Today around 4pm I was driving on the 5N around Burbank, CA when I noticed a guy driving a motorcycle with a little girl on the back. She was around 5-7 yrs. old. She had bright pink pants on & a white top, she was asian american.The guy was going about 85mph (at least) & then I noticed that the little girls' helmet came off...it was dangeling behind her. Luckily it was strapped on. Obviously too big for her. I had to tell him that it fell off (after I sped up to catch up to him).
I'm hoping that someone might read this post & know who this guy was. This little girl should NOT of been on the back of a motorcycle, going in & out of traffic, between cars, going at the least 85 when there was no traffic, with a helmet that didn't fit her. She was young enough that she should've been in a carseat, that's how little she was. She was hanging on for dear life.
Anyway, he was on the 5n-118 towards Northridge. If anyone knows who this could possibly be. Please let him know how dangerous this was. I've been thinking about her all afternoon thinking about what could've happened...
64 comments:
Uhm... Pick up your cell phone and call the cops then and there? Write down the plate number on his bike?
Something like that is waay too dangerous to just post about on a blog. Do something else, take the extra step to make sure someone is notified about it.
okay aside form the idiot not fastening the helmet on the little girl, it is pefectly legal for that little girl to ride on a motorcycle.
Our children have been raised on them and people are always surprised to see such little ones riding with us.
Also, splitting lanes is also legal.
I beleive your story but feel you might have embellished a bit due to your true concern for the child.
"then I noticed the little girls helmet came off" That would be the VERY first thing you would notice!
anyhow, I am glad she was afe and that you caught up to dad about the helmet!
Sorry to seem so skeptical..
BTW, at 85 mph on a Motrocycle, a helmet would catch the wind and all but rip the little girls head off.
Ok, OP here...
Her helmet did fall off, my son actually pointed them out to me, I was getting onto the freeway. How do you expect them to end up that way unless they all of a sudden fly off?
I did call CHP so that you know. They told me that they would put a report out. I got the DL, I gave it to them.
Any other questions?!?
Uhmmm there is no way in heck the motorcyclist would be going 85mph on the 5 in rush hour traffic. I don't care if it's a motorcycle that can split lanes, it's not possible at that time of day, or for that matter anytime in the daytime in LA.
ummm...whatever. Don't believe me. It wasn't rush hour. I lived in Burbank & I was headed to our new house. There was traffic where it gets into Panorama City, THAT"S WHERE HE STARTED GOING INTO THE LANES... In Burbank & wherever he was coming from there wasn't any. So whatever. Sorry I posted on here. Seems like all I ever read are Debby Downers trying to ruin real stories & all we're trying to do is to help.
I can't believe that you people are all of a sudden calling this girl a liar? WTF is wrong with you people? Are you that strong of a motorcycle activist? There is a level of responsibility that a cycle rider has. What if it WAS your child, and one of your husbands/babysitters was driving like crap?
The law states that the child MUST be able to reach some sort of pedal or footrest on the bike. Yes, it is legal to ride between traffic. Do you know what happens when you're going 65 on a bike and someone doesn't see you riding between traffic, and they decide to move over? What kind of moron has a 7 year old (does it matter? It's a CHILD) on the back of a bike driving that fast, or for that matter if he WAS going the speed limit, not staying in a single lane.
What would have happened if the girl lost her grip? Do you know what the rear person holds onto when they're on a crotch rocket? THE PERSON IN FRONT.
Thank you for your post, and to all you morons who are questioning what she saw, I'm just speechless to your stupidity.
Thank you for posting, OP. I believe your story ....
What kind of idiot would put a child on an adult size bike with presumably an adult size helmet since it slipped back? And, to ride in that manner is even more stupid. I always ride as if everybody is out to kill me, that's how he should have at least been riding with a kid.
Why would OP lie? Nothing sounds exaggerated. If the helmet was too big and dangling it wouldn't be obvious at first that it had come off because it would most likely be blocking the back of her entire head. Remember, OP was driving while she was observing all this. Give her a break. I'm glad she reported this.
As far as "splitting lanes" being legal, that may be so, but it's a bad judgement call when you're doing it with a child on the back of your bike. That's irresponsible and you're not just endangering your life, but the child's too.
