H&S and all that.....
Posted: 12 Jun 2009, 09:43
Reading one or two posts from the GG's dog thread... got me thinking....
Way back in the mists of time, 'when I were a lad', I walked past the petrol station in the village I lived, and flipped the sign to 'closed' (one of those Castrol signs that stood on the kerb). Later, I was walking the other way, and a trailer disconnected from a tractor right in front of the garage, and so I stood to watch 'the action'. Within seconds I felt freezing cold, and realised the garage owner had trained a hose on me. After a soaking he advised that If I fiddled with the sign again, I would feel his boot. Needless to say I stayed out until I was dry on the not unreasonable grounds that questions would need to be answered if I went home as I was! Not too many years later I got another drenching (this time a day or two after I had lobbed some weeds over someone's hedge) - but they got me fair and square as I walked past their driveway - same result.
Neither of these times was I being malicious - just larking around - but not too long ago, I discovered bits of our hedge all out of position, then one evening I was out in the shed having a fag, and heard a commotion, and as I popped out three young lads were partaking of running through everyone's garden, including rolling over the hedges. My first thought connected to my right foot and some swearwords, but I quickly said 'What are you doing' - the look on their faces was enough, but I've no doubt when I was that age, a swift boot would have been almost inevitable. The thing is, unless I was up to something I shouldn't be (not that often despite what it seems) I never felt threatened as a child, but I did know the consequences of being 'naughty' - and I think it all made for a better childhood.
I lived for a while on a farm, and helped out (aged around 8-10) - including following tractors feeding cattle with a cup of lime, shovelling oats into a device which crushed them (a chute with no guards) - even at school I was now and again sent up to clamber about shelving in cupboards to move things about etc etc
And if anyone saw a child in distress, male or female, they would without doubt try and help - whereas even although I remember all this, If I saw a kid in distress now, unless Samantha was with me, I wouldn't even think about hanging around to help.....
Way back in the mists of time, 'when I were a lad', I walked past the petrol station in the village I lived, and flipped the sign to 'closed' (one of those Castrol signs that stood on the kerb). Later, I was walking the other way, and a trailer disconnected from a tractor right in front of the garage, and so I stood to watch 'the action'. Within seconds I felt freezing cold, and realised the garage owner had trained a hose on me. After a soaking he advised that If I fiddled with the sign again, I would feel his boot. Needless to say I stayed out until I was dry on the not unreasonable grounds that questions would need to be answered if I went home as I was! Not too many years later I got another drenching (this time a day or two after I had lobbed some weeds over someone's hedge) - but they got me fair and square as I walked past their driveway - same result.
Neither of these times was I being malicious - just larking around - but not too long ago, I discovered bits of our hedge all out of position, then one evening I was out in the shed having a fag, and heard a commotion, and as I popped out three young lads were partaking of running through everyone's garden, including rolling over the hedges. My first thought connected to my right foot and some swearwords, but I quickly said 'What are you doing' - the look on their faces was enough, but I've no doubt when I was that age, a swift boot would have been almost inevitable. The thing is, unless I was up to something I shouldn't be (not that often despite what it seems) I never felt threatened as a child, but I did know the consequences of being 'naughty' - and I think it all made for a better childhood.
I lived for a while on a farm, and helped out (aged around 8-10) - including following tractors feeding cattle with a cup of lime, shovelling oats into a device which crushed them (a chute with no guards) - even at school I was now and again sent up to clamber about shelving in cupboards to move things about etc etc
And if anyone saw a child in distress, male or female, they would without doubt try and help - whereas even although I remember all this, If I saw a kid in distress now, unless Samantha was with me, I wouldn't even think about hanging around to help.....
