Campaign To Pay Sanitation Worker’s Court Fine
A campaign to collect money to pay the $2,000 fine for a sanitation worker who was convicted of slapping a teenage girl after she insulted him is underway.
Last week a Corporation of Hamilton trash truck worker who slapped a 16-year-old girl was fined $2,000 in Magistrates.Court.
The Royal Gazette reported that 43-year-old Michael Pond told the Court, “We were working and she walked across the back of the trash truck with her friends and said the ‘trash truck stinks and you stink.”
Mr Pond said he warned her to watch her mouth, and she continued to insult him, and at one point insulted his mother saying: “Your momma’s p**** stinks like the trash truck’.”
He was arrested shortly after the incident, and admitted the offence to police saying “I just lost it, these young people are too rude”. Following his conviction, Mr Pond lost his job with the Corporation of Hamilton.
A Facebook page “Let’s Help Mr. Pond” has been started by Erica Rance-Cariah and Janice Battersbee of the group ‘The Bermudians’. As of this writing the page has 7 members, and has apparently raised $300 so far.
The page says, “We are looking to get 200 people to contribute 10 dollars to repay Mr Pond for this fine that we all feel was unjust. We will be standing at the park at number 6 dock across from Freisenbruch Meyer Insurance on Wednesday from 2 pm until 4pm, look for the ladies wearing the Proud to Be Bermudian t-shirts.”
“Any money raised above that amount we will donate to assist Mr Pond as he looks for new employment. Let’s show what being Proud to be Bermudian really means! Anyone who can’t make it but wants to contribute can contact Janice Battersbee or myself.”
Janice Battersbee said, “I’m sure most, if not all of you have heard the story regarding Mr. Michael Pond, a Corporation of Hamilton worker, who was fined $2,000 for slapping a 16 year-old female who was verbally abusing him on June 23rd. Apparently, despite his warnings to her to stop, she spoke in an extremely derogotory fashion regarding Mr. Pond and his mother, causing him to finally slap her, thus causing her lip to bleed.”
“Now, I don’t know about all of you, but if my mother raised me today like how she did back then, she would have been put in prison. Her back-handed slaps across my mouth have made me the type of person I am today. We keep talking about how bad things have gotten today and that it “Takes a village to raise a child” but when someone has to supply the parental discipline and punishment that is due, we are penalized for it.”
“I am in total disagreement with the ruling in this matter. We must send a clear message to the children of our society that this behaviour will NOT be tolerated. They are living in a state of no fear….just stand at the bus station and watch their behaviour…in spite of the adults around them. And the adults do…….nothing.”
“I know not everyone is going to agree with me, but if you do, Erica and I will be waiting at No. 6 dock (next to the Veendam) in the little park tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday, July 27th between 2pm and 4pm. We are challenging 200 people to donate $10 each towards raising the funds to assist Mr. Pond in paying the fine.”
“Any funds over and above those received will assist him as he is now without a job. Please note that we are not taking up the issue of his being fired as we do not know all the conditions surrounding this…..but we ARE sending a message of unity that we will not put up with this.”
“I hope you will come out and show support,” concluded Ms Battersbee.
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Thank you Bernews. We are not encouraging people to go around smacking other peoples children. This case cannot be generalized as the comments made were extremely derogatory. My personal view is the wrong message was sent by prosecuting this case and it could have been handled outside of the courts. Mr Pond was the original victim as he was minding his business making an honest living. $2000 was in my opinion unjust justice as we have a case a few months back where a man who broke anothers jaw was given a discharge because he could afford a compensatory payment before the court appearance. We do not expect everyone to agree with our stance but those that do can make their contribution to assist with this fine.
I would encourage people to go around smacking other people’s children
! You can smack mine if they act-up. And if you get fined for smacking them, their allowance will go toward paying you back.
Maybe we need to name and shame the young girl. Help her to think twice next time. She didn’t go before the Courts so what about a public shaming. Point her out at Harbour Nights and Cup Match. Save the next man from having to go to court.
Just thinking
Maybe it’s time to use the Dunking Chair for real!
Erica,
I want to donate but doubtful that I can make it to #6 dock during that time. Is there an account I can send money to?
Thanks,
Terri
Woops, meant to have the name as HELP MR POND.. didn’t mean to make it look as though I were him
If you wish to donate by account number, you can use 010-200897-002. PLEASE write your name with Mr. Pond’s name so that I can accurately account for the funds.
Thank you Terri
Janice Battersbee
Or she should spend a day doing his job. Maybe then she could learn some respect for Bermuda’s sanitation workers!
What happened to parents being held accountable for their children? In my opinion they fined the wrong person. They should have fined the girl and her parents, holding then accountable for her actions. It’s a disgrace how someone with money gets off because he can pay out of court while someone who is working hard to earn honest money and not illegal money is made to pay for it! I personally wouldn’t have slapped her but would have had her arrested for verbal abuse and let her be the one paying out money in court.
