When a kid paws your bike

[slofox]

In general I am very tolerant of kids. I was a teacher for over a decade and learned that there is almost always some good in a kid somewhere if you can just dig it out...(note the "almost always"). But every so often I meet one who sows the seeds of doubt. Please continue dear reader...

Last night I stopped at the supermarket on the way home. As I was removing helmet etc etc some kid came up and said something along the lines of "VROOM VROOM!"...he was a little hard to understand - I guessed English was not his first language...
Normally I am more than happy to talk to kids about the bike but this little bugger grabbed the throttle and twisted it back and forth as he repeated his vroom vroom bit.....I was torn between maintaining my polite front and busting his fucking head in.......conversation went something like this...
Me: "Don't touch the bike kid. You NEVER touch someone's bike!"
Him: "Why not?"
Me: (suppressing the urge to say "coz I'll bust ya fuckin' head in if ya do see!!!!") "Because it is just not done. People are very touchy about their bikes"
Him: "Why?"
Me: "It just IS that way. Bikes are very precious and expensive. You bust it and you would be paying for it for the rest of your (probably short) life."
Him: (as I remove the helmet) "How old are you?"
Me: 60. Sixty years old!"
Him: "You OLD!!!"
Me: "Yep. I was young one day and when I turned around I was OLD! Probably because I didn't meddle with people's BIKES!!!"
Him: (again) "vroom vroom!!!"
Me: "I'm going in to the shop. DON'T TOUCH THE BIKE, YES?"
Him: "vroom vroom" (but he left the throttle alone this time)

To be honest I was scared to leave him out there with the bike. I think he would have gotten on to it if he thought he could get away with it. I told him I had turned the alarm on (haha) and if he touched it it would scream its head off and the cops would sic their dogs on him and then lock him up forever......in a pit filled with cockroaches, spiders and wasps....he seemed a little disbelieving of this bit funnily enough. But he did follow me into the mall so I felt a little better.
This is the first time I have ever felt anxious about leaving the bike outside the shops, never having had the pleasure of meeting such a weird kid...I am still not convinced that he was not a little cracked...:weird:

[Trudes]

"you look with your eyes not your hands" a valuable lesson for all!!

[Headbanger]

Sounds like a reguler kid to me.

You say you were a teacher, You have any kids of your own?

[ManDownUnder]

how old was the kid?

If it was a littlun (like... 6) I'd have asked if they wanted to sit on it - and reinforced it's only ok because you (the owner) had said so - a lot of people get pissy etc

Obviously if he was 18 that'd be a different story

[slofox]

"you look with your eyes not your hands" a valuable lesson for all!!

That was my mantra when I was teaching...I told the kids I would chop their hands off if they used them...you could do that in the olden days. Say it anyway, probably would've gotten into trouble if I HAD cut any hands off...course the little ba... er - darlings always laughed in my face when I threatened them like that...

[slofox]

Sounds like a reguler kid to me.

You say you were a teacher, You have any kids of your own?

I have two adult kids and three grandchildren...


how old was the kid?



He would have been maybe 10 or so...old enough to know better I thought...no parents in sight. Quite a big kid. I wondered where he had come from since I had never seen him around the local mall before...

[ManDownUnder]

He would have been maybe 10 or so...old enough to know better I thought...no parents in sight. Quite a big kid. I wondered where he had come from since I had never seen him around the local mall before...

Yeah points taken.

[Headbanger]

He would have been maybe 10 or so...old enough to know better I thought...no parents in sight. Quite a big kid. I wondered where he had come from since I had never seen him around the local mall before...

Makes more sense now, I thought you were talking about a 6 year old.

[BMWST?]

i once had a 40 minute conversation with a next door neihbours son as i was cleaning my bike....his only part in the conversation was..."why?".....
I was determined to get the little guy to say something else...i did not succeed.

[Big Dave]

i once had a 40 minute conversation with a next door neihbours son as i was cleaning my bike....his only part in the conversation was..."why?".....
I was determined to get the little guy to say something else...i did not succeed.


Just ask - 'Why not?'

[madbikeboy]

There's something incredibly fascinating about a motorcycle to a kid - I think kids can relate better to a motorcycle as it kind of looks like what they ride (meaning bicycle). When I was a kid, I was fascinated by motorcycles, and I figured it was the freedom of a bike, without the need to pedal. And I was sort of right. :)

[Starky307]

i once had a 40 minute conversation with a next door neihbours son as i was cleaning my bike....his only part in the conversation was..."why?".....
I was determined to get the little guy to say something else...i did not succeed.

Been there, done that, and I didn't suceed either.
:laugh::laugh:

[Headbanger]

There's something incredibly fascinating about a motorcycle to a kid - I think kids can relate better to a motorcycle as it kind of looks like what they ride (meaning bicycle). When I was a kid, I was fascinated by motorcycles, and I figured it was the freedom of a bike, without the need to pedal. And I was sort of right. :)

I see it in my oldest boy (4), To him his bike is his wheels and about the coolest thing in his universe (though I helped by buying him the metallic green bike with the flame paint job) to see my bike which is ten times the size, and roars around making noise just frazzles his head space.

