Jump to content

PLEASE slow down in parking lots


Nonbryan

Recommended Posts

This is horrible, I can't even imagine.

I'd like to add to OP's caution; kids walking while looking at their cell phones.  A local teenager was killed while walking to her school bus parked across the street.  She was looking at her phone and walked right into two cars taking legal right hand turns.

My daughter gets a reminder of that event whenever I see her do it, which thankfully hasn't been often.  

Do not allow your kids to walk anywhere while looking at their phones.  Period.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[T]he driver was on their phone and driving too quickly. Chris said the driver finally stopped a few feet after hitting Allie.

"Then the lady came out of the car on her cell phone and didn't appear to even know what she had done,” said Chris. “I think they thought they ran over a soccer ball."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to avoid a head-on collision in the garage at work about once a week and a sideswipe on 360 about as often.  

Put your phone down THE ENTIRE TIME YOU'RE IN A MOVING VEHICLE, people.  

God damn, man.  I hate a story like this that absolutely should not have happened.  Lives ruined by stupidity.  Damned shame.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terrible. Didn’t even try to stop until she’s run over the toddler with both axles. Not an accident but gross negligence. I’d like to reinstate my previously expressed ill will towards the driver. Fuck her.

 

If you weren’t driving too fast, yacking on the phone a 2 year old toddler wouldn’t be dead. Not an accident.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you speed/recklessly drive in residential areas and/or any place where children are usually present, then you need to take a long walk off a short bridge. I have a 4yo and I have drilled into her to stay close and never go anywhere in a parking lot/driveway/etc. without 1) me going first 2) holding my hand. 

This shit is entirely avoidable most of the time. Parents, watch your young children like a hawk and keep them close. When they grow up a bit, be merciless about ANY dumbfuckery they engage in near roads, driveways, parking lots. Shut that shit down and drill it into their heads that vehicles = danger.

And we would all be a lot better off if as drivers we recognized that operating a vehicle is serious shit. At ALL times. I know we all get comfortable sometimes behind the wheel, but remaining focused and engaged is part of the contract. 

RIP little girl and OP l am so sorry this happened. Even though it wasn’t your child, I know that if something happened to one of my friend’s children I would be gutted. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Woman speeding through the parking lot while on her phone?

Fuck that bitch. 

I see so many people driving while talking in their phones, driving late model cars that obviously have hands-free. Fuck all of them. 

Edited by Deej
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, hookemATL said:

we would all be a lot better off if as drivers we recognized that operating a vehicle is serious shit. At ALL times. I know we all get comfortable sometimes behind the wheel, but remaining focused and engaged is part of the contract.

Yep. I know that seems obvious to some of us, but got damn if it sure seems like a mystery to most people out there on the roads,and it just seems to get worse and worse with all the new technology. I've  driven around 1.5 million miles in my life, and I've railed on about this for literally decades ... that most people just simply do not taking driving seriously. At all. 

9 hours ago, Deej said:

I see so many people driving while talking in their phones, driving late model cars that obviously have hands-free. Fuck all of them. 

I hear ya. It's better than holding a phone, but that hands-free tech isn't really as much of a remedy for the problem as it is a way for the auto manufacturers to make onboard tech & phone use seem safer & more palatable imho. It does get rid of the need to hold your phone, but that's only part of the problem. Talking on the phone even on a hands-free system still occupies a part of the brain we're using for driving & is still very distracting. And now these systems all use touch-screens that require you to look at them rather than just feeling for a button. The touch screens are an awful idea in a car imho. Don't get me started about all the fucking assholes I see texting every time I get in my car.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just found out this girl's big sister is my daughter's cross-country teammate. Just horrendous.

And everyone needs to read and understand wood's post, hands-free eliminates a bit of the risk, but not the majority. Study after study confirms that. Just get off the goddamn phone while operating a car, period.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/1/2019 at 4:47 PM, Brisketexan said:

Maybe I don't have all the facts, but in the reporting on this horrible story, I haven't seen any reporting that the driver was driving unreasonably fast or recklessly.  The OP's point is well-taken -- slowing down and keeping your head on a swivel in a parking lot may enable you to save a life, and that's a good message.

But as for the driver who hit this little girl....there but for the grace of God go I.  We've all driven 15mph+ through a parking lot.  Any one of us could have that moment where someone darts from between cars, or from out of our vision, and it's unavoidable.  Hell, see some posts on this page.  See any of us who have hit and killed an animal while driving (I have, in spite of my best efforts).  I suspect that the driver in this case is in their own hell as well.  It's an awful damned tragedy for everyone involved.  And unless some facts come out that the driver was driving recklessly, I can't imagine wishing the driver any more pain than they're already in.

