She sat with her 16-year-old son fresh out of school and full of beans that he was beginning college. “How cool is that, mom?” P smiled at her. She smiled back and was amazed to see how much her son had transformed physically in the last one year. From a cute school kid, he was suddenly a young man with facial hair sprouting and that voice — oh how awkward that voice sounded. There was this pride she felt in seeing her son evolve into this wonderful young man.
The first few days of college raced by. It was hectic for P. He loved wearing trendy clothes, bunking classes, enjoying the freedom that college life brings along with it. Mom insisted that he must take the bus to college. Though, he had started saying that many of his friends were bringing scooties to college and was gently trying to persuade his mother towards getting him one. Scooties are the breezy looking lighter versions of scooters that are very popular with the youngsters these days. Mom refused reiterating he was underage. Grumbling, he put this topic on the backburner.
Life was good. On Saturday morning, he told mom that he would be a little late from college, as he was going out with some friends to a mall during day time. She said fine. In the late afternoon, she received a call from a stranger on her son’s cellphone saying that her son had been in an accident and that he was critical. She felt numbed. She grabbed her purse and car keys and raced out the door to the hospital the stranger had mentioned. Twenty minutes of driving time felt like an eternity. She rushed to the hospital to find her beautiful young son mutilated and dead. In a daze, unable to comprehend what had transpired, she turned to her son’s friends gathered around. From their account, she came to know that her son was riding pillion on a friend’s scooty without a helmet. This scooty was knocked down by a bus when they swerved right into the path of the bus killing both the teens immediately. Her cries rented the air.
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This is a fictional account inspired by a real accident that claimed the life of two teenagers in Bangalore on Saturday. I could not help but feel the grief of the parents who lost their kids so young. It is the worst situation a parent has to live through. But, I have a question for all parents? Why are we so blinded in our desire to pamper our kids that we are unable to put our foot down when needed? Why are flashy cars and high-speed bikes being doled out to teenagers in the first place, some of them not even legally permitted to drive? Who is to blame for such accidents — luck, the kids, or the parents who did not exercise their better judgment?
Pic courtesy: Hannah Corbett/ freedigitalphotos.net
Oh Rachna, beautiful, sad writing. I don’t have the answers to those questions but my heart goes out to those parents as well. How terribly, unimaginably sad.
At least parents can learn a lesson or two from such sad incidents. I have seen minor children driving themselves to school. This pomp and show ,and ostentatious behaviour sometimes takes its toll. Somewhere parents do need to put their foot down.
An eye opening post !
It is really sad, however such things can happen even if parents don’t give in to their children’s whims and fancies, like it happened in your fiction.
It is the age, not just the money power, not everybody in that age act like that, but there are exceptions. Even, if parents don’t give in, there are ways the teenager can find thrill, that can cause death or a terrible condition after the accident.
It has happened time and again not only in India but all over the world. As parents we can only make our children understand their responsibilities, we cannot be behind them all the time.
If it has not happened in our lives, we can only be grateful to God for that, other than that what else can we do.
Even getting a cycle to ride to school is full of danger on the roads of Bangalore, but we can’t stop our children from riding a cycle too, we can only tell them to be careful.
But in our minds the thought of so many children knocked down by some speeding car/ bus would always haunt us. All I can say is being a parent is not easy.
Sometimes just a walk along the road can cause death. We do teach our children how to cross the roads and how to be careful of traffic, but accidents have a tendency to happen. The boy who rode the bike was too young. But what if he wasn’t? Would that be any less of a tragedy? Its sad. Being a parent myself I can completely understand the dilemma. I wish parenting was an easy job. But it isn’t.
It is really a sad story. I do not think teens should be allowed to drive. With public transport in India, kids don’t have to drive.
I can imagine the grief of the parents.
There is nothing sadder than burying your child.
But age-old problems here Rachna, kids always want to grow up too fast, kids always want to do something a little bit more dare devil.
Rachna: I cried and got my Mofa when I was in 11th std and later while in college I got a Kinetic Honda too.
Now I sincerely desire for a motor bike which Israel would never get for me. I have settled for a bicycle now. 🙁
One thing about these motors are that they make you independent, gives you a sense of freedom and comes in handy for daily commute at an affordable rate.
But now looking at it as a parent I understand how difficult it would have been for my parents to buy them for me in the first place.
Ask me if I will buy one for our children, my answer would be: I might if they are keen on that. But teach them to be responsible riders with safety being their first priority.
What to say, we learn by living…
I read about that “killer BMTC”. Thats how the newspaper yelled – blaming the bus forgetting the irresponsible driver who fled the scene. I felt very sad for the boys and angry at the driver
Dont we see such incidents every other day? When will road rage end?
I read about that “killer BMTC”. Thats how the newspaper yelled – blaming the bus forgetting the irresponsible driver who fled the scene. I felt very sad for the boys and angry at the driver
Dont we see such incidents every other day? When will road rage end?