The seed has been sown, Can't go anywhere without him pointing out all the motorbikes...And i wouldn't put it past him to waltz up to a complete stranger and tell him his bike was cool.

[Patrick]

Just ask - 'Why not?'

Why???????????????

[slofox]

There's something incredibly fascinating about a motorcycle to a kid - I think kids can relate better to a motorcycle as it kind of looks like what they ride (meaning bicycle). When I was a kid, I was fascinated by motorcycles, and I figured it was the freedom of a bike, without the need to pedal. And I was sort of right. :)

Right again MBB.
BUT.
I do think there is a difference between admiring a bike and just coming up to a complete stranger on a bike, grabbing the throttle and twisting shit out of it...if he had asked could he touch it I would have said "yes of course"..but to just grab it? Without asking? Not this bike...!
I am more than happy to have kids look at the bike, talk about it, touch it etc IF they show due respect. But this fulla did none of that. To me, he was way out of line.

[oldrider]

Most times after I have parked the bike someplace in a town, I find the side bar lights and the hot grips have been switched on! :yes:

It makes me wonder just "what" has been going on in my absence. :shifty:

I don't use my hot grips very much and the first time my throttle hand just kept getting hotter and hotter. :shit:

I thought at first that I must be having a heart attack or another stroke or something! :bye:

Then I checked the hot grip switch.......:doh:

Once hot they take an age to cool down, specialy in the summer.

Doesn't catch me out very often these days.

I try to be nice to little kids that love motorbikes but they gotta learn that they are not just toys.

Sounds like the boy you struck might have been a bit slow or something. :confused:

It can be difficult, you seemed to have handled it OK! :yes: Cheers, John.

[The Stranger]

If it was a littlun (like... 6) I'd have asked if they wanted to sit on it - and reinforced it's only ok because you (the owner) had said so - a lot of people get pissy etc

Obviously if he was 18 that'd be a different story

And if it was an 18yr old chick would you let her sit on it?

[The Stranger]

What you worried about?
It's only a POS Suzuki.

[madbikeboy]

Right again MBB.
BUT.
I do think there is a difference between admiring a bike and just coming up to a complete stranger on a bike, grabbing the throttle and twisting shit out of it...if he had asked could he touch it I would have said "yes of course"..but to just grab it? Without asking? Not this bike...!
I am more than happy to have kids look at the bike, talk about it, touch it etc IF they show due respect. But this fulla did none of that. To me, he was way out of line.

Oh, I totally get what you're saying, I should have written "by way of explanation, the kid wouldn't have intended harm, it's just that there's something incredibly fascinating about a bike to a kid......"

I think he was out of line, and I would have grumbled, but I would have done it under my breath. If a teenager had of done that, I'd have yelled at it...

[slofox]

What you worried about?
It's only a POS Suzuki.

Wash your mouth out!

[Molly]

I made the mistake of taking my Road King into school recently (I'm a teacher). You'd think the kids would just understand that this is clearly someone's pride and joy and would leave well alone. Sadly that's not the case. One little bugger was seen sitting on the bloody thing. It's a big bike and not easy to get on without dragging your shoes across the leather saddle bags (my mother-in-law scraped one the very bloody day I bought it) so I was surprised he didn't damage it further. It just pisses me off that they don't get 'private' or respect another person's property. The times I find them leaning on staff cars.... FFS.

Also, a friend in the UK told me about an evening at the pub recently where some dumb tart put her drink down on his tank so she could take a phone call... You can guess how well that went down.

[slofox]

Oh, I totally get what you're saying, I should have written "by way of explanation, the kid wouldn't have intended harm, it's just that there's something incredibly fascinating about a bike to a kid......"

I think he was out of line, and I would have grumbled, but I would have done it under my breath. If a teenager had of done that, I'd have yelled at it...

Well in the event I did maintain my friendly manner with him - just. He did test the old patience a bit though...

[Maha]

it's just that there's something incredibly fascinating about a bike to a kid......"


Really? most just spit on mine....oh no wait, thats when I had the Yamaha.

[oldrider]

And if it was an 18yr old chick would you let her sit on it?

Definately not on my bike :ride: but I might let her sit on my face! :lol: If she asked nicely. :devil2: John.

[lb99]

I see it in my oldest boy (4), To him his bike is his wheels and about the coolest thing in his universe (though I helped by buying him the metallic green bike with the flame paint job) ........

I know what you mean, we got our 4yo(now 6) a CHROME one with flames on it, and he still thinks its the biz 2 years later.
oh and he is the only kid on the block with his OWN motorbike, we made the miatake of taking one of the neighbours kids for a blat once, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
now whenever we load up the ute I have to manoever very carefully through the assembled crowd of kids all wanting to come...

[The Stranger]

Really? most just spit on mine....oh no wait, thats when I had the Yamaha.

Now you ride a Honda I expect they are spitting something else instead.

[<Rhino>]

10 years old you say! - from the way you describe his speach sounds like he may have been austistic. Good on you for extending your patience to the kid, he probebly would have apreciated that.

