Did I do a bad thing?

[Woodpecker]

The other day I happened to throw one of my misguided drives, hit a tree and the disc flopped back into a stinky creek right in front of the tee box.

There were three young boys sloshing around in the creek just down from the tee box. I, not wanting to climb into this stench filled mess, asked them if they would find my disc if I gave them a couple of bucks.

The oldest one, about 13, came down and immediately found a disc but it wasn't mine. About 30 seconds later, he found mine.

I saw the other disc had a name on it and realized it belonged to a very nice lady pro that I have a lot of respect for. I reached in my pocket and tried to hand the young man a $5 bill for both discs.

He took the money and said he was going to keep the other disc. I told him the fiver was for both discs and apparently he didn't know about the bad mojo that comes with not returning a disc to its rightful owner.

He asked me what mojo was and I told him it was basically bad luck. He looked me straight in the face and said he didn't give a #@$%, about mojo he was keeping the disc and the money.

I reached into my bag, pulled out a disc I haven't thrown in awhile and said I would trade him for her disc or it was now bad mojo time.

He said hell, no and told me where to stick my bad mojo.

I said let me explain about the bad mojo. If you don't give me that disc right now, I'm going to climb down there, take the disc and the money and the only thing you're going to end up with is no disc, no money, a black eye and a fat lip.

He finally flipped the disc up on the bank and told me to do something that is anatomically impossible. I flipped my disc down to him and told him to have a good life.

Did I do a bad thing for the future of disc golf?

Woodpecker

 

[DirtyMittenDG]

I can see where you came from in that situation.

Your lucky the kid didnt know his laws though. After you told him you were gonna beat his a$$ he could have, dropped your disc back in the water, givin you your 5 back, kept the other disc he found, and said, "if you touch me im calling the cops and your going to jail for assault and battery".

lol, good thing for you all he could think about at the time was getting his 13 year old a$$ beat by an adult.

 

[sub ceroh]

I think you did the right thing. Kids now days have no respect at all. It's like I tell my kids THEY WILL NEVER FIND YOU'RE BODY!!

 

[disc-o maniac]

yea you definatly did the right thing i hate people that think they're cool by being stupid....and kids like that dont deserve to enjoy disc golf

 

[atl scott]

I think you definitely did the wrong thing. Don't take me wrong, the motive was right and its awesome that you offered one of your discs for trade. The fact of the matter is the kid found the disc in a place that some other person refused to go. If he was nice he would return it.

There is no disc "mojo" and there is never any reason to threaten anyone with physical harm like this on the disc golf course. Why wouldn't that give YOU the bad mojo? That was also cool to give them a couple bucks. I frequently see people retrieving discs for others without so much as a thank you.

 

[srm_520]

You did the right thing until you go back to the parking lot to find your tires sliced and your car on fire.

 

[Woodpecker]

I think you definitely did the wrong thing. Don't take me wrong, the motive was right and its awesome that you offered one of your discs for trade. The fact of the matter is the kid found the disc in a place that some other person refused to go. If he was nice he would return it.

There is no disc "mojo" and there is never any reason to threaten anyone with physical harm like this on the disc golf course. Why wouldn't that give YOU the bad mojo? That was also cool to give them a couple bucks. I frequently see people retrieving discs for others without so much as a thank you.

Why it escalated to the point it did was:

First, I made it clear that my offer was for two dollars to find my disc which I already had in my hand when he started feeling around for my disc. When I saw the lady's disc, I put the two bucks away and pulled out the five and made it clear to him that the five was for both discs.

Well, when I held the five out, he snatched it out of my hand and then told me he was keeping the disc. It was pretty obvious from the look on his face that he thought he had gotten away with something. No doubt in my mind, if he hadn't been standing in water up to his waist, he would have broke and run with one or both discs.

Second, what a mouth this kid had on him. He never cussed until he thought he'd pulled a move on me. Arrogance, plain and simple, like what are you going to do about now?

I'm big on lessons and this kid definitely needed one.

Up until that point, even if he hadn't found my disc, I was going to give him the two bucks anyway just for his effort.

Would I have jumped in the water? Damn right, in a quarter of a second but I know I wouldn't have hit him. I would, however, have gotten my money and her disc back just to teach him a lesson.

I didn't say this in the original post because I have a tendency to write novels as you can see.

Woodpecker

 

[DWill]

I think, for the most part, you did the right thing. The verbal threat comes close to crossing the line, even though he sounding like a punk, and probably deserved it for the disrespect he gave you. I'm sure the female pro will be happy seeing her disc again, and that will make your kind gesture worth it.



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[Woodpecker]

Oh, and by the way, the lady was very happy to get her disc back. It was her favorite driver.

Her husband was real happy, too, since he was the one who was going to have to retrieve the disc after he got home from work.

Which brings up another philosophical point. Shouldn't women retrieve their own discs? LOL

Woodpecker

 

[Woodpecker]

You did the right thing until you go back to the parking lot to find your tires sliced and your car on fire.

Since I'm semi-retired and really have nothing to do other than play disc golf, I would make it my life's quest to find out who did it and really teach them a lesson.

And I'm very well insured. If I run over Bill Gates, I'm covered plus I could use a new car.

As long as my disc bag weren't in the car at the time. No worries. The hell with the car, if my bag was in the car when it went up, that's a killing offense in some states, isn't it? LOL

Woodpecker< (doesn't advocate violence but learned a long time ago sometimes it's the only thing some people understand)

 

[atl scott]

I didn't say this in the original post because I have a tendency to write novels as you can see.

good call

 

[progprowl]

Her favorite driver is worth threatening a 13 year old? Your not going to teach him a lesson. Obviously he has developed that attitude from his upbringing and one encounter isn't going to change that. Threatening him just increased his distrust of the older generation. You should have just gone and gotten the disc yourself. Punishment for throwing it down there in the first place.

