There’ll be another one along in a minute…
Last December a double-decker bus full of school children, all around nine years old ,tried to drive under a low railway bridge. It didn’t make it. The top floor was ripped off, and 52 children and four members of staff had a terrifying ordeal. Fortunately, no one was more seriously hurt than some cuts and bruises.
The local paper reported this incident, naturally. They could have illustrated their story with a picture like the one above. No doubt they would have been castigated by the parents of any nine year olds who read the Nottingham Evening Post for causing debilitating and traumatising flash backs of of the experience…
Instead, mindful of their vast readership of nine year olds, they illustrated the story with a picture of two young children being comforted by a friendly policeman whilst they waited for their parents to arrive.
Was this not alleviating the worries of any young readers that should a similar thing happen to them, then friendly local bobbies would be on hand to look after them whilst they waited?
No, no, absolutely not! These were children who shall inherit the earth, you can do nothing with them, near them or around them that can possibly be right……
This week, the parents of one of the children had a complaint upheld by the Press Complaints Commission – the child, it seems, had been ‘very upset’ at seeing this picture of her being looked after……
Besides, ‘a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult’ had not given permission for that picture to be published – quite possibly because no parents were present when the photographer took the pictures.
The school are probably bracing themselves for a possible Human Rights claim for failing to protect the child from marauding policemen looking to do their job.
I daren’t read another newspaper today, my blood pressure won’t stand it.
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- March 26, 2010 at 19:44
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- March 26, 2010 at 20:30
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
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1
March 26, 2010 at 17:29 -
Who worries about a few kids more or less? I wept for the ‘bus. Surely all forms of public transport should have inhuman rights?
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2
March 26, 2010 at 17:47 -
Double Decker production is now in Single Figures
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3
March 26, 2010 at 18:03 -
Surreal, but it perfectly encapulates Britain today. Unfortunately.
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4
March 26, 2010 at 18:05 -
No one thinks about the bridge’s feelings.
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5
March 26, 2010 at 18:06 -
If it’s true that UFOs are visiting us from advanced civilisations, I guess it’s easy to see why they don’t land and initiate contact, isn’t it..?
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6
March 26, 2010 at 18:10 -
wot Julia said
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7
March 26, 2010 at 18:47 -
Andy Warhol’s 15 inutes of fame syndrome and looking for a payment for the cheeldrens’ sufferings.
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8
March 26, 2010 at 19:15 -
“…..the child, it seems, had been ‘very upset’ at seeing this picture of her being looked after……”
Quite right that someone should be sued for adding to the little darling’s trauma.
It should be the parent for not censoring what papers the lass has access to. Social Services should check that the parent is capable of accepting their responsibility.
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9
March 26, 2010 at 19:50 -
Well, I do like the notion of setting the social workers onto the compensation vermin and just letting them scrap for evermore in an oil-filled pit.
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10
March 26, 2010 at 19:58 -
11
March 26, 2010 at 19:59 -
From my reading of the original Press Complaints PR it seems that it was upheld more for the lack of consent than the child’s feelings. I suspect the mother put in the “hurt feelings” bit to try push her case further, the usual “think of the children” argument.
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12
March 26, 2010 at 22:29 -
Thaddeus J. Wilson March 26, 2010 at 19:58
I have officially lost the will to live.
***
Oh no, Thaddeus. You need to tease and teach me more.
Hang on [in?].
Bisous, Châtelaine. -
13
March 26, 2010 at 23:08 -
You aren’t hitting on my fella are you Châtelaine?
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14
March 26, 2010 at 23:13 -
15
March 26, 2010 at 23:28 -
Thanks for that reassuring comment Mr T. I and the other 50+ body-mass indexes send you a fond hug.
BTW, did you get that final proof copy of the shared tooth mug I sent you?
(Wilson, T J and Smudd G (nee Stitz)
(I like a man who keeps his rictus-grin in a Steradent solution overnight) -
16
March 26, 2010 at 23:30 -
17
March 26, 2010 at 23:44 -
I too shall pop my gnashers into a cleansing soak forthwith. ‘pon the morrow, Mr T, and sweet dreams….
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18
March 27, 2010 at 01:32 -
@ Demetrius,
Bravo, for the correct use of an apostrophe.
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19
March 27, 2010 at 08:00 -
20
March 27, 2010 at 18:32 -
Good heavens.
The child survives ramming a 200 tonne rail bridge at speed and the parent is upset because someone pointed a 2kg camera at them? It wasn’t so long ago that most people would be proud if their child was in the local newspaper.* Where-upon several copies would be purchased to distribute to friends, grand parents and to furnish the family scrapbook.
To be honest, the newspaper shouldn’t need to obtain consent in these circumstances. The child wasn’t being blamed for the accident nor apparently were they depicted maimed and bloodied.
* Declaration: I was once featured in the Nottingham Evening Post in a four page article about young people’s attitudes to the world of work in the late 1970’s. Lets just say the national malaise, the unions, British Leyland and the Government of the time came in for some serious stick. Shortly after that, Thatcherism was born… although I’m still waiting for the credit
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