Royal guard video kicking child in the way

[DickMabutt73962]

I wasn't born and raised in the UK and am not into the culture of 'tradition' but I don't understand the majority of reactions to this video blaming the parent and saying of the guards 'it's their job'.

Can anyone more enlightened explain to me why this was necessary? As far as I can see the guard is marching, not saving London from attack. I don't see why a side-step wouldn't work. And if this is a register thing then maybe future control of how close members of the public are able to get in their path

www.indy100.com/viral/queen-royal-guard-trampled-kid-tiktok-video-b1983965

@mathanxiety

The guards don't appear from nowhere, they're big loud men who don't hover silently above the ground.

Big men need to be more careful when marching through crowds who are unaware of their unmarked routes, and be aware that they could seriously hurt someone if they ploughed straight into them, which they did, without reason, and with complete disregard for the wellbeing of the child.

I've seen compilations on YouTube where the Guards simply push adults very roughly, in one case a woman. The TikTok video is now uploaded to YouTube too.

Someone upthread thought there was some comparison between the sentinels at Arlington and the Guards, but there is not. The demeanour of the Guards belongs in a barbaric age.

If you are running a tourist attraction visited by 3 million people every year, and it's almost 2022, maybe your approach should acknowledge that it's crowded, that your ridiculous uniform and all the marching about and staring straight ahead is going to cause people to wonder if you really are a security operative and not a character in a historic re-enactment, and that the Monarch you are guarding is a mere figurehead with no power whatsoever, and none of the trappings of monarchy matter one iota any more.

Maybe you should be honest and clear with potential visitors who do due diligence on your website. Above all, you should decide whether the place you are guarding is a tourist attraction or a terror target, because it is incredibly irresponsible to go on selling tickets to a death trap.

As you don’t want to post your link of an example of a poor unsuspecting woman being pushed over, I’ll do it for you.

Look at that! A stepped over barrier, and total awareness he was coming as she was getting a photo with him behind her. Not a great example.

Some years ago we were in Copenhagen as tourists visiting the royal palace. My mum was taking photos and focused on getting the best picture she was looking at the camera as she stepped forward to 'frame' the palace. Suddenly with no verbal warning, no shout two bayonetted riffles switched down inches in front of her to block her way. Unawares she had been about to step from the public to the private area. The guards could have spoken to her (even if they had said something in Danish their speaking would have attracted her attention) they could have shouted a warning but no they blocked her path in a way that meant had she taken another step at that moment she could well have been injured. The Danish Royal Guard also wear ceremonial uniform not combats. Mum didn't mouth off about stupid out modes transitions or say real soldiers should wear 'real' uniform or bang on about unwarranted violence being expect from a Viking nation. She apologized profusely and paid closer attention to where she was going for the rest of the trip. In short she took responsibility for her own actions and the potential danger they had put her in.

Are you the poster who thought children get trampled on at Arlington, @JohnHuffam1812?

A bit of a reach there, I think.

@Magnited, you don't think the uniform is ridiculous. I do. It's also impractical. We have a difference of opinion, and that doesn't make me anti-British.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon
The main problem is the strong authoritarian streak that this incident has exposed. The refusal to accept that the Guards are not beyond reproach when one of them clearly ploughed into a young child when other options were available to him is very perturbing.

So the following isn't enough warning?

• Website that clearly says keep clear of the SERVING soldiers
• The multiple signs on site stating keep clear, active soldiers
• The beefeaters doing some crowd control
• The ranking officer calling/bellowing out the drills before the guard changes and even sets off
• The rest of the crowd parting to clearly make way for something
• The big fuck off guns they carry
• The big stompy boots making all that noise
• The big burly man shouting "make way"

But aye yeah, a few arrows on the floor should stop people getting in the way

FFS quit the authoritarian nonsense! There are rules everywhere, if the kid had stuck to them nothing would have happened.

[quote KeflavikAirport]@DinoDinner you misunderstand me. There is as much reason to think the boy in the video is a terrorist decoy as the boy in the Tiktok. If danger is lurking everywhere, why is it ok to break with routine to engage with cute saluting kid but not step around clueless in-the-way kid?[/quote]

Gotcha my apologies! :)

That shocked shriek of the woman being pushed makes me laugh tbh, seeing how she thought she was important enough to stand on the opposite side of the barrier to everyone else there 😂🤣

The incident has exposed the strong authoritarian streak of a whole country?

Yeah, right. The only thing that's been exposed is some bad parenting.

I've seen people get shouted at to step back at Arlington when I was there. If they hadn't moved then they would have been moved.

No reach. A perfectly accurate comparison, also it people get in the way of changing of the guard the guards would not break step there either. Its unfortunate for you because its an accurate comparison and you got cross cause it was.

You think the uniform is ridiculous but have no problem with soldiers in full first class uniform including swords, far outdated rifles and bayonets at Arlington. It exposes your hypocricy.

As did your point about signs and warnings. These are at the Tower too.

So what it appears you are doing is making exceptions for the US for the criticisms you have for this event in the UK.

Funny that.

@summertimerolls, corporal punishment for a tourist doing a touristy thing in a tourist spot is definitely something that should be discussed here.

