When I was a kid, I would....

[Just Curious]

We used to catch eels from the sewers and clean and cook them and have no ill effects. Are we over protective of our children now????

As mentioned previously, I used to hunt doves, ducks, and geese out at our local sewage ponds as a kid... Living out in the desert, these evaporative ponds were quite attractive to them as they migrated..
About fifteen years ago now, I was taking the kids to school and as we drove by the alfafa fields just outside the same sewage ponds that were my old stomping grounds, there must have been about three thoudand snow geese out in there...
I drove one of the old back roads so that the kids could get a closer look and as we sat there, "I suggested" that they all (all six of them) run out there yelling and screaming, scare the birds up to see them all flying... They did and the birds did. The geese flew a couple of hundred yards and set down again in the next field over. But before the kids got back to the truck I was surrounded by two city vehicles...
These city workers come running over and wanted to know what we doing scaring the birds... After all this was a natural habitat for them and according to them it was a nesting area.
(I don't believe that they had lived there all that long or maybe they had and had also been out in the sun too long)
Anyway after interogating all of us thoroughly, the kids were late for school and I was on my way to work.
About an hour after I got to work, I was call by the enviromental department and they wanted to talk with me about chasing the geese around... They informed me at the meeting how irresponsible I was as a parent letting my kids run out there chasing the geese in field that were irrigated by the hazzardous processed water being pumped out of the evaporation ponds... Hmmmmm
This must be why my hearing isn't as good as it use to be... Shooting to many birds as a kids at the local sewage ponds is bad for your ears...

 

[Lammie]

Wow. That's all I can say...

 

[Txwalt]

Did they say it was illegal? I might have lost my temper. Down here we have an extended season to shoot snows.

Walt

 

[Susie David]

Our big adventures were swimming in the irrigation canals, One kid would ride double on their bike for a mile or two and then bothe would float the canal down to where the other bike was left. Never thought anything about drinking right out of the pump, water was cold and the Arizona sun was hot. Always sunburned easily, now I get my face burned from the glare through the winshield; always slather on the SPF when I drive for more than a hour. DMc

 

[Just Curious]

Did they say it was illegal? I might have lost my temper. Down here we have an extended season to shoot snows.

Walt

Naw... I just think that it was a case of micro management... You know, things that we had fun with as kids are bad for kids today... I just never let things rile me up too much these days... But I wouldn't hesitate to let them do it again... I believe that it is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission in many areas of my life today..
Kinda like DMc's adventures down the canal... I'll bet there would be someone that would see some kids do it today and tell them that it's too dangerous and to get out... Not to mention that someone might steal their bicycle.
We have a canal that runs through our property.... (Living here in Montana, we've thought of making a movie... "A Canal Runs Though It" Catchy title eh?) Our kids and grandkids still go in... But sometimes with all the new people that have moved in down the canal, I just wonder if/when someone else will chastise them for trespassing or???

 

[mom to 4]

I think one of the craziest (stupid) things I did as a kid was think... I bet this will be a blast! And it was (eventually).

Old barn with a drive up hay mound... opposite of drive up door is another door, used to throw bales out of. Add a Yamaha 100YZ and a 12 yr old girl (me). I was able to only grab 3rd gear by the time I shot out the other side. I did not figure any type of air time and length and speed into any sort of equation. Needless to say the landing was a bit harsh, and I would of gained control if I had a bit more distance until the embankment.

A couple of weeks later, my dad was quite impressed when he came in off the road. Until by the end of the summer and I needed some suspension upgrades...

Michele

Mine was a Honda 125XL and a hill that went up next to the ramp to the barn. I could get air for a few yards. What fun!