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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

or was this woman with a stick?

268 replies

VodIsGod · 30/08/2013 14:45

Out with my 3 DSs today, aged 8, 5 and 3. All on scooters, they tend to scoot ahead and we have set places on our route where they stop and wait for me to catch up on foot. Part of the route is downhill and they pick up speed but all use their brakes as none of them are adrenaline junkies.

Towards the end of our journey, an elderly woman with a stick approaches me smiling but states that my children were out of control on an earlier section of our route, that they'd gone past too fast. I said that I was sorry if my sons gave her a scare but that I didn't think they were out of control and I was keeping an eye on them. She said they were unsupervised and that she has a friend who was knocked over by a 5yo on a scooter, broke both her legs and never walked again.

I again apologised if they scared her, she said they didn't scare her but were dangerous and that she had decided that if any child came within a foot of her on a scooter she was going to push them into the road with her stick.

I said that that was an extreme reaction and she said it wasn't extreme because her life was just as important as any child's.

I again apologised if the boys had scared her, turned and walked away. She was still talking at me but I couldn't hear her.

AIBU or was she? I keep going over and over it Hmm

OP posts:
olgaga · 31/08/2013 01:21

Do be careful with your children on their scooters OP. It's not just other pavement users who are at risk if they are going too fast and are way ahead of you

There was an awful incident in my area where a 5 year old girl fell from her scooter off the pavement and into the path of a bus, and sustained severe head injuries.

It was awful - and shook a lot of parents out of their complacency. Shame it took an incident like that to illustrate the danger.

kali110 · 31/08/2013 01:23

I dont think people are saying kids shouldn't use scooters etc more that public footpaths aren't the best place and because they're so young to be going off ahead,Not just a danger to others but themselves as well ! At that age they don't have much sense of danger. Plus as op couldn't see them she couldn't say for certain that they weren't being reckless.

Misspixietrix · 31/08/2013 01:34

olgaga :( hope the little girl was ok in the end. Not suggesting this is what OP's.DC's did of course but.on a sidenote the amount of kids I see zooming to school whilst the Mother has her nose to her mobile phone screen! ~

DameDoom · 31/08/2013 02:18

The road comment the old lady made was unreasonable but I totally get her fear. I had spinal surgery about 5 years ago and was terrified of anything or anyone bumping into me as I would have been crippled for life.
Would the OP feel good if her kids scooted straight into a buggy and badly injured a toddler or baby? Don't even get me started on the idiotic and totally irresponsible parents who let their kids fly around the supermarket in those bleedin' heelies.

DameDoom · 31/08/2013 02:28

I would like to add that along with scooters, skateboards and shizzle, those bloody motobility scooters should be banned unless you really need them. We have a shop porning them near us and they are snapped up by people who I know for a fact have no disability - they just like joyriding on paths at high speed.Those buggers weigh a ton and are the vehicle of choice for the banned from driving, lazy and good for nothings round here.

Suzieismyname · 31/08/2013 07:02

Mobility scooter porn... This thread gets even better!

Fakebook · 31/08/2013 07:19

Grin...I can just imagine two mobility scooters rolling around touching each others buttons and joysticks...

Nanny0gg · 31/08/2013 09:07

Doncha just love predictive text?
Grin

differentnameforthis · 31/08/2013 15:47

It obviously did scare her for her to mention it, I think it would have been easier to apologise & assure her that you would make sure that in future they aren't "out of control"

Tbh, a mothers view of out of control children is different to a strangers (and a pensioners at that). I have had to hop out of the way for scooters before, they can be annoying!

That said, she was BU saying what she did about pushing them, and tbh I think she only said that to make you think about what she was actually trying to say (asking your kids to be a bit more considerate) a little more seriously!

RabbitFromAHat · 31/08/2013 15:52

Scooters are dreadful dreadful things and quite honestly I wish they'd be banned. I can totally understand how that lady felt. I look like a perfectly normal thirtysomething but have serious osteoporosis and there are few things that make me prickle with fear like the sight of children on scooters, particularly small ones. They simply do not have the motor skills needed to negotiate any problem at all that can arise on a footpath with other users.