Amen!!!
And that’s the root of it right there. Because this guy is a person of colour with limited means, the law is apparently more applicable to him, than to a white well-heeled expat. And I don’t think a single slap is the same thing as violence…Mr. Pond actually owned up to his actions, and didn’t try to weasel out of his responsibility. He knew he did something wrong, and didn’t try to hide from it. No one is condoning violence, and he certainly deserved some punishment under the law, but why didn’t he get a conditional discharge, too? When I was a kid, boys were told not to hit ladies. This foul-mouthed aggressor was NO lady. We aren’t raising our children to be responsible adults anymore, and when all of a sudden there are consequences to their actions, they’re surprised???? We MUST start raising our BOYS to be MEN, and our GIRLS to be LADIES. Being a woman is something that happens when you get older. Being a lady is something that your momma taught you.
I’ve also heard the bleating on about ‘she comes from a respectable family’. For me, the measure of how well a parent has done with raising their child is how they behave when Mom and Dad aren’t watching. THAT’s the true measure of integrity and good upbringing. Most kids toe the line when they know Mom will see.
And one more thing-do you think it’s okay for a female to hide behind the shield of ‘women don’t get licks’ and provoke a man, verbally abuse him, knowing that male-to-female assault (for lack of a better word) is SO much more punishable in a court of law? I know some men who are victimized by the women they’re with, it really happens more than you think. Just some food for thought.
Ladies, I will see you this afternoon with cash in hand. I am VERY proud to be Bermudian when I see people like you.
you had to go there. please spare us of your ignorance.
@ Mama Mia: Not sure to whom you are referring, but I agree with FedUp Bermudian. Provocation is wrong and verbal abuse can be more damaging than physical abuse. I do not condone abuse of any sort.
I am saddened by what is happening in our community, but the harbingers have been there to see for quite some time. Children do what they see, not what they are told. So many of our children are being parented by the television, it is no wonder they have a warped view of what is acceptable behavior. In addition, we have a a number of adults who do not believe rules and laws apply to them, and who are teaching their children the same viewpoint. I have viewed this first hand, have attempted to remonstrate and been ignored. I guess I should be glad I was not verbally abused.
Actually the unjust sentence was the sentence of conditional discharge that the expat got for sucker punching a guy and breaking his jaw. You should have been out protesting that. Regardless of their intent we have two women essentially advocating violence against a woman. We teach our children not to use violence, to walk away. We should expect better of an adult. This guy had no right to physically assault this young woman. Just because he warned her gave him no right to split her lip. Should the girl have been more polite, not mouthing off and throwing insults? Sure. But last time I checked being disrespectful was not against the law.
Mark I agree with you about not slapping her, but Mr. Pond grew up in the old school where you would be held accountable for your actions. Also what the articles are failing to realize this little girl was harrassing him for at least 15/20 mins. It was after she started direspecting his mom is when he slapped her. How dare that little B**** say those horrible things about a person’s mother and expect no consequences for her actions. I personally blame her parents because obviously they condone this type of behaviour. And what is so funny the little girls mom is the type not to take no crap either so what if this was the other way around and Mr. Pond’s son or daughter was disrespecting her… I rest my case
Maybe being disrespectful isn’t, but I do believe using foul language in public is. If nothing else, Little Miss Potty Mouth should be fined for that. $2000 seems fair…I am sure that the guy had no intent to split her lip; I bet you that if there hadn’t been any blood, he’d have gotten off more lightly. I understand that he’s the adult, should have known better, etc.- he doesn’t seem to deny that himself. I think what these two women are advocating isn’t at all violence against women. They are in my view sending two very important messages:
1. If you own up to the truth and ‘own’ your actions, it’s always the right thing to do. And the community will support you in that.
2. Bermuda will no longer tolerate these behaviours from our youth. We want our manners back. We want ‘Good morning’ to mean just that, a genuine wish of kindness and good will- rather than ‘I ain’t gonna even look at you until you ‘respact’ me and say ‘Good Morning’. We want to be known as friendly, polite, maybe even a little old-fashioned sort of people, and the ‘f’ word (and all the others like it) can go back into the shadows. I’m personally sick of it being the Visa card of the English language, everywhere you want it to be. Educated friends of me will f-bomb an entire conversation…not a sentence can be uttered without its use. I digress- these ladies are showing that we’ve had enough. Bermuda was a better place even only ten years ago, and we don’t just WANT it back, we’re TAKING it back.
