----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003
9:59 PM
Subject: RE: [Sndbox] FL. Boy fined
on bike
Depends Angela. If the kid (or
the 19 y/o) was jumping the hill and it was accidental then yes I'd be
saying the same thing. It's not like this kid got it in his head,
hey I'm going to go see if I can score a car this afternoon. There
are things that are just accidents. This, IMHO, was one of those
things. It was an accident. Accidents happen. Could he
have gotten hurt? Yes, sure. We could have gotten hurt at camp
when we set people's underwear on fire with a torch made from a match and
a can of off too.
We've gotten to the point where we
want to legislate every aspect of life. Wear a helmet on your bike
kid, don't jump a sand hill kid, no swimming in the pond by the quarry kid
it might be dangerous. Sometimes life is a little dangerous.
And sometimes accidents happen.
It's a good thing I'm not a kid today,
because there is no way in the world I'd wear a helmet to ride a freaking
bicycle. And I'd probably jump a few sand hills. God knows I
jumped over my share of picnic tables on one. I've even hit a car or
two on accident. No one made a federal crime out of it. If
punishment was deserved my family took care of it. There was no need
to bring the cops into it.
That's partly what is wrong with
society these days. Everyone wants to either call the cops or sue
over things that really are unimportant.
Charles
Mims
But throwing a rock through someones window didn't put your life in
danger (except for maybe by your grandfather). When you are out on the
street, riding a bike, if you don't use common sense you can be killed. I
agree maybe for the first offense try talking it out with the parents, but
if that doesn't work, then fine him. If talking to him doesn't teach him
the lesson, maybe having to pay a fine will. But I do think this teaches
kids at an early age that their parents can't always get them out of a
situation they have gotten themselves into. Would you all be bitching if
it was a 19 y/o that was riding his bike and hit a
car?
Sure, but what ever happened to
parents talking out a problem like this? When I was about 10 or so
I threw a rock through a window. That was illegal.
Destruction of private property you know. I suppose they could
have called the cops you know...I was even technically
trespassing. You know how it was handled? My grandfather
went to the people's window I broke and made a deal. He would pay
to fix the window and handle my punishment. You know what?
It worked. There is absolutely no reason that same kind of common
sense couldn't have worked in the issue being
discussed.
Charles
Mims
Last I checked, kid or adult not obeying the rules of the road
was illegal too. If they are going to be on their bikes in the road they
have to obey laws just like anyone else regardless of
age.
In a message dated 11/5/2003 6:45:52 PM Eastern
Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
What I don't
understand is why no one feels that a kid on a bike has to obey
rules of the road and rights of way the same as anyone else on the
road. I know....I'll just go out in my car and start hitting people.
maybe some people feel that kids are just
kids and they can make mistakes. the kid wasnt out in the road
trying to run people off the street, he was playing with friends. Last
time i checked that wasnt a major crime however hitting
pedestrians is :))
