What would you do?
By emeraldisle
@emeraldisle (13138)
United States
April 26, 2007 11:27pm CST
Tonight around 8pm a friend of my neice's showed up. Now my neice and this girl are 12 years old. The friend had biked here and she lives at least a good 5 miles away and she had to come down some very dangerous roads. Ones with some blind curves, no shoulder what so ever, no sidewalks, and no street lights. There is swampy area on either side of the road in many sections. Well we had her call her mom because we didn't want her riding home because it was already getting dark. Her mother told her to leave right then and bike home. There was no way the girl would have made it home before it was full dark.
Well we told the girl we'd take her home in a bit, we weren't going to have her ride home like that let alone with dark clothing on which she did have. It was a good forty minutes later when the mother showed up. Since the girl wasn't home she came to get her. She told us she wanted the girl to take responsibility for her actions and that she had to learn that if she was going to do such things she had to think first. That it was no big deal to ride home that far in the dark.
For myself if my neice had ridden to her friend's house I would have had a fit. She is too young to be riding a bike on those roads. The roads just aren't safe for bikers. I would have been down there as soon as I was called to bring her home no matter what time of day it was let alone at night.
Well I understand wanting to teach a lesson but would you do it by putting your child in danger? I wouldn't but I'm curious if people on here would do similar as this girl's mother and expect her to ride home in the dark that way or would you have come and got her?
8 people like this
15 responses
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I would of been there in a heart beat to pick my child up. That mother is stupid for looking at it that way! That child faced several dangers, getting hit by a car, raped, kidnapped, ate by something in the swamp, anything. Some people just don't care. I can't believe it took her 40 minutes to get there. I can understand that she's trying to teach her a lesson, but don't do it with her LIFE!
I'm so glad you were there to stop the girl from riding home...you probably saved her life. Her mother should be more aware of what's she's doing and STOP it BEFORE she does something silly! Not wait till she's done it and then try to teach her. you did the right thing! :-)
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
27 Apr 07
Thanks. I'm not sure what she was thinking to be honest. I cannot imagine doing that to a child either. I'm just glad the girl got here safely and is now home safely. Which over all is a very, very lucky thing.
1 person likes this
@LilyoftheThorns (12918)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I agree with you. I cant believe her own mother would want her to ride home alone at night. And esp. at such a young age (of course age in this scenerio is a big deal-no one should ride alone at night).But I would never let any child ride home alone in the darkk, never never!
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
28 Apr 07
I agree. I wouldn't ride home at night like that either especailly on that road. I might be a bit crazy but I'm not that crazy. I don't know what she was thinking but I did find out today the girl is grounded till the end of the school year (a month here) but the mother still let her go to the school dance tonight. So I don't know how well the grounding will take.
@weemam (13372)
•
27 Apr 07
no way I would have let her come home in circumstances like that , I would have been in the car for her and put the phone down quick smart , I would have put the bike in the back of the car or collected it at a later date , There are a lot of ways to have kids take responsibility but not by putting them in danger , I have 2 granddaughters 13 and 17 and I would never have let them do that xx
1 person likes this
@pendragon (3348)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I think they should have come and got her, what good are lessons ,if you get killed on the way home and can't employ them ever again?Some lessons should be vocalized , and then there should be quizzes, not treacherous landscapes to travel through.
1 person likes this
@chaygylmommy (2469)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I would have NEVER put my child in danger just to teach a lesson. She can have her phone taken away or her computer use or just a good lecture on how she shouldn't ride that far without permission, blah blah blah. LOL I would have done what you did. You are just trying to watch out for these kids. I wouldn't worry about it. maybe you made her mom think twice.
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
27 Apr 07
Gods I hope so. I hope they both learned something from it. I sure hope she doesn't show up again like that. That she knows not to risk that road that way.
1 person likes this
@icequeen (2840)
• Canada
27 Apr 07
No...I agree with you. I would have come and got her...she should not be out after dark. I don't even like my son out after dark...never mind a young girl. It is obviously dangerous...from what you described...and who knows what kind of animals...or people could be lurking around in the dark...waiting to accost this girl....It is better safe then sorry...is my motto...
