Idiot parents giving rides

[Jaybird]

I know this is not the first flame on this issue, but I feel I need to vent....

I live in the country, about five miles from the nearst town. I have some good neighbors just accross the street. These folks are decent people and are no trouble whatsoever. Problem is that every so often, these neighbors have company over and they always end up riding quads. Now, I have no trouble with quads, per se, but these folks and their company always have a gaggle of kids running around. They always end up giving the kids rides on thes quads. Problem is that they NEVER wear helmets...any of them. Just yesturday they were at it again, and some of their guests were obviously not riders of any sort, let alone a quad rider, yet these novice dads feel the need to be the one who takes a little kid into his lap and ride like a bat out of hell when he has no idea of how to ride the thing, let alone have absolutely NO safety gear on at least his kid. I know these folks are good hearted, hard working folks...what could they possibly be thinking???
It amazes me to no end. These are also the type of folks who probably would be the poster boys for the Sierra club and talk about the evils of off-roading...once they've ran out of luck and killed one of their kids while riding like unprotected idiots.
Oh, how I want to run over there and give them a piece of my mind...maybe I should. (shrug)

 

[Senior KX Rider]

I hear ya. There is a guy that lives just down the road from me and in the summer I see him at least once a week, giving all of his kids a ride at the same time. I would love to get a picture of it. The guy and 3 kids ages 13, 9, and 6 all stacked on the same machine, no helmets, going down the road with the quad topped out. Ya really have to wonder about his intelligence. I asked him about it one day and he said he don.t worry about it coz he always takes it easy. Natural selection at work. :D

 

[mackay]

I Hear Ya

We are ahving the same problems up here...people not taking the time to think about "why others wear helments" and IMO its the same thing with ATV's , streetbikes, and snowmobiles..just way too much power and speed for their skill levels. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE speed and power but I believe there is a time and place for everything too.
In my end of the world the Government is in the process of implementing a manditory operators course for ATV ( they consider all offroad vehicles ATV's up here) operators under 16 yrs and all riders carry liability insurance (a first for us). This would be similar to the graduated liscensing system that we have in place for auto's.
Not a bad move on their part now if the adults could get educated and at least wear helments themselves, not drink and drive their quads and not let their kids on these machines without a helment AND supervision....IMO :scream: :scream: :scream:

 

[NEMX305]

We have the same stuff going on in New England. We have already had a few fatalitys this year, and its been the same story with both. Two kids double riding on a quad, no helmets, no common sense, and they either go out on the street, or hit someone on the trail. The biggest problem has to be that the parents look at these things as toys. 4wheels, easy to ride, and they can just hop on them and go.Now that I think about it ,there was a third fatality this year too. A guy on a dirtbike, had a few beers, and no helmet. Again, no respect for what the equipment he was using is capable of. Tim

 

[MONKEYMOUSE]

Yea I have a neighbor that lives behind me with a real nice quad, a 400ex. But hes not all that smart if ya know what I mean. Not only is his back yard all rutted out. But he think he is unstopabull(sp?) at weelies! Yea he can go a good 200ft on it but wears No gear. And to top it off he'll do 'um with is 3 yr. old doughter on his lap. Some times people should think twice.

 

[MikeT]

Originally posted by Senior KX Rider
I hear ya. There is a guy that lives just down the road from me and in the summer I see him at least once a week, giving all of his kids a ride at the same time. I would love to get a picture of it. The guy and 3 kids ages 13, 9, and 6 all stacked on the same machine, no helmets, going down the road with the quad topped out. Ya really have to wonder about his intelligence. I asked him about it one day and he said he don.t worry about it coz he always takes it easy. Natural selection at work. :D

Are you sure he still lives there? My old neighborhood up in Greensboro had a guy that matched your discription exactly. When I'd see him I'd tap the top of my head, like where are your helmets, not withstanding the fact that he is illegally riding on the street. He'd actually give ME a dirty look. I wonder how he's going to feel when one of his three kids falls off that quad and whacks their head on the pavement. I hope the child isn't injured too badly when it does happen, because I'm sure it will. :silly: :silly:

 

[Bliz]

There was an article in our local newspaper about an old timers ATV club. The president of the club was interviewed in the paper and stated that safety was the main concern of the club and they did not wear helmets because helmets cut down on their peripheal vision. How do you argue with stupidity like this?

