To the father of the toddler who ran into the bike lane...
RANT
Southbound 4th Ave in Brooklyn, just passed 16th street before the Gowanus overpass. Red light up ahead so I'm just rolling and see a father lose his child's hand, said child run right into the bike lane and I'm forced to slam the brakes. Mind you, this man makes ZERO attempt to chase after the child, speak, shout, or DO ANYTHING AT ALL TO PRESERVE HIS CHILD'S LIFE. I watched this happen in real time, he stood there looking like a silent Looney Tunes cartoon going "Oh no!" I stop in time and thankfully riders behind me also react in time.
So we're all awkwardly standing there as the child is STILL in the bike lane, being... well a child. The father is still frozen, hasn't said a word, hasn't moved a muscle. All he did was stare and did not move. As a father myself, I snapped.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU STARING AT ME FOR? GET YOUR CHILD. PARENT YOUR FUCKING CHILD. DO YOU NOT WANT HIM ANYMORE? I CAN CALL CPS DIPSHIT. MOVE!"
I unfortunately frighten the child, but the guy stood there for a solid 20 seconds not saying a word or moving. Child scrambles back to his father and the man is suddenly dispelled from his trance. He barely eeks out "It was an accident..."
PARENT. YOUR. FUCKING. CHILD. Look yourself in the mirror and admit that you fucked up BAD today and I know for a FACT that you did not tell his mother that you let that happened because you'd never hear the end of it.
endrant