Published: October 28, 2009 10:21 am      

Parents should lay down the law

Some lessons come harder than others. A day after a Logansport 14-year-old suffered a severe head injury while performing a bicycle trick at the local skate park, kids were still performing tricks without a helmet.

That’s troubling, but in many ways predictable.

It’s difficult to legislate common sense.

No matter how many rules we might pass or how many warning signs we might post, there will always be those who ignore the risks and perform these stunts without the necessary safety equipment.

It’s the nature of daredevils, we suppose. Flying through the air with your hair blowing in the breeze might be a tad more exciting for some of us.

Still, we can hope that a growing number of youngsters will begin to recognize what’s at stake.

Witnesses to the recent mishap at Riverside Park say the quick actions of one young man to stop the bleeding likely saved the life of the teenager whose head struck the pavement. Saved his life.

It might be thrilling to perform these stunts, and doing so without the proper safety equipment might win you admiration in certain quarters, but a slip can clearly have devastating consequences. One moment you can be flying and the next you can be lying on the pavement with your life slipping away.

The young man in this instance was fortunate. Family members say his physicians are predicting a full recovery.

The next teenager might not be so lucky.

When the park board acted to limit use of the skate park in an effort to make sure young people were taking the proper precautions, the youngsters and their parents spoke out loudly in protest.

They were right. The park was built to provide kids with a place to go to perform tricks they would otherwise be performing in much less desirable locations.

They were also right in pointing out it’s not up to the park department to make sure kids perform their tricks safely.

It’s up to their parents.

If your child is among those taking advantage of the skate park, you should sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk. Make sure your kids have the proper safety gear, and tell them to use it.

Tell them you want to see them have fun but you also want to see them reach middle age.