And one last thing- you notice that Potty Mouth or her very solid family hasn’t said a peep in the media…how come? If she was indeed so terribly wronged. Silence speaks volumes. After all, she ‘won’ in court…why won’t she come forward? Mr. Pond has owned up to his actions, what about her part in this?
ok mark so maybe i should tell you that ya mommas p***888 stinks like a trash truck and see how that goes over with you ( the fact is that its not a nice thing to say and i dont even feel right typing it let alone saying it )
they are not advocating violence against women …they are advocating against rude a$$ children …there is a difference
sure we teach our children not to use violence but we should also be teaching our children manners and respect
true he had no right to put his hands on her in any way but if its not done @ home ( and i am not saying she should be beat at home eitha ) than it WILL be done outside of the home
in light of what is going on in our island today she should be very thankful that it was only a slap ……ppl have been shot for standing on the next persons brand new nikes!!
by the way i am female ….with children and a survivor of abuse ……a survivor and not a victim because i allowed it to happen
p.s. had it been my child she would have had a bust lip and a very sore behind….wanna act grown than take a grown beat down……being a female doesnt give them the right to act the fool (part of the problem)
if the insult dont bother you than good for you …you are an exceptional adult yay for you …lets see how much you are an adult when the disrespect is directly in your face…..and wont go away…we all have our limits
feel free to comment as i turn my computer off after i comment anyways as i have other things to do…..like making sure MY children arent being a menace to society…….SMDH
@ ya joking right? Very well said… Couldn’t have said it better myself…
@erica if they didnt prosecute this case the message they’d be sending is “she offended him so she got what she deserved” Law is Law, if you keep that mentality, then you might as well say the gang members killing each other are justified because they were being disrespected by rival gang members. and i know thats a pretty extreme case but its the same principal, the law is no place for emotions an d thats always been hard for people to accept. The guy knew he was wrong, he took the law into his own hands and accepted the consequences.
honestly, there’s only so much blame you can put on the parents, cuz im pretty sure shes little miss angel when shes at home. and what would the offence be if they DID Fine the girl?? being mean in public?
either way… i think the community could come up with a better way to use 2,000.
Point taken…then BOTH parties should have been in court. And as for we must prosecute everything there are MANY cases that should go to court that do not. I am a bit emotional as I have on a number of occassions been cussed at by children with no respect: one example was I watched a school girl throw her trash on the ground. I said excuse me sweety you dropped something in the nicest most repectful way and she told me to mind my effing bussiness and who was I to effing tell her to pick up her trash. There are many adults who would have walked by and let her just throw the trash but I love my Country too much to not resort to the Village to Raise a child theory. It worked when I was growing up. There should have been 2 messages sent by the courts if we are worried about sending messages…one that Mr Pond accepted and the other to all of the young children and their parents who are their legal guardians that they owe the public a level of respect. If you have no idea what I am referring to just walk around town, the beaches and everywhere else and listen with your ears and watch with your eyes. It saddens me how many young people really don’t respect others. I have 3 sons and I promise you they would be collecting trash for the rest of the summer to say the least if they EVER spoke to an adult in this manner…
@erica
i agree. i overheard 2 school boys in uniform the other day (couldnt have been even 14) talking about how hungover they were in class. really? i was driving behind a bus the other day and young kid threw something out the window and it cracked my windshield. you better believe that if i hadnt stopped, and i could have gotten my hand on that child he would have gotten a smack too. the youth today have no resepect. it starts with the parents. i was raised by the old school system and let me tell you, i am always polite to everyone. young and old (unless you disrespect me) but especially to my elders. if i had done that to mr pond, came home crying to my mom and dad, they would have said i got what i deserved and probably gotten another one for crying. ill donate at least a $20 for this man (no, violence is not the answer, but i really doubt that he meant to make her bleed.) i hope she was told to go outside and cut off a branch for her mum or dad to give her licks with. thats what works.
@abaya, This is the offence she committed
section 11(e) of the Summary Offences Act 1926, to which it states:
“Any person who, in any public place (e) uses any threatening, abusive, INSULTING or OFFENSIVE words, gestures or behaviour; commits an offence against this act.
wow theres really a law for that???
but thank you i didnt know.
@erica yea i agree with everything you’re saying. if it was my daughter she would be riding the trash truck to school every morning
if that is the law, then they may as well build prison bars around the circumference of the island. Being insulting and offensive is the country’s motto.
LOL exactly!
That’s good to know. So anyone who knows her name should file a complaint so SHE CAN BE CHARGED and her nasty, rude self deserves. Actually I still think the best punishment for her should be making her ride on the back of a trash truck for 2 weeks.
@ OTS
Thank you for that piece of information.
I have been fuming because in my opinion, that young girl committed an offence against humanity, even if what she did might not have been against the law. Glad to know it is against the law, and the DPP should be petitioned to charge her. I agree that her sentence should be to ride in the trash truck for at least a week. Mr. Pond’s sentence seemed excessive and than for him to lose his job too. Wrong message!!!