(BTW, going 85 isn't legal, so it's really a moot point.)
Good looking out, OP.
The helmet doesn't even matter.. a fender bender can be fatal on a bike. I feel so sorry for this child. Her parents are irresponsible and she is in danger. Thanks for the post, at the very least motorcyclists should have their stupidity frowned upon.
I thought this was "I saw your Nanny", not "I saw an idiot driving a motorcycle"
Crotch rocket?
OP, was this a crotch rocket?
or did the child have a sissy bar behind her? Just curious as to what type of bike it may have been?
10:53
A child was endangered, hello? It doesn't matter if it was a nanny, grandma, aunt or uncle ..... don't take the name of this blog literally when someone is trying to do the right thing and help a child.
I am glad you reported it O.P. Yes, it may be legal to have the child on the motorcycle. But not legal for him to be driving so fast. And second, the helmet should have fit her secure. Sounds like he just used another adults helmet and put it on her. Thats a big no no.
Thanks for caring O.P.
i'm glad you reported this to the police. you did the right thing.
children have no business riding on the backs of motorbikes in traffic. if you're an adult and want to take that risk to life and limb, that's your business, but it's a poor choice to endanger your child like that, legal or not.
Who. Fucking. Cares.
Yes, this guy sounds like an idiot. He broke the rules and was not playing it safe.
I too, am glad the op posted and glad she was able to get the attention of dad regarding the helmet. good job OP.
As for ridiculous and broad statements such as "children have no business riding on the back of motorbikes in traffic"
That is absurd. Motorcycles are perfectly safe when you have a responsible rider who knows how to handle a passenger.And a passenger who is familiar with riding. Children are safe and it is legal. Children who are raised on motorcycles know the ins and outs and are quite capable of traveling safely on one.
Children die all the time in car accidents because their idiot parents have been drinking or because they are not strapped into a carseat. Does this mean children should have no business in a motorcar too?
No, it means, sometimes idot parents make poor choices. We don't need to condemn an entire group of people though for one persons poor choice!
You should think before making such broad statements.
I can't believe someone would be stupid enough to put a young child on the back of a motorcycle, regardless of how fast they were going or whether or not the helmet fit. A child that young should not be riding on a motorcycle -period. OP, you definitely did the right thing by calling the police. Hopefully someone will have a talk with this guy.
Thats CHILD ENDANGERMENT!! You should have took the license number and called the cops.
GET READY...JESUS IS COMING SOON
There is nothing wrong or ilegal about a 7 yr old child on a motorcycle.
Here we go again blowing everything out of proportion. Yes, the moron in the post..IS BAD!! He has no clue how to handle a bike or a child. We agree there.
But again, nothing ilegal or wrong with a child on a bike.
A 2 yr old toddler..okay but a 7 yr old child..for crying out loud..they are not idiots!
There are more children Harmed/Killed on Theme Park rides each yr than on motorcycles.
OP here...
I just wanted to answer a few questions.
It was a "crotch rocket" kind of a bike like a pp posted. There was nothing behind the little girl to keep her on the bike.
& I have NO problems with kids on motorcycles. I have been on a few in my life. I wasn't as young as she was & I see kids around the neighborhood getting picked up from school on them. I just had an issue with the way the guy was driving w/her on the bike & the fact the helmet didn't fit her at all.
I have 3 kids myself, a daughter around the age of that little girl. So, I was concerned & I didn't know where else to post this. Sorry for taking over the nanny blog!
2.22
Yes there are more kids harmed/ killed in amusement parks because millions of kids use them each year. In 28 years of riding here in the US and in England I have never seen a child on the back of a 'bike. Just plain bloody stupid!
OP
Come on! You did NOT take over the Blog! You did the RIGHT thing by posting here!
Don't you know there are always an idiot or 2 that will blast the OP because they have no life and it makes them feel better?
If you've been here before, you know that -- If not, all I can say is:
Welcome Aboard .... and Good Job!!!
Thanks for posting, and don't ever feel you can't do it again if you see a child endangered!
This blog has an index and one of the index pages says "Other people putting children in harm". I remember there was a crossing guard and a mother on the page.
So suck on that, naysayer!
342..Well, kry-kee, it bloody well is not stupid!