I have three kids 6-5-2 1/2 funnily enough the 2.5 year old absolutly loves my bike (because he's not old enough to understand the difference between a ho-bag and anything else) because its big and shiney and makes a loud noise and I dunno why probely just because its a bike and he dosn't see as many around as cars? anyway I really think he will be the rider out of the three of them, the others they could take it or leave it!

[klingon]

...
I do think there is a difference between admiring a bike and just coming up to a complete stranger on a bike, grabbing the throttle and twisting shit out of it...

Could have got interesting if it was a (automatic) scooter - a twist of the throttle and the thing would be crashing into the nearest wall.

I haven't had that problem with a kid, but my bike was in the staff carpark one day and I looked out the window to see one of my colleagues sitting his kid (about 3 years old) on it as if it was a toy. You'd think adults would have some clue, even if kids don't. :bash:

[Max Preload]

And if it was an 18yr old chick would you let her sit on it?

Of course, if she was hot. Hot chicks get all the breaks. No point in fighting it - it's just how it is and always will be.

[ManDownUnder]

...but my bike was in the staff carpark one day and I looked out the window to see one of my colleagues sitting his kid (about 3 years old) on it as if it was a toy. You'd think adults would have some clue, even if kids don't. :bash:

Genuinely curious - would that same person also take stuff ofrom your desk (i.e. stapler, pens etc) without returning it? I wonder if it's a lack of consideration for property in general, or a lack of understanding about bikes.

I feel the same way about tools for instance. No problem with people using my tools (as a general rule) IF they ask me first. 'Help yourself' is not an option, but anyone actually interested will get hours of my time.

[klingon]

Genuinely curious - would that same person also take stuff ofrom your desk (i.e. stapler, pens etc) without returning it? I wonder if it's a lack of consideration for property in general, or a lack of understanding about bikes...


The funny thing is, I would not have expected this particular guy to behave like that - I thought he had more common sense.

There's another guy on staff who repeatedly borrows stuff without asking. One day I arrived at work to find he had unlocked my office, let himself in and was searching my desk drawer for some bit of stationery! :angry: He also repeatedly parks his car in the designated bike parking and has to be asked to move it. He has asked questions about my bike but never touched it.

I wonder what it is that makes otherwise apparently normal people treat bikes like public property.

[ManDownUnder]

I wonder what it is that makes otherwise apparently normal people treat bikes like public property.

Huh - interesting! Lay out a rug and have a picnic on the bonnet of his car - see what happens... I'll bring the chicken

[35tickets]

I had the ZZR on the ferry one day up in Opua...this kids and his dad came over and started chatting ...his dad was cool... had a bike... had to sell it... because of family etc etc usual "good to see your bike" chat and so forth....so heres us chatting about bikes and the kid starts poking the bike!! Pokes the indicators and the mirrors and the screen, headlight etc etc....then pokes the hot exhaust can....tell you what he stopped poking the bike after that LOL that'll F%^&king learn ya....LOL

Years ago had an old KR 1-S at a party...was minding my own business when this guy arrives with his kid, and as soon as the kid/dad sees the bike he picks the kid up and plonks him in the seat....well F*&^ i went over and asked him if he could politely remove his kid off the bike....he (complete twat)said why....after a few choice words I which basically ended with "I don't give a F*** about your kid its the bike I care about" I decided to leave the party....rather be riding anyhow than arguing with a dickhead:zzzz:

[slofox]

10 years old you say! - from the way you describe his speach sounds like he may have been austistic. Good on you for extending your patience to the kid, he probebly would have apreciated that.


He wasn't autistic - too interactive for that...just foreign.....


Could have got interesting if it was a (automatic) scooter - a twist of the throttle and the thing would be crashing into the nearest wall.
:

It WAS turned off before he did that....fortunately

[stify]

had bit of a laugh at a kid who wanted to show off to his younger bro, just got off my bike and was heading for a "pit stop" said to older of the two boys don't touch cause is hot an you'll get burnt, a coupla minutes into said "pit stop" I here screaming...wander outside and find the silly little bugger had tried to put stones into my exhaust and the skin on his hand had stuck to the inside of my muffler due to it being rather warm...boy did he squeal when I pulled his arm so I could carry on with my day..

[sunhuntin]

id say a good lesson learned not to touch. bet he wont do that again.

ive never had kids touch the bike that i know of. i do often get excited waves when moving though, lol. either from kids on the sidewalk or in other vehicles. i did come out of the mall one day to find my hazards switched on. :mellow: if one came up with a parent, id offer em a sit, but not without a parent. god knows these days id get accused of abuse.
i do worry sometimes about the exhaust being touched by some kidlet, but figure if the parents aint watching, said kidlet deserves to get burned.

[Maha]

Now you ride a Honda I expect they are spitting something else instead.



When I had the Triumph, I stopped at the Puhoi one day and....
This Big drunk Mama came over to me and said...

BDM...''is dat your bike over there''?
Maha...'' which one''?
BDM ...''da blue one''!
Maha...''yip''
BDM....''can I sit on it''?
Maha....''no''!!!!!
BDM...''why not? I want my photo taken on it''
Maha...''cos I have just put a new shock on it and I dont want it stressed''!!