Let me be clear, Mr. Pond was wrong to slap her, as he admitted. He deserved a consequence, however, $2000 and to lose his job seems over the top. The girl should also be charged since she committed an offense too.
This girls actions were completely deserving of a slap. However, that being said, it is still against the law and morally incompetant to physically assault a person, no matter what the context. Also, as a grown man, he has had many years to learn the art of self restraint. Therefore this man is now paying the consequences of his actions. I find it quite sad that we have two women openly advocating violence of any kind, let alone that towards an underage female.
This is not violence this is community parenting. Violence wouldve been him beating her up. This little brat got what she deserved. You ppl make me laugh. Always tryna say this is violent and such but let this be you or your child that gets harrassed. Lets see if you can restrain yourself when it hits home. The problem is ppl with the mentality like you. Thinking no one should correct another person’s child that has led to the guise of it being child abuse. Thats why these kids are the way they are. When we had coporal punishment in school we feared our teachers and principals. Now these youths cuss them out and tell them you cant touch me or I would call my momma or daddy and then the parents come to the school wanting to fight the teacher because of THEIR child’s bad behaviour. It really sickens me. And im not saying take matters of the law into your own hands, but this is not a gun crime or a crime of malice. This is simply putting someone in their place.
Since when is slapping a 16 year old in the face considered “correcting another person’s child”. You sure can’t go slap your boss if he/she says something you don’t like so why is it okay for a grown adult to go around disciplining other peoples children? I wish someone would slap my child(if I had one) in the face and call it “discipline”. You are correct you older folks had corporal punishment but did any of your teachers slap you in the face and bust your lip? You older folks are also the ones who raised this generation. I think some of you forget that. Some of the first people to talk about someone elses child have bad kids themselves.
you said it…
here, here. it definitely sickens me to see two women advocating violence against a young woman. No one deserves to be slapped, and have a bust lip. And if her words were so offensive, the trash truck driver could have reported it, and had his truck mates as witnesses.
this is ridiculous.
and come on. stop throwing around “justice” like you know what it means. Justice was served. It may not have been in the expat case, but rally against that, not this.
You lot are twisted.
No sweetheart, lets not sound so ignorant. Violence is any form of physical abuse, whether it is a slap or full out fight. So YES it was violence.In a civilised community we have to learn how to behave and conduct ourselves no matter what the situation is REGARDLESS of being provoked or harassed verbally. We are not at liberty to choose who or what is punished and what is not. The case with the other gentleman who punched another man SICKENS me and just goes to show the judicial system is extremely messed up. However that does not change the fact this man should be punished for his actions. For example, we feel as though a child who beats up or hurts another child is a bully and should be punished, SELDOM do we even reseach why this person acted the way they did (i.e whether or not they were provoked, what was said or done to cause the retaliation etc) so why is it so focused on in this case? As I said, whatever this child, is by no means an excuse to hit her.
$2,000 AND losing job is a littl bit much you think?
why did MR,Pond loose his job ? surely th uninon or a good lawyer can help him.
since when is a smack in the mouth to a rude child violence towards women? its called community service (he did a service to the cummunity as im pretty sure she is going to think twice about saying that crap to another person, especially her elder) each case needs to be looked at individually. people are comparing this to breaking a mans jaw. this is nothing like that.
Who is the little girl n ill slap her myself… And her mamma, and her daddy and all her friends she was with.
Mr. Pond was wrong! And indeed should have been fined. How can we condemn the violence that is running rampant in our society on one hand and condone his actions because some brat insulted him. We cannot have it both ways! He is the adult and should have shown much more restraint and maturity in this matter. As for Erica, tell me when violence in any form is justified against another. This is the reason why we have laws and the BPS to inforce them. So while we are all in agreement that the young lady was out of order, so was Mr. Pond and the greater offence was his. I for one will not be supporting any call to pay his fine, as this will send a wrong message, far worse that the original action.
I agree Mr. Pond hitting her was a bit out of order but this little girl had it coming. I know me as young girl would not even dare to say some disgusting words like that to someone. That is just out of line and disrespectful. This little brat deserved a slap. I know if that was me my mother would have gave me a second slap for embarrassing her in such a manner. If he would have left that little brat alone she would have bragged to her lil friends about how she “told off” the trash man but instead he put her in her place. I bet she won’t be bragging about that! LITTLE BRAT!
Where does it stop then? The husband saying my wife deserved a slap b/c she didn’t have dinner ready on time or she spoke back to me or she had an affair. And who decides the punishment? Did she “deserve” a small slap? Or a switch? Or a belt? Or a punch? Or a stab? Problem with vigilante justice is: who says what is an offense, who says how tough the response should be, etc…
We have a legal system that’s supposed to dictate these things. What Mr. Pond did is called assault and punishable by a fine and/or jail time. What the girl did is act like an a** which is not criminal.
