Re: [VIC] Fatality at Reservoir

[pcc@ocean.com.au (Brown Family)]

On Sun, 9 Apr 2000 23:11:52 +1000, "Daniel Bowen"
<dbowen@#DELETE#custard.net.au> wrote:

>As the parent of a 2 year old myself, I would actually put the blame on
>whoever was meant to be supervising the child at the time.
>
>Nobody should let a small child unaware of the dangers do something like
>cross a railway line on their own, no more than you'd send them across a
>street on their own.
>
>According to the Age this was at an authorised crossing: no amount of
>fencing would have helped. It pisses me off mightily that anyone would place
>their children in this kind of danger. Parents should know better.
>
Having been the parent of four 2 year olds, what you say, with due
respect, is crap, sir, since no two year old is the same as the next..

Have you ever heard of the "terrible twos"? No amount of discipline,
no amount of punishment on the right side of a child brutality
conviction will ever get it into a two year old's tiny brain, that
they must do what they are told.They do not understand the meaning of
shouldn't or let. All it takes is a moment's distraction of the parent
or some tantrum the child is indulging in at the time - and they're
gone! You can't blame the parent, because it could happen to anyone,
no matter how strict the parent is, and you can't blame the child,
because he's just a cute little two year old who knows no fear. Call
it fate, call it karma, call it predestination or just plain bad luck,
I'm,sorry, these things can and do happen, rail or road. There but for
the grace of the Almighty go I.

My feelings are with the train driver. The absolute look of terror and
horror on his face as he would have seen the chid disappear under the
train with maybe just the slightest of dull thuds. How will he ever
look at any two year old the same way again? Maybe he has a two year
old child or grand-child. How will he feel? How long will he last in
his job now? 

Blaming anyone doesn't help the driver who is the most innocent of all
in such matters. He didn't design or build the crossing or the train,
he didn't educate the child nor could he have told the parents to be
more alert in caring for their child. He didn't legislate any laws to
make it safer for everyone. He's just a innocent bloody train driver
doing his job for heaven's sake. Yet it will have been carved into his
soul the image of a two year old and relived the horror, over and over
again. He can forget about getting a peaceful night's sleep ever
again.

Be thankful Daniel, that your cute little two year old, probably a
girl, listens to everything you say. May your child, God willing, live
a long life.

Les Brown 
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to loose.