[Blackshear]

When I had the Triumph, I stopped at the Puhoi one day and....
This Big drunk Mama came over to me and said...

BDM...''is dat your bike over there''?
Maha...'' which one''?
BDM ...''da blue one''!
Maha...''yip''
BDM....''can I sit on it''?
Maha....''no''!!!!!
BDM...''why not? I want my photo taken on it''
Maha...''cos I have just put a new shock on it and I dont want it stressed''!!

Bah ha ha ha, BACK OFF, 'FOR AH MACE YEH!

[Str8 Jacket]

I'd make the little bastard ride it. Right then and there.

[jaymzw]

HAHA! Little fuckers only got 6 years on me!!! I'd just knock him the fuck out!

Nah but seriously, i always have trouble rolling up to parties on my bike, case in point would be last weekend saturday.

A guy i know well from school is outside the party drunk off his nuts. Hes with some girl and she's also drunk. I was getting ready to leave and as i came round the corner i see this girl sitting on my bike. I ask her get off in a less polite manner(i was pissed off because i couldnt drink haha) and the guy there took offence.
Anyway he started getting abit rowdy and in the end it was Kevlar gloves one-drunk bitch boy zero.
I love my bike too much to let anyone fuck with it!

[BM-GS]

Kids just dig bikes. Then they grow up, become accountants and forget...

Always had neighbours' kids flock round when I came home from work, & always encouraged then to form an orderly queue and to watch out for the hot bits. Firmly discouraged climbing about once on and threw a fit at one for climbing on while I wasn't looking and without asking.

Got 2 sprogs of my own now and they still like climbing, etc, but after #2 burnt his knuckles (reduced arm-waving space in garage as new bike had zorst on other side) there's a bit more control about it. They also toddle off to check out any bikes wherever we go, and are supervised closely at all times - for their own safety & the bikes'!

Got them onto dirt-riding, so they do (or will soon) understand the Don't Mess With My Ride thing. Hopefully they can spread the news to their mates.

[klingon]

We also had neighbours' kids fascinated by our bikes at the last place we lived. I think it's a great opportunity to learn about bikes and (just as importantly) bike protocol - such as asking before touching.

Our neighbours' kids were great. The big ones (7 or 8 years old) always made sure the little ones (in nappies) had a turn sitting on the bike and they always said "thank you" after we had let them have a turn. They were the kind of kids that are a delight to have around.

It was only later I realised that my partner had talked to the kids, but always left me to lift them on and off the bikes and do the up-close-and-personal stuff (showing them what all the knobs and switches do). He felt that he had to be so cautious when the kids' parents weren't around that he couldn't get really involved in their 'discovery' of motorbikes. A bit sad really because I know how delighted he was that they were interested. And of course they all thought his big silver bike was the best. :rolleyes: Wrong!

[tigertim20]

Yeah I get the worrying about idiots playing with your bike. I live in Dunedin in the student area (I came to uni as an adult student when i was 21, and thus live near the uni with friends)
I am constantly terrified some wanker will come up kick the mirrors off or sit on it drunk and itll fall over, or some fuckhead will tip it on purpose (these things happen regularly in the student area, I know two guys who have had this happen, one aprilia and one Yamaha)
I have found a way around this though, My room faces the street and has a ranch slider, So My beloved new purchase (CBR 600) is pushed into my room EVERY night after I use it, fits (just) between the king size bed and the wall. The MRS jokes about how my new girlfriend ( Bike has been named scarlet) sleeps in our room with us, Now I need to taslk her into taking advantage of that, if you know what I mean!!!

As for kids, I have picked one kid up and put her in the saddle at the supermarket, she went vrrom vroom, and her daddy nearly cried, was damn cute. I dont mind kids looking and asking questions, but the day one damages my bike, is the day their unwatchfull parent gets their head busted in with a helmet.

[jtzzr]

In general I am very tolerant of kids. I was a teacher for over a decade and learned that there is almost always some good in a kid somewhere if you can just dig it out...(note the "almost always"). But every so often I meet one who sows the seeds of doubt. Please continue dear reader...

Last night I stopped at the supermarket on the way home. As I was removing helmet etc etc some kid came up and said something along the lines of "VROOM VROOM!"...he was a little hard to understand - I guessed English was not his first language...
Normally I am more than happy to talk to kids about the bike but this little bugger grabbed the throttle and twisted it back and forth as he repeated his vroom vroom bit.....I was torn between maintaining my polite front and busting his fucking head in.......conversation went something like this...
Me: "Don't touch the bike kid. You NEVER touch someone's bike!"
Him: "Why not?"
Me: (suppressing the urge to say "coz I'll bust ya fuckin' head in if ya do see!!!!") "Because it is just not done. People are very touchy about their bikes"
Him: "Why?"
Me: "It just IS that way. Bikes are very precious and expensive. You bust it and you would be paying for it for the rest of your (probably short) life."
Him: (as I remove the helmet) "How old are you?"
Me: 60. Sixty years old!"
Him: "You OLD!!!"
Me: "Yep. I was young one day and when I turned around I was OLD! Probably because I didn't meddle with people's BIKES!!!"
Him: (again) "vroom vroom!!!"
Me: "I'm going in to the shop. DON'T TOUCH THE BIKE, YES?"
Him: "vroom vroom" (but he left the throttle alone this time)