In the 10 years that I have been riding here in the states I have seen several kids on bikes. You must be riding with your eyes closed!
Kids ride all the time in :
Love Ride ( benefits MDA)
Rumble to the Summit(Make a wish foundation)
Hollister Bike Ralley
Chics Run ( Domestic Violence)
Pony Express Relay(Breast Cancer)
BAD.Bikers Against Diabetes
Mickey Jones Choc Ride(benefits various charities)
Open up your narrow, closed minds people.
For all of you badmouhting and calling parents stupid for letting their children ride with them on a motorcycle..just remember this..all those "stupid " bikers have donated millions and spent countless weekends riding to benefit ill children all over the world! They have invovlved their own children..keeping them close and allowing them to be a part of something so very special.
You are such judgemental people.
Shame on all of you!
especially the name callers and those who hold themselves out to ba authorities on the subject yet have never even ridden a bike!
motor bike (tee-hee) sorry but that has had me laughing all afternoon!!
4:57
If a kid is big enough, ok, even at 7 or 8 ... fine - but an adult sized helmet, and weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds?
Why are you denouncing this post??
502..I am not and had you taken time to read the above posts you would see that I stated clearly, the guy in the post is an idiot! He is bad! We agree there!
Of course I post anon so you might not know it is me but just to assume that I have denounced this post is silly on your part.I posted at 2pm and 207 pm and agreed with the op both times.
My post was aimed directly at another poster, yet again, making broad statements with no knowledge on the subject!
The problem I have is that several posters continually take things to far on this board.
A child on a bike is not stupid. Parnets who allow their children on a bike are not stupid.
Things are ALWAYS blown out of proportion. It is absurd .
Perhaps when it is a subject that you feel passionately about, you too will see some of these posters as , chicken Littles too<. The sky is falling, the sky is falling!
Every situation is different!
5:13
O.k., gotcha.
Hi Vivian!
who's vivian?
So when you see on the news in a few weeks that a little girl in CA died after being on the back of a motorcylce, we know it was because someone who was not like the OP decided against telling someone and alerting the authorities.
The OP stated that she did call the CHP and gave them the information that she had...that sounds pretty responsible to me. Good job OP!
All you other idiots who don't think that the endagerment of a child is worth posting about, well than shame on you. Wouldn't you want to know if it was YOUR child?
3:41
Please re-post with initials or a moniker by clicking Name/URL.
anonymous 11:10pm..No. You are wrong.
First of all..God forbid your morbid scene comes to life.
Second: If it does ,it is of no fault of an innoccent bystander but rather that of an irresponsible motorcycle rider who has no clue as to the dangers of a child riding without a proper helmet secured on her head..who also has no clue as to the huge dangers of speeding or splitting lanes at high speeds.(Not only for himself and his passenger but for those around him.)
The OP was very smart to call the police and to catch up with the rider regarding the helmet. Her concerns were valid.I myself would have done the same.
Kids can safely ride on motorcycles. They must be old enough to understand the saftey rules and their feet must reach the foot pegs.As every child is different, hopefully a responsible parent will decide if and when their child is able to comply with both of the above safety rules.
By law, no child under age 5 can ride as a passenger. However 5 and up is legal.
My child has participated in several charity rides with his father and I. He started riding at age 7. He knows more about motorcycle safety than most adults we know.
There are so many dangerous things in the world that children come up against.
Amusement Parks
Boating trips
Snow boarding/Skiiing trips
Surfing
Go carts/dirt bikes
Shoot, shop class in HS is dangerous!
They can all be dangerous and children are hurt or die every year doing all of those activities.
You can choose to keep your child in a bubble to keep him safe. Beleive me, there have been times I have wanted to do so myself.
It is not a fair choice though and I am sure it is a miserable way to live.
Safety and moderation can make almost any activity a safe activity.
Becuase one person made a very bad choice does not mean that all others will. Some of us are very responsible when it comes to our children and our choices.
motorcycling is an inherently dangerous activity. i fear for anyone who doesn't acknowledge this and puts their child on the back of a bike. you have ZERO control over the rest of traffic and no protection for your child's body except a flimsy helmet. no, it is not illegal, but it probably should be. after all, most states have laws requiring children less than 80 lb. to be in booster seats inside of a motor vehicles. statistically, those seats have saved thousands of lives. obviously, people don't have to excercise their own common sense, but it's patently stupid to act like others should go along with such nonsense. like i said before, children have no place on the backs of motorbikes (which, is, btw, what they call them in europe, where i spent several months riding around on one in my early twenties.)