GOD.. WHyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh This makes me SO MAD.. I mena WHY OH WHY are we so careless..
Same here i dont give a second chance here to those who dont have a seat belt on or a helmet .. TILL date I have never pardoned anyone who does it .. whoever it is young old whatever .. IT makes me MAD at parents who have kids in the car without a belt.. I make sure I give them the heaviest ticket..
IT SAVES LIFE the helmet and belts..
My condolensces to the parents of the kids who lost their life.. SAD so sad ..
The parents if they cant stop , the police and others should do something make sure the punishments is SO HARSH .. Take the scooty away and as here in uk.. demolish it… confiscate the vehicle …
Bikram’s
and Sorry to sound so MEAN .. I am thinking of the bus driver who was driving the BUS .. IF HE was DRIVING it perfectly SAFE yet he will be blamed for the accident…
I know how it works out there … Sorry I hope you understand what i ma trying ot say here
Bikram’s
You may not get one for your child. but how would u know what he is upto in college and whose bike he was riding. Same case. my son who is barely 2 was mowed down by a older kid whose cycle didnt have brakes and had a puncture.
Very sad .You are right Rachna ,parents need to be strict in giving in to their kids demands like this.It is shocking to see that some of the parents not only don’t realize this but also boost about their kids ability to drive before permitted age.
I have seen many incidents like this..and yes anything can happen anywhere anytime, but that doesnt mean we expose ourselves to danger freely…..I also dont understand why people pamper their kids without any discipline..to me its not love.Loving always means looking after the interest of your loved ones, whereas pampering the kids like that means satisfying our own ego or whatevr.
So tragic. I had not read about this incident. My heart goes out for the parents.
But who is to blame? The parents who listen to whatever the kid says.
The boy who was riding
or the bus driver?
SO very tragic
@colleen Very sad indeed.
@aarkay Yes, I agree with you. Blantant showoff by youngsters who drive expensive vehicles, tempt others and risk life and limb of those that ride with them and also those on the road are a menace. The parents of such kids need to be censured.
@rama Agree that we can’t be behind our kids all the time, and accidents can happen to the safest of drivers. But, I feel angered when parents are encouraging their kids to flout rules blatantly by allowing underage driving and giving them vehicles when they don’t even have the maturity to operate them. The teaching bit to them is clearly absent here because actions speak louder than words. Also, I don’t stop my kids from riding bicycles but definitely not on the roads. They have a very real chance of getting knocked down, and I recognize that. They, however, can ride their bikes within the community that has wide roads and careful drivers. Being parents is indeed difficult.
There is something for the parents in this to learn, isn’t it?
@Juxtaposition Yes indeed. It wouldn’t be any less a tragedy if the teen wasn’t underage or if it was not his fault. But, at least we must try to tell our kids the right things to do. let us not put things in their hands that have a huge potential of being misused. That said, being a parent is a huge responsibility.
@Jane Yes, and so we must be even more careful about what we readily hand over to the kids who are at that age where they want to do everything quick and show off.
@NRIGirl I wouldn’t get anything for an underage child, and I suggest you don’t either. Why break the law or invite mistakes?
@Insignia Yes, buses being that big and traffic being as chaotic as it is in Bangalore, accidents are waiting to happen. But, in my driving experience, I’ve noticed that these scooters and bike drivers are often very rash, tail gating the car, hovering in the blind spot, and overtaking and coming in front of the car and slowing down dangerously. It is reckless behaviour and very poor driving indeed. Perhaps, the parents need to ride pillion and judge their riding etiquette and maneuvering in traffic before allowing them to go on their own.
@A Exactly. Why should the kids drive when they have perfectly decent buses and autos? Sad for parents indeed.
@Bikram I felt the same way — mad. Tragic loss of life, and why are people so careless. I also feel bugged when I see people riding bikes without helmets or not putting seat belts. Even some of the helmets worn are such pathetic quality just to comply with regulations not understanding that regulations are meant to save their own lives. I feel the same way, confiscate the scooty and fine the kids driving underage and their parents too. As you know, how bad the traffic management is in India, it is not always possible for traffic cops to be around everywhere. Why can’t people have better sense? And, no need to apologize. There are loads of times that the driver of the bigger vehicle is held accountable. Sometimes, it might not even be their fault. I drive and hence I know how rashly some two-wheeler drivers drive.
@Vani I know Vani. How would we know what they are doing in college or any place unsupervised? I just showed my son the clipping and explained to him what happened to the poor boys. Incidentally, one of the boys who died was in the same school as Sid, so he remembered him. I wouldn’t give my son a bike when he is 16, and I would explain to him the consequences of such actions. That’s all that I can do as a parent.
@Renu I agree, why tempt fate? Why do the wrong thing in the first place? Any repentance later cannot bring back a lost child.
