My 10 year old nails a freeper ... again.

[11 Bravo]

My youngest is a car fan, but he has also clearly overhead conversations between my wife and I regarding drivers of certain gas-guzzlers. The family joke is that anyone who drives a Hummer must be compensating for other short-comings. So, this afternoon I was taking the boys to the pool, and we stopped by the local 7-11 for Gatorade. In the parking lot sat a bright yellow, full-sized, H-1 Hummer. My little one headed straight for it (and you've got to admit, to a 10 year old car nut, that's a lot to see). At the same moment, the owner (whom I label a freeper because of his "Support our troops, vote Republican" bumper sticker) exited the store. Noticing my son's attention, he asked, "What do you think of that, young man?" My young one replied, "I think you must have a very small penis." I couldn't help myself, and laughed out loud, but what could have been an ugly moment was defused when the Miller Beer truck driver joined me, laughing his ass off. Hummer-man huffed and puffed, then hopped into his vehicle and split. This is the second time my little one has dropped the "small penis" bomb on a Hummer owner who had mistaken his interest for admiration. I should probably rein him in, but damn, the boy makes me laugh!

[greenbriar]

1. LOL>>>that is awesome

good job

[Nickster]

2. Oh my God, I would have been on the ground laughing at that. Good kid! n/t

[William Seger]

3. LMAO!

:rofl: Too bad you didn't get that on video.

[lildreamer316]

4. OMFG!!!

You just made my day with that one. Oh; my ribs hurt......:rofl:

[BOSSHOG]

5. I drive an S-10

My oh so American "Christian" neighbor drives a full size king cab truck "for no apparent reason." He doesn't use it as a truck. He doesn't haul anything in it. He's just so damn big when he's behind the wheel. I chuckle everytime I see him driving down the highway, burning up a helluva lot more gas then me. Gas mileage does matter.

[Warpy]

14. I had to fill up the econobox yesterday

and even running on fumes, it took only $16.60. I was next to some big black thing and when I came out, the pump was ticking over on $60.00.

I just smiled.

[lebkuchen]

19. Are Americans able to afford those prices?

US distances are greater than in Europe, so although gas prices are double in Europe, it doesn't require much driving to get to one's destination. Since Europeans live in their cities, unlike most Americans, the bicycle is a standard means of transport. Public transportation in and outside of European cities is far superior, negating the need to own a car at all.

Couple that with food prices, which are approximately double in the US what one would pay in Europe, especially in restaurants, and one has to wonder how the typical American is able to stay in the black.

[NMDemDist2]

20. we don't stay in the black

US savings amounts are the lowest ever and our credit card debt is the highest...

it's not a pretty sight

[lebkuchen]

31. Then why are Americans buying gas guzzlers?

The hummer gets about 10 mpg. Diesel in my current neighborhood is nearly $3.00/gal. With a 50 gallon tank, that's an expensive 500 mile trip, the ultimate "supersize me" in vehicles, whose cost alone must be exorbitant.

Is there a national disconnect/disorder between what the consumer buys and what the consumer can afford to own?

[NMDemDist2]

33. a disconnect? well yeah a big one

and don't ask me why they buy them :shrug:

they are expensive, hard to park, have a horrible ride and are noisy as hell

[11 Bravo]

34. Most of us aren't.

A few advocates of conspicuous consumption like to flaunt their ignorance, but they are in no way reflective of most Americans.

[lebkuchen]

43. Vehicles in the US are HUGE compared to Europe's

The giant 4 X 4s, SUVs and so forth..., there is really no comparison. Europeans don't drive this:



I haven't seen one Smart Car or Mini Cooper, cars which are not unusual in western Europe.

Unfortunately, VW (Audi), Mercedes and BMW also have their SUV models, but they aren't as big as their cousins here in the US--yet.

The standard of living, the cradle to grave social system, and the higher savings rate allows Europeans to buy gas guzzlers (though typically using the cheaper diesel fuel) despite higher fuel costs. I had thought that perhaps those in the US driving the guzzlers could afford their car/costs as well, but from remarks made here, US consumers appear to be financially strapped.

Maybe they figure, if Arnie can own 8 hummers, they are entitled to one. Also, a hummer allows the owner to play army without having to deploy.

[Mynameissalvatore]

87. Europeans don't buy gas guzzlers

Their cars are far more efficient than our cars. In Italy in particular. Just a few years ago they changed the gas to make it even more efficient so the govt. had to buy back all of the older cars unless people changed the engines to be able to use the new gas which would have been very expensive. 2 years ago I was there and rented a 6-cylinder Passat and got almost 50mpg. Not even a hybrid.
So where you get the gas guzzler idea I have no idea.
Not only that but most cars are tiny so they can navigate the tiny and narrow streets. I have been to Europe 12 times and have seen a pick-up truck exactly one time. That was in Romania in a very rural area where I am sure the owner needed it.

[lebkuchen]

94. A Smart Car was in The DaVinci Code

That was a change of pace from the usual car chases seen in US movies. :)

Those on military bases typically buy the behemoths found in the US. Their vehicles tower over those seen in Europe.

I saw a new large SUV in the Audi showroom a couple of months ago and asked the dealer if Germans were buying them. He said it was a new model, and that time would tell, but other European car companies are making them, they're selling, and VW wanted to keep up.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

89. Not even a Mini Cooper?

I see tons of Coopers in NJ. One of my friends has a Cooper and a big SUV. He only uses the SUV when he has to haul a bunch of stuff, which is common during football season. He's an amazing tailgater.

[lebkuchen]

95. Nope. Some Hummers, though

My parents' neighbor has a Mini Cooper that draws a crowd of spectators in every parking lot to which it's driven.

