Is it normal that i don't feel responsible for people's kids when i drive?

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13 Comments

So one day I'm in a hurry and I have to drive 14 miles out of my way to go pick my brother up from school, drive back to drop him off, then drive another 14 miles in another direction to go to school all within an hour (between work and school) and I really need to hurry. Now, I live in an... upper-middle class neighborhood with a LOAD of young parents. Well, this guy was going about 20 in a 25 zone. Now... there are no lines in the road, it is wide enough for 4 lanes, and there are NO signs stating that there was no passing in that area. So, I go to drive around him and he... and I find this highly amusing considering what happens later... tries to swerve and hit me and the other cars that were trying to pass him and then sped up to get in front of me. I tried passing him again (thinking maybe it was a mistake) and he swerved and almost made me and another guy crash! When we get to the top of the hill at a stop sign, he slams on his brakes and parks his car to get out and scream at me.

He was preaching to me how he was tired of kids like me (even though I'm an adult) speeding up and down this street and how he has kids that live in this neighborhood. I basically told him off. He threatened to call the cops and I dared him to because he couldn't prove anything and I would tell the cops how he put me and about 5 others in danger because of his tantrum.

I told him that I'm not his damn babysitter. His kids are either old enough to look both ways before crossing and to not play in the busy street OR they're too young to be unsupervised. Either way, it's not my fault if they get hit. If they are in the street and I'm coming around a corner (speeding or not)... see ya later, junior. I'm tired of these newer parents telling me that I suddenly have to be aware of THEIR kid and that I'M responsible for their behavior and actions. It's not my job to watch your kids and make sure their out of trouble It's NOT my duty to teach them about traffic. I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CHILDREN! YOU ARE! BE A PARENT!

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't hurt a kid, I have no problem with kids, and I wouldn't wish a child harm. However, I'm not going to take responsibility for another person's failure at being a parent. It's like those people who blame video games for their kids turning into psychos. It's not the game's fault, it's your fault for letting them play it. Don't blame someone else for your negligence.

Call it entitlement but I can't be the only one who feels this way, right?

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Based on 28 votes (14 yes)
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Comments ( 13 )
  • NeuroNeptunian
    12 years ago

    Kids or not, it's a residential neighborhood and people are more likely to be crossing the street to get from one side to another, running into the street to pick up a ball, etc. Not saying that kids should just be allowed to play in the street but that is the reason why the speed limit is so low - so you have the reaction time to stop if you see people crossing the street.

    If you're coming around a corner and speeding then how is it Junior's fault? They were already crossing the street, maybe they already looked both ways, but you came around a corner too fast and now, because your life and your worries is more important than the safety of others, you took someone's life. And the faster you're going, the more you chance killing the kid as opposed to injuring them.

    I can't really stress to people enough the importance of not speeding in a neighborhood and of paying attention to your driving when you are in an area in which there is quite a bit of foot traffic. In the eyes of the law, if you hit a child, it is no one's fault but yours because YOU are the one who consciously decided to break the law, not anyone else, you.

    You're not anyone's babysitter and that is true, but regardless, if you are speeding in a residential area and you know that foot traffic isn't uncommon then you are knowingly and willingly endangering the lives around you. It's called "Vehicular Manslaughter". Whether or not the parents were not watching the child, you will be the one that is punished the hardest for hitting a kid because you chose to break the law and put everyone at risk.

    Regardless, he should not have driven so recklessly himself. Sounds like he has a lot more problems than his homicidal driving neighbors. He put your lives in danger by trying to cause an accident. He should have just called the police. Depending on your jurusdiction, police are very responsive to any oppurtunity to easily catch speeders, and had he called the police, I'd give it a week before you'd be on here asking "IIN that I think speeding tickets are bullshit?"

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    • joybird
      12 years ago

      It's only when they're over the age of 25 and have a brain that they realise the consequences of this behaviour. That's why insurance over 25yo is so much cheaper.

      A child ran out in front of me once and after blinking I couldn't see where it had went. I thought it was under my car and took a panic attack. I don't know how I would ever have lived with myself if I killed a child :o(

      OP. What if the child was deaf and didn't hear your car, or wearing leg calipers and couldn't run to the other side to get off the road? Don't behave like an idiot behind the wheel of a car!!

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      • ILikeToPickMySkin
        12 years ago

        Do you think I'm a teenager or something? I'm an adult. My insurance is only $60 a month BECAUSE of my age AND because I have a clean record.

        That kid shouldn't be out in the road and/or unsupervised. I'm not saying I don't care about children or that I wouldn't feel bad if I hit or killed one. I'm saying that to put all the blame on the driver is bullshit. I think parents should own up to their parenting mistakes. You're supposed to teach your kids about roads and to avoid them. If they're too young to know better, it's YOUR job to watch them. Not mine.

        I'm not a damn babysitter and even if I'm going the speed limit and hit a kids, I'd still get the full brunt of it and I still think that's bullshit. THAT'S what I'm pissed about. Parents don't own up to their own mistakes and expects society to take care of them and take responsibility when their kids are wrong because of their parents idiocy. Don't behave like an idiot when teaching your children!!

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        • NeuroNeptunian
          12 years ago

          The judge doesn't give a shit how you feel about "irresponsible parents".
          Driving Car + Speeding + Hitting Child + Child Dies = Vehicular Manslaughter

          Meaning that, while in the process of knowingly and willingly committing a crime, someone is killed, and it is YOUR fault because by court logic, if you were not speeding, you would have had ample time to react to the child walking in the street therefore his death is not an accident, but the result of your negligence. THAT'S how the court will see it.

          I understand that you're angry about irresponsible parents and all, but they're not the ones that were driving the car that hit the child, you were. You're both being negligent, so obviously it takes two... but you're fulfilling your end of the deal because, once again, your life is somehow more important than that of the child you hit, even though the child can not be blamed for having bad parents.

          Not getting a ticket does not mean that you will not get caught. This is a RESIDENTIAL AREA. The law is the law. If you can't respect the law then you need to quit driving in a residential area for fuck's sake, there are other roads.

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    • ILikeToPickMySkin
      12 years ago

      Haha no. In all the years I drive, I've never gotten a ticket, bro.

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      • Hoohahohyahhh
        11 years ago

        how about parking tickets? O.O

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  • Unicron
    12 years ago

    It's silly that this driver complained to you when he was driving recklessly himself. And if you did hit a child it would be YOU facing the consiquences.

    Though I understand where you're coming from, I was a pasenger a few months ago and we were driving up a straight road. The parents were on both sides of the road throwing the ball across the road to eachother playing keep away with their child. We were only a few meters away when the idiot mother threw the ball and the toddler ran out in front of the car, we slammed the breaks, both us and the toddler freaking out.
    The worst part was the idiot dad felt like he had the right to yell at us afterwards, we were driving slowly too.

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  • MRmr
    12 years ago

    Why run his kids over when you can run HIM over

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    • [Old Memory]
      12 years ago

      fuck the police

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      • ILikeToPickMySkin
        12 years ago

        THIS

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      • MRmr
        12 years ago

        lol

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    • ILikeToPickMySkin
      12 years ago

      Because he's barely smart enough to stay out of the street and grass leaves tire marks.

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  • the10thmuse
    12 years ago

    Yeah, parents in general need to take more responsibility for their own kids and stop blaming the world for their problems. Now, I could see him freaking out like that if you were going 60 down that road, but even then, he shouldn't be pulling stunts like swerving into you.

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