When a kid paws your bike

[=cJ=]

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

You know the answer to that one...

[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 ...
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 but I might let her sit on my face! If she asked nicely. 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...

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!

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

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

[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.

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?"



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! 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"