I have seen very few foreign cars in PA/WV so far.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

102. I don't like PA and WV is downright scary.

I'll stay here in NJ. I still find it amusing that I know a couple that has a hummer and a hybrid. I always tell them that combined, it's like they each drive a regular car.

One of the scariest places I've ever been is a flea market in rural, western PA...and as a NJ native, I've done the obligatory lost in Newark/Irvington a few times.

[lebkuchen]

105. WV has some beautiful hills/mountains

(at least those not leveled by the coal industry), and the main HWY through the state is in great shape, especially compared to anything I saw in MA, but no matter where one is in WV, you're still 3 hours away from Some Place, no matter in which cardinal direction driven.

The need to drive long distances and the dependency on the auto to get you there must be very expensive for WV drivers, in their domestic "bigrigs."

Jessica Lynch is from WV. I can understand how WV would provide quite a few military recruits. PA, too. There was a WV town south of me with a banner welcoming back SGT so and so from Iraq. The town itself looked poor, not a lot to come back to, but then, Baghdad is the worst city in the world, making a bordered up Main Street, USA look like Oz in comparison.

Pittsburgh was the emptiest city I'd ever been to. Even the airport, as beautiful as it is, is devoid of people. Where is everybody? In the "burbs," I suppose, driving to the malls?

[YOY]

90. My little neighborhood in Arlington, VA has 5 Minis on one block

There are also 2 Priuses and a few other hybrids as well as several other smaller efficient vehicles.

Trust me, there are indeed many Minis in the states.

[lebkuchen]

96. Maybe

the higher the income level the greater proportion of cars that make more sense for the times?

[YOY]

120. Or perhaps it just makes more sense to have such a vehicle when living

in an urban area. Frankly, it makes perfect sense to me.

Then again, we do have one neighbor with a big honkin' SUV and no real reason to own one...

[NJCher]

114. bumper sticker

Also, a hummer allows the owner to play army without having to deploy.

Which reminds me of my favorite bumper sticker:

Real soldiers are dying in Hummers so you can play soldier in yours.




Cher

[lebkuchen]

118. I have not seen that bumper sticker yet

but my camera will be ready when I do!

It's surreal what is going on in the US these days, the wastefulness and deterioration while fighting wars on two fronts.

[xxqqqzme]

54. My son just returned from a trip to Italy.

(and the obligatory visit 2 Amsterdam) His 2nd European jaunt. Again, he returns raving about the trains to get around and the ease of moving w/i a city. He said even if he could, he wouldn't dream of driving in Rome....loved the hiking trails he could take at rail stations. After listening 2 him, I'm surprised he came home.

[lebkuchen]

60. I'm so glad your son had a great time.

Although the exchange rate isn't great for Americans, when considering the price of food/drink in Europe, which is cheaper and of higher quality with great atmosphere to boot, as well as the low cost/ease of transportation, with deals abounding (Ryan Air, for example), Europe continues to be a great bargain, and loads of fun. I'm glad your son had some. :)

I've noticed, though, an increased need to double-check the bar/food bills lately and have had to request corrections on a few occasions, especially in touristed areas or places where the proprietors don't know me or where the military "hang."

For anyone traveling to Europe this summer, don't be afraid to scrutinize the bill, and do it every time, especially if the server appears to be especially hurried and impatient. If you miss the correction after having already paid, call it to their attention and request reimbursement.

[Virginian]

72. My biggest problem with that was in Paris.

My one and only trip to Europe was in the late 1970s. I was fascinated by the money, so I was always trying to figure out what would be the correct change, etc.
I was shortchanged 10 francs frequently at the normal tourist places for postcards and what ever.
We went to exchange our travellers cheques at a bank and were shortchanged at the bank!
We made a deposit to reserve a table on the dinner cruise boat "Batteau Mouches" and the deposit was added to the total owed rather than subtracted from it.

Count your change. Figure out what your bill should really be.

[lebkuchen]

93. Big tourist areas are a given for being scammed/short changed

My German city, which draws some tourists, not a lot, had not been a problem for money short-changing, so we became comfortable with not scrutinizing the bill. It's only been in the last few months that we realized, due to service people's odd behavior, that we needed to take a second look and found a drink here or there added to the bill. Mistakes can happen, but it's been happening to us more and more within our own city limits, though not in places where the proprietors know us. I don't know if it's related to anti-Americanism or what. Our German is only passable, so they know we're not locals.

Euro bills and coins look similar, so it's easy to get cheated.

[TheFarseer]

79. Yes

people want and convince themselves they deserve what their neighbor/brother/dad/friend has. It's like an arms race of who can have the most expensive useless junk. People in the United States are just not practical in alot of ways and it shows in their shopping habits. I think most of us don't understand finances or taxes or the concept of a budget. People have to have what they want and they will put it on a credit card if they have to. Any dipstick can get credit - especially if they can't pay.

Myself, I don't have alot of cool stuff, but I don't have a cent of debt either.

[lebkuchen]

97. A recent article was reporting about retirement

that about a third of US baby boomers would have to work for the rest of their lives--there will be no "retirement." A third will be able to retire because they've saved and prepared. The other third will have to work part time.

That's unheard of in western Europe. In Denmark alone, the country with the highest taxes in the world, most people own their houses, cars and even a boat!

[Auntie Bush]

83. "Why are Americans buying gas guzzlers"? Because they are

stupid! The proof is they voted for bush. What can be stupider than that?

[lebkuchen]

99. Reagan preached the concept of self-entitlement

and the GOP has pushed it ever since. It's the responsibility of political leaders to educate. What the GOP has done instead is equivalent to giving alcohol to a drunk.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/briefings/20010507.html

May 2001

Q Is one of the problems with this, and the entire energy field, American lifestyles? Does the President believe that, given the amount of energy Americans consume per capita, how much it exceeds any other citizen in any other country in the world, does the President believe we need to correct our lifestyles to address the energy problem?