To be honest I was scared to leave him out there with the bike. I think he would have gotten on to it if he thought he could get away with it. I told him I had turned the alarm on (haha) and if he touched it it would scream its head off and the cops would sic their dogs on him and then lock him up forever......in a pit filled with cockroaches, spiders and wasps....he seemed a little disbelieving of this bit funnily enough. But he did follow me into the mall so I felt a little better.
This is the first time I have ever felt anxious about leaving the bike outside the shops, never having had the pleasure of meeting such a weird kid...I am still not convinced that he was not a little cracked...:weird:

Renegade Master should know better than to touch someone elses ride. p/t

I get real touchy when it comes to people touching my bike ,it`s like you said , It`s just not done, I would never touch someone elses bike without their permission.

Still not too sure if I would get that nervous about a kid touching it though, as long as they do`nt have fingers covered in chocolate or something.(but who knows)

[klingon]

Renegade Master should know better than to touch someone elses ride. p/t

I get real touchy when it comes to people touching my bike ,it`s like you said , It`s just not done, I would never touch someone elses bike without their permission.

Still not too sure if I would get that nervous about a kid touching it though, as long as they do`nt have fingers covered in chocolate or something.(but who knows)

Nah, chocolate washes off. It's climbing all over it, scratching the paint, knocking it over, fiddling with all the switches (fuel knob 'off' anyone? Trip meter reset?), stuff shoved in exhaust pipe... that's what I would be worried about.

[=cJ=]

And if it was an 18yr old chick would you let her sit on it?

You know the answer to that one... :msn-wink:

[Blossom]

We have 4 children and they are all bike mad.. From the 13yr old down to the 4yr old princess.. They are very respectfull of the bikes, to the point where last week I was a bit embarrased to hear miss 4 telling one of her kindy mates not to touch the tank 'cause mumma just polished it and its gotta stay clean" hmm.. obsessive mummy ...:lol:
Where was I during this delightful exchange of information? Inside the kindergarten grounds with the intruder. The teachers had asked me to bring the bike in so the kiddies could all have a look and perhaps a sit on and a photo.
It was an interesting experience to say the least. I spent half the time praying none of them would touch the hot exhaust and the other half of the time obsessing that one of them would tip it over. But it all was going so well.
So then the teacher asks if I would take the keen kids on a lap around the sandpit. Sure why not I says (cause my brains fell out thats why) So I duly take 20 or so 4yr olds one by one round the sandpit.. This too all went very well.
Then I turn the (now extremely hot) bike off and park it up and finish up repeating the safety rules around bikes..
Rule number 1: NEVER go near the exhaust or motor on a bike. It WILL burn you.
Rule number 2: Always get on a bike from the side without the exhaust.
etc etc etc..
After final safety lecture master 4 near the back raises his hand and asks; "Where do you put your stuff?" So I take the seat off and show that there is a space under my seat for phone and lunch etc.
Next thing there are about 8 kids leaning into the bike from the exhaust side. I reach down to put my arm between kids and bike and firmly say "Everyone move back and go around the other side if you want to have a look" At which point the fat kid at the back gives everyone a shove so he can get to the front and the little skinny kid who was not listening, pushes my arm into the engine and gives himself a nice burn on his leg from the front of the exhaust.
Shit. And it was all going so well too.
Still I am now famous at kindy. The kids think I am the coolest women they have ever met.

[surfer]

I think I met that young 10 year olds relatives.

A coach pulled up in the car park and parked next to my bike. Next thing you know there is a couple of guys (adults) from the coach, taking it in turns to sit on my bike. What the f***. I wouldn't climb into their cars or try their clothes on. Why do people behave in such a way? I had to chase them off, dickheads.

Some people have no sense.

Best sign I saw stitched on a bike seat was, 'Don't touch or I will kill you'.

[Leyton]

Hehe all so many wonderfull storys :) Kids think my Hyosung is the sh%t too hehe, I have not found my controls fiddled with yet. And I have parked it up at the school I work at once with no problems :)

The kid across the road when he see's me doing anything with either the minibike or the Hyosung has no end of questions and loves to show me his pushbike hehe kids and bikes, its just magic.

I have always remembered bikes been special from a very young age and have many photos of my father and I on the odd dirt bike, me holding on to the cross brace of the handle bars.

[Gareth51]

Definately not on my bike :ride: but I might let her sit on my face! :lol: If she asked nicely. :devil2: John.

That would be more likely to give you that heart attack than those pies you ate at the rally

[Number One]

never having had the pleasure of meeting such a weird kid...I am still not convinced that he was not a little cracked...:weird:

Spoken like a true Nuero typical...isn't it nice and safe and comfortable being 'normal' and like everyone else. Breezing through life picking up on things instinctively - in fact almost magically. BTW - I do hope that you are not implying that this particular child might not 'have any good in him'.