Most states also have laws governing motorcycles and most of them require a child to be age 5 and to reach the foot pegs.
You are allowed to feel they are unsafe and have your opinion. Nobody is taking that from you.
But riding around on a motorbike for a few moths in Europe in your twenties hardly makes you an authority.
Nor am I an authority.
However, I can reference two authorities who disagree with you and that would be the Department of Transportation and your local Law enforcement.( State Law)
I also have experience riding with a child so I can speak from experience.
The Department of Transportation, which you obviously feel is right on target as you use their laws governing carseats as a reference, has determined that it is infact safe and legal for a child to ride a motorbike. They must be age 5 and their feet must reach the footpegs.
"patently stupid" is not nice.
You don't have to agree.
However, You do have to accept that some parents are still going to put their children on motorcycles, no matter how many times you call them stupid.
If you see them acting dangerously and feel concern for a child, call the cops.I encourage it. A childs saftey should always come first.
If you see them acting responsibly..well then come back here and post a happy post about it.
BTW, I agree 100% with the op's actions and would have done the same thing she did.
motor bikes (tee-hee)
Incidents like this happen all the time, and a motorcyclist will always have the same odds as a bug vs. a windshield.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/19/BA0711S3EV.DTL&hw=motorcyclist&sn=001&sc=1000
It may not be illegal, technically speaking, to have a 6 year old child ride on the back of a motorcycle, but neither is it technically illegal for an adult to ride in a car on the freeway without a seatbelt if the car is so old that it was made without seatbelts as standard. It doesn't mean that it isn't risky and foolish though, and at least if a child is in a car that is hit by some drunk a**hole who has no business being behind the wheel, they have the car to protect them like armor, as well as the child car seat.
Do those of you who are anti child on a motorcycle feel the same way about a 7 yr old water skiiing or jet skiiing ,waterboarding or boating? Just curious?
The water ways in the Delta are full of children riding as passengers on jetski's and in cigarboats( often ready to race). They are also full of children water skiing.
Are those of us that allow our children to participate in those activities"endangering our children" or "patently stupid"?(quoting a few posts above)
I would love to hear your opinions on this subject.
jet skis and racing small power boats? oh, hell to the no! waterskiing ~ not sure. i'll have to address this when it comes up (i'm sure it will since we live by so much water.) waterboarding??? isn't that torture? do you mean what we, on the west coast, call windsurfing? yup, both my older kids do that regularly in the summer. kayaking and canoeing ~ yup. the older ones do that with adult supervision. my 11 & 8 year olds are year round competitive swimmers, plus they understand the importance of life jackets even when you're a strong swimmer. clearly, i'm not comfortable with anything motorized... every family is going to draw the line of acceptable risk in a different place.
oh, and i said it was *patently stupid* to think that everyone was going to AGREE with you that throwing a 2nd grader on the back of a motorcyle is safe. if you're going quote, please make sure you read and understand what was actually said first. thanks.
I actually meant wakeboarding.
Watersports are very dangerous too, just as dangerous as a motorcycle can be.
There are more children killed while doing these activities than you can imagine.
They can be very strong swimmers and you can teach them all the safety rules..but just as on a motorcycle, if those around you choose to be idiots by drinking, speeding or screwing around, your children can be vulnerable.
People hop from one marina to the next in their boats and on their jet ski's, drinking at each.They get behind the whell of those boats and jet ski's and sail past your children while windsailing everyday... Unless you have access to some hidden or private Bay that the rest of know nothing about.Unfortunately, those bays do not exist.
Some people are comfortable around motorcycles, some around water, some around dirt bikes and sandbuggies.
Some choose to keep their children in a bubble.
What ever the choices, from one parent to another, we should each show respect and be respectful of other parents decisions.
I cannot imagine any of the moms on here making horribly bad or "stupid" decisions when it comes to their childrens safety. Most of the moms,the regulars who's posts I have read on here, seem truly interested in their childrens welfare.
