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Re: [RC] [RC] Kids, ponies and distance riding... Get a grip people - Joe LongOn Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:41:13 +0000, "Nancy Mitts" <mitts_n@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: The height requirement for amusement rides has to do with the fit of the seat; safety restraints, regardless of age. So, yes, a very short adult would not be allowed on either. I don't believe height is truly a safety issue when it comes to riding though. It also has to do with the g-forces and physical stresses that the more aggressive rides produce on the human body, and that it is much easier to check a child's height than it is to verify his age (parents wouldn't like having to bring birth certificates along to Disney World). And, age has little to do with skill and ability, as we all know adults who aren't too safe either. So, we're back to the legal age liability. That's part of it, but I believe we should show some concern for overly-young children occasionally being entered into our events. If AERC is going to use legal risk as a rationale for setting a minimum age, then anything under 18 is risky. In some states that may even be 21. Any other minumum age is arbitrary. All minimum ages are arbitrary, including the drinking age, driving age, age to enlist in the Army, age to play Little League ball, etc. That is an unfortunate fact of life, because we can't make rules tailored to each individual but have to use some kind of norm. Unless, you subscribe to the notion that life is more valuable the younger you are, and then the age needs to be set at the loss value our insurance would cover. It is more valuable in the sense that a greater proportion of the young child's life is still ahead of him. Also, he has less wisdom to make appropriate choices for himself. There is the additional factor in our sport that very young bodies are less able to handle the physical demands of riding long distances without detriment to their devlopment. At what age does our "moral responsibility" to have as safe a ride as possible end, Joe? I would phrase it that our responsibility to have as safe a ride as is reasonable doesn't end at any age, but gets more difficult the younger the rider. At what age does an accident just become an accident? Anybody who rides runs the risk of being hurt, whether 8 or 14 or 18 or 48. Indeed. I do find it a bit odd that some are finding it so horrible that we allow young children to participate, even though they are required to have an adult sponsor. Yet, no one seems to have a problem with them being turned loose to ride alone at 14 with only 500 miles competition experience. Count me as one of those. There is a VAST difference between 5 and 14. These days it seems anybody can sue anybody at any time for any perceived injury, and there really isn't any way to prevent it. I don't see setting some arbitrary minimum age as any help at all. Again, the lawsuit risk is the lesser reason to have an age limit (simple humanity is the greater), but having a minimum age demonstrates that we have considered the question and established what we believe, in our best judgement and experience, to be the MINIMUM age at which a child should be competing in our events. Doing so is in no way an endorsement that all children of that age are ready to handle it (and that should be stated along with the rule). Some of our most famous rides have had a minimum age for riders for decades, and one Region of the AERC (the Southeast) has had a minimum age of eight years old for riders at all SERA rides for over ten years now. Those have worked very well. Some people have suggested ten or even twelve years old for the minimum. Those ages are certainly appropriate for some of our events. However, based in part on the SERA experience, I personally favor a minimum age of eight years old to enter an AERC sanctioned ride (with individual rides still allowed to set higher limits as they see fit). -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxx http://www.rnbw.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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