[manimal]

So i'm out riding with the boy at the local (city ordained) jump park. the place is so new that the "helmets required" signs haven't been put up yet but we've been told to let people know that you must have a helmet to ride the place...pretty simple request for such a rad place. anyhoo.....10 yr old kid roles up on his huffy w/ no helmet. i politely inform him that he needs a helmet to ride here, he says "ok" and rides off. a few minutes later, the kid returns with his dad who tells me that i have no authority to tell his kid that he can't ride here.

i then inform the dad that it is not only the park's policy but STATE LAW that his kid can't ride w/out a helmet since he's under 16. the verbal judo goes back and forth and he tells me that i don't know what i'm talking about. i tell him i'm a cop; he starts saying that i'm harrassing him in my off time (even though i only mentioned the cop thing because he challenged my knowledge of the law).

long story short.....the dude storms off and says that he's going to the city to get this place torn down because its too dangerous. i follow him to his car and let him know that the city will probably laugh at him when he tells them that he's upset because his kid couldn't ride w/out a helmet.

then i told the kid i was sorry that his dad didn't care about his safety and left.

so anyway, that was my vent. dude made me so friggin mad! why couldn't he just man up and get the kid a helmet? i wish that had happened in my jurisdiction, i would have charged him w/ child endangerment, probably would have been dropped in court but he's still have the hassle of it

 

[manimal]

oh yeah, here's a pic of one of the tables at the park. (named "country park") ...such a fun place

 

[quadricolour]

So you assert that cops tend to have a good understanding of the law?

 

[kinghami3]

Yeah parents can be stupid; a little overprotective in the wrong way. My parent's always made me wear a helmet, and I was thanking them today as I was riding down the hill on my roadie desperately trying to keep up with traffic and realizing that I didn't have my helmet on.

 

[d-sop]

wat a prick

 

[escapeartist]

I was out there today too, every mtb'er there had a helmet on and every bmx'er didnt. When did u get out there?

 

[Transcend]

You shoudl beat him to the p unch, and call the city and tell them he tried to have his kid ride without a helmet...then issue his ass a ticket for it. Tell him it's simply an idiot tax.

 

[-dustin]

maybe it's just me, but shouldn't the city have had the signs ready, i don't know...before the park was opened?

i doubt that would have helped this guy's attitude any, but then you could've at least said "yo, asshat, read the sign."

 

[BSEVEER]

They probably should have had the signs up already but that guy still sound like a total idiot.

 

[manimal]

maybe it's just me, but shouldn't the city have had the signs ready, i don't know...before the park was opened?

i doubt that would have helped this guy's attitude any, but then you could've at least said "yo, asshat, read the sign."

signs are in the works. "official" opening day isn't until may.....regardless, state law is state law and that douchebag didn't comprehend

 

[valve bouncer]

Try this Manimal. Ask the little bloke if his old man is around. When the old boy comes over inform that in case he doesn't know, the law is now that everyone needs to wear a skid-lid and pretty soon signs will be going up here to that effect and I'd just thought you'd like to know that in case there are over zealous cops around.

 

[MMike]

Was the guy smoking around his kid? That would be the icing on the cake.

 

[MMcG]

I can't believe your town has a Public Dirt Jump park! That's cool as hell in it's own right!

But yeah that DAd is a total asshat!

 

[mattv2099]

That dumbass is probably angry because he knows that a decent helmet costs 10 times as much as that crappy huffy he bought his kid.

 

[shocktower]

How dare you ,just let the kid ride with out the helmet ,you have to look at the gene pool he comes from it obviously will be better ,cause he will prolly be just like his dad

 

[rpk1988]

But if he doesnt wear a helmet and crashes, he and his dad will probably sue for you not telling him he had to wear a helmet. So its a lose lose situation that could have been resolved if the dad just said Okay let me go get my kid a helmet so he doesnt hit his head and i have to hand feed him for the rest of my life and read him picture books.

 

[JRB]

I can't believe you are worried about safety and you don't have your feet on the pedals.

 

[Damn True]

But if he doesnt wear a helmet and crashes, he and his dad will probably sue for you not telling him he had to wear a helmet. So its a lose lose situation that could have been resolved if the dad just said Okay let me go get my kid a helmet so he doesnt hit his head and i have to hand feed him for the rest of my life and read him picture books.

No, what he'll do is sue the city for allowing "unsafe structures" to exist on public property like they do here in San Jose.

 

[Dirt Merchant]

"get my kid a helmet so he doesnt hit his head and i have to hand feed him for the rest of my life and read him picture books."

That's the funniest non-funny thing I've read in quite some time!

 

[rpk1988]

"get my kid a helmet so he doesnt hit his head and i have to hand feed him for the rest of my life and read him picture books."

That's the funniest non-funny thing I've read in quite some time!

Haha you like that. My parents used to always tell me that.

 

[Mike Like Bikes]

you should mess him up witha night stick

 

[rpk1988]

What do british people call a night stick again, I forgot?

 

[stinkyboy]

10 yr old kid roles up on his huffy w/ no helmet. i politely inform him that he needs a helmet to ride here, he says "ok" and rides off.

OR..... Mind your own business!

 

[stinkyboy]

you should mess him up witha night stick

You're brilliant.

 

[pnj]

I hate when people try to tell me what to do for my own safety.......

 

[kinghami3]

That's right, just sit there and watch a 10 year old who doesn't know any better crack his head open on the pavement. Remember to not buckle up and that only you can start forest fires while you're at it. Too bad it costs the state a bundle to fix your own stupid mistakes; it's everyone's taxes.

