Looking through the Crawley Observer to write the last post, I spotted an amusing juxtaposition. I do hope it was done deliberately.
On page 8 there was a story about kids doing the amazingly dangerous trick where they use a motorbike to spin the roundabout in a kids’ playground really, really fast while someone tries to stay on it. The whole thing is inevitably filmed on a mobile phone and finds its way onto YouTube. I don’t think its an exaggeration to say that you could easily get killed or at least seriously injured doing it.
The paper was, quite rightly, taking a disapproving tone about it all – in contrast to the banner at the top of the page, right above the story. It said “Still to come: West Sussex extreme games picture special – page 20”
On page 20 all the BMX bikers were wearing crash helmets (but no other protective gear I could see) while most of the skateboarders were doing somersaults, loops and handstands on the concrete ramps with no helmets at all.
I do wonder exactly how we are supposed to tell the difference between a ‘dangerous prank’ and an ‘extreme sport’, described by the council as “fantastic” and “successful”.
Cllr Gavin Ayling // Sep 27, 2007 at 10:20 pm
So long as no harm is done to the equipment and no-one is forced to do it against their will and, finally, so long as it is done when children would not wish to use the equipment, I think this should be their own decision… Telling people they may not harm themselves is nanny-state-ish, no? 😉
Skuds // Sep 29, 2007 at 1:55 am
The real target was the double-standards of condemning one example of reckless behaviour while promoting another.
I don’t think there is a problem with trying to impose restrictions on what kids do – they are not always equipped to realise the risks in what they want to do. I like to think I was one of the intelligent ones but I did some really dangerous stuff as a kid.
Succeeding in restricting what kids do is another matter… part of the fun of doing those things was the danger and the other part was that it was not allowed.
Rob Glover // Sep 29, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Is Cllr Ayling referring here to the motorbike / roundabout stunt or to the BMX bikers here? I presume he means both is equally acceptable, in which case that’s fine by me.