[NBwcs]

Couldnt believe what i saw happen today. This isnt a thread designed to have a bash at ladder monkeys but today really demonstated why the general public need protecting from themselves.
I was cleaning a row of houses today and went back to the van which was parked outside a house i dont clean. A young girl who i later found out was 15 was looking after her younger siblings and approched me asking if i could do her a favour and lend her my ladder!. A bit taken aback i asked what for and she pointed to an upstairs top opener window and said she was locked out and wanted to gain access via the window.I of course declined and pointed out she and definetly me couldnt possibly fit through it to which she interupted and pointed to her little brother who must have been all of 6 or 7 yrs old and said she intended to send him up! This of course prompted a full on" fatherly" lecture on the perils of such a reckless venture and just how dangerous it was. She seemed to be in agreeance with this but i was so shocked that someone looking after young kids would even comptiplate such a thing that i had a word with her neighbour (whos house i was cleaning) in case she asked anyone else for a ladder when i was no longer about. The neighbour said she would have a word with the mother and i went on to clean the house on the other side of the young girls house. Having finished the back i came round to the front to hear a crashing noise and a loud cheer,the father had turned up with his mate who had taken the young kid up an unsecured ladder and bundled him through the top opener, causing the blind to fall off hence the crashing sound. His mate came down the ladder pleased as punch and gave me a cocky wink whilst the kids bell end of a dad laughed. Just to compound matters, all of the downstairs windows were the old type external beading type so he could have easily whipped them out and took the glass out if he was so desperate to save on a locksmiths fee.
I cant stand all of the H&S overkill we get these days but things like this make you realise that some people need all the "mothering" they can get,

[duncan h]

You just don't send kids up a ladder unless its life or death. Joe public are so ( Mod note:  swearing; even with asterixes isn't allowed) thick, arnt they

[rosskesava]

You can't protect idiots from themselves.

[dazmond]

it happens nick.nothing unusual in your post.

ive had neighbours knocking on my door to borrow my ladders when their locked out.ive had alcoholics and heroin addicts using em.one guy wouldnt let go of his cider bottle as he climbed up to gain access through his kitchen window.this was around 11am in the morning.he s dead now.not from falling off my ladder but liver failure at 42.very sad.

i remember being a kid in the 1970s and climbing through small windows to let a neighbour in!its very common!

[bobplum]

sending them up chimneys i can understand, but ladders

seriously i think you did the right thing

[koopmaster]

My neighbor messed up his front door in front of me, but I got my ladder and climbed up to the back window and unlocked the house for them.

would never let a child up a ladder its to dangerous.