MR. FLEISCHER: That's a big no. The President believes that it's an American way of life, and that it should be the goal of policy makers to protect the American way of life. The American way of life is a blessed one. And we have a bounty of resources in this country. What we need to do is make certain that we're able to get those resources in an efficient way, in a way that also emphasizes protecting the environment and conservation, into the hands of consumers so they can make the choices that they want to make as they live their lives day to day.

Q So Americans should go on consuming as much more energy than any other citizens in any other countries of the world, as long as they want?

MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, the President believes that the American people are very wise and that, given the right incentives, they will know how and they will make their own right determinations about how much they can conserve, just as the President announced last week that the federal government, as part of its consumership in California will reduce energy needs -- for example, the Department of Defense facilities in California, by 10 percent. He believes the American people, too, will make the right decisions about conservation and the program he will announce shortly will also include a series of conservation items.

But the President also believes that the American people's use of energy is a reflection of the strength of our economy, of the way of life that the American people have come to enjoy. And he wants to make certain that a national energy policy is comprehensive, that includes conservation, includes a way of allowing the American people to continue to enjoy the way of life that has made the United States such a leading nation in the world.

[leesa]

110. Because Americans do whatever the teevee tells them to do. If the

advertisers tell them they want gas guzzlers, then all of a sudden they will die to have them.

[lebkuchen]

112. US TV makes me nauseous, literally

while in the gym. Corporate propaganda is just another example of how American society is not set up for the betterment of that society as a whole--it doesn't educate--but rather for the enrichment of the few at the expense of the health and welfare of the population and its environment.

That a third of US seniors will have to work forever and be dependent on the kindness of billionaire philanthropists isn't democracy. It's feudalism.

[Warpy]

23. The typical American is not in the black

and is carrying a staggering amount of debt from various sources: home mortgage, student loans, credit cards. More and more, we're seeing people charge up those credit cards to pay for necessities like gasoline, food and medical care.

Our system has been unsustainable for some time. All we need now is a tightening of credit to make it all come tumbling down.

This country has always been reactive rather than proactive. For things to change, we must have a disaster to provoke that change. We're about to get just that.

[lebkuchen]

40. I can see it on the east coast

MA/PA/WV so far...ramshackle neighborhoods, downtown areas in particular, poor road conditions, a general grimy gritty feel to communities, homelessness obvious, and yet huge expensive, gas-hungry vehicles making right turns on reds, forcing the few walkers and fewer bicycles in defensive mode. I don't get it.

Food prices are so high here as well, which I suppose explains the reliance on fatty fast foods. As an example in price comparing between Germany and WV for items I eat/drink:

Falafel-- Germany, 2.50 euro ($3.00), US, $4.75 plus tax

Bruscetta-- Germany, 3 euro ($3.60), US, $6.50 plus tax/service

wine-- Germany, 3 euro for 1/4 (.25) liter of quality wine, US, $7.50 for .2 liter quality wine, $5.00 out of the jug, plus tax/service

W/the high food prices, I can understand why fast food is ubiquitous in the US, a literal fast-food ghetto.

It feels like I'm witnessing the fall within of the US, just as leaders of the former USSR had said would happen.

[Freedom_Aflaim]

64. Right turn on Reds?

How does that equate to the Fall of the US?

Right turn on red is legal everywhere except NYC

Besides, its better for theose gas hogs to get moving and to their destination than sitting their idling.

[lebkuchen]

69. Right on red is not legal in Europe because it's too dangerous for

pedestrians/bicyclists and on-coming cars approaching around blind narrow curves. In the US, cars always seem to have the right of way when up against the lowly walker/biker. Whether the light is red or green--the auto is king, pedestrians/bicyclists are objects of contempt, unlike in Europe.

In a world of melting ice caps, shouldn't walkers/bicyclists be treated with less disdain?

Also, Jacuzzis in the US are much too hot, and the ACs in restaurants/stores are much too cold. I have to drag along a sweatshirt in 85 degree weather if I'm headed to a restaurant in the U.S. Europeans typically don't have AC. They eat outside under umbrellas. Their Jacuzzis are just warm enough to stay in for hours for a great massage.

In addition, when Europeans "cruise Main Street," it's on foot, not in a gas-guzzling "look what I've got" behemoth. E. Carson St. in South Side Pittsburgh is but one glaring example, a spectacle reminiscent of the days when the former USSR paraded its missiles and other armament for the world to ogle at.

The US lives life in the fast, extreme lane and enjoys being there, at everyone else's expense-- mostly the driver's own, and the planet's, of course.

[tblue37]

70. At age 18 my son was hit while he was walking his bike

across a crosswalk--by a driver turning right on a red light. The driver looked to his left for oncoming cars, but not to his right for bikers or pedestrians in the crosswalk, and he didn't see my son and his bike.

[tblue37]

71. Oh, and one other thing:

It is the most common thing in the world here to see cars stopped in the crosswalk on a red light. I have often had to walk out into traffic to get across the street at a crosswalk because the car pulled right into the crosswalk before stopping rather than stopping short of it.

[lebkuchen]

101. I hope your son is okay

I can see where such an accident would happen frequently in the US. I have been very nervous about crossing the streets here,and if I had kids, I'd be doubly concerned knowing they had to compete with the behemoths even when in the crosswalks. Cars are not waiting, even when they see me at the end of the crosswalk, obviously wishing to cross. In Europe they wait or are heavily fined.

The auto can be king on the freeway. On the streets, the pedestrian/bicyclists should rule. Those moving about under their own power are not only not polluting, but are also exercising and are less likely to be a burden on the American health care system later in life, unlike those who drive a 4 x 4. Therefore, those who are the lesser of society's burden should be granted the courtesy of right of way.

