Surely Wimbledon play should be stopping for today given the horrific incident at the school?

[Sailonby]

Just that really....feels very disrespectful to all those affected.

No, it's an horrific event but not in any way close to or connected with the tennis

I can't fathom why some members of the general public feel that someone's personal tragedy has to be made so public by linking it to something high profile that is occurring at the time and that a form of mass public greiving should take place .It would really piss me off if my child's death was being acknowledge by total strangers because it had been linked to the tennis !. as a parent I wouldn't give a shit about what was going on in the area.

It isn’t ‘showing respect’. It’s performative grieving. Hijacking others grief to make themselves feel virtuous.

Don’t agree. BUT I am alarmed to see the official Wimbledon tennis vehicles are huge 4x4s driving around central London all day. This is quite a shock in this day and age with them being so clearly polluting and obviously dangerous in such a built up area.

Yep. That’s actually a good description of it. Or they do it because they don’t want to be “called out” for their “disrespect” by other such “virtuous” people. Either way it’s meaningless.

They’re electric Jaguars

Sorry not to return quicker, been busy with the kids! I'm absolutely not a 'virtue signalling' type of person at all. I didn't even 'clap the nhs' once during covid. It was just my reaction to this news and hearing the Wimbledon commentary carrying on as normal. I see Wimbledon have made a statement of condolence now. I take (many of!) your points on board though. It just seems so close to the play and a number of children, families, and teachers affected in the community.

I don't think it's wrong for the tennis to continue at all but I agree a 2 min silence would be a nice thing to do, given that the tragedy happened in Wimbledon. I don't see why anyone would be opposed to that.

Wimbledon acknowledging a tragedy of that scale happening IN Wimbledon and involving young children is not an outrageous concept. It's rare enough not to worry about overdoing it, because you have a minute of silence, once.

I never claimed that it was an "outrageous concept". I'm just wondering, like many others on here, where you draw the line. Every death is a tragedy. Perhaps every death in the Wimbledon area should be so noted at the championships.

Thanks - that’s good news for the environment - reassuring.

However they still contribute to congestion and they’re massive! What if they didn’t see a kid as they’re driving so high up?

Electric bikes are the way forward! With trailers and passenger seats. Utopian thinking alert! But come on Wimbledon, try this next year.

People die in RTC's every day. I can understand the school wanting to close. But not an international sporting event when there's no threat to thousands of people attending.

No it shouldn't stop. It's horrific what's happened but what does stopping tennis achieve?

'm absolutely not a 'virtue signalling' type of person at all.

I have some news for you.

I think if you draw the line to school children killed while at school in Wimbledon during the Wimbledon tournament, you will find it's a rare and shocking enough event that you can pause for a minute as a mark of respect.

I think the OP has probably got the point. Time to stop, maybe?

@Dumbphone

Electric bikes are the way forward! With trailers and passenger seats. Utopian thinking alert! But come on Wimbledon, try this next year

How do you imagine the players, with all their kit (have you seen the size of the bags they take on to court?!) would fit on the back of a bike?

Silly comment.

Well, it's certainly a shocking event and I can't imagine how that poor child's parents feel. Maybe Wimbledon should consult them?

They shouldn't drive it everyday as a mark of safety! I live in Central London (like very central so loads of gormless tourists wandering around too, especially near the bridges) where the foot and car traffic is crazy dense. Every 10 minutes you have 1 or more of these huge trundling idiots swing by at a dangerous turning / crossing. It's really out of place in a densely packed urban city

If a football game was on in Manchester, and a child died in a car accident, would you say the same thing?

Imo the only reason it's such big news is because the name of the place is synonymous with the sport, and it happens to be that time of year. Had it happened last month, nobody outside the local area would have heard about it.

No they absolutely shouldn’t

These people’s lives have shattered. The tennis tournament down the road is an irrelevance.

Actually I disagree with the last part of my own post.

The first paragraph still stands though.

I think even minute’s silences have become meaningless.

Tbf only 3 lives lost in Nottingham and there was a minute's silence at the Nottingham Open for that. More than 3 people die in Nottingham everyday. There have probably been mass murders of more than 3 by the same person too (eg killing their own family in the house).

You know it's not about the number of deaths. People don't generally care about the hundreds of little Middle Eastern children in civil zones killed unprovoked by Western administrations. Everyone was saying how sad that this little girl died. The definition of tragedy IS whatever people want it to be.

Sports games'/athletes' messages tend to be very emotive and personal, if you're a regular watcher. Note that I'm not saying I want a 1 min silence – but I think it wouldn't be out of the question, and people just want to pile on to feel clever.

Whereas cancelling / postponing Wimbledon – there would be huge financial implications not justified by any security threat or infrastructural damage. Moment of silence is free.

Yes, I think you're right, @olgof - these are getting increasingly common. When should we have a silence? Maybe it's a fine line. Someone upthread said their local football team does it every time there's a local death. Our city's premiership team certainly doesn't! I think it can be overdone, that doesn't mean it isn't appropriate in some cases.