The fact that our legal system farms out sentences in a disproportionate manner as regards race, economic means, class, etc. still doens’t mean that people can do whatever they want.
You say if he had left her alone she would have been bragging about it? Bet you she’s bragging that she got him fired and a $2k fine…
I wonder if the outcry would be the same if it was a student that was rude to a teacher an the teacher slapped the student for saying the same things.
I think the young girl that insulted Mr. Pond, should pay all of his fine, she deserved that slap, I would have done the same, she would not like if the tables were turned….
These “spolied rotten teens” now a days get away with anything and everything, and they think life is easy, well the real world hasn’t hit them yet…
i think the real world did hit her. lol and i bet she wasnt too pleased!
The Girl deserved it, but he still had no right to hit her. And raising money to pay his fine?? That’s like condoning him hitting her; they were both in the wrong.
I mean if it was your child that got hit by a stranger; I guarantee you wouldn’t be paying his fine.
Maybe he should have thrown a bag of trash at her instead?
*shrug*
The teachers strap students with belts and rulers so what’s ur point?! Rude ass kids shud get slapped more often.
MY POINT IS WOULD YOU BE IN HERE SUPPORTING THE TEACHER THE SAME WAY ?
I would!
What are you all talking about that doesnt happen in schools anymore. The security guards in these schools cant even put their hands on students and if they do they are in risk of losing their jobs. Which is the problem now a days there is no consequences for bad behaviour thats why the children of today are so rude and disrespectful.
She luck she only got a bust lip. And he got fired! I wuda bust that lil girls a**
@ hold up – shrew her a** in de stinky trash compacta ahhaah
One thing I wud have loved to see that… Lol stupid girl that’s what she gets
Conversation:
Girl: Ewww, dat trash truck stinks.
Man: It smells like your p$#sy.
Girl: It smells like your mother’s $#ssy.
This is the conversation that may have ACTUALLY happened.
Comments??
@ J – still don’t matta bra…16 yr old youts still shouldn’t seh dat sh*t. real talk. specially bout ya momma!
May have? Is that what we’re doing?
Do you have ANY sort of evidence of this?
Why wasn’t this girl prosecuted too?
There are the following offences under the summary offences act:
uses any threatening, abusive, insulting or offensive words, gestures or behaviour;
behaves in a riotous, offensive or indecent manner;
by loitering or standing or any obstructive behaviour, wilfully obstructs or seeks to obstruct passengers, or without lawful authority hinders or seeks to hinder any lawful activity
punishable by max 6 months imprisonment or $2,280 fine or both.
To prosecute one guilty party and not the other is unjust
That would be “Hearsay” unless whitnessed by a Police Officer. End of story.
This isn’t violence against women … it’s CORRECTION of an insolent child. Mr. Pond has daughters of his own … and he most certainly wouldn’t hit a woman. This is a man who has the UTMOST respect and admiration for his mother. That trash talking young girl deserved the slap that she got. I wish her parents would march her around to COH and make her apologize to all of the sanitation workers, beg for Mr. Pond to be reinstated and then put her behind on the back of a trash truck for a week. She should have been mine!!!
Hello, I just find this story so touching and funny. It really lights up my day, knowing some stupid little tard got a good slap. Ahhhhh it is refreshing! Actual justice! I commend that man for standing up for his rights!
it is a really dark day in bermuda when a copius amount of adults think a child deserved to get hit by an adult…
But they would be the same ones whining about the violence being out of control in Bermuda.
Mr. Pond admitted that he was wrong….BUT I disagree with the fine that he has received…WHY and we have the right to ask is WHY was he fined so much??? How come he did not receive a Conditional Discharge like the gentleman that BROKE and I repeat BROKE another mans’ jaw? why the INCONSISTENCY in sentencing.. In reading articles of late I am convinced that sentences metted out depend on “luck of the draw” or how the Magistrate is feeling that day.
I work in the school system and little girl in question knows for a fact that at school you might get in a little “tissy” with a peer and you may go back and forth, tit for tat but the minute you say “your mama” the spat gets taken to a whole new level. Now don’t get me wrong..yes you are entitled to say whatever and act however you want but with those actions come consequences.. I have had a student tell me that she has a brother who could come to school and put two holes in my head (with a gun) because she did not like how I had disciplined her..and yes I felt like
F*(&(NG the B(&cH right up, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her lil A** through the halls..but if I had done that I would have been looked at as being the adult and told that I should have walked away!!!! How much are we expected to take from these little brats (a lot of them are)..talking to them doesn’t work (case in point)and if we don’t get a handle on the situation it will continue to spread like a disease until we find a cure!!!!!
I don’t feel that donating to the cause is condoning Mr. Ponds actions at all. It’s just the Bermudian thing to pull together in a time of need..and my advice to all the naysayers if you don’t want to donate then don’t! plain and simple! As they say “if you don’t like whats on TV, than change the channel!!”
