To think this is actually really entitled parenting?

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

Seen this post from several people this morning outraged at the walking couple

www.facebook.com/672995864/posts/10158029908925865/?d=n

Now I am in no way condoning the disgusting language of the man in question. But the dad showed such an entitled attitude. He didn't tell his DD to slow down even when she was on the heels of the couple. She could have hurt them if they'd been elderley or disabled, and you can't tell from behind. He didn't practice social distancing - even if the couple had moved they'd have been way less than 2m apart from them, unless they threw themselves into a bush. And when his DD fell off the bike, rather than comfort her he spent the time arguing with and blaming the couple while she cried on the floor.

I've taken my kids to paths like this during lockdown and have said if someone is walking ahead we have to walk behind them with the bikes until we can pass them safely or the paths get wider. This is while teaching them to cycle, and just because they have momentum it doesn't mean they shouldn't stop - surely that's part of learning to cycle, knowing when to judge the safety of themselves and others?

I suppose i also hate this trend of social media vigilantism whereby people want to share faces of those who've slighted them, usually with a huge amount of bias and very little context. And the general public seem to lap it up! I am hard of hearing and I hate cyclists coming up behind me when I walk as unless they bellow "excuse me" I simply will not hear them. I wouldn't be pleased if a child bashed into me and then I got yelled at by the parent for not having good hearing and eyes in the back of my head.

[MintyChapstick]

No, the walking couple were completely in the wrong. They could easily have filed in in single file. They deliberately didn’t and were provocative.

Presumably this is a footpath and not a cycle track? Why should they move?

[lampygirl]

I say this as a regular cyclist who does get frustrated when people walk whole group abreast on wide paths who deliberately won’t go into a narrower group so cyclists can pass (not like the above, that’s a narrow track with nowhere to go). They should have stopped the kid. Cyclists don’t have a right to pass and I’d have been livid if a kid cycled into me, particularly at the moment with the distancing. There isn’t space to pass there, there is space to pass up ahead. As annoying as it is for your progress sometimes you have to get off and walk.

At the moment if your child can’t do social distancing on their own they need to be under more physical control in narrow areas, so hand holding, reins, pushchair or whatever, not let loose on bikes and scooters, save that for open spaces like the park.

The couple reacted badly but they could have been injured by the bike, or were maybe just fed up of being expected to move when they didn’t really have anywhere to go at that point and now as well as a child another adult was breaching the social distancing. Stop would have been the safest and most sensible thing to do and caused next to no hardship other than a 20m walk. Poor judgement from the parents there.

[Rentacar]

I think that it's 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

The couple could have gone single file (but there would have still not been the possibility of social distancing) and the man was wrong to be cross and kick the child's bike.

However, if the child was still learning, the parents needed to be more "on it" and ready to grab her if she was losing control or telling her to stop.

I haven't heard all of the tape but I'm not sure they even said "please". Plus he was more interested in the argument than comforting his little girl.

[StopMakingATitOfUrselfNPissOff]

The fact you don't hear him thank the man who had jumped into the hedge at the beginning of the video tells you all you need to know...

[RightOnTheEdge]

I would have been shouting at my dd to use the brakes and stop and I would have been horrified if she had crashed into someone like that.

All the huns commenting on that video are in support of the parents and telling them to report it to the police though

[Sandybval]

Even if the couple had moved into single file it's not enough room to pass in line with guidance. Why take bikes down a narrow path when it's likely there will be lots of people walking. I certainly wouldn't jump into a bush for a child on a bike because their dad instead of saying we will have to stop a moment just shouts excuse me over and over. He was angling for a fight, that's why he was filming, and didnt comfort her but had a go at the bloke.

[HollysBush]

So glad you started this thread. When I saw it on Facebook this morning I was really confused. No way would I allow my child to ride into the back of someone!

[minisoksmakehardwork]

If the dad did tell her to keep going then he really was entirely in the wrong. I didn't hear it and to be fair, I only heard him say excuse me twice and the gentle bell ring - the modern bells really aren't good for alerting people to their presence with a silly little ding.

To be frank, I think not slowing the girl down and simply waiting until it was safe to pass demonstrates the level of entitled parenting from this man and I am surprised the sharing of this on FB has got so much support for the parents. The couple lose some of my sympathy for the man kicking the kid's bike but on the whole the Dad was more in the wrong than anyone here. What would he have done if they had jumped into the bushes and the dog startled the girl as they continued to cycle past.

