STUPIDITY WATCH

[tamaranth]

Oh for heaven's sake ...

ladymoonray, wasn't it you who was deploring the apparent lack of conkering kids?

Comments

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Indeed, that's just pathetic.
Have these kids never heard of throwing things at the tree to dislodge the conkers?

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

I find that just so *profoundly* depressing :(

[sneerpout.livejournal.com]

Oh, few gawd's sake. Bloody stupid bloody people. *sigh*

[adela-terrell.livejournal.com]

if you read on, the council says that lobbing things at the trees is a danger to passing cars.

[fishlifter.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was just me and the area I grew up in, but we got lectures about stupidity from parents and teachers, and someone suffering a broken bone would have just intensified that until we were so bored we'd never want to see a conker again. Or maybe all that's changed is that more adults now see their role as suing the public authorities after the event -- rather than aiming to prevent it, and indeed assuming that most kids learn by their own or others' experiences (and the rest deserve to fall on their heads).

However, personal responsibility is an odd thing... New walk to bus stop involves passing under a very impressive horse chestnut. Noticed many fallen cases and conkers on the ground a few days ago; had passing thought about bizarreness of kids not having scooped them all up, as hordes of them head in both directions along the road to get to two different schools; otherwise made bouncy autumn noises and continued onwards.

Yesterday morning a spiky case plummeted from the tree and landed on the pavement with an impressive thunk in front of me, spilling a very glossy conker into the road. Two or three steps quicker and it would have landed on my head: spiky, hard, ow. (May not be coincidence; may be squirrels up there aiming them. Possibly squirrels descended from the ones who used to throw acorns at nolley.) Am now treating nature with greater respect. Still walking under tree, though.