Of course I wud support the teacher! A child that says those things shud get a slap and leave the school n never be able to go back.
For all you commenters….I was there when the incident happened…..she did not say it directly to Mr. Pond…she made a comment to her friends that the truck stinks..not a crime since the last i checked…he must have taken it offense and turned and told her she stinks…if my mind serves me correctly…it was two man on the back of the truck…only one was offended…seems as though someone was having a bad night……words were exchanged not so nice on both sides….and that is when the comment was hurled at Mr. Pond…Mr. Pond even attempted to wrestle with a male gentleman that tried to stop the incident at the time……..the newspaper painted a pretty picture of tarnishing this young lady’s character…..and you all fed into it….SMH
Very interesting. Amazing with all the gun violence and violence in general going around, a lot of the time stemming from verbal arguments and people are trying to help a grown man pay a fine for pimp slapping a 16 year old girl over words. He should have continued on with his job and ignored her. No matter how vile it was, if she said it that doesn’t give anyone to right to physically assault someone.
Well again her limitations have been set. She pushed buttons. She played froggie…
It’d be nice if you came forward, as yourself, and testified to this.
Hiding behind a pseudonym kinda throws your whole account, and your motives, into question.
Little brat deserved it. I have been talked to in a similar manner by a group of disrespectful little f*ckers. They have no respect for anyone, and think they can do/say what they want without consequence. They learn it from their parents.
This is the problem of my Bermuda today.
Your being disrespectful with your profanity….guess thats ok…priceless….
There is no excuse for an adult to assault a child, regardless of what they said. This is why adults are in charge, not children. Ignore the rude little child, treat them as children and continue to work hard. Set an example. There is no excuse for violence. Supporting this is showing that violence is the right approach to take during an argument.
I agree Karen.
yup, the adult had the upper hand, he could have taught her a valuable lesson by using the right words, instead of slapping like an infantile juvenile would…..mightier than the sword….
thats the problem. these children dont take that as a valuable lesson. if he ignored her, shes gonna think she can keep doing it. then she does it to the wrong person and gets really assaulted, beat up. maybe after a good little slap in her foul mouth she will realise that she cannot go around saying that. you cannot compare this to acts of violence, rather an old school method (tried and proven) to work. thanks you very much.
Your type of mindset is exactly why some these youth think they are invincible. Child abuse is not tolerable, I agree. But when you are in the wrong, a good old fashioned smack will make you learn. That is not violence, but rather teaching you consequences to your actions (the old school way). The youth know they cannot be touched, thats why they constantly ride the line.
@joonya… I agree with you that a “good old fashioned smack” is fine but only when it’s coming from a PARENT. Yes, she probably needed one but it wasn’t up to Mr. Pond to decide that. He’s an adult and he should have known better. I bet if anyone did that to one of his daughrers he most definitely have something to say about it.
Seems she did not know her limitations…..she knows NOW! Thank you Mr. Pond. Because who knows …’If she would have gotten away with this she would have taken it up a notch with someone else. Then who knows, it could be worse. We can rest assured that this young lady will indeed think twice before effin’ someone off but definitely talking about somebody’s momma! LOL!
**LIKE**
Who does this LITTLE, I REPEAT LITTLE GIRL think she is?
Good for you sir. You should have slapped her twice.
I hope her parents have enough brains to do something about this.
A little community service work for this LITTLE GIRL, should
be given to her and make it the dirtiest service work there is.
AGAIN, GOOD FOR YOU SIR FOR SLAPPING THAT LITTLE 16 YEAR OLD BABY.
Southampton here.
GROWN FOLKS 101:.I just have to smile at all the vile comments that are being said coming from you Grown Folks. Are you all serious?? Are you for real??? The venom that is being spewed from you Grown Folks mouth….you all ought to be ashamed of yourself….you are setting no example for the young lady with your comments. The deragatory comments are futile to the situation….and is sending a good lesson to all the Bermudians(teenagers included) who are vieweing these comments….. that this is how you SPEAK and BEHAVE when you have an opinion you feel passionate about…with a filthy mouth and violence. BRAVO grown folks!!! BRAVO!!! I pray to the heavens that the mentally of the Grown folks is changed soon. To many of them have the “DO AS I SAY” and “NOT AS I DO” syndrome. If this arrogant mentality continues there will be more chickens coming home to rouse.
Are you kidding me pay for his fine. Some people dont have enough to do. Ladies instead of wasting your time with this why dont you help with children that are hungry or school uniforns mothers cant afford.