Common sense badly needed by that dad.

[Etinox]

No one covers themselves in glory in this imo. Poor kid, her dads too busy having a go at the couple to look after her.

[Floatyboat]

I think everyone ends up looking like a bellend in that video.

[Megatron]

The dad was an arsehole. The couple may not have heard them - I wouldn't as I'm partially deaf but I can hold a face to face conversation perfectly well as I can lipread.

Poor kid - none of this was her fault but the way her dad behaved in not teaching her what to do in these circumstances is awful. It was so obvious that this couple were not moving out of the way (for whatever reason) and I've no idea why this little girl would just keep riding. Even at 6 both of mine would have known to stop. This is the dad's fault.

I've just seen this on SM with everyone calling that couple all the names under the sun which I find really bizarre! Kicking the bike at the end was a dick move though.

[RightOnTheEdge]

And like PPs have said the father needs to learn how to say please and thank you!

[RedRed9]

@Ilovechinese where do you want them to move to? 2metres into a hedge?

[Megatron]

And yes, the dad's priority should have been his crying child, not trying to get a video for social media outrage, which is what it looks like.

[GrimmsFairytales]

It is quite astonishing how many times you have to shout excuse me to people at times. I don't like bells, I think they sound very imperious, but sometimes I think I need a really loud one!

It's quite astonishing that you think shouting excuse me entitles you to pass. It's a request not an order, and those who are in front of you don't need to move out of the way just because you shout it or ring a bell. Especially as in this case they have nowhere to move to.

[Megatron]

I've just seen that they've reported it to the police? For what?

[qweryuiop]

The woman gestures towards where the track opens up. Which is where I would have tried to let others pass too.

Also, as an analogy, if I beep my horn three times, should I keep driving even if there is a pedestrian in front of the car? This man seems to think so.

All right, kicking the kid's bike was horrible, but the father probably damaged the bik (and child) more by telling her to "keep going"

[cologne4711]

Why is the onus on the walking couple to move? Why couldn't the dad tell the daughter to slow down / stop and then pass when it was safe to do so

Are you really saying that if someone is moving slowly on a path, they can just continue to do so and not move over to let people past who are moving faster than they are, whether faster walking, cycling or running? And that if you are with someone you don't have to go single file to let people by? Great. In that case I will start going out with DH and DS and we will block entire paths walking 3 abreast and everyone behind will have to go at DH's pace.

Just give way to each other, keep left where possible and give as much as space as possible. Why do people have to be so completely unreasonable?

[LemonPudding]

How can anyone think the couple were in the wrong?

They had their backs to the child and parents so couldn't see what was happening. Why didn't the parents stop the child? Dreadful parenting fail.

[scarbados]

a small amount of decency on the part of that couple would have avoided this situation

Like what? Levitating? Hurling themselves into the bushes? The father is the one who needs to learn about decency towards others and teach his brat of a kid at the same time before she grows up to be as obnoxious as he is.

[Rentacar]

Having watched it again, why on earth didn't the Dad tell her to stop? Or at least attempt to grab her when it was clear that the couple weren't moving out of the way.

It's not clear if they heard the child coming or the "excuse me"

[cologne4711]

as an analogy, if I beep my horn three times, should I keep driving even if there is a pedestrian in front of the car? This man seems to think so

plenty of drivers who think that - beep beep beep and the obstruction will miraculously disappear.

[PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock]

If the dad did tell her to keep going then he really was entirely in the wrong.

At 0:14 after the first excuse me , the child is wobbling a bit and looks like she's slowing down as he get much closer to her .

"Go on, keep going"

[MintyChapstick]

Poor kid, her dads too busy having a go at the couple to look after her.

Yes I thought that as well. More interested in having a go at the couple than comforting his crying daughter.

Typical peformance parenting entitled twat.

[QuestionMarkNow]

The couple could have moved aside, just ike another man did on the video. (Assuming they heard the child coming).

However, Im astinished that at that age, the child hasnt learnt yet that pushing her way in isnt acceptable.
And the dad reaction is and fully entitled (I suspect he was also expecting them to get out of the way when HE arrived).

Everyone, the couple, the child and the dad could have done better.