What would you do?

[cowboyz]

Picture this.

You park in a car park at a mall. (instead of designated bike parking).

As you are walking away from your bike you see a mother pushing a trolley full of groceries carrying a baby. There is a 4-5yr old running round her and the baby is crying. The mother is obivously not having a good day trying to settle the baby and raising her voice at the child telling him to stay with her and watch traffic etc.......

They get up to the car that is parked next to your bike and while the mother is settling the baby in the backseat and walks round to put the groceries in the boot the child gets a tennis racket out of the back of the car and starts swinging it around.
Just as the mother is shouting to put it back you see the tennis racket hit the side of your bike.

What happens now..... what to do?

[Finn]

There's a Mall in Ashhurst?

[Mrs Busa Pete]

As a women i would grab the tennis racket of the kid and be very tempted to wack it around kids ass.



From a mans point depends was she hot.

[FROSTY:Me]

I'd be "talking firmly" with the child. After that I'd be talking with the mother about the damage to the bike.

[Swoop]

"Burn him!"

or "Get a gun and shoot the fuck!"

[unrealone]

You've obviously done something already seeing as you're posting here? Or you're cool and you posted this from your Blackberry while witnessing the event :P

I'd be asking for money for damages - I mean, that's life and life sucks sometimes.

If I'd just hit someones bike with something I'd expect to have to pay for it regardless who I may be and what situation I'm in.

[quackquack]

Give him the Sharapova backhand and make sure you grunt loudly at the time to add realism for to it. No seriously two words insurance claim let them chase her down for the cash.

[Bonez]

Did the racket break or did the Kawasaki buckle under the impact?

[cowboyz]

There's a Mall in Ashhurst?

Damn. Actually. no. There is a cowboyz and a meanie. Not enough room in this town for anything else.

Occasionally they do let us out and we manage to find a 20 foot sign that says "Palmerston North City this way" though.


Shouldnt the bike be parked in the motorcycle parking not in car parking so it is at fault for being there?

Mothers have a tough time as it is and kids can get wayward. She obviously wasnt having a flash day and was trying.

BTW. It wasnt my bike.

[PrincessBandit]

No matter what kind of a shit day you might be having, you are still responsible for any damage your kids might do. It is not "just one of those things", and any parent must realise that the buck stops with them. Her state of mind might affect how you speak to her, but don't let it stop you from getting it sorted. If that had happened to me (as the mother) and a rider came over to deal with it I'd probably burst into tears (i) out of stress, and (ii) out of appreciation that they didn't rip the sh*t out of me over it. Would definitely make me more ammenable to sorting out any damage! If no damage was actually done to the bike, I'd have still had a quiet word.

[YellowDog]

I think you haver to feel for the stressed Mum. She's doing her best. Hopefully it didn't scratch or dent anything?

"Watch the bike mate".

I think the kid needs to somehow know he's done wrong.

[ManDownUnder]

ummmm dare I say it - go and talk to the mother, or if she's busy the child (to prevent any more immediate damage))?

You're both having a hard time, nothing is going to be gained by staking your claim to compensation, the mother will be aware of whats happening and if you diffuse the situation you'll get a lot more out of it.

Any damage to your bike?

[BIHB@0610]

Shouldnt the bike be parked in the motorcycle parking not in car parking so it is at fault for being there?

Irrelevant - if a car had been parked in the car park, the kid would have hit that with the tennis racquet.

Mothers have a tough time as it is and kids can get wayward.

Yes they do - as the mother of twin boys and an older boy I appreciate that mothers have a tough time. We all have a tough time occasionally. Unfortunately our responsibilities do not discern good times from bad.

She obviously wasnt having a flash day and was trying.

Obviously, not a flash day. Again - unfortunately the responsibility is still hers to make sure that any damage caused is fixed. And taken out of the little toad's pocket money for the next few years.

So far as I'm concerned, the mother is still responsible for the actions of her child. Sure, she was having a bad day - so she deserves sympathy and understanding from the person delivering the message.

Personally, if it was anything up to, say, $50 I'd probably give up on it if she argued - getting into an argument with a hormonal, post-partum depressed, tired and stressed woman would not be my idea of fun. Depending on your financial situation you might be able to tolerate more financial pain to avoid the stress.

[FROSTY:Me]

yea --I was guessing it was a no harm no foul situation. But if the bikes damaged --different senario.

[McDuck]

Depends. On the kat if it broke a light i woudl ask for cash, if it was just a scrach then i would give it a polish and not worry. (ater giving the kid a roasting)