I hate to see this...

[Hay Dude]

I had a little ATV I use to bomb around the ranch on, at like 5. Rolled that sucker at least a dozen time. My parents didn't even make me wear a helmet, plus I had a single shot .22 on my shoulder.

Then I upgraded to a 1972 Chevy 2500 truck at age 10. I hit more damn irrigation ditches with that thing. Bouncing off the roof of the tuck.

I now have a turbo rzr that I can hit 100 mph pretty easily.

I have a healthy respect for machines and pushing them has allowed me to know the limits. Sheltered kids don't know these limits.

Yeah I had a 12 ga when I was 10 and several .22’s. Was an excellent target shooter and dreamed of joining the Marines. My dad let me drive when I was 12. I knew how to reload about then, too. Also had several mini-bikes and a Suzuki TR-185 by 14.
I still think my parents signing off to let me play football ended up cauing me the most injuries long term.

 

[RandyT]

Growing up on a ranch...we learned how to be around and operate machinery at a young age.

We were fine and better off for it.

Damn, we're getting soft.

I think kids that grew up around machinery had more of an awareness of what could go wrong then today's kids. Part of the reason was the kids had to learn at an young age how to operate because they had to.

I am curious if there are more kids involved in machinery accidents now than say 40 years ago when we were growing up and operating tractors, mowers, etc at 9-10 years old.

 

[YanmarFever]

(MOST) of todays kids only know how to operate the TV, game controls and their telephones for social media.

 

[Hay Dude]

So now your balls drop. You want to play tough guy?

 

[Coffee drinker]

View attachment 864014

Which one is you?

 

[Hay Dude]

Which one is you?

Neither. I am sitting in the crowd with popcorn LOL

 

[Coffee drinker]

I figured you were to smart for that.

 

[tacticalturnip]

View attachment 864014

If I let another man slap me like a ***** for a few minutes can I make enough money to pay off most off my debts?

I'm alright with that.

 

[Hay Dude]

I figured you were to smart for that.

I actually spent a few years in the boxing ring. I was a collegiate boxer in my late teens, early 20’s.
Not terribly successful LOL

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

After 21 years as a volunteer fireman, I learned to not care what people let their kids do, it’s not my problem.

I’ve been to the call where the dad backed over his kid and killed him pulling him in a sled in the snow with his truck, I’ve been to the call where the kid fell off the mower riding with dad and got partially ran over, I’ve been to the call with a young boy caught in a threshing machine and not making it, I’ve been to the call of a 16-year-old not wearing their seatbelts getting thrown from the car and the car crushing them , it’s not my problem