ouch! Sound nasty. And it could get worse. Julen Madina, who was gorged on the run last year, along with 15 others, says the real problem is not the slipping but the number of people. And not enough of them respect the bull.
Respecting bulls is something Julen has learned to do the hard way.
And Angel Castander, another veteran, offers his educated opinion that if a runner is on the floor and a bull gets up on its feet quicker…then it could be pretty dangerous.
A bit like waving a red rag to a bull. Or goading one into chasing you…
Paul Sorene’
Posted: 8th, July 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