 

[Honda Rider]

Cuts down on peripheal vison?! LMAO It's gonna cut down on their life span if they keep it up, I mean, you said they were old timers, they don't have much time left!

 

[KamikaziRida]

They had a guy right up the road from me who had a bran new custom built Yamaha Banshee with a 750 gold wing engine on it. well, no expereance, no helmet, he decides to go riding on the highway. well, he looses control and slams head on with a car and kills him.

The worst thing of all is this happens so often. like they had a boy in the parade with a bran new 400EX him and 2 of his friends all must have been under 11 hauling ass down the highway. he hits a pot hole and runs into the ditch and slings his 2 friends off. they all just laugh and take off again, still with the throttle WFO.

WHen are theese people are guna learn, maybe when they kill there own race off.

 

[dirtybkr]

Originally posted by KamikaziRida
750 gold wing engine

No such critter .;)

 

[KamikaziRida]

realy??? well it was something like that 850 or something

 

[jmics19067]

way back when in the 80's when the 3wheelers where getting outlawed because they deemed "unsafe". I heard or read something like 60 to 70 % of all critical or fatal injuries could be attributed to unsafe riding practices<no helmet , 2 on a bike, no experience and yet on the fastest one the rider could get there hands on> and 40% involved achohol and or drugs. makes me wonder :think: if it was really the machine that was unsafe :think:

 

[f4iguy]

Ya might want to talk to your neighbor cause he might just be ignorant when it comes to safety gear. There are some people that really just don't know. I see people all the time on teh freeway with there 8 kids loaded in teh car and not one of them in a seatbelt. And they're probably the first ones to the car manufacturer for wrongful death when they kill thier own kids, stupid people! Makes me sick

 

[WILDTHANG]

Good stories guys. I have one also that is simular in nature. I was camping/rindin at a popular n.calif riding area. The camping area is one large dirt area and everyone camps around the perimeter. People who bring kids up there just let their kids go wild riding in the middle (the thing is that there is a kids track/riding area 300 feet away). It was a very busy weekend; bikes, rails, lots of trailers, etc. and all these kids are bombing around with no parent supervison, A disaster waiting to happen and it did. First, 2 kids hit and a girl broke her leg and next I was in my motorhome(which I had borrowed) and BAM!! I feel the shake, I've been hit! I run outside expecting carnage, what I did see is a quad burried into the side of my motorhome, with a kid repeating OH NO! OH NO! I asked him if he was Ok and he said I didn't know how to stop! The kid and his mom came up there with some guys. The kid said he had never riden anything before and that this guy gave him a helmet and sent him out for a ride on his quad (by himself). They were camped on the other side about 400 feet away, the kid just rode out of their camp and straight into mine, literally. I looked over to their camp and not one person to be seen. I walked over there and had to knock on some trailers to find the kid's mom and the idiot who sent the kid off. They were partying it up and hadn't noticed the kid hadn't come back. The mom was coming down on the kid saying "What Did You Do?". I felt bad for the kid, he didn't know what he was doing. I just felt like draging the idiot guy and mom behind my bike through some single track. The really tragity was that the quad busted my holding tank wide open and let me tell ya, you don't want to know what was coming out of that thing. BTW It's always nice camping next to a septic field and having to use the brick crapper covered with everyones' backfires. Oh ya did I mention the motorhome was barrowed! LOL

WT

 

[dirtybkr]

Originally posted by KamikaziRida
realy??? well it was something like that 850 or something

The smallest Goldwing engine displaced 1000 cc .Thats not to say he didn't have a Honda 750 engine in his Banshee:silly: just saying it wasn't from a Goldwing .Sorry to get so O.T.

