Teen Killed by Rollercoaster

[MBuzzy]

It may be harsh, but there is really no better word for it. Ignoring signs like that, no matter what age - is simply ignorance. Put whatever name on it you want, the signs are there for a reason. The FENCES are there for a reason. Yes, teenagers do stupid things....and sometimes they pay the consequences. We have all done stupid things, hopefully they weren't stupid enough to cause serious injury.

Even when I was a teenager, I fully understood the consequences of my actions. I was able to say "Ok, this is wrong, I know this is wrong, I might get in trouble......I'm going to do it anyway." and by doing that, I thereby accepted the consequences of my actions - it is unfortunate that this child had to learn it the hard way.

The thing is...kid or not, going in there was an obviously stupid fatal mistake. It isn't the park's fault, it probably isn't his parents' fault, it isn't his friend's fault.....I don't know how important blame is in this case, but honestly, there is no one other than the kid himself to blame.

It is horrible and it is sad and the family has my most sincere condolances - because it is true, it could happen to anyone - this is just an example of something that could have EASILY been prevented through simply forethought of consequences. I honestly don't buy that "teenagers can't think of consequences" and "Their brains don't work like that." I for one, give kids much more credit than that. They usually know what they are doing is wrong and do it anyway.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Lots of judgement and anger directed at a dead child.

if you've raised a teenage boy to legal drinking age without something awful or unfixable happening, congratulations and blessing to you. In honesty, some part of that good outcome was luck. Teen boys (and girls too) do impulsive, dangerous acts often and most of the time parents and family are the last to know. With strong and loving parenting, prayers, and lots of luck they come through alive and later tell us about "that time when I almost..."

Strongly agreed. It's a pathetic story that reminds me, as teacher and parent, how impulsive teens can be. I feel nothing but sadness for this boy's family, friends and community.

 

[exile]

Lots of judgement and anger directed at a dead child.

ædrasteia, consider the possibility that it's not really judgment or anger; it's frustration and fear—fear in people with children, or with friends and loved ones who have children—that the failure of these children to excercise basic self-preserving intelligence will lead to their deaths, or horrific injuries and incapacitation. Sure, we've all done stupid things, and we're all still here to a large extent because of luck—and because of that, and cases like this one, the fact that we live on the surface of a very fragile bubble is clear to us—and the people who are posting, I think are exasperated and frightened that to too many kids, such as this one, it isn't clear. That means they're in grave danger, until/unless they live long enough to learn what we learned. Whether or not it's a normal part of growing up to ignore clear warnings about dangerous situations, because we all think at that age and stage that we're immortal, the fact is that this kind of case makes clear just how easy it is for death to find someone who's a little too cocky and self-assured. What this kid embodies is the real danger that haunts all kids who haven't yet absorbed the fact that they can, indeed, die. People's reactions are saying, please, let this not be normal, or typical, or the default. They're thinking of their daughters, sons, neices...

I've got an 11 year old son and I think I know exactly what's going through their minds.

 

[MA-Caver]

Originally Posted by aedrasteia
Lots of judgement and anger directed at a dead child.

ædrasteia, consider the possibility that it's not really judgment or anger; it's frustration and fear—fear in people with children, or with friends and loved ones who have children—that the failure of these children to excercise basic self-preserving intelligence will lead to their deaths, or horrific injuries and incapacitation. Sure, we've all done stupid things, and we're all still here to a large extent because of luck—and because of that, and cases like this one, the fact that we live on the surface of a very fragile bubble is clear to us—and the people who are posting, I think are exasperated and frightened that to too many kids, such as this one, it isn't clear. That means they're in grave danger, until/unless they live long enough to learn what we learned. Whether or not it's a normal part of growing up to ignore clear warnings about dangerous situations, because we all think at that age and stage that we're immortal, the fact is that this kind of case makes clear just how easy it is for death to find someone who's a little too cocky and self-assured. What this kid embodies is the real danger that haunts all kids who haven't yet absorbed the fact that they can, indeed, die. People's reactions are saying, please, let this not be normal, or typical, or the default. They're thinking of their daughters, sons, nieces...

I've got an 11 year old son and I think I know exactly what's going through their minds.

Exactly, anger and judgment isn't specifically directed at the child... who really isn't a child but on the verge of becoming a young man. Though we've labeled him as stupid (and rightly so) I guess you can say we're angry at the stupidity. As Kacey said, it's a needless death. But stupid is as stupid does. It's like train dodging or doing skateboard tricks near a busy street. Seen one video where the kid just missed having his face re-arranged by a speeding bus by literally millimeters after sliding too far off a steep stair-railing and landing badly only to stop himself at the edge of the curb. There are safer places to do stuff like that. There are safer ways to do just about everything.
In the rollercoaster situation the kid could've simply just asked the park management to find his hat and return it to him. But he didn't, and it cost him.

 

[morph4me]

We've all done stupid things and managed to survive, that doesn't make what we did any less stupid. I believe exile is correct, it isn't anger, it's frustration and fear. I don't see too much judgement here, just people stating facts, he did a stupid thing and he suffered the consequences, unfortuinately he isn't the only one, his family and friends are also suffering. My heart goes out to his family and friends, and it's a tragedy that his life ended over a hat, but it doesn't change the facts, he died because of a stupid act that he is solely responsible for comittiing.

