It’s kind of like camping …
I’d like to start this post by saying how much I appreciate people who want to be parents. You see, to me, parenthood is something like being a doctor, police officer, or waste disposal technician (or perhaps a bit of all three). I have a lot of respect for people who choose to be parents. I believe good parents make an invaluable and underrated contribution to our society. I just wouldn’t want to be a parent myself.
And that’s because: Once you have a kid, it’s like going camping every day. Every day! Did we pack the diapers? The two extra changes of clothes? Rain gear? Sun gear? Wipes, lotions, ointment? Bottles, snacks, juice? Toys, blankets, shoes, hat and mittens? Can we even fit the baby in the stroller with all that other stuff?
Out of the gene pool …
When it comes to adults who want to endanger themselves by doing stupid things, I generally roll my eyes and mutter under my breath. Idiots in hulking SUVs who make left-hand turns while running a red light and jabbering on a cell phone in Georgetown rush hour traffic? Whatever. Drunk dudes riding in shopping carts to test their ability to stop when they meet immovable objects? Cool.
What makes me lose my cool—and my patience—however, is when so-called adults endanger children by doing stupid things. A woman crossing against the light at one of the most dangerous intersections in D.C.? Ignorant. Add in that she was pushing a baby stroller while doing so? Stupid fuck.
This ignorant twat is obviously not the only one doing stupid things that endanger children. I frequently see mothers (and fathers) crossing mid-street with their children in tow when there is a perfectly good crosswalk a few feet away. A few weeks ago I saw another woman weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds yakking away on a cell phone with her children in the car. And one of them was entirely too young to be without a car seat.