Point is. You feel it is safe for your children to be in a bay with drunks driving a motor boat up to 70 miles(some faster) an hour which has no brakes. You have zero control over the rest of the traffic and no protection for your childs body. Not even a flimsy helmet!
I feel it is safe for my child to be on the back of my motorcycle with drunks zooming past me at 70 mph or faster.
I do not see one a safer choice than the other.
Nor would I say that an agreement ,that your children are safe while windsailing in a bay full of cigar boats and jet ski's was "patenetly stupid". I would say it is your choice as their mom and leave it at that.
actually, you are completely wrong and just making things up at this point. i would NEVER allow my children to windsurf or kayak in any areas that allowed jet skis or power boats, and we certainly wouldn't be frequenting any areas where drunks were partying from pier to pier. i'm not sure where you live or what delta and bay you're referring to, but this area has plenty of water spaces and wild life sanctuaries where you can kayak. windsurfing is a beach activity, and none of the beaches we frequent allow anything motorized in with the swimmers and surfers. there is no comparison at all between the two dangerous scenarios you have invented and what WE actually do, which makes your argument completely absurd. if you would like to continue on and argue that my daughter and i taking a day long, group kayaking tour through protected wetlands and my kids windsurfing in water they can stand in with a life guard on the shore consitutes a similar risk as putting your child on the back of a motorcycle, do feel free. anyone with any common sense can see that those things are not even remotely similar.
oh, and at this point, i think you're being intentionally obtuse regarding the *patently stupid* thing. :/
finally, i most certainly do not HAVE to respect every foolish decision other parents make, and i don't. the fact is, neither do you and you display it regularly on this blog nearly every day!
CALL THE FUCKING COPS.... what a retard
I wonder too LindaLou, where this woman lives that all these alcholics and delinquents are riding around on boats doing 70, dodging small children on kayaks and waterskis.
I spent my whole life on a boat, every summer, since I was a month old. We boat in the Navesink River and Sandy Hook bay area, but we've been known to lug our boat up to Lake George, The 1000 Islands and other places in New York and New England. Lake areas tend to be more "party" type areas(as opposed to the ocean and bay, at least here in Central Jersey) and yet I have never witnessed the chaotic scene 12:23 is referring to. I'm not saying she's lying but perhaps it's a little fabricated to prove a point?
This is a little off the topic, but I'm going out on a limb and saying that I think it's ok to let your kid listen to certain cd's with a PA sticker on them.
If the music is bitchin' and all. I think it's ok. I really do.
Wow, Now we are tattling on motorcyclists. Why the hell would you post this here? Did you find out the guy was a nanny?
(passes snarkymama the scotch)
Well. I will put in my 2 cents and say I grew up on the water, too. I have done the party boat docking at each bar bit, I've been in a speeding boat driven by one such drunk, through Rudee Inlet, and hitting a sand bar .... yeah, I know, that was scary. I've also been in waters with speeding jet skis and Kayaks at the same time in the Chesapeake Bay.
Parents here usually have their kids with them, and we all just have to look out for one another. Do people get hurt, yes. Va. Beach is loaded with hundreds of bars, and tons of water from the Ocean, Lakes and Bay. I've seen it all.
I'm not about to call 12:23 a liar, that's for sure. I don't know where she's from, but it's kind of rude to suggest she's fabricating any of her post.
Well, I guess I'm rude then.
I vote we let snarkymama keep the bottle. She needs to loosen up a little.
:)
JerseyX
I'm not trying to offend anyone. I'm just sayin' ...
You didn't offend me. There's a good chance I AM rude at times. I try not to be, but hey, it happens.
It's all good, JerseyX.
:)
Dude, I need that bottle just as much as snarkmom. Pass it right back here, chief...
JXJ, I did not think your post was rude.I think our diversities make this blog exciting and worth coming back to. I can see that you might have had a completely different experience with boating and being around the water than I have.
I am not at all familiar with waterways anywhere other than Ca, Tx and Michigan. I have never been to Jersey.