We could start with whether men should be allowed to push women really hard in the back. Are there any circumstances in which this is justified? What if the woman were pregnant or holding a baby? Would a loud verbal warning as at Arlington have accomplished the goal of clearing the space? Or is the goal to hurt and frighten people?

The RF or whoever it is that runs this tourist attraction needs to figure out what exactly it is. If security requires such draconian treatment of people who don't know what they bought tickets for either, then maybe don't run it as a theme park and only allow chaperoned groups in one at a time.

I am a staunch Republican, have no special respect for the Royal Family or whatever circus is around them but this is about bad parenting.
WTF were the parents doing? They clearly see the Royal Guard approaching their child who's in the way.
These are professional soldiers, not some decorations. Get a grip people.

Anyway the reason this is being spoke about so much is because it's incredibly rare. As @mathanxiety rightly points out 3 million visitors a year attend and children don't get knocked down on a daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly or several year basis. The complications of the odd person getting a fright will be made up over a significant time periods. Out of all of those millions a huge huge majority in fact nearly none are getting frightened or mowed down. If it was the fault of the big bad solid era it would be happening all the time and wouldn't even be news

The weapons won't be loaded. If they were they would be on a sling to stop someone grabbing it and turn it on the carrier.

That shocked shriek of the woman being pushed makes me laugh tbh, seeing how she thought she was important enough to stand on the opposite side of the barrier to everyone else there

@WalkersAreNotTheOnlyCrisps what video is that from?

[quote mathanxiety]@summertimerolls, corporal punishment for a tourist doing a touristy thing in a tourist spot is definitely something that should be discussed here.

We could start with whether men should be allowed to push women really hard in the back. Are there any circumstances in which this is justified? What if the woman were pregnant or holding a baby? Would a loud verbal warning as at Arlington have accomplished the goal of clearing the space? Or is the goal to hurt and frighten people?

The RF or whoever it is that runs this tourist attraction needs to figure out what exactly it is. If security requires such draconian treatment of people who don't know what they bought tickets for either, then maybe don't run it as a theme park and only allow chaperoned groups in one at a time.[/quote]
What if, what if…

What if she had stayed behind the clearly defined barrier that literally everyone else was behind? Problem solved.

@MollyQueenOfSocks

This also! If it has to be so heavily protected from terrorists then don't sell fucking tickets to it?

Why the fuck should I not be allowed to visit one of the most historic places in my country because some kid didn’t come to any harm in a TT video? Have a bit of sense.

This thread gets ever more silly, JUST FOLLOW THE RULES PEOPLE AND USE COMMON-SENSE!

@WalkersAreNotTheOnlyCrisps I can see it now

[quote KeflavikAirport]@DinoDinner you misunderstand me. There is as much reason to think the boy in the video is a terrorist decoy as the boy in the Tiktok. If danger is lurking everywhere, why is it ok to break with routine to engage with cute saluting kid but not step around clueless in-the-way kid?[/quote]
Because they didn't break routine. They completed their manoeuvre, then 1 soldier was allowed to return to the child. He didn't break away mid-March.

@WonderfulYou

That shocked shriek of the woman being pushed makes me laugh tbh, seeing how she thought she was important enough to stand on the opposite side of the barrier to everyone else there

@WalkersAreNotTheOnlyCrisps what video is that from?

"Corporal punishment" hahaha

Still safer than at school in the "civilised" US.

[quote mathanxiety]@summertimerolls, corporal punishment for a tourist doing a touristy thing in a tourist spot is definitely something that should be discussed here.

We could start with whether men should be allowed to push women really hard in the back. Are there any circumstances in which this is justified? What if the woman were pregnant or holding a baby? Would a loud verbal warning as at Arlington have accomplished the goal of clearing the space? Or is the goal to hurt and frighten people?

The RF or whoever it is that runs this tourist attraction needs to figure out what exactly it is. If security requires such draconian treatment of people who don't know what they bought tickets for either, then maybe don't run it as a theme park and only allow chaperoned groups in one at a time.[/quote]
Also it’s not a bloody theme park 🤣

These soldiers are trained like machines and they take their job beyond serious! If the parents are stupid enough to let poor Timmy get in the way tough. They are not their for the amusement of tourists.

The RF or whoever it is that runs this tourist attraction needs to figure out what exactly it is. If security requires such draconian treatment of people who don't know what they bought tickets for either, then maybe don't run it as a theme park and only allow chaperoned groups in one at a time.

This would be an example though of a few people spoiling it for the many millions who manage perfectly well not to get on the way and simply use a bit of common sense and awareness. I now think you are one of the few who failed to read anything and are caught on a YouTube compilation somewhere?!

@JohnHuffam1812, be careful, your anti-American bias is showing. Someone should be along shortly to tut-tut.

Plus you forgot completely to mention the entire point about Arlington, which is that the movements of the sentinels are completely predictable and there are clear barriers separating the visitors form those on duty, along with clear verbal warnings to trespassers.

This contrasts badly with the chaos at the Tower, with allegedly useful security personnel marching through crowds of men, women, and children, with the spectacle of women being pushed violently in the back and children knocked to the paved ground and trampled on, and the very unfortunate and completely avoidable image of the UK that has gone viral as a result of a complete inability to manage the space properly.