I do think there is a difference between admiring a bike and just coming up to a complete stranger on a bike, grabbing the throttle and twisting shit out of it...if he had asked could he touch it I would have said "yes of course"..but to just grab it? Without asking? Not this bike...!
I am more than happy to have kids look at the bike, talk about it, touch it etc IF they show due respect. But this fulla did none of that. To me, he was way out of line.

Indeed there is a difference! That is not socially acceptable behaviour and that sense you had the the child was weird or a little cracked is a bit of a giveaway really....

We have some little shits in our street - you can tell they KNOW when they are doing something they ought not to be doing....this child didn't seem to register there was anything wrong with his behaviour and would it be fair to say that he was confused by your telling him not to touch and your explanation of why not to touch?


10 years old you say! - from the way you describe his speach sounds like he may have been austistic. Good on you for extending your patience to the kid, he probebly would have apreciated that.

Exactly my thoughts - well spotted Mr Rhino sir... your senstivity and awareness is appreciated and celebrated.


He wasn't autistic - too interactive for that...

Sorry but how exactly are you qualified to diagnose or discount any of the vast range of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in what was by the sound of it a less than 30 minute encounter.

For everyone's awareness high functioning ASD kids can be VERY social and VERY friendly. Kids with Aspergers for instance, love people and just want to be included and liked though they often lack the skills and understanding of normal social ettiquette. They don't understand or read body language and facial expressions and can be totally oblivious to even obvious FUCK OFF vibes. Patience and kindness go a long way and being very clear about what you are saying is very important....don't be too subtle tell it like it is and these kids will almost always respond. It takes these kids years to learn some of the things you and I have picked up 'by instinct and magic'...and some don't ever master the art of knowing what the right and/or wrong things to do in any given situation are.


Well in the event I did maintain my friendly manner with him - just. He did test the old patience a bit though...

Well done and good to hear. It is not easy to be friendly in the face of that which we don't understand...especially when a child looks 'normal' but behaves in a way that seems totally unacceptable.

BTW if you had been a right old grumpy git about it you may well have returned to an injured bike as the child might have taken their frustration at not being 'seen' out on your pride and joy.

[oldrider]

That would be more likely to give you that heart attack than those pies you ate at the rally

Jimmy's hot pies "world famous" in Roxborough! :niceone:

That's why I moved to the South Island in the 1960's. :bleh: (besides Mrs O/R of course :love: )

Enjoyed your company at the rally, we'll have to do it again sometime. :ride: Cheers, John.

[SARGE]

I dont really have a problem with the kids when i park my bike up somewhere..

Guess i just get pigeonholed cuz of my appearance


:Oi::Playnice:

[slofox]

Spoken like a true Nuero Thanks Number One...typical...isn't it nice and safe and comfortable being 'normal' and like everyone else. Breezing through life picking up on things instinctively - in fact almost magically. BTW - I do hope that you are not implying that this particular child might not 'have any good in him'.

No. I said he sowed the seeds of doubt. I did explain why what he did was not acceptable.

Indeed there is a difference! That is not socially acceptable behaviour and that sense you had the the child was weird or a little cracked is a bit of a giveaway really....

We have some little shits in our street - you can tell they KNOW when they are doing something they ought not to be doing....this child didn't seem to register there was anything wrong with his behaviour and would it be fair to say that he was confused by your telling him not to touch and your explanation of why not to touch?

I don't think he was confused. He did leave the bike alone and come into the mall with me when I left the bike...

Exactly my thoughts - well spotted Mr Rhino sir... your senstivity and awareness is appreciated and celebrated.



Sorry but how exactly are you qualified to diagnose or discount any of the vast range of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in what was by the sound of it a less than 30 minute encounter.

MA in Psychology, specialising in "abnormal" as they called it then. Over a decade teaching with several "not quite usual" children "mainstreamed" in my classroom. Personal contact over the years with several children labelled autistic. I am not without experience Number One...this one did not fit the pattern as I have experienced it. I have already said I do not think he was not a native speaker of english. I think he was just not culturally aware...


For everyone's awareness high functioning ASD kids can be VERY social and VERY friendly. Kids with Aspergers for instance, love people and just want to be included and liked though they often lack the skills and understanding of normal social ettiquette. They don't understand or read body language and facial expressions and can be totally oblivious to even obvious FUCK OFF vibes. Patience and kindness go a long way and being very clear about what you are saying is very important....don't be too subtle tell it like it is and these kids will almost always respond. It takes these kids years to learn some of the things you and I have picked up 'by instinct and magic'...and some don't ever master the art of knowing what the right and/or wrong things to do in any given situation are.



Well done and good to hear. It is not easy to be friendly in the face of that which we don't understand...especially when a child looks 'normal' but behaves in a way that seems totally unacceptable.

BTW if you had been a right old grumpy git about it you may well have returned to an injured bike as the child might have taken their frustration at not being 'seen' out on your pride and joy.