 

[thermo]

where im from we have way to many stupid,disrespectful,beligerent,destructive,shameless QUAD riders. around here theyre like roving gangs. ive ridden with some, these are the same guys with huge coolers filled with beer straped to the rack. whooped de do, hillbilly fun!

 

[XRpredator]

whooped de do, hillbilly fun!

Now don'chall go knockin' my cooler full o'beer! Took lot's of them dang ol' bungee cords t'git that sucker held on thar!

 

[Patman]

Common sense is supplied to everyone in different degrees. Evolution of the species dictates that those not equipped to deal with the problems presented to them will fall out. By exposing their offspring to the dangers they are assuming the risk for them. The offspring will either learn a hard lesson or the parent will learn a harder one. It seems quads just help the process along ;)

You can try to help them but in the long run stupid hurts.

Step 1: Fire hot.
Step 2: stick sharp
:confused:

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Originally posted by Patman

Step 2: stick sharp
:confused:

Just ask Gomer... :D

 

[bsmith]

I spent last week out of town, upon my return I see that the neighbor had his kid out, :eek: It looks like he thought my feild was a play ground :scream: :scream: :scream:
The feild in question can't be seen from the house and the center fills up with water, yet he thought it was ok to ride in it since they didn't think I'd planted it yet :( .
Big old puddle of fun.

Common sense, just ain't so common!

 

[70 marlin]

Genetics, those who can will, those who can't ride quads! this week saw bubba riding down the side of a major two lane highway during rush hour, no helmet & musta been a 18 month or 1yr old i on his lab doing at least 40 mph?

 

[CNM]

I just don't understand parents like that. Just yesterday, Cody wanted to go for a ride on my motorcycle with me. I told him I would warm up the engine while he got ready. He already knows what that means, go get a helmet and goggles! Before I got the bike warm, he's standing at the end of the driveway wearing his helmet plus my goggles, chest protector, gloves and knee guards. It was so funny, I just had to laugh! :) I didn't even have to say it twice! He just knows that's how it's going to be if he wants to ride.

On Sunday, I was at a family get together at my grandparents farm. My cousin brought his four wheeler and asked if he could take Cody for a ride. I said no "politely" because he didn't have a helmet. They all kept saying Tommy (my cousin) would be careful and nothing would happen. Finally I said "NO! Cody knows he can't ride without a helmet and there are no exceptions!" They finally shut up! :debil:

Moral of the story, teach kids the right way and they will never question it!

 

[Philip]

Jaybird

Maybe you should go over and point out that it is unsafe what they are doing.
If you keep your head and do it politely and show concern for thier wellfare they should except it. If they listen great, if they don't then at least your conscience will be clean. If something happens you would have showed concern for your neighbor and know you done the right thing. Regardless of how intellectualy challenged the parents are the kids do not know better and at the very least you would be protecting them. ;)

 

[Patman]

Yesterday the little neighbor kid comes over to play with my son. (This kid is one of those little PITA's that I tolorate because we don't have many kids out in the sticks for my son to play with). My son and he go to ride bicycles and Brandon puts his bicycle helmet on and is ready to go when this kids says "You have to wear a helmet? I don't have to wear a helmet." I said "Yes he does and I know you don't." Just to prove money can't buy brains this kids family has a 6,000 sf house, a new Viper in the garage and 8 other new cars around the house along with 3 quads that all the kids ride around the yard on like fools, sans headgear of course.

 

[BEEF706]

You guys remember the stickers Honda gave out to it's dealers? The bandaid that said
'stupid hurts" We took a large stck of them out one day to the local riding area and gave all of 'em out in less than 20 minutes, just couldn't keep up with all of it. Unfortunately I fear it will be the kids htat pay for the foolishness of the adults.