 

[jks9199]

Lots of judgement and anger directed at a dead child.

if you've raised a teenage boy to legal drinking age without something awful or unfixable happening, congratulations and blessing to you. In honesty, some part of that good outcome was luck. Teen boys (and girls too) do impulsive, dangerous acts often and most of the time parents and family are the last to know. With strong and loving parenting, prayers, and lots of luck they come through alive and later tell us about "that time when I almost...".

They are solid certain that they won't be the ones the 'danger' sign is intended for because they are faster or smarter or just taking a shortcut. They don't "think things through" because the part of the brain (frontal lobes) that does the work isn't working fully yet. Around their 20s it starts and slowly they understand. And then, if you are lucky again, sometimes you hear an apology - "I'm sorry about that time I frreaked you out when I ...." If you are really brave you ask "what _didn't _you tell me about?" and endure the answers. When I heard the apologies and the stories from a now-29 year-old, i was sure he'd reached grown-up-land. And he's living with his 19 year old step-brother now, so he's borrowing some of our adult 'motivational' behavior.

stupid is the wrong word I think. But just for a try, post here the honest truth about what stupid things you did, between 13 and 20, that could have gone very very wrong and didn't, by just a thread of luck. not because you 'deserve' to be in the gene pool.

some good people loved this boy and he seems to have been a good kid. it seems wrong and unecessary to add hard cruelty.

our friend's 17 year old daughter was killed when she tried to either look at or change a blown tire on the shoulder of a wet interstate at dusk. no cell phone coverage and fear of walking to a service station, apparently.

yep. her parents and church learned how many people thought she was 'stupid' too. don't know if comments like some posted here reached them but I wouldn't be surprised.

I hope all the 14 year olds make it.

The anger I feel is not directed at the stupid kid. I pity his family for the suffering his idiocy brought on.

The frustration and anger I felt was directly the result of the post (and attitude among some people throughout the world) that implied that he wasn't responsible for his own death. Quite simply, HE made 2 separate choices to jump fences rather than go around to the gate; whether he did this as a shortcut, to recover a hat, on a dare, or simply because he was 17 is immaterial. Yes, I was a 17 year old boy myself once; I did plenty of things for no better reason than "why not?" -- and I accepted the responsibility for the inevitable consequences of some of those decisions. I can't say whether this kid did or not -- because at this point he has NO CHOICE but to accept those consequences. Sadly, it's his family and friends who have to live with them.

Quite bluntly -- I've spent too many hours over the years dealing with people, of all ages, who don't accept that their choices do indeed have consequences, and they must simply accept them, not try to find someone else to blame. I'm tired of it. I'm fed up with the mindset that says "It's the park's fault for not using an unclimbable fence, with a chute lined with pillows and marshmallows (no peanut products, of course) that redirects and gently deposits anyone who does manage to climb said fence gently into a happy place." We quite simply don't live in a Nerf world; it's only in commercials we can bubblewrap the entire world. So, if someone is going to ignore fences and warning signs, and they get hurt or dead -- IT'S THEIR OWN DAMN FAULT.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I feel for his family, and for his friends. I really do. As the father of a -17- year old, and uncle to a 14 year old, and godfather for 2 17 year olds, I honestly do feel for them.

But he had choices, he had options, and some of them were pretty easy to see.
"My hat fell off and landed in that fenced off area over there, just past all the signs that say -Danger- and -Do Not Enter-. I wonder what I should do?"
If it was on a dare, I'm sorry he lacked the self esteme to tell his "friends" to **** off, it's just a hat.
If it was because of a feeling of invulnibility, I'm sorry that over powered things like common sense, and respect for property laws.

If he's "mature" enough to get a drivers licence, tackle SAT's, and all that, being able to understand that "DANGER" and 2 fences means he might get hurt bad, isn't too much to ask for.

As to me doing stupid things....yep. Lots. But at 17 I didn't think I was invulnerble, and tended to think things through before doing them. Might be why I never thought sword training with live blades, on roller skates was a smart thing to do, or setting bottle rockets off by hand, or playing chicken on the highway, or leaping off the garage onto a mattress, or jumping off a bridge into a shallow creek or any of a few dozen other things I see people do.

So, I'm sorry a kids dead, I'm sorry people hurt, but it's his fault, not mine, not yours, not Six Flags, not his school teachers, his.

 

[MBuzzy]

I just realized something....I'm not sure what the "final ruling" on the reason he was in there was....but if it was a lost hat....why was he wearing a hat on a rollercoaster?

 

[Touch Of Death]

Reading this made me realize that I was wrong in my previous statement that you disagreed with. Thanks for pointing that out (nods to jks9199 as well). The fault does lie solely with the teen.
I too feel for the family by the way. It's tragic that they were out having a wonderful time at the park and THIS happens. They'll probably not ever go to another in their lifetime.

I feel it was totally the teen's fault. We wouldn't be having this discussion if he walked on to the Freeway. You will notice they have even less security on the freeway.
Sean