In a message dated 26/02/2007 15:07:53 GMT Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I keep hoping having more than one (two at the most) kids will soon become seriously socially unacceptable globally. When my only child was young (over thirty years ago now) it was social unacceptable to be seen to have children at all, on holiday we couldn't contemplate taking our (well behaved) daughter into pubs, hotels looked unfavourably on families and prams/pushchairs were an absolute no-no almost everywhere. Nowadays (to the frustration, I'm sure, of everyone who suffered as we did in the early 70s) buggies are used as a sign of importance, an entrance ticket to everywhere and as a weapon of mass destruction to force lesser mortals out of the way. Chelsea taxis and virility symbols (people carriers) are seen as the only valid form of transport for the modern generation. Having two or three totally out of control under-seven year olds creating havoc is a statement to demonstrate your importance and value to society. Since the mid eighties, overdressed and under-controlled designer children have been used as personal accessories supplanting jewellery. I await (with trepidation) the introduction of the child-in-mind euro-compliant narrowboat. Perhaps through the mechanism of this list we could compile or design the characteristics of the boat for the new millennium which appeals to the generation of today. For example, where would you fit the buggy locker, air bags, the child safety seats and the 'children on board' dangling diamond amongst other things? Arthur Naylor nb Fuddy-duddy [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