I think she was actually being rather polite. Given that you say you couldn't see your children, clearly they were unsupervised. What good could you do anyway, with them ahead of you?

valiumredhead · 31/08/2013 17:40

I doubt many people actually choose to use a mobility scooterHmm

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa · 31/08/2013 17:52

I've taught DS to slow right down and get right over to the edge when someone else is on the pavement and he's not allowed to scoot through the town centre. He's fine with that

heartisaspade · 31/08/2013 17:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lljkk · 31/08/2013 18:31

None of us were there so we can't say... but I had a similar experience. DC were a bit ahead slightly around a corner, going up hill on scooters (heavy scooters, default = not fast) and passed an approaching couple on a narrow section of pavement between railing & wall. Reaching me, the lady said something in a very polite voice about them going very fast like she was only concerned for their safety & I apologised & moved on. When I caught up to DD she said the lady had angrily snarled "I hope you have a terrible accident in the road!" when they passed. Confused It's not the sort of thing DD would have made up.

I can't see that OP or her children did anything wrong.

Market Day, Sometimes there are very wobbly & elderly folks in the veg-stall queue and they really should not be there, they are way too fragile to risk falling over in the bustling narrow queues. I like to think that if I couldn't survive crowded pavement conditions I'd have the sense not to be there.

YouTheCat · 31/08/2013 18:36

Why shouldn't they be there? All this takes is a small amount of consideration and common sense - scooters on pavements is not on.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 31/08/2013 18:38

So elderly folk shouldn't go to the market, where it is easier for them to buy single portions of food, because other people shouldn't have to take a bit of care? Really?

Floggingmolly · 31/08/2013 18:43

Shock at old folk not being allowed out on Market Day to make room for kids on scooters

SilverApples · 31/08/2013 18:51

I feel the same way about mummies with huge buggies. Grin
And people who take their doggies out on loooong leads.
And small children on scooters
And.....
Good job we are all striving for tolerance and consideration here, isn't it?

DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved · 31/08/2013 18:51

"vehicle of choice for the banned from driving, lazy and good for nothings round here"

I love that people probably think that about me. Nice.

UptheChimney · 01/09/2013 04:44

None of us were there so we can't say

Thing is, the OP wasn't there either! So how could she know her chilen weren't out of control.

I think the woman's comment about using her stick was out of frustration. I doubt it was a real threat. But three children on scooters, particularly at 3 and 5, and out of parental vision -- now that is a real hazard to other pavement users.

UptheChimney · 01/09/2013 04:48

Sometimes there are very wobbly & elderly folks in the veg-stall queue and they really should not be there, they are way too fragile to risk falling over in the bustling narrow queues. I like to think that if I couldn't survive crowded pavement conditions I'd have the sense not to be there

And I'd like to think that if I needed to buy food to eat, I would be able to do so, whatever my age.

Never read such a ridiculous attitude to people in my life. Elderly people are people, not aliens. And it's the one thing we can all count on. We'll all be old one day.

Well, unless you prefer the alternative?

pudcat · 01/09/2013 08:12

Sometimes there are very wobbly & elderly folks in the veg-stall queue and they really should not be there, they are way too fragile to risk falling over in the bustling narrow queues. I like to think that if I couldn't survive crowded pavement conditions I'd have the sense not to be there

Really!!!!!!!!! So you will stay indoors all day when you are old. And how do you know what the lady said? You were not there lljkk supervising your children. She could have said " You might have an accident", but I suppose your child is as pure as the snow. People like you bring children up to have no respect for others.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 01/09/2013 08:20

OMFG the attitude by some on this thread to older people has really boiled my piss and this latest thing has really dine my head in.
Old,frail people shouldn't be shopping at a market????? Well how the fuck do you propose they eat then? Many have no one to shop for them, for many their shopping trip is the only social interaction they may have in a whole week. So now lets marginalise them even more so entitled brats can have free rein on their fucking scooters.
WE WILL ALL BE OLD ONE DAY.
Oh and age is a protected characteristic under the equality act.

Lweji · 01/09/2013 08:28

she said the lady had angrily snarled "I hope you have a terrible accident in the road!"

Or don't.

Your DD could have misheard it.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 01/09/2013 08:38

I fucking hate these scooters

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