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Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Liv'smom avatar
Liv'smomBeach Lover
15,240 views
On Saturday, my 2 and 9 year old little girls were playing in my front yard, when a Walton County Sheriff's deputy came by patroling the neighborhood. We live near the end of a cul-de-sac in an undeveloped neighborhood with my family as my only neighbors and my 9 year old is very responsible, so my husband and I don't think twice about the girls playing in the yard unsupervised, until Saturday. According to my 9 year old, who is actually my step-daughter, he stopped the car and asked the girls if they wanted to get into his car and turn on the siren. Now, my 9 year old's mom is really great and has taught her all about not getting in the car with strangers, but apparently never said anything about police officers, because she climbed right in with my 2 year old right behind her. 😱 I was really shocked. I couldn't believe that a trained police officer would invite 2 little girls into his patrol car with not one adult in site. My husband didn't seem to see any harm in it, but I think it was completely inappropriate. I told my 9 year to come in the house if that ever happened again, and that if it was a real police officer, he would understand. I'm wondering if anyone thinks I should persue this to find out who the officer was and find out what in the hell he was thinking or just count my blessings that nothing happened to them. Does anyone else think this was out of line? :idontno:

Replies

82
Liv'smom avatar
Liv'smomBeach LoverAuthor
#27
Liv'smom - I don't think you need a wake up call regarding your parental supervision. You obviously have always felt safe with your children playing in their own yard in your safe neighborhood. But I think the sheriff definitely needs a wake up call. I'm sure he would not be pleased knowing his officer on patrol was taking time out of his work day to play with small kids in the patrol car and freak out their parents.

Thank you steeleing1. It's all good. I know what kind of parent I am. I expected a little holier-than-thou when I made the post. I did and do feel safe there, but times they are a changin', right? Thank you again for the kind words.
peapod1980 avatar
peapod1980percy
#28
Thank you steeleing1. It's all good. I know what kind of parent I am. I expected a little holier-than-thou when I made the post. I did and do feel safe there, but times they are a changin', right? Thank you again for the kind words.
Liv's mom, not to mention the fact that the times they are a confusin'. Once upon a time, "Stranger Danger" was the order of the day; parents were urged to teach their children to beware of anyone they didn't know and to look out for scary lookin' folk. The scary folk got smarter, the Internet developed great big arms that reached into almost every household, and then parents were told the old Stranger Danger concept was a thing of the past; the scary folk now looked like normal folk and also could hide their scary selves behind a computer screen. I can't imagine a more confusing, conflicting message than to have a child faced with a uniformed police officer (= safe), inviting a child into his car (= unsafe). Heck, that's practically higher math.
joho avatar
johoBeach Fanatic
#29
report it!!!!! 😱
Liv'smom avatar
Liv'smomBeach LoverAuthor
#30
Liv's mom, not to mention the fact that the times they are a confusin'. Once upon a time, "Stranger Danger" was the order of the day; parents were urged to teach their children to beware of anyone they didn't know and to look out for scary lookin' folk. The scary folk got smarter, the Internet developed great big arms that reached into almost every household, and then parents were told the old Stranger Danger concept was a thing of the past; the scary folk now looked like normal folk and also could hide their scary selves behind a computer screen. I can't imagine a more confusing, conflicting message than to have a child faced with a uniformed police officer (= safe), inviting a child into his car (= unsafe). Heck, that's practically higher math.

This actually does remind me a little of one of the word problems in an IQ test. When faced with this same question, how many adults would "pass". I think the really important thing to teach our children is, if it smells fishy, it's probably fish. I just don't think my 9 year old realized yet the difference between fish and flowers.
goofer avatar
gooferBeach Fanatic
#31
IN all probability it was a lapse of judgement on the officer's part. But it should be reported to the sheriff so that officers will not do the same thing without parental supervision. Thank goodness nothing happened. All parents should teach children NEVER to go into any strangers car under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. I think you should also inform your childrens school (w/o mentioning the identity of the officer) so that the teachers can tell children never to get into a strangers car EVEN IF IT IS A POLICEMAN. Kids that find themselves in the situation of being told that mom or dad was in an accident so I will take you to them should be trained TO CALL AUNTIE OR UNCLE OR GRANDMA OR GRANDPA and run away from the person that informs them of that info. We live in a crazy world so kids should be told to always be on guard....EVEN IF IT TEMPORARILY SPOOKS THEM. BTW, I am not a parent but it makes common sense to me.:idontno:
RiverOtter avatar
RiverOttergot any pics?
#32
I have a different take on this. As usual, I have not read the whole thread but several posts on the 1st page. So this may have been stated by someone else :idontno:

In this day that action by the officer does seem a little strange. But several years ago we would have thought nothing of it. I remember years ago an Electric Power Board guy giving me a ride in his cherry picker. You just can't do that these days. Maybe he was just being nice thought the kids would get a real kick out of seeing the inside of the cop car (especially from the front seat 😀 ) and pushing all the buttons. Maybe he just had a Mayberry moment :idontno: . I don't know. I wouldn't get all that uptight about it. I think its good for kids to see the warn and nice side of officers instead of the stero type. JMHO:idontno:
Jdarg avatar
JdargSoWal Expert
#33
You are right RO- when we were growing up- checking out the sheriff's car would have been cool.

