TOPNOTCH, I never said you were a stupid parent with stupid kids.

I'm a parent of 4 and have been a father for over 20 years. I've had my fair share of coming home and having to keep my kids off the bike. I understand the fascination. I really didn't mean stupid kids, I mean irresponsible or distracted parents who don't keep their kids away from danger. Its a constant vigilance and one moment of distraction can cause harm to your child. Again, common sense says an engine is hot and so is its exhaust. Sure, preschoolers need to learn that. I know these things are shiny and kids may be drawn to them. But what is a 4 year old doing going up to a bike? Where's his parent(s)? What is a parent doing letting the kid touch the bike? So the village (me as a biker) is responsible for the kid (touching my bike (not the kid's or parent's property)), but the parent isn't?

We have parents here in Phoenix that have pools and the kids get into them and die because the parent wasn't watching their kid. We had a pool for all of my kids. We knew where our kids were at all times (till they were like 10yrs old), kept doors locked, etc. I'm sure there are similar problems in California and Florida where there are a lot of built-in swimming pools. So what do you call these so called parents? Some people have kids but aren't parents if you know what I mean. When you're a parent, they become your top priority. I'm sure some of them will never get over it and will blame themselves forever. They should. It was their fault and they should go to jail for it too. To many innocent kids are dying because of irresponsible parents and I'm tired of it.

Perhaps bad choices of words on my end and hope I didn't offend you, but I have a good knack at that. Reading this first post about being sued really made me angry. I admit my choice of "stupid kids" was wrong, unless they're old enough to know better. I agree with you there. I suppose my intention was "its stupid for the kid being there and why is the kid touching a bike". "Stupid parents", I don't know. I could think of worse more appropriate words for some of these parents. There are plenty out there. Why do people think a statement about a situation is talking about them personally? I never said all parents and kids are stupid, nor did I say you or your kids were stupid. I'm sorry if you took it that way.