Witnessed a minor (guessing age 7-8ish) as pillion...

[phroenips]

I had to do a triple take. Not only was it a piddly ski helmet, she wasn't even wearing it properly. The front half of her head was completely unprotected (helmet was too far back on her head).

I wanted to pull the adult rider (presumably her father) aside and kick him in the junk. repeatedly.

I hate kids, I really do...but it's inexcusable to put them in that kind of danger.

 

[Thug]

What a complete ******* tool! He needed an smack in the gob for that!

 

[norcal1]

I like the "kick him in the junk repeatedly".

I feel sorry for the kid having such an anal fistula for a father.

 

[ultimateanswer]

On the rare occasion my 6 year old son rides with me he is more geared up than I normally am! There is no excuse for that at all! I had a family of HD riders stop by the shop last summer while they were traveling cross country. Not a single one of those mf's had anything resembling proper gear on! Kids invalided! It was a little more than infuriating! Some people do not think a head and end up as grease spots, and some times unfortunately they take others with them

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

My (now 8) son has taken a few weekend long rides with his mother and I and that kid is covered in head to toe with Moto-Port Kevlar, gloves, over the ankle boots and full face helmet. In fact, that lil' sumbitch has more expensive gear than I do! Yeah, it's one thing to actively forego your own safety for whatever reward you feel you derive from it, but to not protect those who trust you to make the right decisions for them or who can't make the choice themselves is pretty *** in my book.

That shoulda been called in to the police and let them file a child abuse report to DSS or DCF.

 

[phroenips]

That shoulda been called in to the police and let them file a child abuse report to DSS or DCF.

Yeah, I thought about that, but I couldn't take a picture, and I wasn't able to remember the plate number either.

 

[Silver Penguin]

That's a shame. Don't think I had a helmet though, when Dad took me to Grandma's house. Mom was in the sidecare with the baby on her lap, so that makes me about three and a half. I had to sit in the sidecar for the rest of the rally, once my little brother was safely dropped off with the grandparents. When I got older, Dad was a demon about ATGATT, and still is, thank goodness.

 

[Happy Rider]

My (now 8) son has taken a few weekend long rides with his mother and I and that kid is covered in head to toe with Moto-Port Kevlar, gloves, over the ankle boots and full face helmet. In fact, that lil' sumbitch has more expensive gear than I do! Yeah, it's one thing to actively forego your own safety for whatever reward you feel you derive from it, but to not protect those who trust you to make the right decisions for them or who can't make the choice themselves is pretty *** in my book.
That shoulda been called in to the police and let them file a child abuse report to DSS or DCF.

The sky is fallling, the sky is falling, we are all going to die. I should report you for putting an 8 year old on a motorcylce when I'm sure you have a very safe cage that the kid could ride in. Most non riding people would call you an *** hat for endangering your kid in this manner. Mind your own business. It gets very old listining to people in a country that is suppose to be free wanting to impose their idea of safety on others. I've seen small kids doing all kinds of activities that are not safe. Lets report everyone who might endanger a child. I can't believe they let kids ride motorcylces, rock climb, whitewater raft, shoot guns, surf, ski race, play football, ride horses, rollerblade, etc. Let's all live in a bubble and never go outside, we might get sun burned. You should report everyone to the authorities that does something that you feel is not safe. I never wore gear when I was kid and some of the best times that I can remember were on the back of my dads motorcycle. Times have changed and now we have a whole bunch of people that want to tell others how to live. Again, mind your own business and let others live free.

I agree that I should take safety precautions for myself and my passengers. This should be up to me and not some tool that want to tell me that the activity I choose to engage in is unsafe in their opinion. Go to another country and see how others live, say in Asia. No one wears gear and people don't tell on others for just trying to live and be happy. What a concept. Kind of reminds me of the US prior to the 80's.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

My (now 8) son has taken a few weekend long rides with his mother and I and that kid is covered in head to toe with Moto-Port Kevlar, gloves, over the ankle boots and full face helmet. In fact, that lil' sumbitch has more expensive gear than I do! Yeah, it's one thing to actively forego your own safety for whatever reward you feel you derive from it, but to not protect those who trust you to make the right decisions for them or who can't make the choice themselves is pretty *** in my book.
That shoulda been called in to the police and let them file a child abuse report to DSS or DCF.

The sky is fallling, the sky is falling, we are all going to die. I should report you for putting an 8 year old on a motorcylce when I'm sure you have a very safe cage that the kid could ride in. Most non riding people would call you an *** hat for endangering your kid in this manner. Mind your own business. It gets very old listining to people in a country that is suppose to be free wanting to impose their idea of safety on others. I've seen small kids doing all kinds of activities that are not safe. Lets report everyone who might endanger a child. I can't believe they let kids ride motorcylces, rock climb, whitewater raft, shoot guns, surf, ski race, play football, ride horses, rollerblade, etc. Let's all live in a bubble and never go outside, we might get sun burned. You should report everyone to the authorities that does something that you feel is not safe. I never wore gear when I was kid and some of the best times that I can remember were on the back of my dads motorcycle. Times have changed and now we have a whole bunch of people that want to tell others how to live. Again, mind your own business and let others live free.