Trains run through the town I grew up in- they run out to the Ford truck plant, then back in. When we were little, there was a liquor store by the tracks, and every day the engineer would stop the train, hop out, and buy a 6 pack. My brother and his friends would wait for this guy occasionally, and get to ride out to the plant and back. The engineer would drink 3 beers going out and 3 beers coming back, then he would stop and let his passengers out of the engine cab. Gives a new meaning to drinking and driving!😱 Mom never really gave it a thought.

If Will did something like this today- I would die of a panic attack.
RiverOtter avatar
RiverOttergot any pics?
#34
You are right RO- when we were growing up- checking out the sheriff's car would have been cool.

Trains run through the town I grew up in- they run out to the Ford truck plant, then back in. When we were little, there was a liquor store by the tracks, and every day the engineer would stop the train, hop out, and buy a 6 pack. My brother and his friends would wait for this guy occasionally, and get to ride out to the plant and back. The engineer would drink 3 beers going out and 3 beers coming back, then he would stop and let his passengers out of the engine cab. Gives a new meaning to drinking and driving!😱 Mom never really gave it a thought.

If Will did something like this today- I would die of a panic attack.


:shock: Wow! Time sure have changed :funn:
Jdarg avatar
JdargSoWal Expert
#35
:shock: Wow! Time sure have changed :funn:

I know. These kids don't have near the fun we had, do they?:idontno: :floor: 😱
Liv'smom avatar
Liv'smomBeach LoverAuthor
#36
You are right RO- when we were growing up- checking out the sheriff's car would have been cool.

Trains run through the town I grew up in- they run out to the Ford truck plant, then back in. When we were little, there was a liquor store by the tracks, and every day the engineer would stop the train, hop out, and buy a 6 pack. My brother and his friends would wait for this guy occasionally, and get to ride out to the plant and back. The engineer would drink 3 beers going out and 3 beers coming back, then he would stop and let his passengers out of the engine cab. Gives a new meaning to drinking and driving!😱 Mom never really gave it a thought.

If Will did something like this today- I would die of a panic attack.

Too true. My parents used to run Pirate's Cove when it was a camp ground, so that was our play ground before we moved over to Inlet Beach. Campers would invite us to eat, swim, whatever they had going on, we would get invited. My parents didn't know where we were half the time. But that was a different time. Things could have gone wrong then, but would most assurdely go wrong nowadays.
Smiling JOe avatar
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert
#37
I have a different take on this. As usual, I have not read the whole thread but several posts on the 1st page. So this may have been stated by someone else :idontno:

In this day that action by the officer does seem a little strange. But several years ago we would have thought nothing of it. I remember years ago an Electric Power Board guy giving me a ride in his cherry picker. You just can't do that these days. Maybe he was just being nice thought the kids would get a real kick out of seeing the inside of the cop car (especially from the front seat 😀 ) and pushing all the buttons. Maybe he just had a Mayberry moment :idontno: . I don't know. I wouldn't get all that uptight about it. I think its good for kids to see the warn and nice side of officers instead of the stero type. JMHO:idontno:

I agree somewhat. When I was a kid, my parents would not have minded me checking out the cop car, esp. since my cousin was the Sheriff. However, today is much different.

Let me ask you this, How, or would your reponse be different if the cop was an undercover officer in an unmarked car? :idontno:
Jdarg avatar
JdargSoWal Expert
#38
I agree somewhat. When I was a kid, my parents would not have minded me checking out the cop car, esp. since my cousin was the Sheriff. However, today is much different.

Let me ask you this, How, or would your reponse be different if the cop was an undercover officer in an unmarked car? :idontno:



I guess it is probably illegal for me to beat the crap out of the undercover cop. But that would be my first instinct.
Liv'smom avatar
Liv'smomBeach LoverAuthor
#39
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I guess it is probably illegal for me to beat the crap out of the undercover cop. But that would be my first instinct.


:clap_1: Who's going to know? There's not anyone else around to witness the "injustice".
RiverOtter avatar
RiverOttergot any pics?
#40
I agree somewhat. When I was a kid, my parents would not have minded me checking out the cop car, esp. since my cousin was the Sheriff. However, today is much different.

Let me ask you this, How, or would your reponse be different if the cop was an undercover officer in an unmarked car? :idontno:


I would start wondering what I had done wrong :idontno: :funn:

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