rivettingKateTaylor

A 16-year-old girl is facing a drink-drive charge after a hit-and-run accident in Hastings early yesterday (Monday), according to a news website I was looking at last night.

The victim, another 16-year-old girl, received a broken arm after being hit by a car while walking along Havelock Road about 2.40am. The driver did not remain at the scene but was located a short time later and faced a charge of drink-driving, police said.

All I can say is what the hell were two 16 year olds doing out at that time of the morning on a school night?

Admittedly I had a pretty good curfew when I was that age – but that was Friday OR Saturday nights and only if I deserved it or had earned it.

We used to dip the lights at the top of the driveway, coast down the hill and sneak so quietly across the cattle stop by the house when we were late. It never worked. They always knew.

 My parents used to just go to bed and go to sleep and we would wake them and let them know we were home. We would pay for it the following weekend if we had overstepped the mark.

Most of the time the friends who had delivered us home would stay for a coffee and a cheese and vegemite toastie. 

One time Mum had been outside shooting possums and was standing on the front lawn with her gun when the car with my sister and I and two boys came across the cattle stop.  Needless to say they didn’t stay for coffee and Ruth and her rifle were infamous for months.

We were allowed out like that in vehicles because we lived 20 minutes from our nearest town and there was nothing there either! We used to have woolshed parties, dance in people’s shearers quarters or have sessions by the river. But these girls were only 16, out in the middle of a school night, at least one of them was drinking and one of them was driving (at the same time too!)

Where is the parental responsibility here?

It’s easy for me to say at this stage, my two are only nine and seven and still nice (as opposed to monosyllabic hormonal teenagers). But I hope I will always know where my children are at quarter to three on a Monday morning – for as long as they live under my roof anyway!

That statement so comes straight from my mother’s mouth.

Earlier on, we were never allowed to share bedrooms with partners under Mum and Dad’s roof until we were married, which was fair enough, I guess. Their house, their rules. But I had a big giggle when Mum and her partner (now husband) Jim came to stay up here for the first time and I told them Jim was on the top bunk in Lachlan’s room and Mum was top and tailing with Sarah. Well, they weren’t married!!

Anyway, enough of me. I am going to a deer field day this morning and the good news is that it is right across the road. Think I should charge mileage?