The papers reported that coal mining is far safer than it once was through many inspections and safety procedures. It is still dangerous work. Old-line coal mining towns (like in Penna and WV) are quite poor because of the low demand for coal. Coal is dirty stuff compared to other fuels, coal even is slightly radioactive and spews radon in the air.
Other reports mention that there are other very dangerous occupations than coal mining. They are late night convenience store, fast food, and gas station attendants, who are frequent victims of robbery/murder. We don't hear about them as much as they happen one at a time scattered throughout the country, but their frequency is alarming. In Camden NJ, one of the nation's poorer cities, there is a highway lined with gas stations, p*rn stores, and sleazy motels. The gas station attendants working overnight are frequently robbed and killed.
My local convenience store used to give the cops free coffee and I saw no problem with it; it was good to have the cops around being very visible and available to people, esp late at night. (As a patron, I felt better). But someone made a stink about it, and now the cops pay for their stuff and take their breaks elsewhere more discretely.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Same thing happened in Chicago. Police officers were allowed to ride CTA busses and trains for free. Someone one day, with their head in the clouds made a stink about it, and police were told they had to start paying fares, so most of them quit riding busses/trains and taking their own cars instead. Criminals saw that and said "it is now safe for _us_ to ride the trains again". Talk about dumb. we definitly _needed_ police riding on the trains. PAT]