[Muttypint]

Last week my nephew got caught in an accident because he was driving and playing with his PlayBook, thanks god they got away with only monetary damages, and nothing serious happened.

My teenage son has his PlayBook on a dashboard mount, and as a responsible parent i'm looking for an app that blocks him from using his playbook while driving.

But for the meanwhile, after my brother told me this story, as a responsible parent i took away the dashboard mount from my son.

Do you think i did the right thing?

[phoreoneone]

my friend always said "be a parent first and a friend last".

if you think your child is foolish enough to try it then take it away but if you think you raised him well enough then dont.

ooo I feel like dr. phil

Sent from my BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps using Tapatalk

[I am JT]

You're the parent. You do what you think is best.

[anon3396357]

Even if you had to take it away on non-negotiable terms, it's still better to have a talk with your son about it.

[howarmat]

I always wondered how many people will get into accidents when i see a mount in a car. I think you did the right thing as there are too many "enticements" having it mounted there

[peter9477]

If your son is old enough to be driving, I hope he's mature enough to be sensible about this. With that in mind, I see two extra options as missing (not expecting both to be used):

1. Discuss this with him until you reach consensus on a safe form of use.
2. Take away his car keys (assuming it's your car).

Basically, if this isn't something you can work out in mature discussion with him, I don't understand why you're even letting him do something as dangerous as driving if you have any control over that. And, if you don't have control over that, it doesn't seem to me you have any right to take away his PlayBook mount either...

[jafobabe]

To the OP... I think you did the right thing. A lot of states have limitations on where you can put Garmins and using your cell phone too.

[VanCity778]

is it ethical for your mother to ask you to download a copy of Angry Birds for PC (a FREE copy cough cough) even tho she doesn't agree with theft ?

[Mr.Monty]

I think you did the right thing taking the mount away. I would actually suggest this for any 7" windshield-mounted device. A 7" void of forward viewing area in a vehicle is quite a lot, and can be more or less severe depending on the vehicle.

A GPS doesn't do much good in getting you to a destination if it's blocking a car that's pulling out in front of you. The best place I've found for small devices is as far left and low on the windshield as possible. (Low and right for those driving on the wrong side of the road )

That's my $.02, happy travels.

[BergerKing]

You didn't 'steal' the mount, you removed a threat to your nephew
and the public in general.

[bbqkid8]

I was gonna go bezerk if the OP were a teenager complaining that their parent took away their dashboard mount :P On that note, OP did the right thing. No doubt about it.

[kennyliu]

Whatever you think or do, don't let him find out you stole it.

[DAnklaud]

My 2 cents, "stealing" a distractive item that threatens your sons safety is ethically sound so long as you have reasonable doubt that he is incapable of self control on the road.

[Dim-Ize]

Prepare the child for the path - not the path for the child.

The best possible outcome is to work with your child all along (since childhood, way, way before he/she is a teenager) all the while during development so that you have the opportunity to help this young, maturing man to comprehend the ramifications and remove it himself vs. you stepping in and doing it for him. "Stealing" it isn't the right approach. Removing it is. As the heavy, you have the right to do so (remove it), but, that isn't where you begin.

Since earning the child's respect over years of parental involvement and investing tremendous parental energy and love, you should see this as yet another opportunity to teach and instruct instead of yanking it out. Again, maybe that is where you end up, but, if you lead him into the thought process correctly, I'm sure you can convince him to do the right thing and remove it himself.

That would be the safest, most effective outcome for him, his passengers, and other motorists. If he cannot make the decision for himself after you work together, time to step in and be the adult.

[Guyzer]

I think you should do what the crackberry nation decides what is best for your child as determined by the poll results

[Bla1ze]

They're obviously not responsible enough to use it properly, so therefore -- they should not have it.

[dabance]

Being a playbook user, i believe your son is reading this thread.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300

[glassofpinot]

But for the meanwhile, after my brother told me this story, as a responsible parent i took away the dashboard mount from my son.
Do you think i did the right thing?

Yes, but I like your text better than your thread title...
It's good parenting and not ethics.
It's good parenting and not stealing.

[kill_9]

The fact your teenage son would even be looking at a tablet while driving is cause for concern. Sit down your kid and explain statistics and probability theory make your son a candidate for an early death behind the wheel of a motor vehicle or the reason another person looses their life. Their only function when behind the wheel is to focus on the safe operation of the motor vehicle. If he balks, arrange a visit to the morgue to view the carnage of a motor vehicle collision involving the death of multiple teenagers. If that fails to scare him into reality, take away his driving privileges and his license.

[Toodeurep]

Your #1 priority is the safety of your loved ones. Mine is the safety of mine. I would prefer that all drivers focus on the roadway while driving, not for their safety, but for the safety of my loved ones. I say take it away.

[jordandrews90]

I think you should discuss it with him and take it away. But make sure he's not trying to use it without the mount, that would be even worse. As in holding it in one hand and driving with his knees while searching for a song. Hopefully removing the mount will remove the urge to use it while driving all together.

[kbz1960]

I don't think stealing it was a good idea maybe confiscating it would be better.

Kids lie about what they do and don't do. I did and am sure most everyone else has lied to their parents thru their teeth.

[Sith_Apprentice]

Ethically stealing is a no
But parental responsibility outweighs that any day of the week. Your job is to protect, pure and simple.

[homer1475]

Since when in history did parenting come down to what every one else would do and not what the parent thinks is right for his/her child?

Anything in the car that's a distraction is putting your own and others around them in serious danger. There's a reason why cell phones, GPS devices, and other handheld devices are prohibited from use when behind the wheel in many states.

Should the OP have "stole" the mount? Probably not, but he/she should sit down with their child and explain the dangers of using any device behind the wheel. Whether they take the mount or not, that will not stop them from using the device. At least with a mount the device isn't sliding around, and the driver isn't trying to stop it from sliding around all the time taking their eyes off the road.

[rickgainsmith]

"my nephew"

not

"my son"

did the wrong thing. Have you tried, convicted, and sentenced the correct person? As far as I can tell your son has done nothing wrong yet his being sentenced on what could happen.

Do we remove the keys on the possibility of him speeding?

Parenting is not easy, thankfully mine are only 4, 2 and 6 months! :-)