New Twist on the Guy Jumping From Carnival Cruise Ship

[Poppinsme]

I think that's a little over the top. Are you actually worried that your husband is a pervert or are you just worried that people will see him and think he is?

I took kids I was baby-sitting (overnight )to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. Their parents thanked me.

And this is cool. We are having a rousing discussion about a 35 year old man taking a 16 year old boy on a cruise and getting drunk. Do you see the difference?

 

[NewJersey]

And this is cool. We are having a rousing discussion about a 35 year old man taking a 16 year old boy on a cruise and getting drunk. Do you see the difference?

I think her point was valid based on what another poster said about her DH not taking her nieces/nephews to the movies, alone.

 

[phillybeth]

I think that's a little over the top. Are you actually worried that your husband is a pervert or are you just worried that people will see him and think he is?

I took kids I was baby-sitting (overnight )to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. Their parents thanked me.

Nope, not worried that my DH is a pedophile- just not taking chances. I've also seen a lot of cases of false reporting by kids because they are mad or upset. Kids don't realize (usually) how an accusation like that can ruin someone's life.

One case- a 4 YO boy was mad because his babysitter wouldn't make him microwave popcorn. So he called 911 and told them that she touched him in a 'bad spot'. He was mad and he wanted her to get in trouble, he just didn't realize how MUCH trouble she would get in.

 

[Poppinsme]

For the love of god. Of course you can have a relationship with an older person and its not sexual. I had many friends that were my parents age and we were very close. Once again would you have a problem letting your child go on a cruise alone with an older man? Drinking alcohol? Getting drunk alone in a room? If you don't have an issue with this then thats your right. I do. And I am not condemning the man just making a comment on the DIS board.

 

[NewJersey]

For the love of god. Of course you can have a relationship with an older person and its not sexual. I had many friends that were my parents age and we were very close. Once again would you have a problem letting your child go on a cruise alone with an older man? Drinking alcohol? Getting drunk alone in a room? If you don't have an issue with this then thats your right. I do. And I am not condemning the man just making a comment on the DIS board.

do we know if the parents knew the plan was "to get drunk in a room" or "drinking alcohol?" I guess I just don't feel the need to condemn the man (as others have done on here) before I know all the facts. It's also up to the parent's to decide to let him go on a cruise with a 35 yo family friend. Is it weird? Maybe. It would depend on the person/situation for me if I would let my child go.

I wonder if people would feel differently if this family friend took the kid to disney world...obviously the jumping overboard wouldn't apply but the drinking sure could.

 

[Poppinsme]

do we know if the parents knew the plan was "to get drunk in a room" or "drinking alcohol?"

Exactly!!!!

 

[aprilgail2]

Actually I would. I think it unwise in this day and age for anyone not related to a child to be alone with them in any circumstance. I don't let my DH take our neices/nephews to the movies alone.

Wow that is over the top, do you let him spend any time alone with his own kids or would you insist he is supervised even with them??

 

[lesroi]

I'm taking my Godson to WDW. Nothing creepy going on at all. He's a good kid, I want to do something nice for him.

Why does everyone assume that any trip with a child not your own is creepy?

I agree, and again they DID say on the news that the guy was the kid's Godfather. I agree that everything about the case is weird, but I wouldn't think anything of taking a Godchild on a vacation, girl, boy or whatever.

Tracy

 

[RitaZ.]

I wonder if people would feel differently if this family friend took the kid to disney world...obviously the jumping overboard wouldn't apply but the drinking sure could.

The location makes no difference.

Again, if it feels wrong, it probably is. It's how I would handle it if it involved my kids. I have no control over what other parents choose to do with their kids, nor do I want to. I can only be responsible for mine.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

My family and my husbands family all live near one another. I constantly take my neices and nephews alone and otherwise away or to events. My husband does the same and not once have any of the thoughts mentioned in some of these posts ever crossed my mind.

 

[Hannathy]

Actually I would. I think it unwise in this day and age for anyone not related to a child to be alone with them in any circumstance. I don't let my DH take our neices/nephews to the movies alone.

That is really too bad. I don't follow or agree with your reasoning. I took my nephew every where before I had kids including 3 trips to Disney, the shore and other places that involved staying overnight and guess what I was 20 yrs older and no one though anything of it. They were some of the best trips! My BIL takes the kids to a movie by himself. When my Mom was hospitalized my nephew now grown up was my best baby sitter for my son and he is 20 yrs older and if he asks to take him on a cruise or vacation you know my answer is going to be yes when do you want him packed.

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty. I thought lynch mobs had been outlawed.

 

[Seahunt]

This story gets weirder and weirder - I originally posted because I felt sorry for the kid getting left all by himself onboard and thought that he was probably really scared. But now from this latest story from local news I don't know what to think :

A 16-year-old is home safe after a fight with his godfather ended with the man being dragged out of the ocean after jumping off their cruise ship.

Investigators said Mike Mankamyer was rescued off the coast of Fort Laurderdale eight hours after jumping off the balcony of a Carnival Glory cruise ship, WESH 2 News reported.

Salvie Wega's father, Salvatoro, said it was tough to hold back tears while he held his son.

"It's crazy," Wega said.

Wega said he was hanging out with Mankamyer, 35, when his godfather had a few drinks at dinner and got upset that he wanted to go explore the ship.

"He starts hitting himself and punching me and I hit him back. I couldn’t take it anymore and I held him down and security came," Wega said.