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
27 Apr 07
Wow, I'm not sure I would have handled it that way. I think I personally would have picked her up, brought her home, gave her a good talking too and perhaps locked the bike up for a day or so. Explaining to her the reason for being upset would work better then thinking she's teaching her a lesson. Think about it, what did the kid "learn"? That when she goes out and peddles miles away, unknown to mom, ending up having to go back in the dark that mom will still eventually come get her and in the mean time she can chill at the other kids house? Doesn't sound like much of a lesson to me. Not to mention that the mother doesn't sound like one who cares too much where her kid is or how she gets there.
Unfortunately those are the type that complain first if something happens to the kid too. Sadly there are way too may parents that take this approach of "oh who cares" until it's too late.
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
27 Apr 07
I would be mad of course at my daughter for just getting on her bike and going without telling me!
As soon as I got that call I would have been in my car and going to pick her up.
She would have gotten a mouth full about all the things that could have happened to her and possible some grounding too.
There is no way I would have wanted to put her in any danger even if a lesson needed to be taught!
That's ridiculious!
1 person likes this
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
27 Apr 07
Never would I make a child like my neice when she gets bigger or any other kids ride home that far and that late at night. Her momma needs to think about all of the kiddnappings and all of the drunk drivers around at night. I am glad that you took this firl home but her mother I don't understand. What lesson was she trying to teach her except it is bad to go out late.
1 person likes this
@kareng (80243)
• United States
27 Apr 07
No, I would not put a child in danger and expect them to get back home in the dark on a bike for a 5 mile ride. That is a little bit too much!
I think this women has a screw loose. Like she said the child didn't think....she wanted to visit her friend and did. Kids don't always think ahead and figure out how they will get back and comprehend the time frame. She may have thought she had plenty of time to get back before dark. She didn't. Her mother was called and her mother should take responsibility at that point.
I totally agree with you that this mother did not make the best choice for her child.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
27 Apr 07
Wow. The mother would rather teach her daughter a lesson than make sure she is safe? That is sad ans scarry.You did the right thing. I'm not a parent but I would have asked the mother if her daughter could stay the night or I would have callled her mother and told her that I wolud drive her home.When I was young, my curfew was when the street lights came on, you know twilight.So I wouldn't have tried to bike to a friend's house.But if I were at a friends house, either my friend's mother or my mom would make arrangements for me to get a ride home or I would stay the night.Your niece's friend is lucky that you did what you did. G-d knows what could have happen if she tried to bike home.
1 person likes this
@trinidadvelasco (11401)
• Philippines
27 Apr 07
if i were the child's mother, i will never allow my child to be riding a bike on such a dangerous situation. it could be that the mother didn't know that her child went to such a stint, in the first place. however, even then, i would have come to her rescue fast. i can never let my daughter's life be compromised. i love my children so much i will do everything to keep them safe at all times. then i will talk to my child lengthily at what is it that she was doing endangering herself. kids will have to be made to understand why we worry about them. they think it is no big deal. they tend to be irresponsible and uncaring. this is why they will always need our advise and continuous guidance.
it was a good thing for you to have cared and worried for her safety. the mother may not have shown to you her gratitude for it but, i know that deep within inside her she is thankful for what you have done. i had overheard a friend told her husband one time that it is good the parents of their child's friend took her in for the night instead of letting her go home on a dangerous hour. there are some people who are not good at showing their feelings, my friend, emerald. lay to rest your fears.
1 person likes this
@raydene (9871)
• United States
27 Apr 07
Many graves have been filled with good intentions.Her intention was to scare her child and make her think...Problem is young girls disappear on dark roads every day..I hope you explained to the girl why she should noy be doing these things..She needs some kind,caring guidence...something Mom isn,t doing
@mohit1123 (564)
• India
27 Apr 07
I do agree what u did was the best thing u had done since u didnot know about the intension of the mother i would have done the samething SAFETY IS PRIORITY
