Some People's ... Parents?

I have a saying when someone does something stupid: "Some people's kids!" Well, I had to modify it a bit today and say, "Some kid's parents!"


So I was on my way to work this morning and I see a kid on the side of the highway walking. It is a balmy 17 degrees out, he has only a sweatshirt on, no gloves, no hat. Now, I know it goes against everything we teach our kids these days, but I pulled over and asked the kid if I could give him a ride somewhere. Too quickly, he agreed to let me. It was obvious he was freezing cold!

He gets in the car and I made small talk: asking his name, what grade he is in, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU WALKING ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY IN 17 DEGREE WEATHER WITH NO ... no ... just WHY THE HELL ARE YOU WALKING ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY?? Kidding ... I didn't ask the last question, but it was running through my mind! Turns out, he was in 5th grade and walking home so he could go to church. He was a very well mannered young man. He didn't have much further to go, but by the time I had picked him up he had been walking for 30 minutes already and had at least that much longer of a walk. A divine intervention that I had to work today .... so that I could help out this young man I guess!

I spent the next 20 minutes on my drive to work really thinking about this. Thinking why would his parents let him (make him?) walk home in cold weather along the highway? The highway and no coat is probably the kickers for me. I am not opposed to kids walking SHORT distances in cold weather.

Anyway .... I was thinking, well it isn't fair to automatically blame the mother/father, as I am sure my kids have done or will do things that I think are/were/will be dumb and maybe they didn't know he was walking?

But ... what about the home he was coming from? How could those parents let him leave in such cold weather and no coat? Why wouldn't they offer to drive him home?

Then I thought .... well, maybe they were at work this morning and didn't know he was out in the cold weather on the highway.

But for the life of me I cannot make excuses for all the people who just drove right past this kid and did NOTHING to help him! Fine, I get it ... it's a crazy world and this kid could have had a gun and killed me for my car and the $2.45 in my purse. How about just asking if he needs to use your phone to call someone to come get him? Or call the police and ask that a patrol car go check it out? Really, people of Missouri who travel on 150 Highway? ... I mean REALLY!!!! ... to do nothing to help a kid is just pathetic.