I agree that I should take safety precautions for myself and my passengers. This should be up to me and not some tool that want to tell me that the activity I choose to engage in is unsafe in their opinion. Go to another country and see how others live, say in Asia. No one wears gear and people don't tell on others for just trying to live and be happy. What a concept. Kind of reminds me of the US prior to the 80's.

Wow. Get angry much?

Let's see. . . . . thread title says, "T-shirt, shorts, flip flops, and a ski helmet." A ski helmet on a bike. . . . yep, sounds pretty f#%*ing stupid to me. And the shorts and t-shirt will go along way, too.

As in any activity in which one cares to endeavor, there are reasonable and prudent steps to minimize the risk. A few examples in which I will use are what you have provided as follows:

rock climbing: proper helmet, gear used for climbing (not just any 'ol rope or caribeeners found at Home Depot)

white water rafting: proper helmet, life jacket, thermal protection if in frigid water

shooting: proper ear and eye protection, appropriate supervision for children

ski race: appropriate helmet (motorcycle helmets may be a wee heavy

surfing: shark repellent with SPF 50

play football: proper helmet (again, recommend sport specific here!), pads, and mouth guard

riding horses: proper helmet ( styling is optional, though I prefer the full face over a flip-up like a Nolan!)

rollerblading: Ah ********, nobody ever gets hurt rollerblading, let's just skip this one, eh Sparky?

The point is, it's not to have people live in bubbles and sit on the couch so that we don't put ourselves in danger. It is to wear reasonable gear while doing those things in which we choose to do. And young kids just don't understand the risks involved with even minor accidents. Have you had a skinned knee from running and tripping on the sidewalk as a child? Remember how you cried cuz it hurt like hell? Now, get on a bike at even 25-30 mph and skin your knee- see how that feels.

Take a poll and see which side of the fence you come out on. Then we'll see who the real ***-hat is. And if you get tired of responsible people having to create rules/regulations that you don't feel you can put up with because of stupid *** people doing stupid things, why don't you move somewhere, like Mexico!

And if other people's stupidity didn't make my insurance rates go up to help support the Brain-injury foundation or whatever the hell it is, then maybe I would mind my own damned business and let people who make their kids brain dead cry over their kids' ICU bed in peace before they decide to pull the plug!

 

[Silver Penguin]

And if other people's stupidity didn't make my insurance rates go up to help support the Brain-injury foundation or whatever the hell it is, then maybe I would mind my own damned business and let people who make their kids brain dead cry over their kids' ICU bed in peace before they decide to pull the plug!

You make a powerful argument there. I have spent time with far too many parents at the bedside of their child when the plug was pulled. The kid wasn't mature enough to know that simple precautions go a long way towards saving lives. Should the child be responsible for their actions? Or should they be guided by a parent who knows about consequences? Believe me, the guilt trip that the parent goes on is not nice. I even experienced a mother who claimed that I was responsible for her unhelmeted bicycling son's fatal accident.

I do agree that living in a bubble, having no fun, isn't the answer. Protecting your kids from their own immaturity is what a loving parent does, while modeling mature behaviors for the child to learn. Then, when the kids are grown and gone, we can ride fast motorcycles!!!

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Bottom line is that I'm not telling people to not have fun and enjoy life. Just to take some reasonable and simple precautions to take care of kids. Not trying to pick a fight or start an argument here.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Hmm...

[sarcasm, for those who don't know me.]

When I was kid, I rode my bicycle WITHOUT a helmet!

How did I ever survive?

When I was a kid, we played back-yard full-contact football.

How did I ever survive?

When I was kid, my brothers and I rode in the back of my dad's pickup, WITHOUT seat belts OR air bags!

How did we ever survive?

[/sarcasm]

Carry on.

 

[ShowMeMo]

I agree that parents that do dumb sh%t and put their kids at undo risk should be 'kicked in the junk' repeatedly... that's why I don't do that with mine (or at least try not to)... but where do you draw the line if you can arrest, fine, jail, etc parents that do something stupid? Kids get more head injuries on bikes than anywhere else, but wearing a bicycle helmet isn't law.. so if my kids jump on their bike and run around the block and get hit by a car... should I be arrested?

Drawing that line is the difference between a free country and not a free country... and I would rather not live in a nanny state!

Now, if you see this ***** again, lets all get together and take turns 'kicking him in the junk'... let's just leave the lawmakers out of it...

