Drove past a street corner yesterday and there were three young lads, about 12 or 13.

They saw (or more probably heard) me and their mouths literally dropped open.
The one said something like "look at that Scooby!" and another said something complimentary.

I had time on my hands and dearly wanted to stop, say "get in then" and take them for a short run (no heroics or anything), to make their day.

But of course these days you daren't, in fact simply cannot.

(Many) Years ago I had a beach buggy and it was never a problem then.

Ain't it a pity?

 

yeah, its relay sad. used to be able to go out and leave doors unlocked without a care.

 

Yeah, it's a sad state of affairs when you can longer drive around offering free lifts to 12 / 13 year old boys, especially in a flash car that would obviously impress them

How have things changed? Kids have always been told not to get into cars with total strangers.

'Stranger Danger' and all that!

 

The world has gone Bonkers... end of!!!!

 

you're safe the kids would know your car is a wrx with sti stickers on it. they wouldn't want a ride

 

lol they'd also be scared of the head gasket blowing......

 

Would be embarrassing if they all said yeah, you got round the corner and it broke down lol

 

I know what you mean mate. I was in a school playground waiting for my daughter. A little girl was running about and fell over. My immediate response was to run over and pick the kid up and see if she was ok but i found myself stood there waiting for a woman to go to her help. Sad times.

 

I think helping an injured child is a little different to stopping on a street corner and picking up random young boys.

 

Yeah sad times when you can't pick up young boys off the street corner ,,,like my good old mum used to say "only get in if its a nice car dear"

Lets face it , as far back as there has been cars there has prob been pedo's trying to pick kids up with them so can't see that anything has changed ,,,kids shouldn't get in cars with people they don't know regardless of what car they drive or how many sweets they have

 

I take it you have not experianced the school playground fully of Sun reading neurotic mothers then matty ? Different if you know the kid and the mothers in the playground, but being a stranger and a man could put you in a situation.

 

Did you have the heart to say you were actually driving an evo?

 

When I was a kid a guy said to me 'if I give you a sweet will you come in my car'?
I said giz the whole packet & i'll come in your mouth!!

 

 

my missus is a primary school teacher and has to be careful.

i was at a soft play center a few years ago with one of our kids and there was this little boy -12-18 monthsish at the top of quite a steep set of steps, about 5 foot high, ok they were padded ones but i could see exactly what was going to happen while the mother was at the bottom to busy talking to her friend...

needless to say the kid done quite a spectacular faceplant headfirst down all the steps, head bouncing the lot, and as he hit the bottom he went right over on the top of his head and flat onto his back... and promptly started to scream...

i scooped the kid off the floor and took him over to his mother who was still oblivious and i could see she was about to say something to me about having her son in my arms, when i got in there first and told her how incompetent at looking after her own child she was.

they said nothing, just got up and left. not even a thanks for helping the by now quite distressed lad...

when i told my missus she wasnt happy that id picked the kid up as it could have all sorts of consequences... but my reaction was just human nature...

 

 

Do you think I should of held out for 2 packets?

 

Aye, sold yourself cheap there.

 

Sad thing is its not. I've found myself in the same position, and again, waited for a mum to go over first, despite the fact that I have three daughters of my own. Sad sad place we are in.

 

Well only last week while walking up the local shop a small lad (I dunno, maybe 7) was running ahead of his mum and tripped over. Immediately into floods of tears (him not me :-) ) as you'd expect so ofcourse I rushed over. Picked him up, brushed the stones off his knees and stood with him until his mum was with us. She, as any parent, thanked me for helping and went on her way.
I would hope someone would help my daughter up off the ground if she fell infront of them and was upset.

How on earth can you compare this to some bloke in a flash car pulling up alongside her and asking if she wants to go for a ride ?
Regardless of what year it is that is just not acceptable.

 

Its a 50/50 matt. You will either get a thank you or a "you touched my kid you perv" ... " but but but". sadly most blokes would rather not take the risk these days unless its obviously a serious accident. Sure i wanted to help the kid but after all the horror storys you hear about i bottled out. I wasn't happy with myself or the media driven paranoia that made me bottle out.

 

I don't know about the "world has gone mad"..... I think most of you lot certainly have.

 

That's quite possible

 

Maybe you could only see one long packet in his trouser pocket?

 

I do totally hear what your saying buddy and no doubt there are a few twisted people out there that would have accused me of something, but thats just a risk im willing to take and would do again. No way could I stand there and watch a poor young lad crying on the floor, having a young daughter myself its just that parental instinct i suppose. I do totally understand why some wouldn't jump in like I did though.

 

Yeah, to be fair though, in my case it was only a matter of seconds before a mum went to the rescue. Had there been no body else at the scene i would have helped. My point purely being i hesitated which was un-natural for me in that situation. A hesitation that would not of occurred a few years ago. The fact i still remember it shows it troubled me.

 

the famous pork-lolly

 

You miss the point.
It wasn't about whether they'd get in or not, it was that years ago I felt able to offer them the opportunity, but no longer.
Yesteryear it was extremely rare for someone in a car to pick youngsters up for some perverted reason.
Now it's commonplace regrettably, and even someone altruistic risks being lynched.
I even think twice of offering a lift or going to the assistance of a lone person on the road.

You didn't miss the point

 

Same response as to your alter ego/twin/clone or whatever:

You miss the point.
It wasn't about whether they'd get in or not, it was that years ago I felt able to offer them the opportunity, but no longer.
Yesteryear it was extremely rare for someone in a car to pick youngsters up for some perverted reason.
Now it's commonplace regrettably, and even someone altruistic risks being lynched.
I even think twice of offering a lift or going to the assistance of a lone person on the road.

 

offering young boys a ride in your car has never really been acceptable