Here is a kid who NEEDS a bike

Marlene Blansha

This couple moved in upstairs from us (we live in a duplex)
and they have a little boy. Actually it's her kid, and a
boyfriend. Our landlord won't usually rent the upstairs to
people with kids (and doesn't allow pets), because there are
no carpets. APparently, the kid is supposed to live with the
father. He's about 7 i guess. I was very apprehensive when I
saw the kid, and no, I don't hate kids. But every time I
have had a family with kids as my upstairs neighbors, they
made my life miserable. For some reason, they all had kids
who did nothing but stay in the house all day, run around
and scream because they were bored and had nothing to do.So
I had no reason to believe it would be any different.

Guess what! The kid runs up and down from one end of the
apartment to another, that's all he seems to do. The mother
bought him a pool for the backyard but we've had some less
than great weather. I get the feeling there isn't much for
him to do here and so he's in the apartment running
around,all the time. WE get woken up at 7:30 am and then he
runs around all day. THe mother seems like a total dingbat,
more interested in herself and her boyfriend; she lies
outside tanning herself while the kid runs around the
apartment. I get the feeling the boyfriend isn't too happy
having the kid around all the time.

I feel like saying, get the kid a bike! He doesn't seem to
have one, and needs to do something besides hang around the
apartment all day with his mother, who just ignores him. I
keep waiting for miss dingbat to tell junior that there are
people downstairs, but it never happens. And we have to
revolve our schedule to accommodate their stupid kid- if I
go out I worry that if I get home late, the kid will wake me
up at 7:30.

If there was ever a kid who needs a bike, it's this kid.
However, the grownups are more like stupid kids themselves,
and more interested in their own fun. ANd not exactly into
healthy living- she's more interested in creating melanoma,
and he smokes quite a bit and coughs a lot, so I doubt he'll
take the kid out for sports. The one good thing- we're
moving in a few weeks, and I plan to live in an upstairs so
no kids live upstairs from me!

THanks for the rant. You know, it's not that I hate kids.
It's just that, I don't have a kid and I find that I often
resent being inconvenienced by other people's kids because
they can't control them or just ignore them. ANd it
infuriates me when I see stupid parents who have kids
without thinking about it and then treat them like
abortions.

Tom Keats

In article <MuYEc.15327$vO1.101577@nnrp1.uunet.ca>,
"Marlene Blanshay" <blanshay@total.net> writes:

> I feel like saying, get the kid a bike!

Maybe it would be better to wait until he actually wants
one, and the decision to take up cycling would be the kid's
own. But that's not to say you can't make the idea
appealing to him.

cheers, Tom

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Marlene Blansha

"Tom Keats" <tomk2003@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gal1cc.s0b.ln@bud.garden.local...
> In article <MuYEc.15327$vO1.101577@nnrp1.uunet.ca>,
> "Marlene Blanshay" <blanshay@total.net> writes:
>
> > I feel like saying, get the kid a bike!
>
> Maybe it would be better to wait until he actually wants
> one, and the decision to take up cycling would be the
> kid's own. But that's not to say you can't make the idea
> appealing to him.
>
>
> cheers, Tom
>
> --
Well, it's not my responsibility. Frankly, I also wish
they'd get him an x-BOX or a Play station. At least then
he'd be sitting down and not running up and down the hall
all the livelong day.

Tom Keats

In article <wr1Fc.15446$vO1.102328@nnrp1.uunet.ca>,
"Marlene Blanshay" <blanshay@total.net> writes:

> Well, it's not my responsibility.

No, But it's your idea, and if you wanted to, you could run
with it by playing-up cycling to the kid and his parents. A
li'l subtly persuasive advertising ;-)

Besides, it takes a village to get a kid to knock it off (or
something like that.) You'd also be potentially helping to
assimilate another rider into our ranks. Maybe you could
even become the kid's cycling mentor. While simultaneously
get all the 'dirt' about his folks, like in that TV
commercial: "My mom had to cut up all her credit cards ..."
That kind of stuff.

> Frankly, I also wish they'd get him an x-BOX or a Play
> station. At least then he'd be sitting down and not
> running up and down the hall all the livelong day.

I once had upstairs neighbours like that, too. My tactic
was, whenever they started up, I'd fire up my earthquake
machine -- aggressive-knobbied Trek 930 on rollers -- for a
minute or two. That pretty well got the whole world to go
quiet for awhile.

I've gotta kinda feel a little sorry for apartment-dwelling
kids, though. A back yard can be an whole world to a kid.