 

[ALDAWG]

Hmm...
[sarcasm, for those who don't know me.]

When I was kid, I rode my bicycle WITHOUT a helmet!

How did I ever survive?

When I was a kid, we played back-yard full-contact football.

How did I ever survive?

When I was kid, my brothers and I rode in the back of my dad's pickup, WITHOUT seat belts OR air bags!

How did we ever survive?

[/sarcasm]

Carry on.

Yeah, same here. And, I've got battle scars to prove it. Along with some x-tra lumps. But you have to remember we did'nt have all that cool protective gear available to us when we were kids. Some people just take safety very lightly... cough (Harley guys) cough...and some are more serious. But, knowing what I know now, and having all this cool gear available now, I would'nt let my kid do these things without at least minimal gear. Our kid gives us a hard time in the car if we don't have our seatbelts on, because we as parents have trained him since he was a baby about seatbelts, and helmets and safety. Same thing goes for bike riding, he will go out in the street for a short bike ride, and then play in the yard and still be wearing his helmet. Safety is an integral part of his growing up, but it was'nt for us older people. Thats probably why I spent more time in the hospital at his age, than he did. It's our responsibility as parents to encourage safe thinking as well as the gear. Because the gear is no good if it's just sitting on the garage floor. Damn now I sound like my Mom. I don't like to see other parents doing reckless things with their kids either, but in some cases, I think it just weeds out the gene pool. And their stupidity is our gain, how else are safety equipment manufacturers gonna 'test' their stuff.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Hmm...
[sarcasm, for those who don't know me.]

When I was kid, I rode my bicycle WITHOUT a helmet!

How did I ever survive?

When I was a kid, we played back-yard full-contact football.

How did I ever survive?

When I was kid, my brothers and I rode in the back of my dad's pickup, WITHOUT seat belts OR air bags!

How did we ever survive?

[/sarcasm]

Carry on.

I know, I've done my share of things myself when I was younger, too.

I don't like to see other parents doing reckless things with their kids either, but in some cases, I think it just weeds out the gene pool. And their stupidity is our gain, how else are safety equipment manufacturers gonna 'test' their stuff.

Yep, true enough!

Now, if you see this ***** again, lets all get together and take turns 'kicking him in the junk'... let's just leave the lawmakers out of it...

This was really more of what I meant. I think initially my hands were typing faster than my dots were connecting. I will try harder in the future to type what I mean and mean what I type. I just get so damned irate at people doing really stupid crap. Whether the kid is gonna be able to pass high school or win a Nobel prize, they at least deserve the chance to make it on their own. I know I typed "Notify the authorities, blah, blah, blah" but the truth is if I saw it, I most likely would just shake my head and yell at the ***** and make it known I think he's a fool without calling the cops. Realistically, what the hell are they gonna do? At best, they'd issue a ticket and make someone come get the kid if they don't have an approved DOT helmet (at least in states where this is required).

 

[norcal1]

I read that 10 motorcyclist/scooter riders die every day in Bangkok.

 

[TheZsdad]

This thread does make me wonder just how many MC riders would wear a helmet if the law did not require it.

I live near the border of NC (that has a helmet law) and SC (that does not), I would say the majority of the SC

riders do not wear a helmet while riding in SC. No data just my observation from riding more miles in SC than NC.

I started riding before the law said I must wear a helmet. But surprise I almost always have.

I started driving before seat belts were required. But have almost always worn them.

I rode bicycles before helmets were required by law ( thank God ) still think bicyclist

look goofy in those helmets and the skin tight short. Not sure what is safe about riding

a bike on a busy rural road with 10 cars stacked up waiting to pass you when the road gets

just a little wider. Enough about that one I could go on and on.

How bout the lessons we teach our kids. Look Daddy wears ATGATT and later that evening

parks his Escalade in the fire lane in front of the Super market, **** the rest of you folks I'm only

going to be here a minute.

It's all about choices ... or so I'd like to think. If we had laws to protect us from all our poor

choices would luck become obsolete? More likely as someone else said the gene pool would

really get dumbed down.

 

[MEM]

Hmm...


When I was kid, my brothers and I rode in the back of my dad's pickup, WITHOUT seat belts OR air bags!

How did we ever survive?

Don't forget both parents smoking - with the windows closed ! :blink:

and since I'm sticking my 2 cents in here .... I DO agree that anyone who would take a KID on a motorcycle /ATV / whatever without the appropriate protection IS an :******:

 

[TheZsdad]

Don't forget both parents smoking - with the windows closed ! :blink:

Been there many times but the worst was a trip from Atlanta to somewhere

in the middle of Florida with my cigar smoking uncle. Of course it was summer time

in the mid 1950's. Maybe why I've never smoked cigarettes or cigars as an adult.