For what it is worth, my main objection to this child's behaviour was his physical handling of the bike. Not even I would twist the throttle as he did. He was using excessive physical force. Without asking permission. As I have already stated, he was out of line. I stand by that statement.

[The Lone Rider]

Has some woman with her kids walking down our line of bikes parked up in Oxford, and she was poking and prodding the bikes to show bits to her kids.

Bothered me a lot, didn't seem to bother the others.

Hate randoms coming up and touching my bike.

[Owl]

I haven't had that problem with a kid, but my bike was in the staff carpark one day and I looked out the window to see one of my colleagues sitting his kid (about 3 years old) on it as if it was a toy. You'd think adults would have some clue, even if kids don't. :bash:

Yeah similar deal. Sticky hand prints all over tank and throttle. Dad got a lecture at a later date without family present!

[Number One]

For what it is worth, my main objection to this child's behaviour was his physical handling of the bike. Not even I would twist the throttle as he did. He was using excessive physical force. Without asking permission. As I have already stated, he was out of line. I stand by that statement.


I agree - it is not acceptable nor is it normal behaviour. The fact that he followed you around following your 'don't touch the bike kid' growling again speaks volumes to me. You clearly captured his imagination, he obviously recognised you as a 'safe' person (despite the fact you ride a bike ;)) and he wanted more of you. Even foreign kids have a compass for knowing that touching and being rough with other peoples stuff and following a complete stranger around is not really the done thing.

I too speak from experience when I say that society is a pig to kids with difference (and their parents). You did well to remain calm and be kind while he was man handling your bike...even for parents remaining calm and (even sometimes) kind at all times is not easy and takes effort. So I thank you for that.

[Fudmucker]

We were parked outside a coffee shop in a real tourist spot when a guy walks up to the bikes with two kids - obviously going to pick them up and put them onto the machines. At the last moment he stopped and turned to look at us.

"You don't mind if they get on the bike do you?" he said.
I quickly replied:
"Whatever you do with the bikes, we'll just do the same with their Mommy...you don't mind, do you?"

:Oops:

End of hazard...!

[MarkH]

The funny thing is, I would not have expected this particular guy to behave like that - I thought he had more common sense.

There's another guy on staff who repeatedly borrows stuff without asking. One day I arrived at work to find he had unlocked my office, let himself in and was searching my desk drawer for some bit of stationery! :angry: He also repeatedly parks his car in the designated bike parking and has to be asked to move it. He has asked questions about my bike but never touched it.

I wonder what it is that makes otherwise apparently normal people treat bikes like public property.

People are fuckin' stupid, just think about how stupid the average person is, then realise that half the people are stupider than that!

[Muppet]

I think I met that young 10 year olds relatives.

A coach pulled up in the car park and parked next to my bike. Next thing you know there is a couple of guys (adults) from the coach, taking it in turns to sit on my bike. What the f***. I wouldn't climb into their cars or try their clothes on. Why do people behave in such a way? I had to chase them off, dickheads.

Some people have no sense.

Best sign I saw stitched on a bike seat was, 'Don't touch or I will kill you'.

I saw a bumper sticker years ago that read "you toucha my car I breaka you face"

[Muppet]

In general I am very tolerant of kids. I was a teacher for over a decade .......

Just curious, why did you stop being a teacher?

[thehollowmen]

I'm happy to let them on my bike, but under my supervision.

And I tell them that a bike is family, just like they are. So I tell them I have to ask a parent if I'm allowed to show them how a bike works, the same way they have to ask to touch a bike.

They really seem to take that on board well, and with a lot of respect.

[phoenixgtr]

Hmmm...I had a similar sort of experience just last night.

On our street theres a few kids who spend their time biking on the road. Anyway, I ride home from work last night, pull into my street and notice the kids on the road. Thats all good, so I pull up my driveway and round the back of my house to my garage. I jump off and take my helmet off to find these kids have followed me, not only onto MY property but around the back of my house to tell me "my Dad used to have a XYZ blah blah blah." I'm thinking to myself "what makes you think you can invite yourself in here!!" but I humour them til they bugger off back to the road. I wasn't going to open the garage so they could see the other 2 bikes in there!!

Theres kids would have been 10ish

Do I sound like an old man..."bloody kids, get off my property!!"...I'm only 25!!

[slofox]

Just curious, why did you stop being a teacher?

The things that drove me out were a.) the education system, b.) other teachers and c.) climbing the same mountain year after year. I got to the point where I could not face it any more. So I left the service.

[Beemer]

I used to park my bike under cover between work (a newspaper) and the delivery shed where the papers went out from. The teenage paper boys used to hang around there and one of them shoved another and they nearly landed on my bike. I turned around and told them if they laid a finger on my bike I'd rip their fucking arms off! The funny thing was, as I was walking up the stairs I heard "hello? are you there?" coming from my mobile and discovered I'd accidently dialled my mum! The first thing she said after I said hello was "well, did you have to rip their fucking arms off?"

[Muppet]

The things that drove me out were a.) the education system, b.) other teachers and c.) climbing the same mountain year after year. I got to the point where I could not face it any more. So I left the service.