@kavita I also feel shocked when I see how some parents equate giving things to their kids to their love for them often causing them to pick up bad habits or invite wrong company.
@Bhagyashree very tragic. I don’t know who is to blame, perhaps everyone in small measure.
@BKC Absolutely a lesson for all parents.
Two wheelers are so dangerous in here!
Very very sad incident. Cant imagine the plight of the parents who have lost their children in such accidents.
Every other day there is a news of bus knocking down a two-wheeler!
Parents must convincingly deny the two wheelers. Else they may get rebellious.
@Spicy Sweet Two wheelers are especially risky. Even I feel that parents must be cautious before giving one to their kids.
No definitely not for an under age child! Didn’t realize your post was about underage teens.
It is really disturbing one rachna. I also had once visited an accident, in which someone who participated in speed biking met with an accident..
http://www.vanitymoments.com/2009/11/riding-at-9-pm.html
So sorry to hear about the two teenagers Rachna. I can’t even imagine what their parents must be going through.
So sad!
very sorry to know that..my heart goes out for those parents…Kids nowadays don’t listen and parents cannot put their foot down…
Sufferers are parents again..its so hard to take this pain forever in life..
God bless the departed souls!
@NRIGirl This boy was just out of school and was only sixteen. It was tragic that parents actually allowed him to ride a scooty. Even for those that are legally allowed to drive, giving them flashy cars or high-speed bikes will be like inviting trouble.
@Tomz It is disturbing. I will read your post too.
@Agnes Yes, so sad for the parents.
@Harman You are absolutely right. Either way parents suffer.
In this day and age peer pressure is taking its toll on youngsters and their parents alike as the in a race to outdo the other. It is really tragic and totally unnecessary.
Something similar to this hapened to cricketer Azharuddin’s son and nephew here in Hyderabad. Son aged 19 and nephew was 17, I think. He asked for a superbike for Ramazan. He Ramazan gift was his road to death. They oversped on a ring road and crashed. The nephew died on the spot. The son was on ventilator support before being declared dead after a week.
And no, they didn’t have licenses…
Who really can be blamed? Maybe the parents trust the children to take care of themselves. If they’re denied the permission for a bike, they’ll go out and ride someone else’s bike. So what’s important is not that you don’t buy them a bike, but that you teach them the importance of safe driving. And of life.
And even if the kid did drive carefully, there could always be some other driver who overspeeds. All we can do is mind our traffic rules and be careful.
A sad story but I think it was great on your part to put it up here. Time parents and people around understand the importance of safe driving
It’s really tragic. Somethings are really out of our control. Death is one such thing. I guess in situations like this, neither the parents nor the kids can be blamed. Something we may call fate. But really sad…
@cybernag You are right. Often, parents just give in to peer pressure or kids ask because a friend has a bike or something. Parents don’t want to be seen as rigid. But, parents have a larger role to play in teaching kids about safety and in putting their foot down especially on issues like underage driving.
@Spaceman Spiff Thank you for your visit and comment. Indeed, that incident also played on my mind. Perhaps, the father had no time to teach his son how to ride the super speed bike correctly. It is easy to give in to the demand for high-speed machines but difficult to be hands on and actually teach your kid how to ride or take them for a spin yourself. They have to be taught about safety and how high-speed crashes only result in loss of limb and life. Yes, one has no control of what kids can do if they hitch a ride with someone else. But giving them a bike or allowing them to ride or drive without license is absolutely wrong. Accidents can happen to the most cautious of drivers. All I am saying is don’t invite a mishap and teach good values.
@Vijay Thank you so much. I just wanted to convey the huge loss that a loss of child is and can never really be remedied. I hope someone somewhere understands the importance of being careful.
@Destiny’s child Accidents are tragic and definitely governed by fate. But, I hope that all of us can take some lessons from them.
Oh My GOD!! How tragic!! Hope all learn from this sad incident… the parents as well as the kids!
Oh!!! we are just finished celebrating a FB induced suicide!!
Reckless behavior is rampant, trendy and disastrous whether it is parents or children or any citizen out there. If each person would stick to his swadharma ( i am unable to find the right English word for this – sorry) none of this would happen. Parents think letting kids do whatever they want is the best parenting ideology. Kids think that getting the best and most trendy things is a cool way to add the popularity quotient with peers and friends and the more reckless they are, the cooler. The sad thing is that we, as Indians, who always honored and understood with spiritual awareness that there is a higher purpose to life in society have totally lost or diluted that awareness. Moral values and parental values have deteriorated so much that it has changed the way Indians live and behave today. Everything is about flaunting, money and what not. The consequences of this recklessnes is out there for all to see. It will continue to increase unless each individual learns to exercise some form of reasonable restraint.
Wearing helmet is very important. Most of the people in India dies in accidents because they don’t care to wear helmet. Thanks for coming up with this post.
Following you now! 🙂