~Let's take a ride on my Harley~

Ok, so I saw something on my way in to work today that I thought was completely ridiculous and I would think the person should at least lose their license if not have childrens services notified. I was cruising to work and come up behind a man and a child on a motorcycle at a stoplight. Now I've seen young teens on the back of cycles before but this little girl could not have been older than 6 yrs old and did not have a helmet on or anything. She was very antsy and the man even had to reach back and hold her on and yelled at her to calm down. There were people all around me pointing and shaking their heads in their cars. I honestly did not want to even be behind them in case something happened, I don't like to run over people, especially children. I can't even fathom taking a 5 or 6 yr old around the block with no kind of protection or safety belt to keep them on the cycle, let alone going on at least a half hour ride. It is law in some areas that children and even adults must wear helmest even on a bicycle. I really don't understand what this guy was thinking. What are your thoughts on this?

Honestly I probably would have called the local police station from my cell phone. Something terrible could so easily happen. The man is obviously lacking all common sense. The helmet thing is bad enough but why on earth would he put her on the back??? Kids don't sit still, they dont' listen and they cannot be responsible for holding on while they speed on the back of a bike at 45 mph. I have a 4yo and an 8yo and they have to get helmeted and get the safety talk before they ride on the quad at 8mph with dad driving and them sitting in front of him! ETA*For clarity - they ride one at a time! LOL

Quote of the Day.

FWIW, in Texas if you take the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundations) class, you get a permit that allows you to ride without a helmet. And if you have that permit, your passenger doesn't have to ride with a helmet, either.

*** Begin Amendment ***
After posting that I looked into it more -- seems I was part right, part wrong, and now even more disgusted with Texas:

- According to the Texas Transportation Code Subtitle G § 661.003, you don't have to wear a helmet if you took the MSF (or if you have sufficient insurance). That's the part where I was right.

- But you have to be 21 years or older. That's the part where I was wrong -- so yes, a 5yo passenger w/o a helmet is illegal.

- However, the statute goes on to say "h) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $10 or more than $50." This is the part where I'm disgusted with Texas. Although to be fair, the lawmakers were probably targeting 17yo kids and didn't foresee idiot parents taking kids on rides. There's always the chance that a cop might decide to slap a reckless endangerment charge on top. Next time I hobnob with the motorcycle cops who frequent the local coffee shop, I'll ask 'em their take on this.
*** End Amendment ***

Having said that: as the parent of two elementary school kids and also as the owner of two motorcycles -- yeah, seeing that would have seriously creeped me out, too.

I dunno -- if you see that again, and you sincerely believe the child is in some danger, you could probably do worse than call 911 if you've got a cellphone. The worst the 911 operator could do is say "sorry, we can't do anything".

Jess

Title XLV. Motor Vehicles--Aeronautics--Watercraft. Chapter 4511. Traffic laws--Operation of Motor Vehicles. Bicycles. Section 4511.53 Rules for Bicycles, Motorcycles and Snowmobiles. :
". . . No person who is under the age of eighteen years, or who holds a motorcycle operator's endorsement or license bearing a "novice" designation that is currently in effect as provided in section 4507.13 of the Revised Code, shall operate a motorcycle on a highway, or be a passenger on a motorcycle, unless wearing a protective helmet on his head, and no other person shall be a passenger on a motorcycle operated by such a person unless similarly wearing a protective helmet. . . ."
FINE:


You could be held for conspiracy, no? Would not it have been better to call law enforcement than to tell online people about how worried you were for this child? Obviousley not worried enough to do anything.

I've been riding bikes since I was 3, I hope you don't mean to imply that my Grandfather, Father, Uncles and other family members were bad role models? Or is it your fear of something you don't understand that makes you all trippy?

all it takes is a little bump in the road and the child is no more

Or maybe Texas considers survival of the fittest and assumes that if the parent is stupid, it doesn't hurt to encourage destruction of the entire gene pool.