Sad life

[puddock]

While heading off in the car yesterday, my wife and I noticed an elderly man looking a little anxious/ distressed, standing by the road. We doubled back to ask if everything was OK and he told us that there was a young girl wondering around in a small piece of woodland by the road, who was crying her eyes out.
My wife went into the woods and took the young girl out. Apparently, she had been visiting her cousins, had become seperated and started to panic because she was lost.
The poor old gent was obviously upset but was afraid to approach her in case it gave the wrong impression. He had kept her in sight for over 20 minutes but felt he could do little else. We eventually got the girl back to her cousins house about 100 yards away.
Makes you wonder what sort of a world we've created for ourselves...

[Mark]

Makes you wonder what sort of a world we've created for ourselves...

Agree.

I was brought up in a world where every adult was a surrogate parent.

Today's kids live in a world where every adult must be a peado.

I blame the newspapers. (Seriously.)

[Gardenshed]

Puddock
Well done for doubling back and getting involved, making an upset day for the elderly man and the young girl turn out OK.
How many would just drive on by, another symptom of the times?

[Alcyone]

I was sitting on the beach with Tigger a couple of weeks back. Missis had gone to get Ice creams. I'd been on the boat, so was pretty unkempt when two little kids came over to play with the dog. Boy and a girl. Lovely kids, and I was chatting and laughing with them when I suddely had the same feeling. I felt very, very self concious. It was terrible.

I couldn't wait until the missis got back. Made me feel a lot more secure.

Awful, isn't it?

[aquaplane]

How many would just drive on by, another symptom of the times?

I must admit that I have driven on, but only because I felt like the old bloke.

It would be nice if everyone lived in Bob's World and all adults were surrogate parents.

The thing is, I don't believe the World is any more dangerous than it ever has been, I think folk are risk averse, and the media make a big deal out of everything.

[DaveS]

A few years back I drove up to Ullapool to join a Hogmanay hillwalking party. I arrived mid afternoon and, since it was a nice day, the cottage was naturally empty since the earlier arrivals were all on the hill. I therefore took a stroll round the town to kill time. I saw a playpark and noticed that the structures of the swings etc. were made of timber rather than steel. "That's interesting" I thought and went to take a closer look. Then I suddenly thought that a lone male looking at a kiddies' playground might give the wrong impression entirely, so I changed direction and went elsewhere.

Thinking about this later I got quite annoyed that innocent action is constrained in this way.

I agree with others that the world is no more dangerous than it used to be. When I was wee there was a local perv who had an unhealthy interest in kids - "Harry the Homo" we called him in these pre-PC times (when "spastic" and "nigger" were commonly used abusive terms - that really dates me ). Kids aren't daft, we simply kept well away from him. OTOH we were outside playing unsupervised most of the time and could learn about things. I'm not convinced that the current fashion for keeping kids "safe" and teaching "stranger danger" etc. is a real improvement rather than an @rse covering exercise. Then again, I've no kids so thankfully don't have to make such decisions.

[marisca]

Even if you have kids it ain't any easier. Mine were very young in the 80's when the Cleveland child abuse furore kicked off http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_ ... se_scandal. At the time I occasionally bathed with my 4 year old - big Victorian cast iron bath with about a foot of water and I was going to get wet anyway so I might as well get in. Suddenly it was not allowed, my wife had fears of what might happen if my daughter should say something about "bathing with daddy" at nursery school. Something that had been totally innocent was made rancid and guilty. After that more and more things not-to-do arose - don't hang around the girl's entrance to the pool changing rooms waiting for them, hope there's a mother you know to talk to when you pick them up outside school or from Brownies - and so it goes.
Unfortunately, once these thoughts get released there is no going back.

[puddock]

I even feel uncomfortable when there is a lone female ahead of me and she happens to be going the same way ! God knows how many times I have "gone the long way round" just so I don't give the impression of following them.

Don't know about the comments about there being just as much dangers to kids these days as there has always been. I do agree that there have always been wierdos (we had a peeping tom we called The Moth - he couldn't pass a window with a light on and he'd be stuck to the glass. Also had 'feil Kenny', he was doubly unfortunate, in that he was mentally handicapped and thought it perfectly acceptable to masturbate whenever the need took him - which was quite often apparently).
Whilst, obviously, there have always been peodophiles, I definitely think that the internet has 'encouraged' many border line cases to cross the line so to speak. Maybe it has just been a case of more being caught thanks to internet surveillance though.
Also agree with kids being TOO protected these days. I remember growing up in Zambia. As a 5/6 year old I would be raking around in the bush, wearing shorts and flip-flops looking for lizards etc. Snakes never bothered me then but I am terrified of them these days???

[Nick]

.

Whilst, obviously, there have always been peodophiles, I definitely think that the internet has 'encouraged' many border line cases to cross the line so to speak.

The other argument of course is that some may have been distracted from action in the real world by being able to fulfil their fantasies virtually. I don't think there is any proof either way, as is the case with violent video games. I do however think that the redtop media are interested in pushing this and other sensationalist issues in the search for circulation-boosting headlines.

I was appalled when my own kids wouldn't hitch-hike into Aberdeen from our village because they were convinced they would be accosted / molested / interfered with. I hitched many thousands of interesting miles as a teenager and although I was occasionally picked up by drivers of dubious moral integrity I was never murdered or molested.

An overly protected life is simply not worth living IMHO - and if you don't all agree with me then what the hell are you doing messing around in small boats?

[claymore]

I am not joining in with this thread as I am afraid that by doing so I will be judged.....

[Arghiro]

I am not joining in with this thread as I am afraid that by doing so I will be judged.....

Quick, where's my wig, gown & black cap

[Arghiro]

When I was young (yes, I can still remember is - sometimes) it was rumoured that you could earn half-a-crown quite quickly if one went to a certain area near the beach to meet an old man. So who would be "using" or "abusing" who in that situation?

Sure the adult could get arrested & charged, but there was no doubt that some kids were happy to earn a few bob & I doubt it damaged them much.

[puddock]

Sure the adult could get arrested & charged, but there was no doubt that some kids were happy to earn a few bob & I doubt it damaged them much.

[spuddy]

A friend who is a Primary school teacher tells of coming across a male colleague in the corridor with distraught pupil. " Quick, Sam, this child needs a hug". Sam is female of course. Poor bloke's natural instinct was to console poor infant but felt beset by the "males are suspect" stories. My own teaching career was Secondary only so never felt like giving the slappers and rat boys I came across a hug. Well, no, they weren't all like that.

[claymore]

When I was at Prep School and again at the minor Public School that I attended in the early 1960's, I was caned. We called it flogging and sometimes it would be administered to our naked buttocks.

I think this would be termed abuse now but we took it uncomplainingly - without a word home in case it brought about another wallop.

Matron used to put witch hazel on the weals which actually hurt more than the cane. I think there was opportunity here for both sexes to have their respective lusts satisfied at the expense of our tanned backsides. Perhaps it was in the employees handbook?

Funny old world.