When I was younger, I used to rush home after school every day so I could watch my favourite cartoons. One day, my class ended a little late, so I had to channel my inner cheetah and gallop home.
As I was racing towards the pedestrian crossing I noticed two things:
- It was a red man
- There was a car speeding towards the crossing
So, I had two options:
- Miss a little of your cartoon but live
- Get home in time to see your cartoon but potentially die in the process
Naturally, as a 9-year-old, I went for option 2. The speeding car almost crashed into me and I nearly didn’t make it to age 10. The driver stopped in time, rolled down his window, and said: “Are you stupid?!”
I was offended at the time, but the answer was clearly a YUP.
My point is this: kids are naive. So, it’s up to their parents or guardians to watch over them, as exemplified by a near-accident this little boy experienced.
Close call
Facebook use Richard Ong posted a video on SG Road Vigilante on Saturday (2 Nov) showing how he nearly hit a young boy on his scooter.
You can watch the video here.
The incident appears to have taken place at an HDB block at night, as the roads were dark and lit up by the driver’s headlights.
In the video, the driver approaches a bend in a two-lane road when he suddenly sees a young boy on a scooter riding towards him at a dangerous pace.
Fortunately for the boy, Richard was driving at a slow pace and managed to stop in time. The boy escaped unharmed and crossed the road on his mini scooter.
Mum was playing badminton
Shaken by the near-accident, the driver went searching for the boy’s mother and found her 200m away, playing badminton with 3 other mums.
When Richard asked her about the boy’s whereabouts, the mum allegedly replied that her son was playing nearby.
So, Richard explained to the mother that he had nearly hit the little boy with his car, but instead of expressing concern, she allegedly just said “It’s okay.”
Now, there are a few questions to which the answer It’s okay would be suitable. Here are some examples:
What do you think about salads? – It’s okay, I guess
Hey, I forgot to pay you for that drink yesterday! – It’s okay!
Hey, what’s that word that’s used to denote approval, acceptance, or agreement? – It’s okay!
However, when someone says I nearly crashed into your young child with my car, replying It’s okay is not an okay answer.
The driver was so upset by the mother’s indifference that he apparently scolded her for being irresponsible.
Watch yo kids
Here’s the thing; kids are dumb. We’ve all been there. As a kid, we’re too busy with the pursuit of fun and happiness to think about safety, as this gif demonstrates:
So, as a parent, it’s your responsibility to ensure your child is safe at all times. However, kids can be exhausting to take care of the entire day, so if you need a break and some time alone or with your friends make sure that someone else is looking over them, be it your partner or another parent.
Remember, it only takes one moment of negligence to lose them forever.