Wega said his godfather jumped from the balcony of their seventh-story room when he went to answer the door.

"He jumped off the boat because; I don’t know what was wrong with him. I was trying to pull him in and I cut my finger in the window," he said.

Wega said security initially believed he pushed Mankamyer overboard.

"They handcuffed me, they bumped my head -- I have a big bump on my head and they tried to accuse me of murder," he said.

Mankamyer survived the fall and eight hours in the water, officials said, he only suffered hypothermia.

"They said that he's breathing and I was like, 'Good, thank you. My prayers have been answered,'" Wega's father said.

The Wegas said they met Mankamyer 15 years ago and live right across the street from each other. They said they man on the cruise ship isn’t the man they know and love.

"I was like so shocked, because for Mike to even think about, even if he did jump or whatever, he's not like that. He's a good person," Salvie's mother, Margaret Wega, said.

The Wegas said Mankamyer will always be a part of their family, despite the incident.

 

[basas]

Actually I would. I think it unwise in this day and age for anyone not related to a child to be alone with them in any circumstance. I don't let my DH take our neices/nephews to the movies alone.

I honestly don't know how you function in day to day life with rules like that...

For the record, I see a problem with the drinking and whatever else occurred that was inappropriate. I don’t, however, see any problem with a family friend taking someone on a trip. (Godfather-Godson, Aunt-Nephew, whatever). What is the world coming to!? What’s next? Students not allowed to talk to teachers alone at school? Parents and adults not allowed to coach youth sporting teams? There has to be some point where we come down to earth...

 

[phillybeth]

I honestly don't know how you function in society.

Wow, that's rather harsh. So you would put your children at risk, as well put yourself at risk of false accusations?

Lemme tell you another story: My DH had 2 high-school aged interns through a work study program a few years ago- both female. He was careful to make sure he was never alone with them, either in the office or on a job site. Another guy wasn't so careful. One of the girls stopped showing up, so she was reported back to the program. Guess which guy got arrested when she got kicked out? Her story was she was scared to go back after he forced himself on her.

I know this guy personally, I know he never did anything. But he ended up getting arrested and almost losing his job and wife over this, until the girl finally owned up, weeks later.

 

[basas]

Wow, that's rather harsh. So you would put your children at risk, as well put yourself at risk of false accusations?

Lemme tell you another story: My DH had 2 high-school aged interns through a work study program a few years ago- both female. He was careful to make sure he was never alone with them, either in the office or on a job site. Another guy wasn't so careful. One of the girls stopped showing up, so she was reported back to the program. Guess which guy got arrested when she got kicked out? Her story was she was scared to go back after he forced himself on her.

I know this guy personally, I know he never did anything. But he ended up getting arrested and almost losing his job and wife over this, until the girl finally owned up, weeks later.

When I re-read it, I realized it seemed rather harsh and so I tried to edit it.

 

[ilovejack02]

Wow, that's rather harsh. So you would put your children at risk, as well put yourself at risk of false accusations?

Lemme tell you another story: My DH had 2 high-school aged interns through a work study program a few years ago- both female. He was careful to make sure he was never alone with them, either in the office or on a job site. Another guy wasn't so careful. One of the girls stopped showing up, so she was reported back to the program. Guess which guy got arrested when she got kicked out? Her story was she was scared to go back after he forced himself on her.

I know this guy personally, I know he never did anything. But he ended up getting arrested and almost losing his job and wife over this, until the girl finally owned up, weeks later.

My cousin is a Fed. Marshall. She of course is a tad over the top on the over protective meter, but it comes with her job,bUt to not let my husband take her boys anywhere is not even something close to being on her radar. Nor would I say her husband couldnt take my kids anywhere. Sometimes I think you can be a little too over the top on some issues.
My husband doesnt let the neighborhood girls in the house alone ( several stopped by a while back to see the new kittens when i wasnt home), nor will he bring home babysitters alone, but I have no problem with him being alone with close relatives kids and neither do their parents.

 

["Got Disney"]

Hmmmmm......that will never be my son...at 16 years old he would never go alone with a 35 y.o guy...never. Him just offering would make me suspicious...what is up with these parents dont they read newspapers or watch TV?????

Will be interesting to hear how this all unfolds...

 

[basas]

[QUOTE="Got Disney";17615479]Hmmmmm......that will never be my son...at 16 years old he would never go alone with a 35 y.o guy...never. Him just offering would make me suspicious...what is up with these parents dont they read newspapers or watch TV?????

Will be interesting to hear how this all unfolds...[/QUOTE]

What if the 35 year old was your 16 yo's uncle, and was also single. Would you let him take your son out for dinner (alone) for his birthday?

 

[MushyMushy]

What if the 35 year old was your 16 yo's uncle, and was also single. Would you let him take your son out for dinner (alone) for his birthday?

A cruise and going out to dinner are quite different.

I think the majority of us who think it's a bad idea for a man to be alone with a teen like that are mostly talking about the cruise aspect of it.

And guess what -- looks like in this case, there was cause for concern! Maybe not pedophilia, but definitely something off.

 

[magicmato]

Really? I guess I'm naive or something, then.

Geez, I hope my sister lets me babysit/spend time with her kids, whenever she decides to have them.

If you were my brother, I would let you have them any time you want! Heck, I let my brother do it, but he never asks. Something about the poopie diapers...

Sorry, but people are WAY paranoid. Sure, don't let your kids go off with strangers, but shoot, you aren't going to let your FAMILY take them somewhere? Talk about a lack of trust...