In cities/towns, the speed limit in Europe is 30 kph (18 mph), and it is strictly enforced. In the US, cars are going 45 or 50 in town. In Germany I was sent a speeding ticket (hidden camera), clocked going 33 kph in my neighborhood and had to pay 30 euro. I learned quickly not to go faster than 30 kph.

With so many Europeans walking/biking, especially retirees who live on a fixed income, it's common sense that the driver's pace be slowed drastically in towns/cities.

[tblue37]

109. He's fine.

This happened almost 10 years ago.

Here is another story about him, though. He used to bike everywhere as a teen and also when he was young adult in college. He was hit 4 different times by cars--and every time he had the right of way. I have had close calls on bikes myself—this is NOT a bike friendly town!—so I begged him to always ride on the sidewalk, even though that is actually illegal here. But he was even hit once on the sidewalk!

He was riding on the sidewalk a few blocks from here on his way to work when a retired professor peeled out of the parking lot at his (the prof's) apartment complex without looking and hit him. My son went up over the roof of the car, smashed the guy’s windshield, and was hurt himself, though not terribly seriously, thank goodness.

His bike was totaled. (It was a long time before we could afford to replace it, too.)

Well, the cops blamed my son for the accident, because he was riding on the sidewalk, which is illegal! I said that 8-year-old kids ride bikes on sidewalks. That jerk pulling out so fast without even looking could have killed someone’s little kid! Besides, he would have hit him even if he had been in the street, because he pulled out too fast without even looking.

But at the time my son was 1 7-year-old kid with a Mohawk, and the driver was a doddering old retired professor, so of course they blamed my son, and we couldn’t even get money from the old fart to replace the bike.

I got even, though. The old jerk gave a false story to his insurance company. They contacted me about how the accident happened, and I told them the truth. I am sure it raised his premiums significantly.

Another time a guy ran a red light and hit him, destroying his $400 bike and his new leather jacket.

I don’t even remember how the fourth one happened, but I do remember that it was also a matter of a car violating the rules of the road.

Each time my son was bruised up, bleeding, and in pain. But fortunately there were no serious injuries.

But he gave up biking and just walked everywhere until he was finally able to buy a car at age 23 (3 years ago).

I also was sideswiped once while on the sidewalk—back when I was 3 months pregnant with my second child. I was out jogging, and I was jogging in place on the corner waiting for a car to pass. At the time I was just 30 and very good looking. A car was coming down a residential cul de sac at about 10-15 miles per hour, driven by a high-school aged boy. He and his friend were looking at me instead of at the road, and they accidentally came up over the curb onto the corner where I was jogging in place. The impact spun me around and dumped me into the street. Hitting the street actually hurt me more than the car’s impact did. The boys fled, and another person stopped to help me up and out of the street. By the time I got to the emergency room I was in shock, with blood pressure 70/58. Remember, I was 3 months pregnant at the time, too.

It is incredible that we have designed a society so completely antagonistic to walking, biking, or even standing on sidewalks. You don’t dare let kids out to play any more, because they will get run over, so they watch TV, play video games, and get fat and flabby—unless you have a car to drive them to organized sports practices, dance or gymnastic lessons, etc.

My kids stayed thin because I took them to parks and ran them at the track and because they were involved in sports and martial arts. But most parents just give up and let the TV entertain the kids, since they can’t let them go out and ride bikes or play in the yard.

[lebkuchen]

113. A good book--"Miles from Nowhere"

is about a couple who took two years to ride around the world, starting on the west coast, in the early 80's, I think.

The couple wrote that Florida was one of the worst states for bicycle riders, in their experience. Drivers actually TRIED to run them off the roads with their big pickup trucks (which have gotten even bigger in the last 20 years). For some reason, bicycle touring was seen, at the time, as threatening and hostile to the American Way. Sometimes I wonder if that attitude isn't still with us.

Just as the book was about to be published, its writer, Barbara Savage, was killed when hit by a vehicle while riding her bike in CA. Ironically, the book itself started out with the couple immersed in some harrowing episode of their trip, perhaps in Egypt, where the writer actually said she thought she was going to die--of fright, food poisoning, traffic jams, I don't recall.

A lot of US cities have tried to adapt to the pedestrian/bicycle in the last two decades. WV has a "rail trail" through the state, in which an old railroad line was repaved to provide for walkers and bicyclists. That's an innovative step in the right direction.

[baldguy]

104. In suburban & rural America, public transportation is non-existent.

Even if you are poor, you need a car.

[lebkuchen]

106. In much of Europe you can be retired, living in a remote village

and still be able to get a train or bus to where one needs to go in a reasonable amount of time, and with good quality transportation provided.

I could not retire in the US because of high costs and lack of public services-- 1) rent 2) food 3) heating/fuel 4) medical 5) public transportation.

In the US I would have to own my home and live in a city w/moderate climate and a great rail/bus system just to get by.

On this trip, I've come to realize, based on the above realities, Europe will always be my home.

As a coda, European news doesn't begin w/who shot whom. The relative safety Europe provides is another plus.

[tblue37]

108. True.

I finally just got a car a month ago. I have been on foot for many years.

I am almost 56 and I often must use a cane (arthritis, plantar fasciitis). But everything is so far away. My doctor's office is 15 minutes away by car, and public transportation here, which is only 5 years old anyway, runs on a 1 1/2 hour schedule. With transfers and waits, you must take 2 to 4 hours to go anywhere. But the bus doesn't even go out to where my doctor is located. I have always had to beg rides from friends for a monthly visit I have to make for a shot.