He had no right to hit her pay you own fine and learn a lesson. Even children know keep your hands and feet to your self
No they don’t, otherwise we wouldn’t have a problem with these young ones. If you respond to their verbal taunts, they will get physically violent because they see bothers and cousins and friends doing it and getting away with it. Somehow they all think it’s cool to be disrespectful, violent little miscreants these days.
no child deserves violence. if this is the village in “it takes a village” then i’d rather live in the city. Wow people. just Wow.
Grown Folk, it is refreshing to hear from a civilized person and a sound mind….
Did u testify in court?!!… If not as far as I’m concerned ur a liar. Anyone can say they were there.
And he shud have slaPped u for standing around watching lol.
This aint no damn village. Raise ur own damn kids properly n they won’t be getiin slapped.
Let me tell you all a little story…. one evening while driving with my kids we passed a sanitation truck who had its workers collecting trash. One of my daughters made a comment about the workers. I quickly corrected my daughter and explained that if we didnt have people that were kind enough to go around and pick up OUR trash then we would have to do it ourselves. I also explained to her that thier job was actually more important than mine(i am an insurance professional) as if they stopped working we would suffer as trash would pile up and become unsightly. after our brief conversation she at least had a better respect for our sanitation workers. I beleive the mis-education of our youth is the core of the problems we have today. I have the honor of knowing Mr Pond personally and i can say that he is a stand-up guy and knowing how he views his mom can understand why he acted the way he did whether it was right or wrong. We must remember that the tounge is sharper than any sword and cuts deeper. If this young person was taught the lessons of respect and even integrity she would have known that those words not only hurt the persons feelings but also embarrassed herself and her family and believe it or not committed an offence (which one of the previous writers eluded to). i end by encouraging all parents to convey to their children the importance of respecting others as we do not know what our future holds. This young lady may one day hold a similar career coice and im sure she would be offended if while trying to do her duties someone came along and demeaned her.
sorry for the speelling errors… no spell check on these posts…lol
Child abuse r u ppl serz! He shud have put a trash can over her head n pushed he dwn the street. Now THAT wuda been hilarious! Lol
He didn’t slap her for nothing. You ppl need to stop trying to raise your kids as your equals and your friends it would help when you send them out into public. Not everyone is gonna except a child beind disresepctful. I wonder if it was someone’s granny that slapped her would it have made it better. It makes me angry to no that in 2011 we are going to allow kids to be disrespectful. She probably beats up on her own mama wouldnt suprise me! You dont have to kill em. discipline is a must. Time out is not discipline.
Maybe he your daddy….makes perfect sense (VIOLENT SEXY thing your are)….but illeriate …..next time get a dictionary and help assist with the spelling….than you be the GUY…..
“Illeriate”…love it……Just imagine..you can be sick and……at the same time. bwahaaaa
your are? illeriate? HUH? i need a dictionary for that!….lol
love it when ppl come on here and are rude (especially about grammer and spelling) and half of what they wrote you need a thesaurus for…this is funny!!
Hehehehe!! @ Whoa Nelly I thought the same thing….
Two wrongs don’t make a right. She verbally abused him, he slapped her so hard she had a bust lip.
Why should his fine be paid?
I’d expect to go to jail if I assaulted a teenager (regardless of what he/ she said).
And that’s just the problem right there with our young people. They have come to the conclusion that they are invinsible and can do what they want, say what they want under the guise that I am a child. No no no, be aware that when a child steps into adult behavior, they must be prepared to handle adult consequences period!!!! She along with many other teenagers are extremely inappropriate every day. You should walk through the corridors of a school or in hamilton afetr school and hear the language and rudeness that comes out of our children’s mouths.
This is exactly what happens when we create a society where children begin to rule and our courts and parents keep tapping them lightly on their hands . . . someone who may have a lot on their plate gets tired and hits back!!!!!!!!!
does anyone else think the extremely hot weather may have played a part? i know its made my temper shorter when i’ve spent a few hours in this inferno that is our summer. i think we should all sympathize with a man who not only has to pick up trash day after day all day (imagine how much worse the trash smells after spending the day rotting in the sun) but has to do it in a steaming sauna wearing work clothes. and here comes rude lil miss nasty mouth with her totally uncalled for comments. would you have been able to hold back? answer after you have spent the hottest part of the day outside with no a/c picking up other peoples rotted garbage. don’t judge this man til you have spent a day in his shoes.
btw – i don’t condone the slap – i would have emptied a bag of trash on her and said ‘now you stink too’ after her initial comments. but if she insulted my mother, well she would’ve probably been thrown into the trash truck. i love my mom.
Bernews do us all a favor and contact the Dept of National Security. Talk to someone in the Immigration Section. Ask what a Natural Justice letter is.
If this little girl is dependent of a work permit holder, the main work permit holder, lets just say her father who’s making 6 figures can be sent a Natural Justice Letter. It informs the main holder to explain with in 14 days, why the Minister of Immigration (Kim Wilson) should not tell you pack your bags and leave Bda because your child is a problem.
