These people are in charge of children!

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Timmytree
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These people are in charge of children!

Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:28 pm

Making deliveries on the school campus today I was followed by an Audi estate, no problem there except that as I looked in my rear view mirror I realised that the male driver had a small child on his lap "steering" the car. The lady with me in the van looked back and confirmed it and at that point the red mist descended.
I swerved the van sideways to block the road, handbrake on and got out, the driver of the Audi made to drive around me so I jumped in front of him and banged my fists on the bonnet and shouted at him to stop. He did stop so I got alongside the drivers door and he wound down the window. I asked what the hell he was doing driving with a child on his lap, his reply? "It's private property so I haven't broken any laws"
Well I gave him chapter and verse about inadequate parents, imbecile drivers etc and refused to move until he had put the child in the proper child seat which he eventually did. This moron is a house parent at one of the boarding houses, helping to care for 30+ children but he can't even look after his own little girl properly.
I've taken this higher, reported to head of boarding and the school headmistress and I don't give a damn if it causes me problems, this plank absolutely made my blood boil, if it wasn't for the kid being there I would have happily punched the crap out of him.
Intelligent people teaching kids? Arseholes!

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Gixxerboy
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:41 pm

Really?????? Is this a wind up?? :? :?

Personally I don't see the problem with what he did. Remember doing the same as a kid myself when we got near home and I've done it myself with one of my own children who loved it. If he was on private property and not thrashing around like Colin Macrae I really think no harm done. Not like he's driving down the third lane of the motorway is it.

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Blackbaronfish
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:45 pm

Omg I hope you've calmed down now Tim .We wouldn't want a buster blood vessel :D

Ray
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Brooksy
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Thu Mar 02, 2017 9:05 pm

I agree with Tim, a school campus isn't private property, it is a public place. A guy I knew was breathalised and failed in a field that was being used as the car park for the Cheshire Show, if it isn't locked it's public.
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Timmytree
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Thu Mar 02, 2017 9:33 pm

Gixxerboy wrote:Really?????? Is this a wind up?? :? :?

Personally I don't see the problem with what he did. Remember doing the same as a kid myself when we got near home and I've done it myself with one of my own children who loved it. If he was on private property and not thrashing around like Colin Macrae I really think no harm done. Not like he's driving down the third lane of the motorway is it.


So if he'd had an accident with one of the lorries, minibuses, tractors or cars that use this road every day, if his little girl had been crushed against the steering wheel it would have been ok then? What if he'd lost control and run over one of the pupils at the school? This bloke is a teacher, a mentor and entrusted with the care of boarding pupils but is willing to risk the life of his own child?

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Blackbaronfish
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:46 am

I think a few of us did this years ago when the country lanes or parks had little traffic. The road that Tim is talking about has a lot more going on and an accident is more likely.
As the person is in charge of children professionally then this was an error of judgement.

BBF
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Raj
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:06 am

We are all correct here ... My girls have driven on a deserted permission when we have been out shooting. Friendly farmer who was informed and didnt mind, roads between fields on acres of land, the worse damage if it went wrong would have been to my car or a bit of mud ... no problem.
Timmy's case is clearly different because like him, there could be other road users there too. And even if the little one or her dad made no mistakes behind the wheel, I am not sure where they would stand with insurance if they ended up in a prang with another careless driver. I think the issue here lies with the bloke's interpretation of what is a 'private road'.
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Kwaka
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:02 pm

I wholeheartedly agree with Tim on this one. For one in charge of children this is a massive lapse in judgement. I hope that you reported him to the school. If he had of had a crash and the airbag deployed the closeness of the child to the airbag may have caused serious injury or death.

I applaud your actions as I have done something similar.

I was answering an e-mail on my phone parked up in the car park, whilst my wife was taking our daughter in to her swimming lesson. I had just finished the e-mail when I looked up and saw one of the grandparents and her husband driving in to the car park I thought i saw a tuft on blond hair just above the dashboard but could not be sure. I watched the two grandparents and their blond haired grandson get out of the van. I let them get into the swimming pool then I had a look in the front of the van, as I has suspected, two seats only and no child seat! The child had been stood in the foot well. I went into the pool and told my wife, she just said "Well that's a call to the police then" I didn't disagree.

After swimming I waited outside until these people came out. They got in the van but before they drove off I knocked on the window and told them that if they went to leave the car park I would be reporting them to the police as I had already taken their reg number. The grand mother straight away said that she knew it was wrong to which I replied why have you done it then? But its only a short journey was the answer! I told them that if it was that short then they could walk, which is what the grandmother and child did whilst he drove the van back. I have to say I was outraged that people who would claim to want to protect their loved ones would act in such an irresponsible manner. I did keep my calm but I was shaking.

Where I used to work the families regularly put more people in a car than there were seats, fine if it all goes well, however when it goes wrong its carnage. Unrestrained people moving around a suddenly stopped vehicle is something that you would not wish to see (or deal with) the consequences of. People who undertake these actions should be forced to see the results, a quick trip to the morgue to see the end result would soon sort them out!

The rules are there, they are simple, they are there for your; and others protection - end of!

Sorry if that seems like a bit of a rant but I've seen and done too much to have anything approaching any kind of leniency in that respect.
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Raj
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Fri Mar 03, 2017 5:54 pm

OK .... before anyone has a go at me, in my example it was my teenage lass in the driving seat (after they were tall enough to reach the pedals without trouble) ... not toddlers on my lap while I was driving. The latter is certainly dangerous.
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Kwaka
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Re: These people are in charge of children!

Fri Mar 03, 2017 5:59 pm

Raj wrote:OK .... before anyone has a go at me, in my example it was my teenage lass in the driving seat (after they were tall enough to reach the pedals without trouble) ... not toddlers on my lap while I was driving. The latter is certainly dangerous.



Not having a go mate, I remember doing the same around fields just before I learned to drive on the roads. The difference as you rightly pointed out was, big enough to reach the pedals and be securely belted in.
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