And to get many tests (like mammograms, colonoscopies, etc.), you have to go to many different (and distant) parts of the city. I haven't been able to get to my mammogram appointments for 3 years! When I had a small stroke 2 years ago, a friend drove in from Overland Park (40 minutes away) to take me to the emergency room, because I can't afford an ambulance! (Cabs here cost $10 each way, no matter how short the run. I have never been able to afford that.)

Despite the limited bus service here, and the fact that many, many people must use it for work and other essentials, there are buttheads complaining about wasting taxpayer dollars on it. They can't understand that the taxes of people without cars are subsidizing their cars, their gas, their highways.

[lebkuchen]

111. Consider

sending your comments to your representatives/senators, and put the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the CC. Better yet, phone. It is unconscionable that you do not have affordable transportation options providing you access to medical care!

Twenty-five years ago the US was not set up in any way for those w/physical handicaps. Even in a liberal city like San Francisco, people in wheelchairs were forced to protest in front of city buses at 5:00 p.m., chained together, to make their point that the buses needed to be wheelchair-accessible. Commuters were angry at being inconvenienced after a "hard day" at work, which only proved the protesters' point--"How do you think WE feel?"

The US has become much more accommodating since then, w/bathrooms, ramps, parking areas, and so forth, but there is still so much more that must be done. Society is going to have to play catchup to babyboomers' needs, transportation being an urgent, obvious necessity.

[Initech]

6. Ha ha ha... that kid's got balls!

I bet if I told a Hummer owner that I'd probably get my ass kicked! :rofl:

[Buck Laser]

9. I guess that's why wisdom comes from the mouths of babes...

[jayfish]

7. That's Rude, Obnoxious...

and I love it. Nice improv.:applause:

Jay

[skylarmae]

8. love it, love it, love it....n/t

[deaniac21]

10. Funny! That kid is going to make it in life!

[davidinalameda]

11. you raised a great kid!

:rofl:

[paparush]

12. My son calls them DUMMERS!

[niyad]

29. I LOVE IT--that is how I shall refer to them from now on!!! your son

deserves a special treat as well!!

[iamjoy]

13. Good For The Kid - And You

good for the kid for being sharp and witty.

Good for you for talking openly and honestly around him.

Sounds like you're raising a fine, young man.

[Rosie1223]

15. Bravo

to Bravo Jr.!!

[ComerPerro]

16. oh my God, this is hilarious

[malaise]

17. LOL

:rofl: :rofl:

[tinfoil tiaras]

18. LOL-go him!

I don't see very many hummers down here-the biggest cars i see are Yukons and Yukon XLs and an occasional suburban.

Are they really that desperate for slogans. I mean "Support the troops-vote Republican"? Thats lame. W the president is better than that....seriously...?!!?!!?!

[catmandu57]

21. Buy your son a treat

and tell him it's from DU, such behavior needs to be reinforced.

[11 Bravo]

28. We upgraded from Gatorade to Slurpees.

We're not big on pure sugar water, but sometimes a dad's gotta do what a dad's gotta do.

[motocicleta]

22. I should have known not to read this in class.

Now everybody is wondering why I just snorted very loudly. Corporate Finance just isn't that funny.

[Dude_CalmDown]

24. I didn't think this would ever happen but I finally want to have kids.

I'm proud of your son for you. Wow. What a kid. So all you have to do is give them a little guidance and they'll throw out gems like that? I swear I would have gotten that Miller Truck driver's contact info just for when someone needs validation of that story because it's one I'd be telling all the time for a long long time.

[KingFlorez]

25. LMAO! I would have been rolling

I cannot believe he said that! I guess kids really do say the darndest things!

[Minnesota Libra]

26. OMFG, that is absolutely hilarious, I love it..........

.....only a kid could think to come up with something like that. :rofl: :applause: :yourock: :rofl: :applause: :yourock: :rofl: :applause: :yourock: :rofl: :applause: :yourock: :rofl: :applause: :yourock: :rofl: :applause: :yourock:

[niyad]

27. please tell your son that he has made this DU'er's day--like so many

others, I have laughed til my ribs hurt. You are rearing a very bright young man--now go buy him an ice cream on us!!!

my favourite activity when I see these monstrosities (or a fad a few years ago in florida for REALLLY jacked-up suspensions on trucks, etc) was to stick a note on the vehicle saying, "Yes, your dick really IS as small as you fear it is," as I view all such vehicles as nothing more than phallic extensions.

[Chalco]

30. Ahhhhh, life is good again. nt

[porphyrian]

32. Oh...I, uh...I thought you meant something else...

That's really fucking funny, though, and I offer my congratulations either way.

[Vidar]

35. Good for your boy.

[stop the bleeding]

36. made my day n/t :)

[Catherine Vincent]

37. That is so funny!

But your son better be careful. I wouldn't be surprised some of these idiots he confronts would want to harm him for saying that to them.

What did the owner do? Sit red faced in his big ole hummer? :)

[otohara]

38. Your Son Has Very Big Cajones

since he has the ability to chase off the big freeper man in his hummer.

[aikoaiko]

39. Someday that kind of behavior will get his ass kicked. nt.

Better teach him how to defend himself too.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

41. Not likely.

Freepers are cowards at heart.

[11 Bravo]

42. He's 10, right now I've got his back, particularly versus an adult.

But he's been studying Tae Kwan Do since he was 5. He doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body, but he is progressing nicely in terms of his self-defense skills.

