Today I was cutting through the courtyard behind the library, on my way to my car, when I saw this young kid (7 y/o?) balling his eyes. As I looked around there was no one in sight so I stopped to make sure he was okay (I thought maybe he had exited the library and was lost or didn’t know how to get back in).
While trying to keep a few metres between us so I didn’t scare him, I asked “is everything okay?”, “do you need any help?”, and “where are your parents?”. He then pointed as his mom started to round the corner. His mom told me that the kid was “having a bit of a freakout” so they left him there for a little bit to cool down–fair enough, I thought.
I said okay and that I just wanted to make sure the kid wasn’t lost and was about to leave when his crazy ass father came ripping around the corner with his umbrella pointed at me like the Penguin from Batman Returns.
Immediately Mr. Crazy Dad started yelling at me to “get away from his kid” and that “you can’t approach kids like this”. At this point I was offended. I asked him “what his f*cking problem was”.
Now I’m sure that Crazy Dad is going around telling people that someone tried to lure his kid or some shit.
I admit that dropping the F bomb in front of the kid was not a good call and I apologize, but some advice for any parents out there: don’t leave your crying child on a bench walk away and get mad if someone tries to help. —Concerned citizen just trying to help
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2015.
Both parents should be shot. He is a child, not a bad dog. Children freak out. Parents who abandon them should lose their children. Crazy Dad would have seen Crazy Ghost Jesus calling the police.
It’s amazing that we need to pass a test to drive a car but anyone can become a parent. From the OBs description of the dad (rant first, ask questions later) I can see where the kid gets his tendancy to freak out.
I had a similar incident like this in Sears in the Halifax Shopping Centre.. Mom with two young girls (maybe 5 and 3) trying to get on the escalator. Mom has hand of the youngest girl but not the other. Mom and 3 y/o go down while the 5 y/o is left standing at the top screaming her head off. I worked there at the time and offered to ride down the escalator with her to which her mother (from the bottom) screamed up “DONT YOU F***ING DARE TOUCH MY CHILD!!” I just stood there in shock.. and then had to walk away because I don’t think I would have had a job after a few words with her when she came back up.
You did the right thing though, OB.. Helicopter parents are always scared someone is going to snatch their kid they’ve totally forgotten that there are people out there that are still looking out for their kids to maintain that safety.
OB you did and said the right thing!!!
This is horrifying, Concerned Citizen. It is also the reason many people avoid involving themselves in such situations. I’ll bet you that if you had been a woman, this wouldn’t have happened. That is how messed up society is, thinking that every male out there is a predator. Thank you, CC, for trying.
If talking to random women = sexual assault, then trying to help a seemingly distressed and abandoned child = child molestation. Get used to the hyper-sensitive world we all live in now!!!
Well done OB and dont’ worry about the F Bomb, sounds like this kid likely heard it from the father more than once.
To be fair, SHITD my friend, only in the world of the Coast does talking to random women = sexual assault. I talk to women all the time when I go downtown (which is rare). Sometimes I even tell them they look nice. 98% of the time it is well received. The trick is starting a conversation and being polite, that’s it. Some of my buddies are idiots and they, somehow, think that starting off a conversation by saying something like “Hey, you’re really beautiful” is a good idea. Nope.
Now about this bitch — the father sounds like a piece of shit. Absolutely, one can’t be too careful these days and all that but I agree 100% with you OB, if you are that concerned about your child, maybe don’t abandon them in a public place. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing, including the F bomb.
Helicopter parents end up clipping their children with their blades.
Yet another micro-aggressive parent shaming incident! (Just kidding)
Seriously, thanks for sharing, OB. Having read this, if I were in the same situation (young distressed child – possibly lost) I would prolly call the cops and ask what I should do. Just to keep things from getting out of hand.
Kinda reminds me of the time I was entering the building on the way to work and held the door for the person behind me – as any polite person would. It was a middle aged woman and she stopped short, scowled, and said, “I can get my own door!”.
Ooookee-dokee! Yet another micro-agression! Boy, I’m racking ’em up. Who’s keeping score?
I think i might have witness this incident. The child was playing mindcraft on the second floor, and he freaked out when his time was up and the controller was given to the next child in waiting.
Irrespective of the reason, he is a child. Crazy Dad has NO excuse. Are you Crazy Dad?
Welcome to 2015. Hair-trigger reactions for everyone.
Kids and shopping carts ruin parking lots.
I still don’t get what it is about escalators that confuses people and scares kids…