Plan B Forum

That looks like a lot of fun for the kid but it also looks like the poor kid has a dumfugken shithead freakin' idiot asshole for a father.

The video looks like a documentary of a kid being trained to become a Darwin award winner.

As pointed out in some of the comments under the original video, the kid was driving on snow, either on a flat field or possibly a frozen lake. He was in no danger of flipping the truck. Granted his father egged him on a bit to get him to do the donuts, but where was the harm? Now that it's eight years later, I'll bet he handles ice and snow very well.

When I was a kid, and when my kids were young, daytime only, to and from school driver's licenses could be granted at 14 years of age here. I started driving on the farm at nine. Mrs Mc started guiding her father's feed truck across their pasture at five. She kneeled on the seat while he tossed hay from the bed. Then he'd jump off, hop on the '48 Chevy's running board, and climb back into the cab. That's just how things were.

I got my restricted license at 14 years and two weeks, and drove myself to my last day of junior high. There was no student parking, so I parked with the faculty. They didn't know what to do about me, so they did nothing. The law was changed about 10 years ago to make the restricted license age 15. Full licenses are given at 17 after parents log and report that their applicant has at least 50 hours behind the wheel. That's interesting because a PILOT'S license takes only 20 hours of dual and 20 of solo flight.

I took each of my kids to a wide flat vacant parking lot when it was covered with a 1/4" sheet of ice to let them experiment with how their cars handled under those conditions. It's lot better than turning kids loose on icy streets the first time it snows or ices. My older son and I were doing figure 8s between two light poles when a sheriff's patrol car pulled in behind us with its red lights turned on. We stopped. The deputy came up to the open window, shined his light on my son and growled "What the heck are you trying to prove"? I leaned into view and answered "I'm teaching him what to expect when driving on ice". He replied "Oh OK, good idea. Carry on". Then he backed off out of harm's way and watched us for another ten minutes or so before leaving for a donut break of his own.

The kid was doing donuts and could have easily lost control and ran over his proud father. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I believe that a father should teach his child how to drive safely - not how to spin donuts. Especially a kid as young as 8 years old.

The only thing missing was dad having the kid hold dad's beer so he could have both hands for the videoing of the incident.

Maybe the beginning of the video was missing...you know, when the kid said, "Hey dad, hold my beer and start the video!"

So he got snow in his face. I can testify to the personal fun of doing figure eights around the light poles in a dry asphalt parking lot until you get rubber dust in your face. You also learn the difference in handling between left and right turns.

"He could have. . . . " Yep. But he didn't. Risk vs Hazard. What a concept. The discussion here points out the growing split in child protection assumptions in this country. On one extreme, People,(not necessarily just children) must be isolated from any potential harm. On the other, anything is ok if you are prepared to pay for the damages to other people and property, and the injuries are recoverable.

In my own mind, growing and maturity of necessity includes some pain and suffering. I find no self-evident right to never be offended.

snailgate.

I

took each of my kids to a wide flat vacant parking lot when it was covered with a 1/4" sheet of ice to let them experiment with how their cars handled under those conditions

I did the same. And taught them "donuts" and controlled "drifting" and other such manuevers. Spacial awareness and what your car can and cannot do are things everyone should learn.

TPFKA@W wrote:The only thing missing was dad having the kid hold dad's beer so he could have both hands for the videoing of the incident.

THAT would have been dangerous.

Obviously most of you have never done donuts. Everyone should know it takes both hands to do donuts properly

I agree with MG and Snail; that does not look that dangerous. Very large flat area, controlled environment with no other vehicles. Dad's a little hyper. A friend's children were driving the family pickup when they fed cows at that age. The 8-year old was driving because the adult was shifting hay bales off the trailer and those bales are just too big for an 8-year old. Their son graduated from Annapolis last year so it seems not to have hurt him.


yrs,
rubato

I watched the video again and noticed that the father was also teaching his 8 year old and his passenger to not wear seat belts. That must be another one of those 'spatial awareness' lessons.

What's that you say? If the driver had worn a seat belt he wouldn't have been able to reach the gas and brake pedal with his feet? Must be a flaw in the pickup truck's design.

oldr_n_wsr wrote:I

took each of my kids to a wide flat vacant parking lot when it was covered with a 1/4" sheet of ice to let them experiment with how their cars handled under those conditions

I did the same. And taught them "donuts" and controlled "drifting" and other such manuevers. Spacial awareness and what your car can and cannot do are things everyone should learn.

I took Driver's Ed in Chicago in the winter, and actually got that lesson from the Driver's Ed instructor!

Once again, I can't get this to play on my Facebook account...

Anyone have a suggestion as to what I might be doing wrong?

Lord Jim wrote:Once again, I can't get this to play on my Facebook account...

Anyone have a suggestion as to what I might be doing wrong?

Using Facebook.

Lord Jim wrote:Once again, I can't get this to play on my Facebook account... Anyone have a suggestion as to what I might be doing wrong?

Have you tried clearing cache memory? CCleaner works well for me.

I watched the video again and noticed that the father was also teaching his 8 year old and his passenger to not wear seat belts. That must be another one of those 'spatial awareness' lessons.

Should've had the kid drink a beer while driving.....the two behaviors seem to go hand in hand.