[calimary]

47. Excellent! Not only for your boy's quick-thinking response, but his

study of the martial arts. My son has done the same thing, and got his black belt several years ago. It's helped him TREMENDOUSLY on the playground when bullies tried to pick fights with him - mainly because of the non-aggression and conflict avoidance techniques all the kids are taught, in with the karate lessons, at the karate school we frequent. My kid started at age 4 and is still at it to some extent, give-or-take homework and school and girls and stuff (he's 14 now). Just understand that this part of it is coming. Your boy will very likely be confronted by some young freeper-type or other asshole derivative, and he may be able to diffuse a bad situation with what he knows. My kid was picked on, and in fact, tormented because he'd consistently refuse to fight, and called some awful names. It's good that you've got his back, because you may have to step in with the principal about it - there are kids who will make it their mission to get yours into trouble. I finally had to rat out - in writing - three of the bullies involved against my son not only to the principal and the vice-principal and the 8th grade teacher, but also to my attorney AND to the Los Angeles Archdiocese (this was in a Catholic school). My boy isn't aggressive, either, and in fact has quite a record by now as a peace-nik, having participated in several anti-war rallies with his older sister and me.

ALSO: If you go THAT far, and he joins you at some such anti-war thing, be sure to document that in some way. Start building a file, of sorts, on it. He may need it later on to prove his claim of conscientious objector status if there's ever a draft. Evidently you can't just go in there and say you're against the war anymore and ask for CO status. You have to offer some proof that you deserve it. I not only had mine documented, I had it notarized. And believe me, his school got a copy of all that for its own files when I wrote up this bullying incident to protect him, so it's not only documented and notarized, but numerous "official" types have been copied in on it so it's on the record in SEVERAL places.

Anyway, just be aware that it may happen, as it finally did with my son, that he finally gives up and throws a punch. His studies of the martial arts will mean he'll be able to throw a good one, efficient and targeted, and with enough authority and intention that it will discourage any others from trying to get a piece of him, too. They'll see he means business, knows what he's doing, and that they'll mess with him at their own peril. Because I daresay there won't be any other karate students being bullies, if their dojos teach them the way ours teaches our kids (advantage there, too: the other kids won't know what they're doing). And I'll tell ya, EVERY dad in his class will understand and support it. Besides, if he gets called into the principal's office for it, you present your documentation and he's protected. There may even be some penalty for him to pay as a result, but A) it won't be as severe when the school learns the circumstances surrounding it - DON'T be afraid to name names - and B) the bad guys will get nailed just as badly, if not worse.

Just a few observations from one who's just been there.

Oh yes, and one more thing - WE, TOO, discuss those same things whenever we see some fast car or big-ass Humvee or SUV - "hmmmm... somebody must be OVERCOMPENSATING..." :evilgrin: Fair to say your son and mine won't be among them when they reach driving age.

[11 Bravo]

51. Thanks for the advice, calimary.

He is such a sweet kid that I don't really sweat him ever being an aggressor, but just in case, I will follow some of the steps you outlined.

[calimary]

59. Yeah, it's a good idea. My boy is also a sweet kid. And he suffered

all through eighth grade because of the tormenting and taunting of a couple of other kids (and a couple MORE other kids who wanted to climb on the bandwagon), trying to pick fights with him. They called him gay, pussy, fag, and said he had no balls because he wouldn't fight. Fortunately, we had already deeply ingrained in him the idea that people who have to bully others usually are VERY messed up inside, they're NOT strong, they're NOT hip, they're NOT cool, and they're NOT ballsy. Which, I think, kept him from getting into a playground fight until the last couple of weeks of school (again, after an ENTIRE YEAR of this shit). As is, he was terribly ashamed and kept it all pent-up inside for months, and it took me an entire day to pull out of him what had gone on. That particular day he had been sent home from a traditional 8th grade festivity - Beach Day - because he had misplaced the "standards" (write 500 times "I shall not... blah-blah-blah") after the coach caught him and another boy fighting.

Background: this was the second fight. The first one, a couple of days earlier, he and the other boy stopped, but the taunting of the two of them continued - for two more days, until they just got frustrated and gave in, and the coach caught 'em and gave them standards. My kid lost his and lost out on Beach Day. And all the school knew was that he'd been caught in a fist-fight and so he was the bad guy. UNTIL I stepped in with all this background documentation about the ongoing taunting and provocation - mainly from one "tough-guy" kid who transferred in, mid-year, in 7th grade - a red flag, I'm told. This kid had personally tormented mine since last October. My kid told me a few days later that he and this kid had "worked it out," so I decided, along with the 8th grade teacher, not to pursue it and to accept my son's verdict. And I wrote it ALL up and gave a copy to the teacher just for her information and my son's protection. Evidently, though, they HADN'T worked it out, after all, and the other boy kept coming after my kid. It was the WORST academic year EVER for my son. TERRIBLE. His school work suffered as he tried to soldier on. We FINALLY got to the bottom of it, as I said, a couple of weeks before graduation! But I'll tell ya, when I went back to school that day after hand-delivering all those copies of my complaint that went everywhere INCLUDING the Archdiocese - MAN it got their attention in the school's front office!!! - they were not only all ears but falling all over themselves to understand it from my son's point of view and mine, and promised me with great earnestness to get to the bottom of it (which they indeed did). And it was EXTREMELY helpful to have issued that documentation beforehand, because the 8th grade teacher sat in at that meeting (with the principal and the vice principal) and was able to confirm everything I'd said about how this all began the previous October.

You should just be really aware of this for your boy's sake. Because it wasn't just the one bully kid. It was also one of the honor students AND the student body president (also an honor student) who participated in the taunting, and the previously-untouchable and "perfect" student body president wound up getting the scare of his life, maybe his first-ever trip to the principal's office, and the parents were contacted and a HUGE stink was made about it. At the graduation dinner there were parents coming up to me all the while we were there, wondering what had happened. It probably ruined several families' nice time, but that wouldn't have been necessary if THEY HAD POLICED THEIR OWN KIDS BETTER, SO THEY WOULD NOT BE BULLIES.