 

[stinkyboy]

I never wore a helmet growing up and many parents today are too overprotective of their children. You can't even play dodgeball in schools anymore because it "isolates weaker children" Welcome to the world, baby! If I send my kid out the door without full downhill gear, that's my choice. Not another parent's. You're going to fall down and get banged up in life and it's hard to watch, but neccessary to raising a strong and independent person.

 

[firetoole]

I second that emotion, but if there are obvious things you can do to cut down on the risk or severitty of an injery then why not. The last time I saw a guy in a wheel chair I wasn't thinking man that guy is tough.

 

[stinkyboy]

Do you think that kid is riding today with a helmet?

Mr. policeman's intervention did what?

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I never wore a helmet growing up and many parents today are too overprotective of their children. You can't even play dodgeball in schools anymore because it "isolates weaker children" Welcome to the world, baby! If I send my kid out the door without full downhill gear, that's my choice. Not another parent's. You're going to fall down and get banged up in life and it's hard to watch, but neccessary to raising a strong and independent person.

So you don't have your children wear a helmet when they ride a bike?

 

[rpk1988]

Price of wearing a helmet...$25
Brain Surgery at the age of 10...$50,000
Reading color books and hand feeding your children for the rest of their lives...priceless.

 

[kinghami3]

I never wore a helmet growing up and many parents today are too overprotective of their children. You can't even play dodgeball in schools anymore because it "isolates weaker children" Welcome to the world, baby! If I send my kid out the door without full downhill gear, that's my choice. Not another parent's. You're going to fall down and get banged up in life and it's hard to watch, but neccessary to raising a strong and independent person.

But kids don't get killed playing dodge-ball! I agree that parents can be overprotective, but they can be under-protective too; there is a big fat obvious line between teaching letting your kid experience the world and sending them off to spill their brains over the pavement. Playing dodge-ball they can learn from their mistakes, but chances are that after getting hit by a car the wont be around to learn from their mistake of not wearing a helmet. Kids don't have the ability to discern what is dangerous and what is not and have a tendency to walk/ride out in front of and into things. If my parents hadn't brought me up to be somewhat safety conscious I WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW, I have no doubts about it. As an adult, if you're willing to not wear a helmet then so be it; you're responsible for yourself. But there are some unrecoverable mistakes that all parents should make their kids avoid. If they don't then that parent is risking their kid's life, not their own, and for the sake of a $20 helmet, or any price, it is not worth it.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

stinkyboy I'm waiting for your answer? You don't have your kids wear a helmet?

 

[manimal]

Do you think that kid is riding today with a helmet?

Mr. policeman's intervention did what?

Hey genius....i could care less if that kid spreads brain matter all over the road. my "intervention" was mostly selfish. the rules at the city ordained park is that EVERYONE wears a helmet. what happens when no one says anything to those who decide not to wear one and they get hurt? it's called a lawsuit and we lose a badass legal park.

so screw you and your anti-law undertones, maybe one day you'll have to worry about losing a kick-arse riding spot because some "we did it when we were kids" idiot thinks he doesn't have to abide by the park rules.

i did that same thing that any responsible rider would have done to ensure the longevity of his/her riding spot. the cop thing only came out when he told me that i didn't know the law. so don't turn this into a "cop is out ordering people around while off duty" thread. more like a "rider that is tired of losing good riding spots because of dumbarse parents" thread.

 

[stinkyboy]

stinkyboy I'm waiting for your answer? You don't have your kids wear a helmet?

I don't have kids, but no I would not require them to wear a helmet. Seriously.

 

[stinkyboy]

Hey genius....i could care less if that kid spreads brain matter all over the road. my "intervention" was mostly selfish. thread.

Oh no, we're gonna get sued. Boo freaking hoo. And we lose the park...whatever dude! That's straight BS. According to you, this kid was breaking the law by not wearing a helmet. No suit. Period. I'm all for sticking to the rules of a park, but are you an employee? Your "selfish" interest is overshadowed by your quote: "then i told the kid i was sorry that his dad didn't care about his safety and left." I'm not anti law. I'm anti jerk that needs to mind his business.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I don't have kids, but no I would not require them to wear a helmet. Seriously.

I'll let you in on a little secret, I said similar things, but now that I have 2 kids 5 & 2 I protect them with my life. Once you become a parent you'll see it in a different light trust me. The last thing you'd EVER want to see is your child get hurt especially from a parents negligence. I let my 5 year old ride our local BMX track all the time, I want and encourage him to ride, but safety first. Not saying a helmet is full proof, but it defiantly can't hurt. Manimal wasn't being a jerk for suggesting a child to wear a helmet, he's protecting a child................... It's parental instinct, he's just being a dad and the last thing he wants to see is some 10 year old get seriously hurt from something that may be prevented.

 

[stinkyboy]

But kids don't get killed playing dodge-ball!.

Then why can't they play?!

If this kid was on a Huffy, how big was he going? 10 years old on a junk bike. Let him fall in the dirt a couple times. When he starts doing backflips, he'll know he needs a helmet.

 

[rpk1988]

If this kid was on a Huffy, how big was he going? 10 years old on a junk bike. Let him fall in the dirt a couple times. When he starts doing backflips, he'll know he needs a helmet.

Good point.

 

[stinkyboy]

I'll let you in on a little secret, I said similar things, but now that I have 2 kids 5 & 2 I protect them with my life.

I have a girlfriend that has a 2 year old. I'm over one day and the kid starts crying and I said what's up, your boy's crying." She says: I don't run every time he crys. I can tell if he's hurt by the sound of the cry, and this way he is forced to deal with things on his own" That may sound cold to some, but I think it's showing wisdom beyond her 25 years.