 

[Woodpecker]

Her favorite driver is worth threatening a 13 year old? Your not going to teach him a lesson. Obviously he has developed that attitude from his upbringing and one encounter isn't going to change that. Threatening him just increased his distrust of the older generation. You should have just gone and gotten the disc yourself. Punishment for throwing it down there in the first place.

13, 30 or 50 yrs. old, it makes no difference. Most of the stupid people I know are over 30 because they haven't learn much about right and wrong in their time on this planet.

I know I'm a dinosaur in the current politically correct enviroment we live in. I grew up in a time when if the school yard bully threatened you, you duked it out with your fists, win, lose, or draw. And that was the end of it.

Now, if your kid offends someone else's kid, the school, the police, lawyers get involved along with the other kid pulling a 9mm and shooting everyone in sight.

Everyone is looking for someone else to take care of the problem for them because their feelings got hurt.

Sorry, I ain't buying into that BS. It's the major reason why we have the problems in today's society.

But don't worry. Us ol' schoolers are croaking at a pretty good rate, so all the PC people don't have that long to worry.

Those people can have the society they've built for themselves.

Not me, when it comes to what's right and wrong, I'll take care of it in my own way.

But then again, you can't fix stupid. LOL

Woodpecker

 

[mendofrolfer]

no question in my mind you did the right thing, i dont think it would be wrong to go down there and bitch slap the little prick maybe not wise but deff not wrong. i dont think we should let our fear stop us from doing whats right , who knows maybe it would of stopped him from mouthing off to someone who would do more than slap him

 

[landon77]

very touchy subject, a 13 y.o. with that much disrespect is bad for all and will probably be bad for society. I see where you came from and understand and even can say I can't blame you, but the fact is you did threaten a kid with physical pain and you did cross the line. It would have been better to use your maturity and patience with him and not let yourself get ticked off at a brat. The lesson that needed to be taught was one of self discipline and self control, bottom line anytime you let a kid bother you or get to you, you lose. I am glad you got the discs back!

 

[mendofrolfer]

thank you woodpecker

dude our parents threatend to spank us all the time growing up, a lesson to teach us, do the wrong thing and theres consequences a threat of violence in and of itself is not crossing the line especially if you mean it . its more like a courtesy , a warning if you will. i thank wood pecker for having the balls to stand up and offer this punk a lesson, what do they say it takes a village to raise a child.

 

[Cradical]

Woodpecker, you did the right thing. Letting him get away with it would have just been encouraging that sort of behavior. And given the situation, I think you handled it in the best way possible. I hope if something like that happens to me I'll be able to do the same thing you did.

 

[Midnightbiker]

You need to be careful when dealing with kids now days. All that 13 year old has to say is that you pulled out your "pecker" and waved it at them, and you are going to jail. Plus its your word against theirs and they tend to believe kids.

I like my discs, but I don't worry about other peoples disc. Its not worth the fight. You got yours back, and they lady has to get hers back. If the kid acted stupid with me, I would have just walked away.

 

[kunipshunfit]

Your goal was noble, your methods were not

I have to agree with the person who put the post up below mine (I tried to quote it, but it would not let me, so I pasted it below).

I'm 29 years old. So I would like to think I'm somewhere in the middle of the age bracket that most people playing this game are. That being said. I think your approach was wrong. This is just based on the brief summary that you gave. However I think threatening anyone with a beating is wrong.

My question is...Did you explain to the kid that you knew the lady who owned the disc and that you knew she would want it back?

I know you said that you offered him a few extra bucks, that's nice but just playing devils advocate here, he may have thought you knew the lady was a pro, and that the disc could fetch more money being sold on ebay (just a for instance). He may have assumed you were trying to swindle him out of some extra cash for his work).

All of that being said - it does not excuse the kid from all the cussing, however (and with all due respect) it's not your job to be his father/guardian. Sure he was rude/crude and socially unacceptable, however that does not give you the right to threaten a kid.

I guess I'm torn between thinking what you did was ultimately be a bully and understanding your reasoning. In the end, you were still a bully to the kid.

Again - this is just my opinion.

--------------------------
I think you definitely did the wrong thing. Don't take me wrong, the motive was right and its awesome that you offered one of your discs for trade. The fact of the matter is the kid found the disc in a place that some other person refused to go. If he was nice he would return it.

There is no disc "mojo" and there is never any reason to threaten anyone with physical harm like this on the disc golf course. Why wouldn't that give YOU the bad mojo? That was also cool to give them a couple bucks. I frequently see people retrieving discs for others without so much as a thank you.
__________________

 

[Woodpecker]

very touchy subject, a 13 y.o. with that much disrespect is bad for all and will probably be bad for society. I see where you came from and understand and even can say I can't blame you, but the fact is you did threaten a kid with physical pain and you did cross the line. It would have been better to use your maturity and patience with him and not let yourself get ticked off at a brat. The lesson that needed to be taught was one of self discipline and self control, bottom line anytime you let a kid bother you or get to you, you lose. I am glad you got the discs back!

The kid didn't get me upset. I just explained the choices to him and he took the right one.

Let me explain one thing. I estimated this kid's age at 13 from a couple of factors. One, the other boys he was with looked to be in the 11-12 year old range. Kids usually hang out with other kids within a year of their age group. The kid was much taller than the other two and had matured and filled out pretty good. Second, he cussed like a sailor and you don't get that flow without lots of pratice. LOL

He might have been 15-16 for all I know.

The older I get, the harder time I have telling young people's age. Driving by a school these days, all I can say is, they didn't build 'em like that when I was in school. LOL

Woodpecker