Do you mind being the parent for a change?!

[Midorikawa]

So I was in the local mall (which is funny. the mall here is about as big as the city itself.) the other day headed to <big national game seller>, and there were a couple with about 5 kids running in circles covering the entire corridor. There was no avoiding them or taking another route, so I moved quickly to get by, watching to make sure I didn't trip over the unsupervised hyperenergetic offspring, when out of nowhere, 3 more kids run out of a store (clearly these parents as the kids look just like them, and there's noone else nearby) and run my feet over with a stroller weighed down with tons of toys and who knows what. I was only wearing some thin canvas shoes and may as well have been barefoot under this onslaught.

I hopped on one foot in pain, while the kids giggled at my reaction and hid behind the young couple. The couple turns to me and glares as if _I_ was at fault.

Me: Why aren't you supervising your kids?!
Mom: Why aren't you watching where you're going?!
Me: I was. They ran from behind you. Furthermore, they ran into me. I was already there. If you were doing the 18+ year long job you signed up for when you had them, I wouldn't have 2 crushed feet right now, now would I?
*dad suddenly looks embarrassed and apologizes for what happened, then quickly gathers the kids up and takes them off towards the nearest exit*

Yeah, I was maybe a bit mean, but I'd had a long day at work, and wasn't in the mood for more of this carelessness, so whatever. Kudos to the dad, since he came around...kids need a good disciplinarian though.

[Green_Fairy]

yay! you did the most awesomest thing ever!

[EvilEmpryss]

I had what I thought was going to be a very sucky encounter with a parent this morning, but was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. There's a little boy (6-8 years old, tops) who has to wait for his bus at a corner near my home. Problem is, both streets are narrow, neither have a sidewalk, and where he stands is *in* the street in the shadow of a house with the rising sun behind the house and the kid is wearing a black coat so he's next to impossible to see until you're right on him with your car. In the last week I've almost hit him three times. This morning it scared me so bad that I actually stopped and asked him which house he lived in.

I knocked on the door and was greeted by mom in a nightgown and slippers. She looked supsicious and not at all happy to be woke up. In as polite a way as I could think of I told her I was concerned about her child being hit by a car where he was standing, and I thought she needed to know how dangerous a spot it was. Come to find out the boy wasn't standing in the place he was supposed to be standing, and mom was horrified.

By the time I left I wasn't sure if he was going to get a whooping or not, but I'm pretty sure he won't be standing in the dangerous place in the morning. So keep the faith... some of us parents really *do* take the job seriously.

[Dips]

That was just awesome, EvilEmpyress.

For all you know you may have saved his life.

Well done!

[EvilEmpryss]

Thank you!

Sure enough, the little boy was standing in a safer spot this morning (well up in a driveway under one of those big rolling basketball hoops). No way he could be hit by an inattentive driver now.

Here's to hoping he stays there.

[jjllbb]

Reminds me of the lady who was letting her daughter ride a bike around the store to test it (ignoring all those "don't ride the bikes for your own safety" signs).

The store was empty and this girl was old enough and coordinated enough to have excellent control of the bike.

She looked bored, then looked at me, and came full on at me, crashing into my leg.

The mother and daughter giggled together as I rubbed my shin. It had really hurt. And i couldn't even say anything about it because i was SO very shocked that her mother didn't do anything or even APOLOGIZE!

[Marszenka]

jjllbb:

D8

Well done to Midorikawa and EvilEmpress! Three cheers for people everywhere who call attention to bad parenting, and three cheers for bad parents who wise up!!

[blas]

Ever since the incident at Wal-Mart and the little shit in Heelies, if I see kids, I go the other way as quick as I can.

That bruise on my hipbone lasted quite a long time, and that smug look on that little brat's face after he literally bounced off of my hipbone.......it was almost as if he had been trying to run into someone.

[elsporko]

I go ice skating very rarely. Only when I'm taking people from work, so I'm not good and don't get much practice. I'm constantly almost hitting little kids, or a few times actually hitting them. I think they assume that since I'm older I'm able to get out of the way, not true, I can't even stop. The parents need to drill it into their heads that they need to actually pay attention to those around them and not cut people off, even if they're playing tag with their friends.

[EvilEmpryss]

See, the problem with heelies is that they don't have breaks.

That's why I only wear mine when I'm using my walker. Yup, that's right, I have a walker with four wheels and hand breaks. I haven't been able to roller skate for years, but this way I can roll fast enough through the mall to keep up with my kids. Once I get rolling I can't stop smiling.

[Green_Fairy]

See, the problem with heelies is that they don't have breaks.

That's why I only wear mine when I'm using my walker. Yup, that's right, I have a walker with four wheels and hand breaks. I haven't been able to roller skate for years, but this way I can roll fast enough through the mall to keep up with my kids. Once I get rolling I can't stop smiling.

i gotta say...i'd love to see that. wind in your hair, rolling down the hall with your walker with "born free" playing in the background...it'd go viral online in under 5 minutes ^_^

[EvilEmpryss]

I'm still looking for flame decals that will fit on the frame.

Hmm... viral video. I might have to consider that if I'm ever desperate for that fifteen minutes of fame.

[blas]

I have nothing against Heelies....hell if I wasn't hoping for Reebok easy tones for Christmas/my bday or Shape Ups, I have been wanting to buy a pair for the longest time for spring and summer workouts.

But then again, normal people don't use their heelies to see how bouncy other people's hips can be