Please make sure your kids have brakes on their bikes

[tiggersmom2]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed


And I'm not worried about the kid dying, he reaped what he sowed.

O......M......G!!!!! I CANNOT believe that you made this comment - I hope you never have kids.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by tiggersmom2
O......M......G!!!!! I CANNOT believe that you made this comment - I hope you never have kids.

I personally think a kid who does something silly a few times in his life (even if it's something that puts his life in jeopardy) would grow up to be a better parent than someone who has no sympathy for a child who lost his life due to a mistake he made.

Silly mistakes, we all make.

Feeling no sympathy for a 15 year old child, YES 15 yo's may be teens but they are still CHILDREN, who does something risky and pays the ultimate price for it is very, very scary.

By the way, the Darwin awards are usually geared towards ADULTS who do things like get drunk and jump into the killer whale tank at Sea World. And even THEM I feel sorry for.

Lack of sympathy and empathy is indicative of a very cold person.

 

[Disfan1]

Teenage boys are very into the "here" and "now". My 14 year old DS is an honor student and almost an Eagle Scout but he still has moments where he does not seem to be thinking one minute ahead, much less considering how a decision could go awry. ALL kids, even good kids, make snap judgements that are sometimes not for the best. I feel for the boy's family, the driver who hit him (I've hit a bike rider myself, non-fatal THANK GOD! ) and yes, I feel for the boy who did not think that one decision through.

 

[ErikdaRed]

See thats just it, I have plenty of sympathy, just not for the kid. As I said, I feel really bad for the parents who had to outlive their child. I feel even worse for the driver that killed him. These people will need to live with the guilt and loss for what was a easily preventable occurance.

Would this kid be a better adult if he had lived? Probably, but we will never get the chance to know now. Should this kid have known not to take the brakes off his bike? Definitely.

As far as the concern for my progeny. You can believe that I will instill in them a respect for motor vehicles (bicycles included) before I let them ride in or near traffic. And I will have all the sympathy in the world when they make mistake, but not when they should know better.

 

[ErikdaRed]

And is it just me, or is this thread making a good argument for not letting teenagers drive? Since they are in the moment and all, and don't think things through?

 

[Ibelieveinfairies]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
And I'm not worried about the kid dying, he reaped what he sowed.

I hope you are not as cold-hearted as your posts make you seem...perhaps you are just feeling defensive about making obviously offensive remarks. The crazy thing about life is that we all make decisions that put our lives in jeopardy without even being aware. Do you know for certain that there are no drunk drivers on the road every time you leave your house? How about whether there might be some yet unseen, undetected disease ravaging your body. This kid made a bad choice and paid the ultimate price...to say he deserved it is just absolutely unfeeling. I guess you are living up to your namesake...Erik was known for his temperment as you will always be known now to me for yours.

 

[ErikdaRed]

As I said, if he was doing what he was supposed to be doing and got hit, thats horrible. HE REMOVED HIS BRAKES. It is not the same as getting hit by a drunk driver, or getting a disease.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
And I will have all the sympathy in the world when they make mistake, but not when they should know better.

Please do not have children. If you can honestly say that if your own child, whom you brought up right and who 'should have known better' makes one mistake, gets' caught up in being a kid, gives in to peer pressure or whatever the reason that your years of teaching failed for an instant, and he/she loses his life, you'd have no sympathy, PLEASE do not have children. And consider counseling.(I do not mean that as an insult).

 

[SandraM]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
As far as the concern for my progeny. You can believe that I will instill in them a respect for motor vehicles (bicycles included) before I let them ride in or near traffic. And I will have all the sympathy in the world when they make mistake, but not when they should know better.

That will reassure you if any of them ever ignore your instructions and make a fatal mistake.

 

[ErikdaRed]

Okay, I just don't see operating any vehicle without brakes in traffic as a "mistake". I see it as reckless endangerment, no matter what the age. If you are immature enough to recklessly endanger your life, you shouldn't be off the leash.

As far as my children making fatal mistakes, I would mourn their loss, but would be more worried about the emotional state of my wife and my other kids.

 

[Ibelieveinfairies]

I would worry for your wife and other kids, as well, considering how you would choose to look at that fatal mistake!

 

[ErikdaRed]

There is a difference from the view/emotions involved with cause of death, and those on the death itself. As I said, I would always mourn my child's death, whether he was an idiot and caused it or not.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
There is a difference from the view/emotions involved with cause of death, and those on the death itself. As I said, I would always mourn my child's death, whether he was an idiot and caused it or not.

Yes. Some people might call the CAUSE of this death senseless, and preventable. But no caring person in their right mind would refer to the deceased 15 year old as "an idiot".

 

[bumcat]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
As far as the concern for my progeny. You can believe that I will instill in them a respect for motor vehicles (bicycles included) before I let them ride in or near traffic. And I will have all the sympathy in the world when they make mistake, but not when they should know better
_________________________________________________


So if you have two kids and one dies from making an honest type mistake and the other child dies from making a careless wreckless type mistake would you mourn one less than the other?

According to your responses so far your answer would have to be yes.
If you answer no then your replies make no sense.

 

[ErikdaRed]

Oh give me a break! What would you call someone that caused their death by disabling a safety device that would have prevented it?

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I have to agree with Erik on the teen driving post. I think that 15 or 16 being the legal driving age is way too young. I know there will be fights in my house when my DS is 16, but I just do not think I will let him drive or be a passenger with other teens as the drivers. There have been too many fatalities around here lately.

Oh, and can we ease up on Erik? I know he said some outrageous things, but he says he has sympathy for the parents and driver. When you come right down to it, does the kid actually need sympathy at this point? Either you believe he is in a better place, or that he is lifeless. Either way, I don't think HE is the one in need of sympathy. Given that Erik has sympathy for everyone else involved, I think we should let it alone.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
Oh give me a break! What would you call someone that caused their death by disabling a safety device that would have prevented it?

I would not call them anything, esp. not if they were A CHILD. I would feel sorrow for the loss of their life that ended too soon.