Maybe the kid just needs a pair of slippers.

cheers, Tom

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Rick Onanian

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:21:00 -0700, tomk2003@hotmail.com (Tom Keats)
wrote:
>I once had upstairs neighbours like that, too. My tactic
>was, whenever they started up, I'd fire up my earthquake
>machine -- aggressive-knobbied Trek 930 on rollers -- for a
>minute or two. That pretty well got the whole world to go
>quiet for awhile.

Another option is to get an electric guitar and an amp, and
learn to play. Or better yet, fail to learn to play...
--
Rick Onanian

Tk

Parent - It's also a verb!

Luigi De Guzman

On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 21:39:11 -0400, Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net>
wrote:

>On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:21:00 -0700, tomk2003@hotmail.com
>(Tom Keats) wrote:
>>I once had upstairs neighbours like that, too. My tactic
>>was, whenever they started up, I'd fire up my earthquake
>>machine -- aggressive-knobbied Trek 930 on rollers -- for
>>a minute or two. That pretty well got the whole world to
>>go quiet for awhile.
>
>Another option is to get an electric guitar and an amp, and
>learn to play. Or better yet, fail to learn to play...

"If you wanna be a rock'n'roll star, Well listen here to wh-
at I say-- Just buy an electric guitar, take some time And
learn how to play.."
- Brian Wilson

I can't play guitar, though; I play the piano, and not too
well at that. Oh well.

-Luigi

Tom Keats

In article <44f9e099cedm13ft3hl91jlktnki6a597q@4ax.com>,
Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> writes:
> On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:21:00 -0700, tomk2003@hotmail.com
> (Tom Keats) wrote:
>>I once had upstairs neighbours like that, too. My tactic
>>was, whenever they started up, I'd fire up my earthquake
>>machine -- aggressive-knobbied Trek 930 on rollers -- for
>>a minute or two. That pretty well got the whole world to
>>go quiet for awhile.
>
> Another option is to get an electric guitar and an amp,
> and learn to play. Or better yet, fail to learn to play...

Actually, I've got one. Custom-built by a luthier friend.
However, me and my ol' BellTone 30-watt tube amp, and
effects panel (phazer, envelope filter, baby wah pedal, etc)
have long since parted ways. I still have a little Radio
Shack D-cell amp, but it just doesn't cut the mustard.

Speaking of small amps, I remember once at a jam party, one
guy sold a Pignose amp to a bass player. Just for laffs, he
plugged in his bass and hit a few low notes. The Pignose
hopped on the floor for a few seconds, made some cackling
sounds, fell flat on its face, and died. I still haven't
figured out whether that was dramatically comedic or
comedically dramatic.

But playing loud tunes in an apartment building is too
obvious, and the building manager can easily track you down.
Generating quick, momentary earthquakes is ... sneakier.

And I do play -- quite well I think. As well as Stephan
Grossman, but not quite as well as Michael Hedges. Nowhere
near Carlos Santana or Paco de Lucia.

cheers, Tom

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Benjamin Weiner

Luigi de Guzman <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote:

> "If you wanna be a rock'n'roll star, Well listen here to
> what I say-- Just buy an electric guitar, take some time
> And learn how to play.."
> - Brian Wilson

"So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star" was written by
Roger McGuinn for Patti Smith.[*]

Best way to help the kid figure out that he needs a bike is
to get him interested in yours.
[*] McGuinn just didn't know at the time that he was writing
it for Smith.

Luigi De Guzman

On 2 Jul 2004 02:20:00 -0700, Benjamin Weiner <bjw@mambo.ucolick.org>
wrote:

>Luigi de Guzman <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> "If you wanna be a rock'n'roll star, Well listen here to
>> what I say-- Just buy an electric guitar, take some time
>> And learn how to play.."
>> - Brian Wilson
>
>"So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star" was written by
>Roger McGuinn for Patti Smith.[*]

Damn, so it is. I always thought it was Brian Wilson. I
stand corrected.

"If I knew Picasso, I would buy myself a grey guitar and
play" -Counting Crows

>
>Best way to help the kid figure out that he needs a bike is
>to get him interested in yours.
>

True. But seven year old kids don't dig long distance riding
as much as they dig tricks.

-Luigi

Marlene Blansha

"tk" <pm200054@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:ms4Fc.63307$OT6.27093801@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> Parent - It's also a verb!

Yeah, no kidding- it seems most parents aren't aware of
that. Which is why I sneer at this whole 'village' crap.What
it seems to have evolved into is the belief that everyone
has toget involved with raising your kid whether they're
interested or not. And that we also have to live with the
consequences of your shitty parenting. I've had upstairs
neighbors with kids before and not once have they ever left
me with a favorable impression. I wonder why half the
parents in the world have kids.

