Topic: One proud Dad!

[vanillagorilla]

My little girl told me today that she wanted to ride in a parade with me...

It was a great experience and I was so proud of her! She wasn't even a little scared. Think I will need to buy her some good gear and weld some pegs on sooner than later...

[bill440cars]

  Wow, now THAT'S cool guy!  Really makes a parent feel GREAT to have a connection like that.  Next thing ya know, she'll be wanting one to ride WITH you.

[dave400]

You would get arrested for riding with a kid like that in the UK! I won’t even mention no helmets on either of you.

[demon78]

Wait till she wants one of her own, scary but good training for driving a cage, she'll be more aware of whats around her and road conditions, I know I trained my daughter to drive a bike first.
Bill the demon.

[vanillagorilla]

She has already told me she wants her own... May hook her up with a little 50 to tool around in the backyard with for her birthday. And if it werent a parade, we would probably have gotten a ticket here in Tx, too! I'll make sure the next time is 100% legal-ish!

[tramp]

she'll remember that for years

[cb650]

You would get arrested for riding with a kid like that in the UK! I won’t even mention no helmets on either of you.

Why rain on his "parade"?       

Great going VG!!!!!

[vanillagorilla]

cb650, LMAO! I knew someone would say it, no biggie.

[dave400]

You would get arrested for riding with a kid like that in the UK! I won’t even mention no helmets on either of you.

Why rain on his "parade"?       

Great going VG!!!!!

I wasn’t,  but putting a kid at risk like that would get you in deep doo doo  over here.

[Gordon]

You would get arrested for riding with a kid like that in the UK! I won’t even mention no helmets on either of you.

Why rain on his "parade"?       

Great going VG!!!!!

I wasn’t,  but putting a kid at risk like that would get you in deep doo doo  over here.

He's riding in a parade, not in normal traffic, so normal laws don't generally apply.  I'm glad we're not quite the nanny state here that you guys have to deal with over there. 

[vanillagorilla]

At risk? What age did you start riding with your dad? I was riding my own bike by the time I was her age! Granted, she needs gear and a place to put her feet. But it was a parade, not a ride!

[Gordon]

Pay no attention.  There's always somebody who feels they have to tell you how to raise your own children, even when what you're doing isn't putting them at undue risk.  The second I saw that picture I knew somebody would be along shortly to admonish you.

[vanillagorilla]

Eh, its no biggie. To each his own.

[Damfino]

Bad gorilla, bad! 

[Gordon]

I can't wait until my son is big enough to ride with me.  I used to love riding with my dad and always felt like the coolest kid in the world when he would drop me off at school.

[vanillagorilla]

Can't wait for that!

[Roach Carver]

you should at least get her a do rag. Its good enough for the chopper crowd. Oh dont forget the fingerless gloves




modified- because I may have misspelled do rag.

[vanillagorilla]

You know, some how we forgot to grab her pink do-rag... She would have fit in real well.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Looks like fun Vanilla, a helmet for both you guys wouldn't have hurt though.

Gotta reinforce safety man, if they don't see poppa doing it they won't either.

[cb650]

Ok why start a helmet debate when he is just happy IN A PARADE situation.  My son were's his always and I do to. But in a parade I think we could let it slide.   

[Gordon]

Drop the helmet #$%* already.  It was a parade!  There are times when safety needs to be stressed, and times when it's appropriate to make exceptions.  It's a decision that responsible parents can and should be able to make for themselves and their own children.

When I was a kid my dad would sometimes buy us fireworks and let us set them off, under his supervision, when we went out to the lake, but he would never let us set them off at home or anywhere else in the city.  He explained the difference to us, and we understood.  Was he a bad father? 

[azuredesign]

Hey VG,
Beautiful photo!
My son and I made our first ride together today. It was his maiden voyage and we did just shy of 30 miles together.
He's a bit older than your daughter, but it's never too late to start!!

[vanillagorilla]

Glad you get to share this obsession with the kiddo, azuredesigns! She has been immersed in bikes since she was in her stroller. Its in her blood, and she takes to them very well. I think, in a few years, you can expect a very similar pic of me and Hannah! For now, I will be more than happy giving her rides on the CB!
As far as all the safety/helmet stuff, relax, it was a parade. And you can bet your ass I was being very observant of my surroundings, making sure nothing could happen to her! So keep your opinions to yourself. Take it for what it is: a very proud moment for me as a dad, knowing that my little girl(she IS only 4) wanted to ride my bike with me, rode well, and showed no fear at all. Only persons opinion that matters, in this case, are mine and my lady's and any ticketing officers, which we were lucky enough not to encounter. Because even THEY knew it's only a parade and let it slide. And yes there were cops, and she waved at them all! Know what they did? Waved back.

[Don R]

We do a couple parades every year with my daughters dragster, It gets started for the crowd but is never in gear, always being towed by our golf cart. She is 26 now and has been driving since her go cart at about age 8. Jr Dragsters at 10 and her big car at 17.

[vanillagorilla]

Very cool!