Parents letting their kids play on escalators. I'm freaking out!

[richard_smith237]

I am sorry to say, mind your own business.

Nothing will happen until there is an incident and then perhaps a sign will be put up and a security guard will watch things.... for a while.

The concept of watching out for and avoiding danger (ie safety) isn't there, and you will be regarded as some interfering bossy farang, or big-nosed-foreign-devil.

I would sooner be called an Interfering Falang or foreigner than see any child or person come to harm , Words dont hurt, but Accidents do.

Some are concerned more for their ego than the safety of children around them... If you see something, help, how would you feel if you saw a kid potentially getting hurt and didn't do something about it?

As Thongkorn wrote - words don't hurt. Or perhaps some are unable to communicate on simple terms here and are a dash paranoid as a result.. 'big nosed foreign devil'... perhaps people may view you that way if you approach even minor issues from an arrogant or aggressive perspective.

Apply some balance, as much as I hate to see it, kids on motorcycles is simply transport, a means to an end. Kids playing on escalators is unnecessary. Kids climbing trees is simply fun with associated risks, we all know a friend who broke his arm falling from a tree.

Some of the comments on this forum come from the 'I never wore a seat belt and I lived' crowd... a fundamentally flawed argument - we all know better now and that includes not letting kids play on an escalator...

And yes... Helicopter parents aren't helping their kids... but neither are careless parents who fail to pay attention to their child's safety - they are simply playing into the hands of chance. A healthy Balance is all thats required of anyone, parent, onlooker, friend, stranger - anyone who wishes to be part of a community rather than some looking in from the outside, sometimes with bitterness, someone who assumes any response will be negative and thus pretends ignorance and carelessness.

I can't be bothered if i see a kid fall or whatever. It's not my kid and the Thai don't want to be intervened with. So just let them do.

And i see plenty of very young kids drive motorbike just for fun, the parents let them do. They even drive on the road in BKK or on the sidewalks. Even in our common private parks on the walkingtrack and they won't move for pedestrians because they've never learned any manners.

Their parents like to drive against traffic without light/helmet, would you also tell them it's dangerous to do so?

They also have open naked electric wires every in the parks, are you going to tell them it's dangerous?

I can be busy all day telling Thai what is dangerous but i won't. Even if i see accidents like Thai with a baby falling with their scooter i move on. It's not my business and also don't want to get into problems by helping them. I heard story's of the helper bringing them to hospital and he had to pay the bill.

Also kids don't belong in restauants, i even seen them walking on the buffet in Sizzlers or daddy who puts them on it to sit and touch the food. Not my business but sure it aggrevates me.

Last week for the first time i told a kid to p... off in a shop. I wanted to buy something expensive while he was playing hide and seek and running around me all the time, even through me legs. Found out he was to son of the salesgirl.

Thailand doesn't raise their kids any manners, they can do as they please. Who are we to tell them different?

Kids don't belong in restaurants?

You told a kid to pi$$ off? But you wouldn't interfere and offer help if you saw a kid in danger?

That perhaps puts your comments in perspective.

Many will agree that 'some' kids are brought up poorly without manners, but the majority are extremely polite and well mannered. Your comments are negatively bias and lack balance.

Perhaps you only notice the negative around you, kids should be having fun, they should be going to restaurants with their parents, families should be able to enjoy their lives.

Of course kids should be taught that there is a right time and place to mess about.

Are you one of those guys who object to kids being of flights.

Some people need to lighten up.... Let the kids have fun it's beautiful to watch, but also help keep them safe.

I teach our son to be polite and respectful of his surroundings, but also let him explore when appropriate, to find his independence and have fun. I hope he'll grow with confidence. Keeping him at home and away from 'life' is not good parenting.

That said, with regards to taking him to restaurants, we eat out 3-4 times per week. At less than 2 years old our son knows he has to sit there, eat and then play quietly until we've all finished. It's all part of bringing him up in a civilised manner. Last night I had to discipline him a little after he started playing up... I took him outside of the restaurant and had a firm word, he probably didn't understand but recognised my serious tone. He was perfect once we returned to the restaurant.

Of course high end places, Michelin star, romantic places for couples etc are not the places to take kids.... Again, decide intelligently.

[richard_smith237]

I am sorry to say, mind your own business.

