Strange incident

I took a group of eleven 9-year-old children to a road junction to
teach them how to position themselves properly and signal their
intentions when turning.

The drill was turning left from a minor road onto a major road,
through a road narrowing, a supervised U-turn, then turning right from
a major road into a minor road, another watched U-turn and wait to be
sent off again.

For the starting point I chose a large gap (perhpas 5 car lengths) in
a row of parked cars, so the children can a clear veiw down the road
before starting out.

In pairs, the children completed one circuit of the drill followed by
me or my co-instructor. The other children were supervised by a
volunteer adult who is not an instructor. An L reg Saab driver came
and parked in the gap, tight behind one of the cars. He got out of
his car and asked me to move the children up the road in case they
scratched his car. I replied that I could see no reason why any of
them might want to scratch his car, but I would move them up the road
anyway so they had a safe starting point.

He then ranted about how he paid his car tax, insurance and was
licenced. I said that I was delighted to hear it and replied that we
had an absolute right to use the road without having to pay additional
taxes, be insured or licenced, however, we had chosen to have public
liability insurance.

I then moved off to watch the children at the jucnction, while my
training partner supervised the U-turn and the other volunteer sent
the children off at suitable intervals.

According to the children, the strange man kept coming out of his
house and 'spying' on them from behind his low garden wall, then, when
spotted, would go into the boot of his car and 'spy' on them from
there.

Perhaps he was taken aback by the attire of the children. Being World
Book Day many of them were dressed up as characters from books,
including one particularly cheeky-faced girl dressed up as Oliver
Twist, with soot smeared across her face.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

Simply confirms many of my own predjudices about car drivers.

--
John "let's be careful out there" Clayton
www.calder-clarion.co.uk


"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
...

I took a group of eleven 9-year-old children to a road junction to
teach them how to position themselves properly and signal their
intentions when turning.
snip
. An L reg Saab driver came
and parked in the gap, tight behind one of the cars. He got out of
his car and asked me to move the children up the road in case they
scratched his car. I replied that I could see no reason why any of
them might want to scratch his car, but I would move them up the road
anyway so they had a safe starting point.

He then ranted about how he paid his car tax, insurance and was
licenced. I said that I was delighted to hear it and replied that we
had an absolute right to use the road without having to pay additional
taxes, be insured or licenced, however, we had chosen to have public
liability insurance.

On Thu, 02 Mar 2006 21:35:18 GMT, "John Clayton"
wrote:


Simply confirms many of my own predjudices about car drivers.

I have to say that about 98% of car drivers are very courteous and
understanding when they see my troup of trainees out on the road.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

Perhaps he was taken aback by the attire of the children. Being World
Book Day many of them were dressed up as characters from books,
including one particularly cheeky-faced girl dressed up as Oliver
Twist, with soot smeared across her face.


peadophile! BURN HIM!!!!
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

Tom Crispin wrote:
He got out of
his car and asked me to move the children up the road in case they
scratched his car. I replied that I could see no reason why any of
them might want to scratch his car, but I would move them up the road
anyway so they had a safe starting point.

You might have suggested that if he was so worried about his car being
damaged, he should park it in a private, off-road, paid-for parking
space designated for the purpose, and not on the public highway.

I can think of a few other choice phrases you might have used, but they
aren't repeatable in a family newsgroup.

d.

On 3 Mar 2006 02:05:55 -0800, "davek"
wrote:

Tom Crispin wrote:
He got out of
his car and asked me to move the children up the road in case they
scratched his car. I replied that I could see no reason why any of
them might want to scratch his car, but I would move them up the road
anyway so they had a safe starting point.

You might have suggested that if he was so worried about his car being
damaged, he should park it in a private, off-road, paid-for parking
space designated for the purpose, and not on the public highway.

I can think of a few other choice phrases you might have used, but they
aren't repeatable in a family newsgroup.

Young children were present.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

Tom Crispin wrote:
I took a group of eleven 9-year-old children to a road junction to
teach them how to position themselves properly and signal their
intentions when turning.

The drill was turning left from a minor road onto a major road,
through a road narrowing, a supervised U-turn, then turning right from
a major road into a minor road, another watched U-turn and wait to be
sent off again.

For the starting point I chose a large gap (perhpas 5 car lengths) in
a row of parked cars, so the children can a clear veiw down the road
before starting out.

In pairs, the children completed one circuit of the drill followed by
me or my co-instructor. The other children were supervised by a
volunteer adult who is not an instructor. An L reg Saab driver came
and parked in the gap, tight behind one of the cars. He got out of
his car and asked me to move the children up the road in case they
scratched his car. I replied that I could see no reason why any of
them might want to scratch his car, but I would move them up the road
anyway so they had a safe starting point.

He then ranted about how he paid his car tax, insurance and was
licenced. I said that I was delighted to hear it and replied that we
had an absolute right to use the road without having to pay additional
taxes, be insured or licenced, however, we had chosen to have public
liability insurance.

I then moved off to watch the children at the jucnction, while my
training partner supervised the U-turn and the other volunteer sent
the children off at suitable intervals.

According to the children, the strange man kept coming out of his
house and 'spying' on them from behind his low garden wall, then, when
spotted, would go into the boot of his car and 'spy' on them from
there.

Perhaps he was taken aback by the attire of the children. Being World
Book Day many of them were dressed up as characters from books,
including one particularly cheeky-faced girl dressed up as Oliver
Twist, with soot smeared across her face.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

was he a pedal-o-phile

--
"You can't see paradise if you don't pedal" (Fowler, Chicken Run)

was he a pedal-o-phile

--
"You can't see paradise if you don't pedal" (Fowler, Chicken Run)

ever so slightly ot, but thanks for the sig. I'm using it, with Aardman
permission and a suitable pic from the film, in a sustainable transport
booklet!