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AIBU?

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Original poster

Young child caused accident on pavement

206 replies

Senso · 19/06/2026 19:41

AIBU to think that young children should not be allowed to be in charge of a pushchair on the pavement?

I was witness to an incident that happened on a busy street where a young child, aged around 8 was pushing a pushchair - occupied by a toddler - too fast, and collided with another pedestrian.

the injured person had been walking at a normal pace in the opposite direction but the child just charged straight into her causing her to fall and sustain quite a nasty impact injury.

The parents didn’t seem to get that the child had caused the accident, instead repeating that it was “just an accident, no-one was to blame”

i think otherwise.

OP posts:
Pamelaaaaaar · 19/06/2026 20:59

Ah gone are the days when you used to jump back up and limp away from such an incident, laughing when secretly you want to cry.

Everything is a big drama now.

Error404FucksNotFound · 19/06/2026 20:59

Either they were too far away to get to their child to prevent them colliding with a pedestrian in which case that was reckless - what if their child had tripped or something? the pushchair may have gone into the road.

Or they were close enough to stop it but ddidn't bother because they didnt care if their kid collided with someone, in which case that was twattish of them.

If you are going to let your child push the pushchair, you have to be right there ready to step in.

Original poster
Senso · 19/06/2026 20:55

MellowGoldLion · 19/06/2026 20:51

Your thread title is so misleading. The child was about 8 so below the age of criminal responsibility. You are really trying to say the parent was to blame, so why target thd child in thd title. Has it been headed 'Parents should take control of their children' I would be more sympathetic to your point of view.

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erm. I would have thought my title would be completely obvious and clear. Off to pedants corner you go!

OP posts:
Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:52

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/06/2026 20:48

It really IS a big deal for someone older, with more fragile bones, @Backedoffhackedoff. Not only the injury itself, but the pain and shock from it.

When I was a nurse, I saw so many elderly women whose lives were devastated by a simple fall that caused a fractured hip. Some died. Some had surgery and then died. Some survived the surgery but developed dementia due to the shock of the injury and the surgery, and never walked or lived independently again. Some did OK - but, in my recollection, the bad or poor outcomes outweighed the good ones. Even when the outcome was good, not all the ladies got back to their previous, fully independent lives.

Of course, a younger person, with nice, tough bones, can easily throw off a fall, but elderly people can and do suffer serious consequences after apparently simple falls.

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I think youre misunderstanding my point. Of course falls can be serious including leading to death.
They are common, and no big deal because of that. Thousands of People fall over every Day, and of course some were caused by other people’s behaviour.

stopping people from behaving like that is impossible though. It’s just life.

MellowGoldLion · 19/06/2026 20:51

Senso · 19/06/2026 19:41

AIBU to think that young children should not be allowed to be in charge of a pushchair on the pavement?

I was witness to an incident that happened on a busy street where a young child, aged around 8 was pushing a pushchair - occupied by a toddler - too fast, and collided with another pedestrian.

the injured person had been walking at a normal pace in the opposite direction but the child just charged straight into her causing her to fall and sustain quite a nasty impact injury.

The parents didn’t seem to get that the child had caused the accident, instead repeating that it was “just an accident, no-one was to blame”

i think otherwise.

Your thread title is so misleading. The child was about 8 so below the age of criminal responsibility. You are really trying to say the parent was to blame, so why target thd child in thd title. Has it been headed 'Parents should take control of their children' I would be more sympathetic to your point of view.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/06/2026 20:48

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:25

Yes I’ve thought about it. I still don’t think someone having a fall is a big deal, no. It’s an everyday occurance

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It really IS a big deal for someone older, with more fragile bones, @Backedoffhackedoff. Not only the injury itself, but the pain and shock from it.

When I was a nurse, I saw so many elderly women whose lives were devastated by a simple fall that caused a fractured hip. Some died. Some had surgery and then died. Some survived the surgery but developed dementia due to the shock of the injury and the surgery, and never walked or lived independently again. Some did OK - but, in my recollection, the bad or poor outcomes outweighed the good ones. Even when the outcome was good, not all the ladies got back to their previous, fully independent lives.

Of course, a younger person, with nice, tough bones, can easily throw off a fall, but elderly people can and do suffer serious consequences after apparently simple falls.

MrsTerryPratchett · 19/06/2026 20:45

The person hit had a broken hip? So the parents are saying it’s not an issue as the ambulance is called? Really?

mondaytosunday · 19/06/2026 20:40

Yes the parents should have been supervising and telling them to slow down. But an 8 year old is plenty old enough to push a pushchair.

gillefc82 · 19/06/2026 20:38

CaesarAugusta · 19/06/2026 20:32

Why do you think parents can't control careless children?