Yes. I ratted them out, by name, to the Archdiocese. I'd just HAD IT. And indeed, if I EVER hear that the bully-kid (who, THANK GOD, is headed to a different high school this fall than my kid's attending) is up to no good again, I will simply refer all interested parties to the principal of the elementary school from which he just came, AND the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (especially considering that particular entity does NOT need any further bad publicity!), both of whose offices have that material on file. As does my attorney.

The ONLY way to take down a bully is to hit back, AND HIT BACK HARD. Works just as well with intolerant, mean-spirited brothers-in-law AND unruly asshole republi-CON bullies, too.

[nolabels]

88. I disagree with ONLY way to take down a bully is to hit back

Many years ago I had a lot of friends in school that were bullies, I fought a few of them, some kicked my butt, but only some. Mostly what seemed to be found of my bully Friends is them proverbial broken and dysfunctional families. Then you have the ones that age to the point of being fully grown children(some would call them adults), they are the ones you find on the street and in prison or voting republican. If you really get to know them bullies you will mostly just find confused and scared little humans.

I would say the big problem is of not being able to play along and taking everything too seriously

[calimary]

117. Well, my kid tried to play along and not let it get to him, all year.

That strategy didn't work. Neither did mine - when I decided to play along and keep my claws retracted and my powder dry. I ONLY got decisive action when I made a HUGE stink about it. I tried taking the high road and being reasonable first. It did no good, produced no positive results, effected no positive change, nor did it adjust or change the bad behavior of the bully/bullies.

I TRIED that. I went there first, seeking a truce, holding back, not rattling cages, not making a big issue of it, trying to keep things in perspective, trying not to take it too seriously or blow anything out of proportion. I gave it time. I tried handling it quietly, "just between us," at the lowest levels, not bringing the principal or vice principal into it, and not amping it up. So did my kid - in trying to reach peace with the main bully. I gave it from early November to early June. I TRIED the "aw, they're just letting off steam. It'll blow over" approach. So did my son, in repeatedly trying to diffuse a bad situation and solve the problem peacefully, like gentlemen. It didn't work, didn't help, didn't solve anything, didn't correct anything. THAT approach got us as far as John Kerry's did with the Swift Boat Swifties. Frankly, what I learned from this was NOT to waste as much time trying playing along, the next time. If I had it to do over again, I would have ripped the gloves off a LOT sooner, like back in November instead of waiting til the end of the year, while my kid was suffering every day, fighting depression, hating and dreading going to school EVERY MORNING, feeling isolated, alone, with no friends and no support, trying to make it work and repeatedly failing.

A bully can't always be counted on to behave as an adult (or as a reasonable human of whatever age), to see the light, and reform, on his/her own. I've learned through experience (beyond just this incident) that sometimes a bully has to be FORCED to behave, or face consequences. With too many of 'em, that's the only language they speak or understand, and if you're gonna get through to them and get anything accomplished, you have to speak to them in their language.

[nolabels]

119. Sorry, maybe I was being a little flippant

I was only relating my own personal experience from my school days. As for our son and daughter (step-children that I have help raise most of their life) they both had the same kind of problems with violence and kids ganging up on them. Our son did well till high school then got gang-banged a couple times because he was not of the correct ethnicity. We went and enrolled him in home schooling for one semester which he did not do that well in. So the following year we found a school a little farther that had a better racial equilibrium for him. He did much better especially after he met up with some big kid that would kind of cover his back a little. Our kid is no wimp but seven or eight is hard for just one to take on. Our son and his Friend Logan both still take classes together in college now

As for the daughter, she is a bully herself. Has a lot of the lot she is right and everybody else wrong stuff in her. She just finished her sophomore year of high school in home study. She tried two different high schools but got in too many fights with others to stay at them. I think girls fight much more dirty when they gang up or something. She tries very much to be he own individual and some who think they are going to be the boss just can't take that kind of attitude from others.

There are all kinds of people in the world, some that learn to get along with others and some that don't and some that are in between

[Matariki]

44. HA! Shades of Wondershozen !!!

[MediumBrownDog]

45. That is totally awesome.

I have a 2 year old who is talking up a storm and I can only imagine the types of things he will say. My husband and I have very spirited political discussions at the dinner table!

[Mountainman]

46. Personally I don't think it is funny at all. He is just repeating your

ability to negatively stereotype people. I would not teach my prejudices to my kids if I could help it.

[RobertSeattle]

48. It may be prejudice, but the stereo type seems to be almost ironclad

People who buy these are buying them to show off - they are rarely ever used for their intended off road purposes - I call them FUv's.

[niyad]

50. do you say the same thing to rw's who spout prejudicial nonsense?

[calimary]

58. That "overcompensation" issue is a lot more widespread than just

our original poster's family conversations.

A year ago, I was waiting at the local hair salon and picked up a copy of "Glamour" magazine. Sure enough, that VERY topic of conversation came up in a how-to advice column about picking a good guy to date. It was referred to as a word to the wise on how to spot and avoid guys with such issues. And every woman and fellow mom I know has made some reference to it, and not just because they got it from the first "Shrek" movie, either.

That said, I understand and respect your point. It is a reasonable one. However, when you're dealing with unreasonable people, especially such a manifestly intolerant, self-centered, willfully-ignorant jerk (selfishly drives a big-ass Hummer at a time when the WIDELY-ACCEPTED AND WIDELY-RECOGNIZED responsible, smart, cost-effective, and even patriotic thing to do would be to drive a more economical kind of car, compounded by the stupid-ass bumper sticker he added - LITERALLY adding insult to injury) I say all bets are off. Maybe people like the Hummer guy DESERVE a little negative stereotyping. AND anti-bully treatment, as administered by the boy in the original post. Bullies keep being that way until and unless they're confronted - IN KIND, and have to swallow a taste of their own medicine. This guy clearly presumed that intimidation is the best tactic. Therefore I think it was quite lovely that he was cut down to size by a ten-year-old boy. When people like that guy are NOT taught a lesson, are NOT checked in their bad behavior, and are NOT forced to face their own willful errors in judgment, they are allowed to carry on and produce for this country the sorry conditions under which we all now suffer - and under which AT LEAST 25-hundred of our soldiers' lives have been needlessly wasted. It's people like him who are the PROBLEM, not the solution, and they SHOULD get a smackdown every now and then. It's exquisitely well-deserved.