I know someone who killed a pedestrian in an unavoidable accident (as in, full police investigation and determination of same).  Doesn't really matter.  The only upside is that he didn't go to jail.  But he has to live with that fact every day, and it's changed him.  The universe can be a merciless bitch.

My wife has a friend from high school in their small east Texas town.  This person still lives there.  A couple years ago her 9 year old daughter ran across the road to get the mail — her mother asked her to — and she was run over and killed.  

The driver did nothing wrong.   He was going the speed limit, 55.   He wasn’t distracted.   Just a terrible accident  

The driver, though not at fault, was devastated.   He is a big black male built like a linebacker who has a good job, does all sorts of wonderful community work, and preaches part time.   He went to the funeral and there is a picture of him embracing the mother of my wife’s friend in front of the casket.  The mother reassured him it wasn’t his fault.  It was one of the most poignant things I’ve ever seen   

https://www.ktbs.com/news/arklatex-indepth/grieving-families-help-each-other-overcome-tragedy-of-girl-s/article_b1fcbcf4-41c4-11e8-b508-7f418b3c80d7.html

spacer.png

Edited by Johnny Sack
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like the Dad and the driver both made bad choices. The parking lot isn't a good time to let the kid loose while you find/apply sunblock. The driver should be paying attention to her surroundings. And while both of them will be in pain for the rest of their life, a kid is dead because of the combination of their mistakes.  I have mixed sympathies for both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Asithappens said:

And I'm sorry for the tragedy that occurred here, but let's get serious about this.

1) I think that the population of posters here don't speed through parking lots, but I bet a lot of us have kids. So, the "target market message" is: watch your kids.

2) What do you have control over? The other guy speeding? No. You DO HAVE CONTROL over your kid. Watch your kids.

 

 

I have kids. I also drive. It feels like both messages are applicable to me, depending on which situation I find myself in. Often one right after the other. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I have kids. I also drive. It feels like both messages are applicable to me, depending on which situation I find myself in. Often one right after the other. 

This.

We all have moments of irresponsibility, or simply human failings -- as parents, and as drivers.  The more we do to limit each, then the better our chances of not suffering a tragic intersection of the two.

I suspect that everyone involved in this event will be broken for the remainder of their lives.  A parent who "let go for a moment" - as every one of us has done.  A driver who was driving too fast for the situation, and not keeping a proper lookout...as every one of us has done at some point or another.  And they met at the exact wrong moment.  Makes me want to puke.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

great points that we are all guilty of making similar mistakes but we perhaps have been lucky in that there were no consequences. 

I know some people that get all high and mighty about railing about drunk drivers when I know for a fact they've driven drunk. You can be critical but also recognize that it's not just evil people that make mistakes, and we should all strive to be better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I have mixed sympathies for both.

I don't really see any need to mix sympathies for the dad.  

 

Like this father, I have three, and am at soccer fields every weekend this time of year.  Some of the time I am wrangling all three. You can keep your head on a swivel and stay on their ass about vehicles, but a child is still a child and will do impulsive things that you can't control.  I have nothing but sympathy for the father. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/1/2019 at 2:23 PM, Nonbryan said:

A friend of mine lost his 3 yr. old daughter this weekend in an accident that could have easily been prevented.  Please SLOW DOWN when driving in parking lots, especially around events where there are lots of children around.   Next time you are driving in a park, or near a school, or leaving your kids soccer game, put your phone away, slow down and be aware that at any moment, a child may run out in a parking lot and your actions could drastically change your life and others lives. 

Haven't read every post, so I don't know if you've said where this happened, but I think I was there.  My son was playing soccer near Old Settler's in Round Rock and the whole world suddenly went crazy with first responders.  We all thought it was a little weird since we didn't hear a car crash or anything.

Got home, checked the news -- fuck.  There are small kids all OVER the place on weekends out there, and we all know how those little dudes and dudettes can dart into traffic.  Just so damn sad.  Please let your friend know that a lot of parents are thinking about the family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

I don't really see any need to mix sympathies for the dad.  

 

Like this father, I have three, and am at soccer fields every weekend this time of year.  Some of the time I am wrangling all three. You can keep your head on a swivel and stay on their ass about vehicles, but a child is still a child and will do impulsive things that you can't control.  I have nothing but sympathy for the father. 

