Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Parachuting babies

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Parachuting babies

This is for everyone that said parents should not do risky things. I saw a program similar to Real TV today, and it was showing a family that was taking a small baby up to parachute. The father, a professional teacher, had the 2 year old boy attached to him (babies back to his belly), and the mother was going up too. The child did not seem happy and when they were up and all on board started jumping out, the baby realized what was about to happen and started crying with pure fear. It was so heartbreaking. The mother went ahead and jumped out, and the father right behing her (baby screaming and all). This happend in Holland. The program stated that in Holland there is no law protecting children from this. A parent is allowed to take a child up at any age and whether they are petrified or not. I was on the side of those saying parents can take risks (to a limit), but this is ........ STUPID and CRUEL.. It is one thing to risk your own life, but to risk your child, when they have no say in the matter, you are sick. Some people have no idea what a miracle it is to be able to have children, enjoy that miracle and don't risk its life. Let them make thier own decisions when they are old enough. You made yours.

Is this thread at all related to travel in Europe? Possibly because it's about a parachute in Holland. Maybe "golly" just wanted his/her 15 minutes of fame. My fault for topping it.

Well, hopefully that two year old will wake his parents up every night for the next year with nightmares--that's the fitting punishment for doing something so reckless. Don't the stupid people realize children that young don't "thrill seek". Man.

You would think the parents would have some empathy for their own child. Message to Curious: No, this doesn't relate directly to travel in Europe, but DOES have to do with a heated debate on a previous thread about taking unneccessary risks. Many thought parents shouldn't engage in risky activities because they need to stay alive to raise their children. Putting the children themselves at risk is much, much worse. I don't believe we'll find any argument there.

this is typical behaivor when people put their selfish needs above other peoples needs especially dependants.why the hell do you think the generation is called the meme want generation.

That's terrible; my heart really goes out to the 2-year-old boy. I mean, no wonder he wasn't happy. Having to parachute with your parents would make any child cry. :~)

This is not a message, but just an anticdote. I , being an ultra paranoid and vigilant MOM, with my kids, am *not* in any position to criticize anyone's parenting style. But, on the way up the road to the Abbezia at Montecassino, We came across a scene that did startle me alittle. we stopped the car on the side of the road ,to take some pics of us and the stunning views of the valley, **way ** below us. We met a family there, from the town Capua. The father was posing on the outside of the protective guardrail, holding his baby ,the mother was taking the pictures. I was a bit stunned because it looked so risky, to be perched on the edge of this hill, with a squirmy baby in one's arms. He then proceeded to pose with his older two. They were a bit more cognizant of the situation, and were not terribly relaxed while posing with dad. Esp. as he took to dangling them a little. :-0 So, we held our breath, and took our pics, said goodbye. It was a relief though to meet them later at the top, safe and sound.

Before the Fodor Spelling Police come and get me, I need to correct a word. **Anecdote ** (not anticdote)

Nancy, you know what give me the willies? I live near SF and make it to the ocean frequently. Invariably, there is a family or two that wants that great picture of their kids perched on the rocks with the ocean waves in the background. Yipe! Not only is there the risk of falling as they clamber out there, but the waves are unpredictable and it's not unheard of for a large one to sweep someone off the rock. About every year a tourist loses his or her life that way.

I hear you Monica! That is a pretty "willies" making picture you paint. In 1971, I did a cross-country, VW van trip with a few friends. We ended up in one of the big parks out West for an overnight. The next morning, we woke and heard a commotion outside the van. A group of tourists had a baby bear up a tree, and were posing their children next to the tree! Hello? Big Brown Momma Bear nearby? You bet your baby there was! Hightailed it out of there as soon as we could get one of us into the driver's seat! Stopped a Park Ranger on our way out to inform him of the delightful scenerio unfolding back at the tree. Aaah, commonsense. Seems to be a dearth of it amongst us humans.

The ranger did not make it in time I am so glad to say. I ate all of those assholes that had my little baby up the tree. Teach them for scaring my little cubbie half to death. I find tourists to be pretty tasty, but awful bony. Maybe someday they will come skinless and boneless so they are easier to eat.

Stupidity is not regulated nor prohibited. If you were to ask any skydiver, he/she would say that it is a very safe activity. Taking his child with him is, IMHO, no different than dragging an 8 year old to a roller coaster ride. Do you think that a government should take the place of the parents? Only in America...