Crimewatch - Madeleine McCann

[Hairy]

Agreed that we all take risks, it is a sliding scale which varies a lot.

However, in the above analogy I would consider you to have been extremely careless to leave the fire on whilst you were away for hours. A few minutes to put the bins out would be fine, if you fell and banged your head and were unconscious then that would be fine(!). But choosing to leave it unattended for hours is negligent imho.

Obviously you would have my full sympathy for the damage caused and I would truly wish it had not happened and at no point would I ever think that you deserved it in any way.

But as your insurance, you feckin did WHAT?

Sorry, no cover, for you are culpable in the fire, the same as you would be, in burglary, if you left the doors unlocked.

[MyUserName]

That is the agreed procedure here. Do you double lock the front door?

Too right - double lock them and lock the porch door too (leave the key in the lock). Much as it probably did not show when we played chess I am quite cautious as I grew up in a very rough area.

[d000hg]

Leaving keys in locks isn't good policy. I've got into my own house that way before as a kid when I came back and had forgotten my key.

[DodgyAgent]

Why would a parent not want to ensure to the best of their ability the safety of their children?

Why do you think he is showing an obsessive amount of control simply because he is ensuring the safest possible, least risky environment for his children?

Really? I am genuinely interested in how you think it is wrong to do that?

Who decides what is best. Do you decide what is best for other people? There is no completely foolproof formula for protecting kids. Under do it and there will be consequences as will overdoing it. We spend our entire lives evaluating risk and each of us has our own idea of what they will and will not do. You have just had your first child and so has Churchy and as such you are likely (especially if you are older) to be if anything overzealous about protecting your child. Because you have no previous experience (correct me if I am wrong) you are learning what risks to take and what not to take. If you get round to having more kids your view on risk will be different to what it may be now. You may even take a similar risk as the Mccanns.

You and churchy have all the privilege of wealth you probably do not need to work, you can probably afford childcare when you go on holiday or you may have parents on call. One thing is for sure you are no authority on what people should or should not do in looking after their kids. OK there are extremes of behaviour that we see in parenting every day but the Mcanns are far removed from this.

What I see here is a withc hunt from people who should know better- hypocrites even in that have taken risks and got away with them. the price the Mccanns have paid is disproportionate to the risk that they took. They are deeply unlucky, they are certainly not irresponsible.

[cailin maith]

Who decides what is best. Do you decide what is best for other people? There is no completely foolproof formula for protecting kids. Under do it and there will be consequences as will overdoing it. We spend our entire lives evaluating risk and each of us has our own idea of what they will and will not do. You have just had your first child and so has Churchy and as such you are likely (especially if you are older) to be if anything overzealous about protecting your child. Because you have no previous experience (correct me if I am wrong) you are learning what risks to take and what not to take. If you get round to having more kids your view on risk will be different to what it may be now. You may even take a similar risk as the Mccanns.

You and churchy have all the privilege of wealth you probably do not need to work, you can probably afford childcare when you go on holiday or you may have parents on call. One thing is for sure you are no authority on what people should or should not do in looking after their kids. OK there are extremes of behaviour that we see in parenting every day but the Mcanns are far removed from this.

What I see here is a with hunt from people who should know better. the price they have paid is disproportionate to the risk that they took. They are deeply unlucky, they are certainly not irresponsible.

Because they are wealthy and middle class? No, I'm sorry that just doesn't wash with me.

I cannot get past leaving three children alone in an apartment out of sight. I just can't. And I held this view even before I had my own child.

[MyUserName]

Leaving keys in locks isn't good policy. I've got into my own house that way before as a kid when I came back and had forgotten my key.

With my doors I doubt that would not be easy, for a start the keys cannot be seen from outside.

You would need to smash your way through toughened safety glass to get them which would make a lot of noise. At the front of the house you would then have the same problem with the porch door, if you are at the back you would first either need to break the gate or climb the fence - breaking the gate would be noisy and not breaking it means you would have no easy escape route if discovered (a high priority for a burglar).

[Churchill]

Who decides what is best. Do you decide what is best for other people? There is no completely foolproof formula for protecting kids. Under do it and there will be consequences as will overdoing it. We spend our entire lives evaluating risk and each of us has our own idea of what they will and will not do. You have just had your first child and so has Churchy and as such you are likely (especially if you are older) to be if anything overzealous about protecting your child. Because you have no previous experience (correct me if I am wrong) you are learning what risks to take and what not to take. If you get round to having more kids your view on risk will be different to what it may be now. You may even take a similar risk as the Mccanns.

You and churchy have all the privilege of wealth you probably do not need to work, you can probably afford childcare when you go on holiday or you may have parents on call. One thing is for sure you are no authority on what people should or should not do in looking after their kids. OK there are extremes of behaviour that we see in parenting every day but the Mcanns are far removed from this.

What I see here is a with hunt from people who should know better. the price they have paid is disproportionate to the risk that they took. They are deeply unlucky, they are certainly not irresponsible.

You're well up their fcking arse, are they members of your tennis club by any chance?

[eek]

Because they are wealthy and middle class? No, I'm sorry that just doesn't wash with me.

I cannot get past leaving three children alone in an apartment out of sight. I just can't. And I held this view even before I had my own child.

Nor can I. I know of adults who have lost their children for doing such things......

The fact of the matter is they made a decision that was in the eyes of many other parents and social services wrong. Something then happened that brought their (lack of) parental instincts to the public's attention.

Granted one of their children has disappeared (cause unknown). But 1 major factor in the disappearance is that lack of parental care.

[MyUserName]

It is a very good analogy that you use and yes you would be responsible, but I would not judge you for doing it ...

Don't you admit the responsibility in the analogy here?

Leaving children that age in a house by themselves for several hours is irresponsible. Even if they were in the UK and nothing had happened I would still think so. When my wife and I are in similar situations we take turns going out, it is not difficult. I am not sure if you would count me as judging them as I am not sure what you mean but I cannot help having an opinion.

Driving at 30mph is usually safe unless there is a reason not too - driving at 70mph in a 30mph area is irresponsible, I don't care how many times you get away with it or how many others are doing it. The fact that you might still crash at 30 is irrelevant, driving at 70 in 30 area is irresponsible.

[MaryPoppins]

One thing is for sure you are no authority on what people should or should not do in looking after their kids.

What I see here is a with hunt from people who should know better. the price they have paid is disproportionate to the risk that they took. They are deeply unlucky, they are certainly not irresponsible.

What makes you the authority?

You see a 'with hunt' here? I can't, nor can I see a witch hunt.

In my view they were irresponsible. If yours differs, then fine.