I have however spent a lot of time on the water here and a lot of time on motorcycles here..(I was married on a Harley)
They can both be dangerous..they can both be fun and unless you choose to keep your kids in a bubble, they can both be great ways to spend quality time with your family! JMO
Thanks CFG. You are right,If I was going to lie..I'd make it a good one..like my cup size, shoe size age or hair color! ( never lie about the weight, I am a plus size Penny all the way)
anyhow, this has been fun but I am bored going round and round with this and going to head to a differnt thread!
Cheers ladies!!
PS,MPP, I rebooted and think I am good to go ow with the moniker!
No need for anyone to get so upset,I asked the question because I happen to live in the Bay area (too)and yes, here and on the Delta, windsurfers ,jet-ski's and powered boats(Cigar & Woodys and such) are often co-mingled. I spent 10 summers on a houseboat(on the Delta) and witnessed it daily. Over 10% of all boating/PWC accidents in ca happen right here on the Delta.
IN 2007 there were over 1000 boating/PWC injuries in Ca alone . So that is roughly 100 injuries here on the Delta and 100 injuries is approx 2 accidents a weekend on a yearly basis.(although over 50% of those accidents happen from April- Sep. )
I am aware of the Wetlands and kayaking..that is specifically why I stuck to windsailing & windsurfing question and left the kayaking out of it..
I can only relate what happens where I spent summers boating and jet skiing in Ca ..and not in Jersey as I have never been there.
Perhaps a few of you are more familiar with every aspect of every beach ,lake and Delta outlet here in California. I am not. I can most certainly tell you that on The Delta, which is a huge body of recreational water here in Ca.,you will indeed find any and every type of water activity happening at once..all in the same area.
Unfortunately, you will also find drunks and hot-doggers causing accidents. Youths operating pwc ilegally and overcrowding of fishing boats or cigar boats are also a factor.alcohol is ahuge factor relating to accidents.
Lets note before anyone gets too overheated..yes, I agree motorcycles can be dangerous.Very Dangerous.
What I do not agree with is "stereotyping all parents who allow their children to ride on a motor-bike(tee-hee) as making "foolish decisions" . I do I think I know everything there is to know about motorcycle or water activities.
None of us are authorities . None of us are ALWAYS going to be right.
We are simply moms/nannies with opposing veiws.
I assure you, I am not fabricating anything to get my point across. Unfortunatley, there are horrible accidents, involving children and adults every summer, almost weekly here..It is usually due to drinking or a novice jet skier or the over crowding of a PWC or boat.!
This is not a contest. I am not challenging weather or not a good mother allows her child to participate in any of the above activities.
However, I do not , at all agree with the fact that certain water sports are any less dangerous than motorcycles when it comes to controlling the traffic around us and youths.
There are fatalities and injuries in both activities and both have taken the lives of children here in California.
As far as windsurfing being a beach activity, you are right, however, windsailing,wakeboarding and jet skiing are all, also Bay and Lake/River activities.
Again you are right, you do not HAVE to respect anything about other parents decisions.
I however choose to.
BTW, the past is the past. In a court of law, you do not get to bring up certain past charges..lets not do that here. My posts in the past have nothing to do with this thread.
I simply veiw things differently than some of you on this subject.. I do, however respect the choices you make for your children..afterall, they are yours to make not mine.
happy posting.
* I hope you don't mind the re-post. I always love hearing what you have to say!
Thank you for re-posting me.
I am glad someone out there likes what I have to say, cause, I was sure starting to give myself a headache! (tee-hee)
doesthismoniker, I shouldn't have accused you of fabricating your story. That was my ignorance taking over. Sometimes I forget that places outside of the NY tri state area exist :-)
And for the record, I actually agree with the gist of your post. People are SO quick to judge others' parenting skills. It's ok to have an opinion and your own child-rearing methods, but to pick apart every little thing you don't agree with that someone else does is arrogant. I really hope I don't start doing that when I become a mommy one day.
agreed. people are so quick to judge.
I buy Hannah Montana pajamas for my daughter. And she rocks those jammies.
JXJ, No problem. We are all human and it is easy to forget about the world outside of our own .I do it all the time!
Just from reading your posts, I think you will be a fair and non judgemental mommy. (And you are going to have Fun!)
"There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it hardly becomes any of us,
To talk about the rest of us"
-Anon
I love this quote!!
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