I'm sure he's in a lot of pain.  I can't imagine it. But his lack of attention is also a contributing factor to the kid's death. I wouldn't say that to his face or to a friend of his, but it's a fact.  Someone is dead because of a mistake he made. How much pain he's in doesn't change what he did or didn't do.  

I know this is an unpopular opinion. Instead people want to throw all of the blame on the person (driver) that doesn't know the child, while saying the father is just being a father. I see it differently.

  • Fuck You 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son (now 15) -- it was his soccer game we were attending where this accident in the OP happened -- got away from us in old downtown Galveston when he was about 3 years old.  I shouted at him and my wife made an office linebacker tackle within a foot or so of an oncoming vehicle.  It was so damn close.  I'm willing to take responsibility for his ability to squirm away, but fuck if kids aren't always trying to do so.  Parents just can't solve every problem instantaneously, all day long.  I'm not putting this on Dad.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

But his lack of attention is also a contributing factor to the kid's death.

Story I read was that he was putting sunscreen on her and turned around to put it back in the car and she bolted across the parking lot.

I mean, ok, contributing factor. But we've all been there juggling three. 

If we are mixing and weighing the factors, the car speeding through a soccer field parking lot driven by a driver on their phone when the fields are packed with kids and game is weighted orders of magnitude higher than the dad who turns his back for 1 second to close a car door. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I'm sure he's in a lot of pain.  I can't imagine it. But his lack of attention is also a contributing factor to the kid's death. I wouldn't say that to his face or to a friend of his, but it's a fact.  Someone is dead because of a mistake he made. How much pain he's in doesn't change what he did or didn't do.  

I know this is an unpopular opinion. Instead people want to throw all of the blame on the person (driver) that doesn't know the child, while saying the father is just being a father. I see it differently.

no one is able to hold on to their kid every second of every day. even in a parking lot.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, gsoda3 said:

no one is able to hold on to their kid every second of every day. even in a parking lot.

You either don't have kids or you are lying to yourself if you believe otherwise.  All it takes is one time, and there isn't a parent on this earth that doesn't have countless moments like this on their ledger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

no one is able to hold on to their kid every second of every day. even in a parking lot.

I didn't say he wasn't doing what every other parent does as well. Maybe putting sunscreen on your kid in a parking lot isn't the wisest choice. Once again, we all do things that aren't the safest but it doesn't mean we can't do better.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I didn't say he wasn't doing what every other parent does as well. Maybe putting sunscreen on your kid in a parking lot isn't the wisest choice. Once again, we all do things that aren't the safest but it doesn't mean we can't do better.

 

 

11 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

You are fighting a losing battle here ind I don’t understand why. 

Jesus Fucking Christ this. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

55 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

no one is able to hold on to their kid every second of every day. even in a parking lot.

 
48 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

You either don't have kids or you are lying to yourself if you believe otherwise.  All it takes is one time, and there isn't a parent on this earth that doesn't have countless moments like this on their ledger.

I don't really understand your point here. Are you saying that you have a firm grip on your kids when you're out in public at all times? The first part of your post seems to indicate that, but the second part seems to acknowledge there are "countless moments" where you don't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

 

If more parents had their kids on leashes it would solve a lot of problems

 

I know this was a joke. But when my grandparents took me to Disney when I was way too young (with my older cousin) I was in this hand -leash thing.  It had a coiled poly type plastic between two Velcro “handcuffs”. One for the adult, one for the child, I suppose. This would have been circa ‘87.   The handcuffs were rainbow. That and having to go pick a switch in a field on the drive back for fighting with my cousin are the only 2 memories I have of that trip.  
 

ETA - Lots of prayers headed to the OP and his friend and their family. That father will never forgive himself. I hope the family can stay strong for the other children they have.  And I hope they can find peace someday. 

Edited by fattyflattie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

 

 

I don't really understand your point here. Are you saying that you have a firm grip on your kids when you're out in public at all times? The first part of your post seems to indicate that, but the second part seems to acknowledge there are "countless moments" where you don't.

I think he's saying he agrees with gsoda.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I know this was a joke. But when my grandparents took me to Disney when I was way too young (with my older cousin) I was in this hand -leash thing.  It had a coiled poly type plastic between two Velcro “handcuffs”. One for the adult, one for the child, I suppose. This would have been circa ‘87.   The handcuffs were rainbow. That and having to go pick a switch in a field on the drive back for fighting with my cousin are the only 2 memories I have of that trip.  
 

ETA - Lots of prayers headed to the OP and his friend and their family. That father will never forgive himself. I hope the family can stay strong for the other children they have.  And I hope they can find peace someday. 