Cheers, shows you have the balls to admit to yourself it's time to move on. Went through a similar thing myself, once I admitted I was unhappy with the situation, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. :done:

[kunoichi]

Generally i don't have problems with kids touching my bike wen their parents are around (i park my bike infront of my work so i can see it). But one time I had a 5/6 yr old come up alone and stand right beside the side stand and patting/stroking the seat of my bike...as odd as that sounds :p ...anyways, my concern was that he might end up kicking the side stand in and the bike falling on top of him, so i ran out and lured him away from my bike with my helmet (kids seem very happy to try them on, despite the fact that you'v been sweating in them). But i just asked where his parents were and that we should go find them to see if they would let him sit on my bike. wen a child is alone, i always call on the parents for back up.

[martybabe]

I've got a teenage daughter that has as much respect for me and my things as a Pukeko has for the rules of the road.Some things however seem to have got through.

A recent overheard conversation as my Daughter and boy racer friend exited the house via the Garage...

Daughter; "don't touch the bike ok!"

Boytwat; " Hahaha, why?"

Daughter; " you remember that conversation we had when you guys said my Dad looks like a Fuggin baby eating monster and I said nah, He's the softest bloke I know"

Boytwat; "yeah ?"

Daughter " Well I fookin lied ! If he finds so much as a finger print of yours on that thing, he will hunt you down and he will kill you! I joke you not!"

Boytwat; "hahaaa..oh...OK"

That's my Girl :clap:

[MarkH]

I've got a teenage daughter that has as much respect for me and my things as a Pukeko has for the rules of the road.Some things however seem to have got through.

A recent overheard conversation as my Daughter and boy racer friend exited the house via the Garage...

Daughter; "don't touch the bike ok!"

Boytwat; " Hahaha, why?"

Daughter; " you remember that conversation we had when you guys said my Dad looks like a Fuggin baby eating monster and I said nah, He's the softest bloke I know"

Boytwat; "yeah ?"

Daughter " Well I fookin lied ! If he finds so much as a finger print of yours on that thing, he will hunt you down and he will kill you! I joke you not!"

Boytwat; "hahaaa..oh...OK"

That's my Girl :clap:

Some things just make a parent sooooo proud :niceone:

[nico]

you tell him not to touch then proced to give said mother or father a abluste bloking for alowing their child to touch well thats what id do neways but if there 15ish or over there old enuf for a beat down ...

[jaymzw]

SHIT! today sum (i can only assume) first or second former has touched my bike. Get on the horse after school and notice my indicator turned on. I turned it off and then turned on my headlight. Wasnt until about halfway home i realised it was on fullbeam becuse of these stupid little kids!

I swear it only happened because i read this thread yesterday!!!

[MarkH]

I jump off and take my helmet off to find these kids have followed me, not only onto MY property but around the back of my house to tell me "my Dad used to have a XYZ blah blah blah." I'm thinking to myself "what makes you think you can invite yourself in here!!"

Git offf my lawn you little punks!

mumble mumble kids these days mumble mumble back in my day mumble mumble no respect mumble mumble.

[Grizzo]

Mate, I wouldnt consider that being tolerant.

[Squid]

I've had plenty of kids stand there looking at the bike at the supermarket etc. Most tend to keep a little distance, maybe theres somthing to be said for black leathers and longish hair. and being 6"...

Had one Dad carrying his 3ish y/o son past the library one day, I was just gearing up to go and he stood to watch me start it up and stuff. Switched the bike off and asked if the kid wanted to sit on the tank and have a closer look, the dad was well happy with that and proceded to take a photo on his phone and was very grateful that I took the time to.

Got little brothers too, let the 14 year old ride the gixxa into the garage at mum and dads one day. Never seen him looking so proud of himself. Best part was I overheard him talking to a friend a few hours later
"see that race-looking bike over there?"
"yeah"
"I got to start it up when we where tuning it and got to ride it today!!"
":shit:"

Made me well proud

[rocketman1]

Shite that was a long time ago, but I clearly remember my older brothers mates all arriving at our house at Kawerau, in the 1960's on all sorts of Triumphs, Nortons, and AJS's all covered in black leather etc, to a young kid I was always loved to see the bikes arrive. But I never dreamed of touching the bikes.
I had lots of kid mates that would come and look as well.
If any one of them had grabbed a throttle and carried on like that kid at the supermarket did, I know that they would have got a hiding, no questions asked. Thats just the way it was back then. You just would not have done anything like that.
Things have changed a bit over the years.

[klingon]

... maybe theres somthing to be said for black leathers and longish hair. and being 6"...


aaaawww you're just an itty bitty biker! I could put you in my handbag like Paris Hilton's dog!

[Squid]

aaaawww you're just an itty bitty biker! I could put you in my handbag like Paris Hilton's dog!

Hmmm kinky..
Nah change my mind maybe not :dodge:

Grandma is the funniest though, after I got a race type jacket got her to try it on just for giggles. She thought it was quite comfortable. Must be the armor in the arms and shoulders :yes: