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Had a bit of a moment where I told a 10 year old obnoxious brat to sit down, be quiet and stop ringing the bus bell. As his mother was too engrossed in flappy birds, it's not part of the drivers remit and everyone else seemed to manage to keep their children under control.
Child Sat down, shut up, mother changed app.
Wrong of me, yes but I wonder if my breaking point will change when I'm proud enough to be a dad to kids of my own.
Can you "discipline' someone else's kid? Not like in "the slap" though!
I would have done the same ,my mum is worse she would have threatened to nail the kid to the seat if they didnt sit down and behave
I think it's absolutely reasonable to calmly, politely and firmly verbally discipline other peoples children if the parents / carers are not aware of / interested in the situation.
That said, a few weeks back I told a little girl in my daughters class that it was rude of her to repeatedly tell me I smelt of poo. Affronted, she ran and knocked my daughter over backwards. I asked her to apologise. That night I received an aggrieved email from her mother (followed by a phone call), so I may not be in line with popular opinion...
The police are probably on their way as you speak. There will be a picture of brat and mother looking sad in the local paper by the weekend.
The first time in my life that I've bitten on public transport with the exception of small dick bigots.
Haven't slept in 35 hours.
Feel like my sister! (full time Nanny in Sevenoaks for 15 years, now full time battleaxe)!
Would you have told him off if his dad had been there?
It's ok [b]Martinhutch[/b], I'm on a rampage. Have emailed, twice, the editor and parent company of the local tat rag to question their policies of leaving comments open for cyclists deaths but not motorists and pedestrians.
That's another thread, and it's the Edinburgh Evening News by the by!
Yes, [b]yossarian[/b], if the wretched little spawn was permitted to get on the tits of a whole Monday rush hour bus while mum swiped and dad wondered how on earth this happened to him.
As I said, 8 years of city living, first loss to OHMYGODWILLYOUJUSTSHUTTHE **** UP!
It wasn't a shouty mental episode. Calm and serious, quiet and authoritative. Cunning like fox.
Perfectly reasonable to do it firmly but politely. At least he did what you asked rather than going you a mouthful of abuse. Mother should have been keeping him under control of course.
Mmmm - did you really swear at him? Probably not, you seem like a pretty sound type.
It wasn't a shouty mental episode. Calm and serious, quiet and authoritative. Cunning like fox.
See now, that might be great if you are an adult, might be felt and seen differently by others. Maybe the kid has behavioural problems you don't know about. Lots of variables. Ignoring some or all of them will eventually end up with you getting punched by someone who takes it the wrong way. After all, it isn't their fault you are grumpy because you haven't slept for 35 hours.
My advice, as a parent, is to always talk to the parent UNLESS the kid is putting itself or others in immediate danger. As much as anything it shows respect for them and their child. I'd have lent over to the mum and asked her to get him to stop as the ringing was busting your head up. If mother of the year gives you that look and does nothing then either have a direct word or speak to the driver as it's his bus.
O/P you do know buses, that people who cant aford a bike or car use, tried repeatedly to injure Jeremey Clarkson last night on top gear while he rode a bike, and its repeated at 19.00 hrs tonight on bbc2.
[s]Child was called Mackai. Said so on his bag. But all I heard was "Kay"[/s] < off to wash my judgements away!
Mum was my age, 27ish and had clearly given up all hope. After a decade of trying to get that to sleep before midnight, I would too.
Not a judge on parenting skills, i can't be 'til I have my own sprogs then i'm sure i'll smite down judgements left, right and centre but her entire approach was to ASK the child, persistently, with the same upward inflection tone.
I was told what to do. No questions, no requests, told. I can still hear the spoon-knuckle-interface.
Edit: [b]Yossarian[/b] it was one of those running up and down the aisle scenarios. Lothian Bus drivers do not, ever, ever, ever ever ever get out the cab 'cause this one time a driver got stabbed. Fair enough.
I only spoke after 10 minutes of devil stares. I should add I am the spawn of two senior social workers who literally brought work-children-home.
Where's the psychiatrist ?
I was told what to do. No questions, no requests, told. I can still hear the spoon-knuckle-interface.
Are you a law abiding citizen now? Do you cycle on the pavement for example? 😉
I've told 3lads to smoke their Skunk elsewhere and shouted after a lad who put his takeaway box ontop of a bush infront of a bloody bin. He heard me alright.
Idiots.
Buses. *shivers in horror*
NOT THE PAVEMENT THING!!! I can still see his Michael Gove like pinky-perky-piggy little face. THE PAST SEVEN DAYS HAVE BEEN TOLERABLE ONLY BY THE PEACE I AM HAVING(apparently) RIGHT NOW!
Did what I was told 'til I was 16, that was the conditions set down by dad and it worked. Until I turned 16, of course... (,) (.)
"Hello, yes, is that the valium dispensary?"
😆
Where are the Pinkbike lurkers & is it Cougars night off? shouty shouty angry angry.
peow, peow, justice to the face.
[i]The first time in my life that I've bitten on public transport[/i]
You bit the child? On the FACE??
Aside from that, all parents are different. IF my kid was misbehaving and I wasn't dealing with it, the only thing I'd feel at a stranger having to sort him out, would be embarrassment.
I'm sure there are many parents who would deal with it in very different ways! There are many parents who think their kids can do no wrong and would fly off the handle at the stranger...
I really want some of my own.
But what if they're totally shit. Can I give them back?
What is bad parenting? Or bad children? Surely everything can be modified to a certain degree. With 4 cousins/nephews sitting at various severities on the Autistic spectrum, i'd hazard a guess and say he was permitted to behave like a little shit because his sister sat quiet as a princess and any behaviour problems he did have were a product of his environment, not genetic disposition.
How's that for assumption!
How many coronas is it safe to drink in the bath?
Some years ago we were in the ferry terminal returning from the TT on the Isle of Man. As is usual the ferry was very late and it was the early hours of the morning. Hundreds of grumpy bikers sitting about or tring to catch 40 winks. This young girl of about 10 or 12 finds that the bins have swing lids and that they squeal like a banshee when spun round. On and on she goes. Somone asks her to please stop as it's annoying. Chavvy mother goes ballistic at him "don't tell my kids what to do they can do what they like" etc.
Queue LOTS more squeaking. Everyone is seriously pissed off by now.
After a while I had a brainwave and wandered out to my bike.
Coming back in I casually strolled up to the bin (I had an audience as you can imagine) and whipped out a can of chain lube, shaking the ball in it loudly in the air. Kid sees what I'm about to do and literally clawed at my arm leaving a mark white her finger nails, but I gave the bin 2 quick squirts of lube and a test spin
Silence
The room broke into applause, there must have been 200 people clapping.
I spoke to the mother;
"I can do every bin in the room if you want but I suggest she stops pissing people off and sits down"
The mother couldn't say a word. She was furious but knew I'd won. The kid spun the now silent bin, burst into tears and ran off.
I returned to my seat to more applause. Quiet descended and we all got a snooze in.
Well done mr_Poddy...
Mind you, I never tell the vagrants to turn the dubstep off.
I should though.
...
CONTAMINATION! EARTH TO PETERPODDY!
If it were me I like to think I would speak to the parent if I felt the need to get involved.
Because for ten minutes the mother had made quite audible requests for him to stop ringing the bell and bonking people on the head with an empty Ribena bottle, I thought it best not to pity her but to surprise the child with politeness.
Good on you cfinnmore.
My father-in-law runs a coach company and has in the past driven off route on a stage service to the police station where little scroat who had bust the skylight off on a dual carriage way was arrested for criminal damage & endangering life as the skylight struck the windscreen of a passing car.
As for school coaches he has a catalog of horror stories!
Good for you, I wish more people would do the same.
But, what's this public transport thing you talk of? Is that the big red thing you get on when you are too drunk to drive/cycle?