I mocked the shit out of people who had their kids on backpack leashes in public at places like the zoo, etc. My first two kids would never have needed anything like that. I told them to stay by me, they stayed by me. My daughters were very well-behaved. I was such a great parent, those other idiots just didn't know how to control kids.

Then my son was born. His 2-1/2-year-old ass was in a backpack leash basically every damn second he wasn't being held while we were at Disneyworld. Turns out maybe those other parents weren't so horrible but instead maybe kids are different.

Edited by Huckleberry
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, irishtexan said:

 

 

I don't really understand your point here. Are you saying that you have a firm grip on your kids when you're out in public at all times? The first part of your post seems to indicate that, but the second part seems to acknowledge there are "countless moments" where you don't.

I did word that strange.  I was saying that no parent has a firm grip on the child at all times, and you'd be lying if you claimed you did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I'm sure he's in a lot of pain.  I can't imagine it. But his lack of attention is also a contributing factor to the kid's death. I wouldn't say that to his face or to a friend of his, but it's a fact.  Someone is dead because of a mistake he made. How much pain he's in doesn't change what he did or didn't do.  

I know this is an unpopular opinion. Instead people want to throw all of the blame on the person (driver) that doesn't know the child, while saying the father is just being a father. I see it differently.

That's exactly what you are doing on this thread. Do you have any kids that can walk?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/2/2019 at 3:13 AM, conVINCEd said:

I watched one of my friends in the first grade get blasted by a pickup while  chasing a ball into the street.... My mom told me to run three streets over and get his mom.

Was your mom going for a twofer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/3/2019 at 1:51 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I didn't say he wasn't doing what every other parent does as well. Maybe putting sunscreen on your kid in a parking lot isn't the wisest choice. Once again, we all do things that aren't the safest but it doesn't mean we can't do better.

 

Hell, why'd he take the kid out of the house in the first place. The kid would have been safer locked in his home. There could have been a car accident on the way someplace.  Dad's fault.  Shoulda stayed home.  The kid could have been injured in the ball game.  Should have stayed home.  Just keep them locked up at home at all times, because it's safer.

Horrible things happen.  I can't fathom what would make you blame a grieving father for this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

On 10/2/2019 at 5:21 PM, Dr. Beeper said:

 two different neighbors on my old street (one street south) have almost come to blows with drivers - both for throwing footballs as hard as they can at the drivers windows. 

Throwing items at moving vehicles is illegal.

I live on a cul-de-sac that has 7 houses on each side. People turn onto it, go to the end, and frustratedly whip a u-turn and fly back towards the outlet.  I keep a soccer ball handy, and kick it into the street in front of the speeding vehicle. Two of the cars have left on flatbeds, after they had folded a front wheel under the car after skidding into and  bouncing off of the curb. Bummer.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They had a beautiful service today for a precious child and a wonderful family.  I hope that the family, the driver, and all the people affected by this tragedy are able to drive a positive impact from this terrible accident.  PLEASE slow down in parking lots and put your phones away while you are driving.  You may save someones life in the process.

Edited by Nonbryan
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got yelled at by a mother for going too fast in a HEB lot years ago, didn’t think I was but she obviously did.  Since then, I’ve made it a point to be more conscious of my speed in parking lots, I still have the bad habit of cutting across lots but try to limit that to empyt/vacant lots. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In separate incidences, two kids were hit crossing Anderson Mill to Cedar Park High School. I was surprised by all the jackass responses.

Jared Mathews It was my son that got hit today at Cedar Park High School. It happened at the corner of Twin Creek and Anderson Mill Road. My 15 year old son was waiting for the cross walk to tell him to go. When the sign said walk, he went to cross the road and a lady coming out of Twin Creek and turning right on Anderson Mill failed to yield the right of way to him. She was talking on her phone. My son had his shoes knocked off of him and he rolled up on the hood and then when she braked, he was thrown off and hit the ground. He was hurt and went to the hospital. He is going to be ok, but he is pretty banged up.
 
First response:
Renee Davis I cannot tell you how many times kids just dart out thinking the driver sees them. And the same can be said about drivers who think they are more important than everyone else rolling thru stop signs, flying thru school zones just trying to save 30 seconds. Kids and drivers need to pay attn

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leash your children when they are with you.

Saw this at ACL this weekend and bought the dad a $13 beer for his wisdom.

 I am absolutely serious here.

Your precious angels are dumber than your average adult dog, and have less of a clue about the universe trying to kill them 100% of the time.

They are also 100% your responsiblity.

Nothing will ever change about that. 

Edited by MissingInAction
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...