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I think @Backedoffhackedoff‘s point is that parents should be more than capable and willing to control their children, but in reality there are a significant number who either can’t or won’t. And it’s my experience that people like that are typically the last ones to accept any responsibility, make any attempts at an apology or reflect on their behaviour and learn from it.

Society is getting increasingly self-centred and slopey-shouldered.

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:34

CaesarAugusta · 19/06/2026 20:32

Why do you think parents can't control careless children?

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Why are you asking me that? I’ve said nothing of the sort

AMurderofMurderingCrows · 19/06/2026 20:34

usernames756 · 19/06/2026 20:30

Accidents happen, that’s just the way it goes.

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Why are you repeating a PP? Was it so good you wanted to say it again?

If I saw that pram coming towards my mum, who also has osteoporosis, I'd have accidentally booted it so hard out of her way, so yeah I suppose accidents do happen 😊

Original poster
Senso · 19/06/2026 20:33

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:30

Nothing, I think she wanted everyone to gush about all the irresponsible parents are “nowadays”

Edited
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😂

how old do you think I am?!

OP posts:
CaesarAugusta · 19/06/2026 20:32

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:16

Of course. We can’t control careless people though can we? This is a really weird conversation.

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Why do you think parents can't control careless children?

Original poster
Senso · 19/06/2026 20:31

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:26

The oP isn’t asking whether she’s unreasonable to think parents should control their children - she can’t possibly be that much of a sap that she thinks that’s an unreasonable thought.

its not a realistic thought though, so just meaningless. “Someone mugged me, aibu think they shouldn’t mug me?”

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Eh? My AIBU is whether or not a preteen child should be in charge of a pushchair on a busy street. That automatically assumes parental responsibility

OP posts:
GreatOffWhiteFalcon · 19/06/2026 20:31

BeardySchnauzer · 19/06/2026 20:29

I think they meant the parents were on their phone

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Oh sorry!

Imdunfer · 19/06/2026 20:31

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:25

Yes I’ve thought about it. I still don’t think someone having a fall is a big deal, no. It’s an everyday occurance

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Do you yourself fall very often?

Falls are a major killer of the old.

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:30

BeardySchnauzer · 19/06/2026 20:28

I’m interested to understand what you think the OPs AIBU was?

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Nothing, I think she wanted everyone to gush about all the irresponsible parents are “nowadays”

usernames756 · 19/06/2026 20:30

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:14

accidents happen, that’s just the way it goes

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Accidents happen, that’s just the way it goes.

GreatOffWhiteFalcon · 19/06/2026 20:30

I got knocked over by a mobility scooter, it was bloody painful and I needed a knee operation to fix it. Falling hard on the pavement is no joke and parents supervising children should remember that.

CaesarAugusta · 19/06/2026 20:30

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:14

accidents happen, that’s just the way it goes

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Some accidents are entirely avoidable. Clearly this one could have been avoided by the simple expedient of not letting the child push the pushchair, or supervising them properly.

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:29

Prombles · 19/06/2026 20:28

It is absolutely not an 'everyday thing' for an adult. I can remember every time I've had a fall in adulthood - usually due to ice. I don't want to jinx myself but I'd say at the absolute most it happens once every couple of years.

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Well go to your local a&e and you’ll see loads of people there at 8pm on a Friday who have fallen over, with the elderly ones queuing up in ambulances.

BeardySchnauzer · 19/06/2026 20:29

GreatOffWhiteFalcon · 19/06/2026 20:26

Eh? The pushchair veered out of control, how could the pedestrian predict that? Why blame her?

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I think they meant the parents were on their phone

BeardySchnauzer · 19/06/2026 20:28

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:26

The oP isn’t asking whether she’s unreasonable to think parents should control their children - she can’t possibly be that much of a sap that she thinks that’s an unreasonable thought.

its not a realistic thought though, so just meaningless. “Someone mugged me, aibu think they shouldn’t mug me?”

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I’m interested to understand what you think the OPs AIBU was?

Prombles · 19/06/2026 20:28

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:25

Yes I’ve thought about it. I still don’t think someone having a fall is a big deal, no. It’s an everyday occurance

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It is absolutely not an 'everyday thing' for an adult. I can remember every time I've had a fall in adulthood - usually due to ice. I don't want to jinx myself but I'd say at the absolute most it happens once every couple of years.

Imdunfer · 19/06/2026 20:27

Backedoffhackedoff · 19/06/2026 20:14

accidents happen, that’s just the way it goes

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It isn't an accident if someone is letting an 8 year old push a pram into another person, it's a failure of supervision.