Nothing will happen until there is an incident and then perhaps a sign will be put up and a security guard will watch things.... for a while.

The concept of watching out for and avoiding danger (ie safety) isn't there, and you will be regarded as some interfering bossy farang, or big-nosed-foreign-devil.

I would sooner be called an Interfering Falang or foreigner than see any child or person come to harm , Words dont hurt, but Accidents do.

You had better start hanging around at the escalator then.

It is a bit like the poor kid who put her hand in a mixer and lost fingers last month...... if you aren't there it will happen.

Your throwaway cliche can't help all of them, the parents are the issue.

Rubbing, if you see something wrong such as a kid playing alone on the escalator you can help.

Offer a smile to the parents.... Simply say 'sorry, dangerous'.... They'll get the message that you are trying to help....

If they don't, well it's not your loss, you've been human. But to see a child playing on an escalator alone and recognise the danger and do nothing suggests you are careless.

Of course, you can't be there all the time, you can't interfere with everything, but sometimes helping is the good thing to do.

I was watching my son in the mall the other day, he was starting to wander off. I let him go to see how far he went while keeping an eye on him.

I saw one a Thai lady see him, then look around for his parents before her eyes fell on mine. She looked at the boy then me, I nooded with a smile, she nodded back, smiled and walked off.

She was the type of person ready to help if she thought the boy had wondered off and was alone. There are a lot of good people around.

[Thian]

Many Thai think they are so hi-so because they drive a german car, have a maid at home, eat in restaurants many days a week.

But they can't even afford a nanny or babysitter

Also kids don't belong in a city like BKK-centre, they should play in a playground in a moobaan or big garden with other kids or animals.

But parents are too lazy to walk them to the playground, if they even have it at all within walkingdistance.

And even in our moobaan (which has it all) i sometimes see kids running out of their garden onto the road while the parents are nowhere to be seen. Cars drive fast here, especially the minivans from international scools or the pizza=couriers.

I think it's time the Thai government starts teaching parents how to raise their kids. Many of them are too fat and only play with computers/tv's. They even can't catch a ball or throw it properly. They are scared for dogs and never had to take care for a rabbit or something similar.

Well i'm glad i got raised properly but that doesn't mean i have to tell others how to raise kids.

Also i wished security-guards got some more responsability's. They never do anything except being there in person. Here we pay the securityguards ourselves so they work for us, we should tell them to make sure everybody in this private property follows the rules. The malls should do the same.

[jacko45k]

I would sooner be called an Interfering Falang or foreigner than see any child or person come to harm , Words dont hurt, but Accidents do.

You had better start hanging around at the escalator then.

It is a bit like the poor kid who put her hand in a mixer and lost fingers last month...... if you aren't there it will happen.

Your throwaway cliche can't help all of them, the parents are the issue.

Rubbing, if you see something wrong such as a kid playing alone on the escalator you can help.

Offer a smile to the parents.... Simply say 'sorry, dangerous'.... They'll get the message that you are trying to help....

If they don't, well it's not your loss, you've been human. But to see a child playing on an escalator alone and recognise the danger and do nothing suggests you are careless.

Of course, you can't be there all the time, you can't interfere with everything, but sometimes helping is the good thing to do.

I was watching my son in the mall the other day, he was starting to wander off. I let him go to see how far he went while keeping an eye on him.

I saw one a Thai lady see him, then look around for his parents before her eyes fell on mine. She looked at the boy then me, I nooded with a smile, she nodded back, smiled and walked off.

She was the type of person ready to help if she thought the boy had wondered off and was alone. There are a lot of good people around.

Rubbing (sic) back at you. The situation was children playing on the escalator while their parents were right there watching them and likely being entertained by it. You introduced the concept of the kids being alone. My experience of interfering here has lent me to believe my input is not wanted. Thais do not appreciate strangers talking to their children and telling them what to do. Of course some may be receptive if one speaks Thai well enough to avoid misunderstanding, sadly I do not. Yes I cringe at some of the things I see, and can't relax when I see kids running, playing and swimming on the beach, as their parents do their own thing, sometimes including getting drunk.

Surely there are good people around, but the concept of safety is lacking in Thailand. Do you stop every motorcycle carrying 2, 3 or 4 kids and say 'sorry dangerous' too?

Edited October 3, 2015 by jacko45k