Marlene Blansha

"Tom Keats" <tomk2003@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:s9d2cc.brb.ln@bud.garden.local...
> In article <wr1Fc.15446$vO1.102328@nnrp1.uunet.ca>,
> "Marlene Blanshay" <blanshay@total.net> writes:
>
> > Well, it's not my responsibility.
>
> No, But it's your idea, and if you wanted to, you could
> run with it by playing-up cycling to the kid and his
> parents. A li'l subtly persuasive advertising ;-)
>
> Besides, it takes a village to get a kid to knock it off
> (or something like that.) You'd also be potentially
> helping to assimilate another rider into our ranks. Maybe
> you could even become the kid's cycling mentor. While
> simultaneously get all the 'dirt' about his folks, like in
> that TV commercial: "My mom had to cut up all her credit
> cards ..." That kind of stuff.
>

Sorry, but this villager isn't getting involved. Besides I'm
moving soon and wont' have to deal with him much longer. I'm
not interested in mentoring anyone's kid right now. And I'm
not interested in the dirt about the folks, I know enough.
The father lives somehwere else and the

> > Frankly, I also wish they'd get him an x-BOX or a Play
> > station. At least then he'd be sitting down and not
running
> > up and down the hall all the livelong day.
>
> I once had upstairs neighbours like that, too. My tactic
> was, whenever they started up, I'd fire up my earthquake
> machine -- aggressive-knobbied Trek 930 on rollers -- for
> a minute or two. That pretty well got the whole world to
> go quiet for awhile.
>

I'll just bang on the ceiling with the broom.

> I've gotta kinda feel a little sorry for apartment-
> dwelling kids, though. A back yard can be an whole world
> to a kid.
>
> Maybe the kid just needs a pair of slippers.
>
I think he needs to get out and do something!

Luigi De Guzman

On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 12:35:00 -0400, "Marlene Blanshay"
<blanshay@total.net> wrote:

>
>"tk" <pm200054@optonline.net> wrote in message
>news:ms4Fc.63307$OT6.27093801@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
>> Parent - It's also a verb!
>
>Yeah, no kidding- it seems most parents aren't aware of
>that. Which is why I sneer at this whole 'village'
>crap.What it seems to have evolved into is the belief that
>everyone has toget involved with raising your kid whether
>they're interested or not. And that we also have to live
>with the consequences of your shitty parenting.

We already are involved, and we already do deal with the
consequences of badly-raised kids every day: delinquency,
drug and alcohol abuse, low educational attainment. Not to
mention all the unsociable and sometimes anti-social
behaviour.

I'm not diminishing parental responsiblity at all; I'm just
saying that we can't just put up our hands and say "well,
THEIR kids are not MY problem." because, one way or the
other, those kids will become everybody's problem.

>I've had upstairs neighbors with kids before and not once
>have they ever left me with a favorable impression. I
>wonder why half the parents in the world have kids.

Because it's a natural consequence of another process?

-Luigi

Marlene Blansha

"Luigi de Guzman" <luigi12081@cox.net> wrote in message
news:q04be0l9kh68joubaoa2d7ue1r4aluiv1o@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 12:35:00 -0400, "Marlene Blanshay"
> <blanshay@total.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >"tk" <pm200054@optonline.net> wrote in message
> >news:ms4Fc.63307$OT6.27093801@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> >> Parent - It's also a verb!
> >
> >Yeah, no kidding- it seems most parents aren't aware of
> >that. Which is why I sneer at this whole 'village'
> >crap.What it seems to have evolved into is
the
> >belief that everyone has toget involved with raising your
> >kid whether they're interested or not. And that we also
> >have to live with the consequences of your shitty
> >parenting.
>
> We already are involved, and we already do deal with the
> consequences of badly-raised kids every day: delinquency,
> drug and alcohol abuse, low educational attainment. Not to
> mention all the unsociable and sometimes anti-social
> behaviour.
>
> I'm not diminishing parental responsiblity at all; I'm
> just saying that we can't just put up our hands and say
> "well, THEIR kids are not MY problem." because, one way or
> the other, those kids will become everybody's problem.
>
Well, it's not my RESPONSIBILITY, but it becomes everyone's
problem when parents don't parent. And then we all get roped
into it against our will!
>
> >I've had upstairs neighbors with kids before and not once
> >have they ever left me with a favorable impression. I
> >wonder why half the parents in the world have kids.
>
> Because it's a natural consequence of another process?
>
> -Luigi

In the meantime I lived in an apartment building where dogs
were allowed. I lived for two years next to a woman who had
a 110 pound dog and I hardly ever heard apeep out of him!
Except the usual dog noises, the occasional howl at the
doorbell, whining when he was lonely. But he never woke me
up, disturbed my sleep, disrupted my dinner- in fact, until
I saw him I had no idea there was a dog there! But my
current landlord won't allow pets because they are noisy,
cause trouble, make messes. Go figure.