While at a nearby park for a nice walk on a cool, crisp morning yesterday, Big A and I came across a disturbing scene.
The park runs on both sides of the Huron River with two bridges on either end to connect the two sides. On either side is a playground area for kids. As we were approaching the one on the south side, a man who was jogging and a boy who was riding a bike went by us and headed for the playground. "How cute", I said to Big A. "That man's wife must be enjoying the peace and quiet as he jogs and takes the little boy with him." I would guess the boy would be about 4-5. As Big A and I near the playground, we see the boy's bike and helmet on the ground and him playing on the wiggly bridge but the man was still jogging. About 100 yards away, we saw him enter the restroom. Big A and I just looked at each other. This man completely disappeared from view and left his tow-headed little boy alone on the playground which happened to also be next to one of the parking lots. Someone could easily have scooped him up and drive off before the man ever got out of the bathroom.
At this time, it was probably about 9 a.m. and there were a few other people out jogging that we had passed but at this area, there was only one older man who was jogging and seemed relatively harmless but other than that, there was no one in the near vicinity. We ended up loitering a bit at an information sign that was near the playground until we saw the man re-appear from the bathroom about 5 minutes later and head back to the playground area after stopping for a moment to dig through a trash can and taking 3 croquet mallets that were in there. He glanced at us as we were passing but I think he probably assumed we were looking at him for digging through the trash and not for being an idiot and leaving the little boy all by himself.
With not having any kids, it always feels a bit odd to share my ideas of what I would and would not do but Big A and I both agreed that he should've taken the boy into the restroom too or, as the last resort, pooped his pants. Leaving him alone should not have even been an option.
7 comments:
Some people just don't think.
I've just about popped my bladder waiting for a moment when I could get to a restroom with daughter in tow which is very hard to do when she is at a playground with a wiggly bridge. I would no more leave my daughter alone at a playground than I would a 20 pound gold bar.
I agree with you and like Ed, there have been many times I've tested the holding capacity of my bladder.
I drag the munchkins with me to the potty. It's not fun - and it's wayyyyyyyyyy less fun for me than them - but that's the way it works. MeMe goes potty, the munchkins go potty. There's no other alternative.
PS: I think sometimes the people without kids - like you and Big A in this case - think better than some parents. Not the ones like Sage and Ed, but there are some BAD parents out there.
TC - You're right. I just hate getting the "Well, you don't have kids" retort as if what I think would be different if I had a kid.
Yeah, I've heard that one, too. And I always wonder why we have to have a license to do so many things - drive, hunt, etc. - but we don't have to have one to raise kids? Seems that would be the single largest thing we could ever screw up.
Murf, you never cease to surprise me. Not many people know the expression "tow headed".
How do I put this?...My umm, bathroom habits...changed drastically when I was able to procreate. You just don't leave a small child, tow-headed or otherwise, out of your sight.
I'd have been the first person to tell you that we don't have sex offenders and little boy/girl predators around here. Nope, not in this part of the country. Then I signed on to the sex offender web site. No wonder I walk my 13-year old to the bus stop every day. When we had the rabid skunk I not only walked her to the bus stop, but I had something extra in my pocket--and if I get word of any more weirdos in the area I'll continue stuffing my pocket on the way to the bus.
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