disaster
I'm not much of a TV fan, but I watched a program last night about the Piper Alpha disaster, which happened on July 6, 1988. I vividly remember it because a friend of mine was working on the rig, and I was shocked by the news.
I recall my friend Adrian and his mate Kevin going up to Aberdeen in search of work. The oil industry offered the promise of big money and a fresh start. Kevin didn’t land a job on the rigs and had to return home, but Adrian got hired. I’m not sure what his role was—there were terms like "roustabout" mentioned, which I think might mean a type of laborer.
Adrian had recently married and was expecting a child with his girlfriend, whom I also knew. They were childhood sweethearts, and I imagine Adrian felt pressure or had the drive to secure a better future for his family. He wasn’t foolish; he did well in school. I first met him there—he was a few years older and had the nickname "Fido" for some reason. I remember him getting into a fight in the cloakroom with another boy.
From what the program explained, the rig was essentially a death trap, and the oil industry has changed significantly since the disaster. It’s tragic that it often takes loss of life for meaningful change to happen.
My younger brother works on oil rigs, so the disaster has always been in the back of my mind. Thankfully, nothing has happened to him, and he’s planning to retire next year. Of course, I understand why he stayed in the industry—it’s the money.
Adrian’s son, who never knew his father, must have been very young or not yet born at the time. I’ve met Adrian’s wife over the years; she was never the same after losing him.
I can’t help but feel the accident was a result of the neoliberalism of the 1980s, where profit seemed to trump everything, including people and that is why the disabled are treated with so much disdain by the western governemnts, the disabled are seen as non productive,which is not true of course buy life is not about what you canproduce but about who you are. I am sure there was a lot of gulity from his wife about him going to Aberdeen to find a jog on the big money oil rig.
Kevein the other lad must to this day think he dodged a bullet, he might have seen himself as a failure when he did nt get a job and others jusdged him maybe but he probably does not give a fuck now he is stil alive
I think I have written previously on here about the piper alpha incident but there is always some programme about it being made it seems I have oene more episode of the progamme to watch , teh company who owned the rig was called occidental ironically you coule not make it up Noone was
prosecuted for the disaster and no one said sorry sadly, so it will more than likely happen again
Here's a song about the poper tragedy created by AI
I never knew what happened to the friend of mine who was killed in this disaster but according to the AI song it was only two who were never found so that makes it more likely He was buried, I was in london a the time and did not knwo what was going on I had my own issue a tthe time my mother was dying of cancer and I was struggling in london
I write song well try ot and thought I could write a song about this incident but then I thought why not let AI do it it could probably do a better job thena me
the scum That ignored safety measures on On that rig didn't just murder the man who worked on the rake but they also destroyed families and as I have said, deserved jail for these crimes you hope karma plays a part in those people's lives at some point.
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