From what I understand their is something called character and conduct were if you break this the Minister can tell any work permit holder to leave Bda.
It’s simple the main work permit holder is responsible for himself and his dependents while in Bda. Go work, go home, enjoy the Island and don’t cause problems. I do it everyday it’s easy.
If you are on a Work Permit, yes Bermuda does need you. Work permits holders are in fact the main group contributing to the $$$$$$ in bars restaurants in Bermuda. You keep the economy and night life moving. Lets not forget the rent.
In the end Bermuda already has it’s own locals causing problems and we all know don’t need any rude expats or their kids contributing to this Bull %$#t that’s happening in my home I call Bermuda!!!!
I love Bermuda and every time I travel it helps me realize I live in a wonder Island despite it’s short falls.
When I travel to the USA I don’t cause problems because I know I’ll be deported back and place on the Stop list for 10 years.
Thats just stupid! We all know this was an ignorant, spoiled little Bermudian brat. I’ll bet my house on it.
i get the feeling you posted this a) because you want to start some controversy about bdns vs expat children on this forum or b) you want bdns to know about the natural justice letter which I personally doubt will ever be used to deport an expat and their family because their child was rude.
if you read the previous posts, it is indicated that the girl and her mother are locals by people who know them.
get a life.
hmmm I contacted the Department of Immigration today. What’s real funny is that every thing stated above in reference to the natural justice letter is correct. From what I was told even an Expat can write in against another expat if their having a problem with them under character and conduct.
So instead of you guys bashing the information highway from the person above contact Immigration. The truth will hurt you.
Interesting turn of events.
This incident (a rude ,mouthy child) is not uncommon at all .. just walk the streets of town when school gets out . The profanity coming from our ‘little angels’ is just incredible. And it’s been happening for years .
Why the outrage at this incident ?
Now here’s another angle .. summer is here and school is out .. How many of the commentators here are aware of all the incidents of trespassing that go on islandwide for the next few months ?
For years I have known of horror stories where people find gangs of children ,mostly under 15 years old , using their docks and shoreline property as their own ! I even know people who have had these childen in their swimming pools and hot tubs. When told to leave the children perform in a way that makes the girl who is the topic of this thread look like a saint. They deliberately destroy property and leave trash despite being told to clean it up. It’s all intentional. They know that they’ll long be gone if the police ever show up and the home owners don’t know their identities.
Now that’s the kind of behaviour that deserves some real licks .
@bermyboy
Children are legally strapped and belted in our schools day in day out.
LMAO… Her rude ass I bet ‘WON”T perform this kind of behavior again’. You see she did not know any better because she did not know her limitation…..’she knows it now!’ Parents set limitations for your kids. If you don’t teach them …”SOMEONE ELSE WILL” TRUST ME!!!
Sad to say it, but we all created this mess. Every time we turned a blind eye to an act of lawlessness ( from children or adults) we allowed our standard of living to slip a lil more. How can children be expected to respect strangers in the street, when at home they have no respect for the parent/parents/guardian they are raised by. Everyday we are confronted by the disrespect in society, but how do we make it right again?
I admire what has been done in support of Mr. Pond,(I place myself in his shoes). I hope that this may start the movement in the island that we all so desperately need to see. A movement where every person living in the island actually cares what goes on around them and the people who help make up our little island home. A little RESPECT goes along way.
I wonder what the verdict would have been if you would have been the judge and she would have addressed him the same way?!
Liberal Judges are to a part responsible for todays failed Society.
I look at it this way; I wish he could have been a bigger man and ignored it, but I’ve heard what kids say to sanitation workers and it’s so disrespectful! I spent the first 9 years of my life in the southern United States and (I am in my twenties) if a child misbehaved and if your parent was not around your neighbor, friend’s parents, church member, or even someone at the grocery store would discipline you, whether by words or a smack. I am not condoning Mr. Pond’s actions, but that does not (to me) constitute violence against women. The “child” was 16 and therefore accountable for her vile actions. The discipline Mr. Pond administered in front of the girl’s friends proved to show her that one cannot speak to another person in such a way. It’s sad children/adults have a lack of respect toward one another, and it’s a shame this young lady has such terrible manners. This would not have been an issue years ago; without discipline people are so rude.
The good news – apparently they collected enough money to make a serious dent in his fine.
corporation of Hamilton is dead wrong for firing the man. I applaud him for slapping that child, cause I would have punched her teeth out. It is clearly evident her parents neglected to cut her a** when needed. No charges should be pressed, nor should he have even been dragged into a court room. Her parents should have been made responsible for her actions and they should have been fined for offensive words beind said loudly in a public setting.
That little girl ought to count her blessings that all he did was slap her.
Well all said and done,what if it was a female coporation worker that busted her chops?Would it make it less deplorable? JUST WONDERING…