Again, I respect your point. Its overriding truth is extremely valid. But I'd guess this guy decided to get bigger and badder because he just figured he could, and nobody checked him on it until now. And for those people, in my view, your generous and compassionate considerations DO NOT APPLY. People like him, especially those like him who choose to be so in-yer-face with their selfish, crappy attitudes and behavior, forfeit ANY such kindness and sensitivity.

[lumberjack_jeff]

80. I agree

I would be mortified if one of my kids said something grossly inappropriate, rude and judgemental to a stranger - that I lacked the courage to say to that stranger myself.

I think it is rudeness by proxy. I see it as little better than the neo nazi singing twins.

Did you read the article which says that americans are becoming more immature with each generation? I wonder why.

[dysfunctional press]

91. i was thinking the same thing...

new bigots aren't born- they're shaped & molded by their parents.

[qanda]

98. I can't believe people think this is okay to do

My son is ten and if he said that to someone I wouldn't laugh I would wash his mouth out with soap. I do my best to let him know that even though we think and believe one way that there are others who disagree with us and that is their right. I'm sorry that so many DUers think this is acceptable behaviour.

[jackstraw45]

115. In the minority here, but also agree...

It's a shame that more people don't realize that a 10 year old should NOT be praised for being rude and inappropriate to a stranger no matter WHAT car or bumpersticker he/she has.

[intheflow]

49. OMG!

That's about the best thing I've read all year!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[ElboRuum]

52. Nice...

He said what the rest of us have been thinking. Priceless!

[smoogatz]

53. Buy that kid a new bike or something.

He's a keeper.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

55. LOL! OMG! too rich for words! K&R

[maxrandb]

56. Here's how I spot a Freeper everytime

They have a "Support our troops, vote Republican" bumper sticker, or a yellow ribbon on their car or truck, but if you look closely at the front window....YOU WON'T SEE A DOD STICKER

[11 Bravo]

57. Freepers are the reason I carry my DD-214 in my glove compartment.

You would be amazed at how quickly the American chickenhawk shuts the fuck up when confronted with one.

[trogdor]

67. I ought to do that.

I have one of those all-in-one printer/scanner/copiers that I can use to shrink mine to the size of a bubblegum card so it can be laminated and held in my wallet for just such an occasion.

Of course, I also have my retired ID card. That works too.

[Brigid]

75. I need to start doing that too.

That is a great idea. :evilgrin:

[a kennedy]

61. Yeah, I laughed out loud when I was reading this.......

:rofl:

[Freedom_Aflaim]

62. I've always thought the Penis line is pretty juvenile

I always find the SUV debate annoying because it breaks down very quickly to name calling ala little weiners, tree hugger blah blah vlah

But in this case the a Juvenile comment by a umm, juveile is pretty damn funny :rofl:

[Swamp Rat]

63. HAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[lectrobyte]

66. Nice job on Cheney behind the wheel.

[Swamp Rat]

68. It's about time someone noticed that!

:D :hi:

[proud patriot]

65. YEAH ! Go kid go

:rofl:

[Brigid]

73. This is a tough one . . .

How are you supposed to teach your kid proper decorum when he's making you -- and us -- laugh our butts off? :rofl:

[SeattleGirl]

74. ROFL! What a kid!!

:rofl:

[Dr Fate]

76. The brutal honesty of children can be a good thing- LOL! n/t

n/t

[LunaSea]

77. The new international hand sign

for oversized vehicles.....the thumb and forefinger, bout an inch apart.

[lonestarnot]

78. A wooooodamnedwhoo! to you little boy!

[shugh514]

81. Smackdown by a 10 year old

whatever that guy did have must of shriveled right up!

You're doing a great job with that kid.

[kineneb]

82. good show!

my friend, who claims her brain lacks an edit function, says this when she sees such a vehicle: "Gee, I'm sorry your dick fell off!"

You son is special. Give him a hug from all his friends at DU. :hug:

[Tab]

84. When my dad passed away

two years ago, a close friend of the family was unable to get plane tickets, and I guess he had no car of his own, but a friend of his had a Hummer and offered him the use of it.

He was driving up from somewhere in New York (to Vermont) and it cost him more in gas for the Hummer, at 8 mpg, than the plane ticket would have been (if he could have gotten one).

[InternalDialogue]

85. I'm late to the party, but...

:toast: :applause:

[Lithos]

86. Too classic!!

Thanks for sharing this, your son sounds very cool for his age.

:thumbsup:

[NMMNG]

92. Give your kid a high-five for me.

He rocks. :headbang:

[wicket]

100. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

OMG, I'm dying here!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[LynneSin]

103. Have you seen the Volkswagon commercial - I love it

Where everyone hangs out of their car with a megaphone saying the reason's why they bought a specific car like "Because I need more attention" and one "Because I'm compensating for a small ****" (they cut it off at the end)

That's what these oversized SUVs are for - ego stroking

[StaggerLee]

107. That's great

I think we may have a future Jon Stewart on our hands.

Keep up the good work!

:)

[Red Right and BLUE]

116. Perfect, and priceless.

That made my day.

I wouldn't worry too much about the stuffed shirts who say they'd wash their kids' mouth out with soap for saying 'penis' or stating the obvious to a neo-con moran. Go, kid, go! He performed a public service.