Man charged with child abuse after driving kids in back hoe

[LD1]

"...Because the speed limit on that stretch of road is 45 miles per hour; the back hoe is a slow moving vehicle without any lighting, signage or warning signals; and the children were not restrained in any way, the deputy believed Antonio was endangering the children's lives, Russell said..." NOT that I agree with it...

I'm more upset about "...a citizen complained about the incident..." mind your own business.

Wonder if there would have been a difference in the outcome if there were proper lighting and signage?

Probably wouldnt have gotten the wreckless driving charge, but what about the endangerment?

IE: was the endangerment charge because the kids were in the bucket?
or was it because the kids were on board a piece of equipment that lacked proper required safety devices (lights, SMV sign)?

I am not saying what the man did was a good thing. Again, I would never drive down the road with the kids in the loader bucket. But have driven my tractor with kids on board and "by definition, unsecured"

 

[Mace Canute]

"...Because the speed limit on that stretch of road is 45 miles per hour; the back hoe is a slow moving vehicle without any lighting, signage or warning signals; and the children were not restrained in any way, the deputy believed Antonio was endangering the children's lives, Russell said..." NOT that I agree with it...

I'm more upset about "...a citizen complained about the incident..." mind your own business.

"Mind your own business"?

Really??

Karma would be if people around you "mind their own business" and keep quiet about anything bad that happens or is going to happen to you.

 

[s219]

I carry my toddler daughter on my lap often for short trips on my property with the tractor, though lately I make sure my wife is around to pass my daughter up to me, and to help get her off. She has gotten to the point where she's too big to lift while I climb on/off the tractor, and I'm afraid I would stumble or trip with her in my arms while climbing the foot peg, then threading my way around the steering wheel and pedals to get seated, or similar when getting off the tractor (a lower and roomier tractor with flat floor would probably make this easier). I would not want her on my lap when doing any extended work with the tractor or when going faster. I make sure to lockout the loader control when she's on my lap, as she likes playing with that lever and it could cause a problem if she dropped the bucket suddenly while we were moving. I'd hope none of that would get me arrested. Someone would have to be trespassing on my property to even see it.

When I read the original story, what jumped out as wrong to me was that the guy put kids in the bucket and that he was moving down a fairly busy public road. I wouldn't put kids in a bucket under any circumstances, lest not a backhoe, and definitely not while driving on a public road with other traffic. I would put a load of kids on a wagon behind a tractor for a hay ride within a neighborhood with minimal traffic, but that's about it.

 

[N80]

I am not a relativist. I believe in right and wrong as objective things. But I do also believe in people's rights to live differently. I also believe that Americans are severely challenged when it comes to assessing risk. To the point, my young ladies I know grew up on a farm. They worked on the farm. Still do. Their parents allowed and accepted different levels of risk that would appear unacceptable to typical soccer moms and dads. Lots of time in open jeeps, four wheelers, on horses, around cows, tractors, heavy equipment. On of them was kicked by a horse as a child. Had internal injuries that healed without surgery. She remains a talented rider. But let's say you compare the risks they they consider acceptable with the risk of the typical suburban kid who spends far more time in an automobile and plays sports with risks for head an neck injuries. They are probably at higher overall risk. We, as a nation just don't bring much insight to risk assessment. But, I'll stand by each set of parents, farmers and soccer moms, to recognize and accept the reasonable risk associated with their chosen lifestyle.

 

[Gator6x4]

I guess all the fathers in the community I grew up in would all about be getting out of jail by now if the same rules being applied today were enforced then. Some of the things we did as small kids back then with parental approval would get a parent at least ten years in prison today. The strange thing, no one every got hurt and I can't see where it impacted me to the point of having to be led around on a tether today. The same applies to all the kids I grew up with, played with, went to school with. People of today would probably have had a stroke if they had seen 15 or twenty kids in a pond on a Saturday afternoon with no adults anywhere in sight. The older kids looked after the younger ones and all had a good time.

 

[teg]

...15 or twenty kids in a pond on a Saturday afternoon with no adults anywhere in sight. The older kids looked after the younger ones and all had a good time.

WHAT!?!? ...with no lifeguard? :laughing: I'm sure all the kids were certified in swimming and CPR.

 

[MoKelly]

I guess all the fathers in the community I grew up in would all about be getting out of jail by now if the same rules being applied today were enforced then. Some of the things we did as small kids back then with parental approval would get a parent at least ten years in prison today. The strange thing, no one every got hurt and I can't see where it impacted me to the point of having to be led around on a tether today. The same applies to all the kids I grew up with, played with, went to school with. People of today would probably have had a stroke if they had seen 15 or twenty kids in a pond on a Saturday afternoon with no adults anywhere in sight. The older kids looked after the younger ones and all had a good time.

Today if someone drowned or got hurt in that pond the person who OWNED the pond could lose eveything in a lawsuit.

That is the big difference in my opinion --- not necessarily people being over protective of their kids.

Anyone who owns a pond would be foolish to allow kids to swim unsupervised.

MoKelly

 

[MH8675309]

Howd we ever survive?

 

[DHD]

I see kids sitting behind adults going down the road at 55 mpg on the back of motorcycles.
I guess they are safe and the kids on this slow moving tractor are not.

 

[MossRoad]

WHAT!?!? ...with no lifeguard? :laughing: I'm sure all the kids were certified in swimming and CPR.

Well, there's one in every bunch..... We lived on a lake. My mom was scared of water. We had to take swimming lessons and pass intermediate swimmer level before we could enter the water without a life jacket. That went for all the kids in the neighborhood if they wanted to swim at our property. And we had to have adult supervision until we passed junior lifesaving classes. My 4 siblings and I all ended up being certified lifeguards and knew CPR! :laughing: Sheesh... mom was tough. :thumbsup: