Michael Pond Receives $2,754 Donation
[Updated with video] This afternoon [Aug.5] former Corporation of Hamilton sanitation worker Michael Pond received donations totaling $2,754 to pay his court fine and assist him while he looks for new employment. Over 100 people donated when Mr Pond was fined $2,000 after slapping a teenage girl.
The check to pay the fine was made payable to the Accountant General, and the other to Mr Pond for compensation. The total amount of $2,754 was received from 115 people and one company.
Mr Pond read a short prepared statement: “Let me begin by saying thank you for the very generous gift, and more thanks for your compassion for my situation. I must admit that I was shocked and overwhelmed when you first contacted me with your intentions of assisting with the payment of my fine.”
“I am grateful for all the work the two of you have put into assisting me. I am equally grateful to the Bermudian public and the people from the US, Australia and other countries for their support and financial giving. It is said that a thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but also the parent of all other virtues.”
“Your organization should be applauded for taking a stand as it relates to the plight of our youth, and the morals, values, standards and plight of our home Bermuda. Thank you, two small words to convey the infinite feelings in my heart. I wish many blessings for the two of you and your organisation,” concluded Mr Pond.
A movement to raise the funds for his fine was started last month by Erica Rance-Cariah and Janice Battersbee of the group ‘The Bermudians’, and culminated with today’s presentation.
Donations continued to come in after people had been advised $2000 goal had been reached, with members of the public saying that they wanted to contribute anyway.
While working for the Corporation of Hamilton on a trash truck, Michael Pond slapped a 16-year-old girl who insulted him, and was fined $2,000 in Magistrates.Court.
Mr Pond, 43, 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.
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Now if the COH will revisit it’s position on dissmissing Mr. Pond!
Judging by the level of public support, the very same support that the COH was trying to enlist with it’s PR efforts from last year, the COH would be well advised to do an about face.
I agree! Let’s do the right thing CoH!
If you all really believe he is innocent of all of this, you are all fools… I know people who were there, and if their story is correct then the conversation allegedly went like this:
Girl: Ewww. That trash truck stinks.
Man: It smells like your p%ssy.
Girl: It smells like your mother’s p#@sy.
Public reaction: Let’s give him thousands of dollars. SMH
Sure sure sure. Say it on here but do not come forward to either police or court and say anything. RIGHT!! Your statement above is such a lie. Until you actually do something with your statement, then your convo is falling on deaf ears.
I agree with you. If what J says is true then why the hell didn’t anyone come forward.
Well done ladies!!
I am confused as to what is right or wrong:
1) Girl shouts obscentity to Sanitation Worker – Wrong
2) Sanitation Worker slaps Girl – Wrong
3) Judge could have(but didn’t) sentenced Sanitation Worker with Conditional Discharge (like the Bar Sucker Punch Guy) – Wrong
4) Monies are being raised for a Grown Man who slaps a Teenaged Girl – Wrong (Women’s Resource Centre where are you on this?)
What part of this is Right?
Ok we know which parts are right and which parts arent but at the same time all people are trying to do is help this man in his time of need. No one condones what he did but at the same time many feel that it was not necessary for him to be fired along with having to pay a fine. Sometimes people just need to look at if it were them in this position and they had been fired and made to pay a fine, how would they feel?
How is one wrong better than the other, what he did was just as wrong as what the young lady did, or worse even.
He maybe shouldn’t have hit her, but I bet her rude ass would not disrespect a hard working adult again. In this case, two wrongs actually made a right…
If this “young lady” (lightly) did this to any member of your family then,,,
- Man gets tired of 16 year-old CHILD insulting him and warns her – RIGHT
- Warning doesn’t work, man disciplines the CHILD – RIGHT
- Man loses his job – WTF?
- Man could have gotten locked up but was only fined – RIGHT
The child should have went home and caught an @$$ whooping from her parents after that. I would have.
-Man should have ignored her and continued working
-She wasn’t his child to be “disciplining” in the first place
-Man assaults someone on the job=fired
-Man should have been locked up for assault
Completely agree notorious
what happened to “it takes a village”
In old Bermuda, the police, the neighbor, the parents adn everyone else on the street would have given this child a whoop azz! My my, how far the mighty have fallin.
umm the girl was rude. she was young. he is a grown man and committed a crime (assault) and now the public is helping him pay? he won’t get a dime from me.
i TOTALLY agree with you, MinorMatters
Notorious and A Bermudian you 2 share the same brain. you couldnt be an old bermudian if you dont see that this lil brat deserved what she got. Honestly you people who think he shouldnt have touched the girl please put yourself in his shoes, only until then will you understand y he done it. Until then shut the f*** up and go about ya business cause its parents like you that makes these kids believe they can do what ever they want without thinking of the consequences
No how about you put yourself in the situation, how about if this GROWN MAN slapped your daughter in the face. I’m sure you wouldn’t have the same opinion YYY. You people are ridiculous you all are telling kids its ok to hit people if they insult them. Infact you can even get paid to do so!
Sorry Bro, if my teenaged daughter acted that way towards an adult man for no apparent reason at all, I would commend Mr. Pond and mete out my own punishment in addition.
If my daughter spoke to an adult like that, I would slap her teeth out AND then have her publically apologize. If it hit the news like this. Of course there are 2 sides to a story.
@YYY I agree with you!!!!
these kids have to realize Not everybody is going to react them and their rudness like their parents would>>and this is the outcome! period!!
Like I said b4 if it was me I PROBABLY would have slapped her ass too!
And I am a mother of three productive citizens… Why because I didn’t and still don’t allow them to carry on like that to me or anybody else.
Well then we are a lot smarter with the 1 brain we share between us than you. No I am not an old Bermudian and not every old Bermudians shares the same sentiments in regards to this situation. Do you know this lil brat? Do you know if this lil brat actually said that? No, it’s parents like YOU who go around physically assaulting your children in public and embarrassing them and pass it off as good parenting. She wasn’t his daughter to be disciplining anyway now you stfu you old fart.
Looking at your comment, it is clear that you are an ignorant person. Why say ‘shut the f**k up-? Then you talk about parenting skills? You’re probably one of those who think it’s o.k. to cuss kids out. You lack the brains to make a decent argument just from what you’ve said.
If anyone read Annie’s Mailbox today, they talked about a situation where the letter writer said a relative should have smacked a girl to teach her a lesson. Annie replied that hitting the girl (or anyone) is not the right way to go in teaching young people right from wrong. Kids need to be told clearly what they are doing wrong so as not to repeat those mistakes.
I really don’t get what is wrong with people. I’ll bet that 99.9% of the people who said the girl deserved to be slapped are black. Black people need to learn that violence and hitting people is not the answer. Picking up guns and shooting people is not the answer. The black community need to learn the difference between discipline and violence because most of the violence committed in this community is committed by black people and that is a fact! If you get into an altercation with many black people, their first response is to cuss you out and fight instead of talking things out.
If you look at our community, most black people give their kids ‘licks. Most white people do not. Yet most of the prisoners sitting in Westgate are black so obviously beating/slapping ones kids does not work. Black people need to take the time to sit down and talk to their kids about right and wrong-not just give them licks and think the kid will figure out on their own what they did wrong.
Black women need to make sure they have a ring on their finger before they have kids, so their kids will have a stable influence in their lives and the mother won’t have to drag them around to their various ‘baby daddies’. THAT is a major problem-not a lack of ‘licks.’
Black people need to learn to talk things out in a calm, rational manner and not say things like ‘if that was my child, I’d give her another slap.’ That kind of thinking isn’t enough-it obviously hasn’t been working for the black community all this time so why would it work now? How about setting an example, spending time with your kids, putting strong role models in their lives (preferably their fathers) and taking a proper interest in their lives? Something is going seriously wrong in the black community and the first thing blacks want to do when this is pointed out is to get defensive instead of listening to the message.
Something is going wrong with our black young people. You don’t see white kids hanging around the bus terminal fighting, or hanging in Mr. Chicken or KFC after school. They are either involved in a constructive activity or home doing schoolwork. Stop with the cop-outs of ‘we have to work so we can’t keep an eye on our kids.’ Many white parents work and don’t have nannies yet their kids stay out of trouble because their parents TRULY discipline them and don’t think giving them a slap to the brains is all it takes to turn out decent citizens in life.
Mr. Pond is a grown man-he needs to learn self-control. All these gullible Bermudians are jumping on the bandwagon believing every word he has said. Someone else posted what they heard actually happened, and while I don’t know if that was true (however it sounds more like a realistic conversation than the one Mr.. Pond related), I also heard that things didn’t happen as he claimed. Also, people need to realize that a teenager’s brain isn’t even fully developed. I assume Mr. Pond’s is. AS THE ADULT HERE, he should have ignored this CHILD (yes-a 16-year-old is a child) and not argued with her to the point where he lost all self-control and struck her.
He deserved to lose his job because of this. What’s next? Hit a colleague if you don’t like what they say? He has demonstrated that HE is the one in need of discipline and no matter what the child had said, if I was the judge not only would I have fined him, I’d have given him jail time and anger management training as well.
These women who paid the fine (and made sure to pay directly to the A.G. clearly lest Mr. Pond spend the $2,000 on something else which shows they have TONS of confidence in his responsibility) should be ashamed. The COH SHOULD NOT hire him back, either. This man has destroyed his life with his lack of control and he needs to reflect on and learn from this so that he doesn’t repeat this again.
BTW-Bernews, I am not trying to be racist because I’m of mixed heritage myself but the facts here are the facts and I believe this should be posted.
U say you’re not being racist but this entire comment was 100% racist. The bible says spare the rd spoil the child. Back in the day if you got in trouble you got a whooping from the whole neighborhood b4 u even reached home 2 get yet another whooping. You based your comment on Bermuda and clearly you are dillusional. You ever noticed why a balck child wont act up as much in a grocery store yet a white child will throw a temper tantrum because they didnt get what the want. Its called the need a CUT ASS. You can only talk so much but if you think just talking to a child is gonna fix the problem than you are an idiot. And for you to assume that black ppl dont talk to their children about their wrong doings than you are foolish. Why i even remember getting lix in syllables just because we need to know why we getting a cut ass and after we done crying we get a hug and the lil speech about how we are loved and why we were disciplined so before you go running on about black ppl and parenting do ya research and stop being assanine. And sweetheart their a more white ppl killing ppl than blacks for instance how many black serial killers do you know of? Stop being an ignorant racist and wake up, There was alot less crime in the world when it was legal to whoop a child’s ass. I can tell your children one day will have no respect for you cause apparetly ya just all talk. #dumbass
And dont think just because “white kids” are not hanging around the bus terminal they are staying out of trouble. You are so blind to the reality of this world and i feel sorry for you. White kids get in just as much trouble and their parents spend way 2 much time tryna cover it up as not to ook bad. To assume someone will turn out better because of their race is absolutely foolish. To assume white ppl dont have numerous baby daddies and no rings on their finger is absolutely foolish. Now if i were your parent i’d beat your ass cause my child black, white, red or green would have NEVER had the audacity to post such a racially bashing comment towards any race. So obviously your parents are the bad ones cause they couldn’t control your mouth. FYI- most young black ppl going around shooting and killing is because of lack of a cut ass. Parents tryna be their friends and not their parents so #getyafactsstr8
To ‘ASK’…you don’t know me or my parents so you need to keep your mouth shut. I am an ADULT-I have my own opinions and not those of my parents. It’s called having ones own mind. My parents did an EXCELLENT job of raising me-that’s why I got an education and you would have never seen my name in the newspaper for committing any crime.
YOUR parents seem to be the ‘bad ones’ to have raised such an uneducated person such as yourself. I know all about the internet lingo, but this isn’t the place for it. What kind of word is ‘tryna’…is this Facebook? The correct thing to say is ‘trying’ or ‘trying to’-if you want to talk about adult things, at least use the proper terminology.
As for your claim, how many white women do you know who have kids for multiple fathers? There are black women in this country who have enough kids to take each to visit its respective dad on each day of the week. You have women moaning because they have to track down four and five ‘baby daddies’ to pay child support. Whatever happened to actually getting yourself a husband first and making him the father of all your children. Yes, marriages do fail but at least you have one man to deal with for support. How many white women have multiple baby daddies in Bermuda-not many. The ones who do is usually because they’ve remarried and given the new husband a child…not because she met some cute guy and decided he’d give her a cute kid, or that she could make him stick around by having his kid. This isn’t the 50′s-that stuff doesn’t work anymore as many black women clearly need to learn.
This isn’t racism-it’s the thruth. That’s the first thing black people say when the obvious is pointed out-that it’s racist.I only came back to tell you what an ignorant person you are and the fact that you insult peoples’ parents without knowing them is exactly what I mean about the black culture-always ready to fight and be insulting. It makes me wonder what kind of home training YOU got. Look at your own parents-don’t be looking at mine. Neither me or any of my siblings ended up in the newspaper for assault and relying on strangers to pay our fines. This is obviously acceptable to people who don’t know better-like you, for instance.
Like my username suggests-THE TRUTH HURTS!!!
Firstly, my children are young adults and law-abiding citizens. My son is a Police Officer-so how much law-abiding can you get than THAT?
Talking about ignorant-’spare the rod, spoil the child’ doesn’t even mean what most people think it means! It doesn’t mean you have to beat your kids! Back in biblical days, a shepherd had a rod. Do you think the shepherd was out there using it to beat his sheep silly? NO. He used the rod to guide his sheep so they didn’t wander off and stayed on the right path. So all you people throwing around that saying need to learn what it means and get your facts straight.
Speaking of beatings, when blacks were slaves they were beaten to keep them in line. They could be beaten for any minor injustice. The slave aster felt he was instilling discipline in his slave by beating him. Now is THAT true? Would you agree with THAT? No, you wouldn’t yet you think it’s acceptable now? The beatee had become the beater-how ironic is that?
I occasionally see white kids throw tantrums but guess what? GASP-I see an equal number of black kids throw tantrums. Children often throw tantrums just out of pure frustration when they can’t verbalize what they want to say. It’s not even necessarily a bad behaviour problem. My kids threw tantrums a few times but they outgrew it. When they started school they were fine. Yet when black kids start school, that seems to be when they are just getting started.
You do occasionally see white kids around town doing nothing constructive with their time but that is rare. You definitely don’t see white kids out their fighting and I don’t recall seeing any white kids throwing up gang symbols or shooting anybody. That is a FACT-accept it.
You are clearly the idiot if you think simply talking to your kids won’t work. Why not? I’m proof it DOES work. When my kids were little, they got time-outs and a favourite toy taken away. If they were really naughty they missed out on an upcoming event they were looking forward to like a friend’s birthday party. That is far worse punishment for a kid than giving them licks. I’ve seen friend’s kids act up and the parent call them over, give them some smacks and say nothing. The kid is bewildered. Of course, sometimes they clearly know what they did was wrong but sometimes not. People who just hit their kids instead of talking to them are lazy parents-pure and simple. Like I said before, any idiot can just whack someone-it takes maturity, rationale, patience and good communication skills to talk to your kids and properly teach them right from wrong. People like you either lack the intelligence or are just too lazy to do this.
Call it racist if you want, but the facts are the facts. As I said, who are in the gangs? Who are doing the breaking-and-entering? Who are doing the shootings? In fact, who is doing the majority of the crime in this country? Young black males are going out there stealing from people and taking things because they are too lazy o work for these things themselves. Many (not all) black parents do not instill a good work ethic in their children. You have parent son welfare buying their kids expensive stuff and just giving, giving, giving them everything instead of teaching them that you have to work for things in life. These kids grow up and still want to be given-when they aren’t given, they take…as in take things that aren’t theirs.
I knew people would call this racist but these are the facts. I am bi-racial. That means that I have black relatives on one side and white on the other so I see both worlds and believe me, it is a stark contrast. I love both sides of my family, but I can’t help what I see. If I get a call that one of my cousins is in trouble, I don’t need to ask if it’s one of my white cousins or one of my black cousins. Sorry, but true. I’ve been out with black relatives and heard stuff like ‘What does she thinks he’s looking at-I’ll go over there and bust her a**’ This is talking about people they don’t even know! I’m seen them start arguments and want to fight all the time. When I’m with my white relatives, it is the completely opposite. Also, before anyone says it, I have NEVER seen any incidents of racism in my white relatives-quite the opposite. My white relatives are very accepting and willing to treat everyone the same.
All these views are my own and based on what I see. People can get annoyed if they want, say this is racism if they want-go ahead. Yet all anyone has to do is pick up the daily newspaper to see which segment of the population is causing the most trouble here. FACTS DON’T LIE!
BTW-These comments obviously don’t apply to ALL blacks. To say that ALL blacks are like this, now THAT would be racism. I am just pointing out the obvious and the sooner the black community gets a grip on where we’re going wrong, the better!!!
i knew it was only a matter of time before it became a racial issue smh!
I partially agree with you YYY. I totally agree she should have been slapped in the face however may be not by him. If parents would only raise their kids correctly we won’t have these issues today. She was rude and deserved a slap. so Notorious and A bermudian take YYY’s advice.
Doesn’t need it!! has already been raised…No one forced anyone to pay or contribute…..if you don’t like whats on TV..change the chammel…..next….
To A Bermudian;
Umm he does not need ya money. So come correct, unintelligent comments obviously coming from an immature person :S recognize the real. That’s why Bermuda is the way it is today.. a lot of rude children who have not been taught proper behavior/morals at home. I am a 14 year old Bermudian girl and I would never make a comment like that to anyone at all and definitely not an older person. I have been taught proper principles; and I know at times everyone is smart with their mouths but that is just out of order. (And by the way trash does stink but someone has to pick it up..)
“recognize the real” you obv been watching too much crap television shows. the “real” is that it was NOT his child to discipline because we no longer live in the 1900s. that is the “real” my dear child. i’m 19 and i would not have spoken that way to an adult. fair enough. if i had, there is no way i would slapped by some grown man. MY parents, sure. a stranger, no.
yes trash stinks. he got the job, accept the stigmas that come with it. that’s the “real”
The child should have been charged and fined the same $2000.00 for slander! Then maybe the parents would teach her proper manners!
Don’t be ridiculous! How the heck would you prove that is slander or not? Something is slander if it isn’t true, so you’d have to PROVE it isn’t true. The plantiff would have to prove that her parts really don’t smell-that they do not EVER smell at all, 100% of the time. So how would one prove that? Be for real-that case would be laughed out of court.
Agree a 100%!!!
It’s not what either party did. These women saw a need. This man could not pay the fine. He lost his job and could have been imprisoned. What they did was help a fellow Bermudian and that makes it RIGHT!
MinorMatters commenting on Bernews – Wrong
Typical thought yours is. It is ALWAYS the man’s or adult’s fault. Has anyone noticed how today’s young children are acting and talking since the SOCIAL ENGINEERS said that spanking and disciplining your children the old way does not work? When I was growing up it worked every time. We walk outside and some saucy language and the neighbor would scold you and you would crap yourself with the thought of him coming over in the evening to tell mom or dad.
Today they have their RIGHTS, they know how to play them and NOBODY can discipline their own child let alone someone else’s.
If everything happened as it was told then the man should sue the girl for slander. It’s about time today’s youth especially the PUNKS to learn to respect themselves and most of all others.
Great Job Ladies!!!
If one was to consider donating more funds to Mr. Pond during his employment search how would we do it?
How can one get in contact with one of the above ladies??
MinorMatters you are missing the point… We are not condoning the act… we making a point that Bermudian youths have become so disrespectful and the courts should have not let this girl get away with her foul behavior. Mr. Pond was rightfully fined but more so that brat should have been punished… this movement represents all of us Bermudians who have enough of rude ignorant Bermudian youth.
And another point… your so quick to say all this is wrong, what would you have done if some bratty kid said something so rude an offensive to your face about your mother? Though lawfully it wasn’t right … she deserved that slap!
Indeed. Great job ladies. All the best Mr. Pond. It takes a village,,,
@Bermudian –
1) I did not miss the point that was raised that Bermudian youths have become disrespectful…etc. I think the anger should not be directed at the youth but at the poor parenting/or other factors including the legal system that produces these children.
2) I refer you to the old adage: “Two wrongs don’t make a right”. Are we not living in a Bermuda where these scene is repeated sometimes with deadly consequences? I agree somewhere in these posts that the man should have been dealt with and as there was provocation from the girl that she should have been made to pay a penalty too – such as being driven to school in the trash truck, or being made to write a public apology or there should have been a photo of her in the newspapers with her busted lip. There are numerous scenarios that could have been used.
3) As to what I would have done – it’s all conjecture from this computer but knowing me – I would have stood there, said nothing- taken my phone out – took her picture and filmed her spewing that filth to me and then either blasted it on YouTube or sent it to her school’s principal or both.
In my honest opinion, you are out of touch with today’s youth because you believe video taping the child would deter her from continuing on with her disrespectful behavior. To blame the parent’s for this child’s behaviour is a bit irresponsible of you. This “youth” is 16 years of age and is well aware of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not.
Yep, and I would have shown a picture with the busted lip with the Orbit commercial tag line: “Dirty Mouth?” or “Lip Service” provided by Sani worker…
One of the biggest problems, is that her parents should have been giving her spanks from young so that she would have known right from wrong.
by now she isn’t a child, but a young, foulmouthed adult. whether we want to admit it or not, young people her age are having children. you want to dicipline the parents, its too late. dicipline the parents of tomorrow so that their children don’t repeat these actions.
that girl, was wrong, rude and disrespectful. and i’ll admit, had she said that to me she would have been lucky to walk away with just a busted lip, i am 23, female, and i realise the repect that not only my mother deserves, but all mothers for the sacrifices they made. maybe if she realised the harsh realities of how hard it is to raise a child dissing someones mom wouldn’t have been the first thought to come out of her head.
How do you know she was foul-mouthed? Were you there? Mr. Pond was foul-mouthed as well towards her. As the elder, he should have set the example. He was a grown man there cursing at her-HE should have known better.
Kids imitate what they see. If adults in the community act like Mr. Pond did-and many do, no wonder we have a problem.
What is wrong with you peoples’ brain cells? Everyone is condemning this girl instead of focusing on what Mr. Pond-THE ADULT-did here. He was not teaching her proper behaviour at all yet people fail to see this!
I am black educated woman who was married before having children and some of your comments offended me. However, you have a point. Most of what you said is true. I teach in the public school system and we have a huge problem, not just the education they are receiving but the lack of DISCIPLINE they receive. Licks doesn’t equal discipline ppl. I agree that she was wrong for what she said but so was Mr. Pond and I know him. He should have laugh and walked away.
Strange that you blame bad parenting for this young WOMAN’s actions but you condemn other adults who do what good parents SHOULD do such as SLAP a brat into the 21st century. She is not a child she is a young WOMAN and deserved what she got 100%. You just don’t treat human beings that way. We should start an organized fund for any good citizen willing to take their belt off to a delinquent and pay their fines. Any volunteers?
Had I said something like that to my parents when i was younger i wouldve been slapped in my chops! And i wouldve deserved it! Im 31 now and if my son was caught saying that to someone he would get a beating. That 16 year old knew better but I also blame her parent(s). Dont get me wrong a man should not be hitting off of any women but he received his punishment for it and Im sure he regrets his decision and has learned from this experience. I applaud what these two women have done for our fellow bermudian.
Now that his fine is out of the way, why dont he donate some of the balance to a youth organisation that helps mentor and save at risk youth: Youth Net,Raleigh International,Bda Sloop foundation,WRC etc. Now that would be a reasonable gesture and thanks for the support
I understand your viewpoint but I disagree as he was also laid off by the CoH and could use the extra cash.
This online forum will never allow us to debate this story appropriately so I am just going to add that the ability for over 100 members of the public to contribute to a cause they felt strongly for is admirable and shows that people care about the future of Bermuda.
They care as much for the young woman (and others like her) as they do for Mr. Swan (and others like him). Both individuals simply represent a larger group that as a community, we are all responsible of supporting.
Yours in peace!
Why dont some of these parents do their job properly in the first place!
And if you cant raise them properly, STOP HAVING THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Totally agree – I think the shocking thing is that the girl was not “punished” by the parents or the arm of the law. Perhaps she should have been made to do work enough hours as a sanitation worker to pay the fine for Mr. Pond. This would teach her 1) the value of a dollar, 2) the hard work that goes into such work and what GREAT value it adds to the island.
As i was walking along Church Street earlier this afternoon, there were a group of men – one was apologizing to another for his actions towards the other – telling him that he did not mean to diss him as he did and that when sober, he (the second guy) knows he is nothing as his drunken actions showed him to be…..
this people is old time child rearing at it’s best…. (if a man offends you go and apologize – don’t lift your hand, pull a knife/gun/bat – humble yourself, be sincere and apologize).
Agreed!
“Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who step on their toes.”
If only more people would raise money towards physical abuse against women and children instead of helping a criminal get off for hitting a teen-aged girl.
I cant believe he actually took the money…
Here I am struggling for tution who knew all I had t do was slap a yout….shucks! Maybe next time…..I dont care what she said he had no right putting his hands on someone elses child. Everybody keeps saying if that was my daughter or if that was me my parent would have done the same GUESS WHAT she doesnt belong to him. And before you start attcking every little word I said I came up in the generation who recieved licks from neighbors and then went home and recieved more. Now days violence begets violence no longer can you go around taking it upon yourself to beat someone elses child who was acting up. you dont know how a slap from a grown man, a stranger effected her and it really seems like no one cares. She either learned a valuable lesson or she will be forever scared. I mean she’s 16 not 5 licks effect people differently at different ages and stages. Nice to know it some Bermudians willing to step up to help someone who they felt were wronged but im sure there was another cause out there. Plus “ya mama” is a juvenille comeback I would have laughed at the silly broad and kept it moving.
*tuition *attacking
Violence can also beget silence when it is justified. It’s like trowing stones at a lion, yes we don’t like what the lion does in retaliation, but you get what you deserve. I think the man should be absolved of responsibility because she provoked him. The responsibility lies with HER! Forever scared?? I hope to GOD that you are right. Learned a valuable lesson?? Let’s just say that a valuable lesson was taught. Whether or not she did her homework is up to her! Go Mr. Pond!
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
I do not condone that he should have slapped her but she should have thought about her comment b4 she said it “forever scared” she has no2 to blame but herself maybe she’ll think twice b4 she does it again. And i see u grew up with that generation of licks from the neighbor and i bet your not “forever scared” my guess is you didn’t turn out half bad. “It takes a village to raise a child” It doesn’t get any more clear than that. If my son is being outright rude and disrespectful than cut his ass. But a slap to the face i would agree is a bit much because the face is precious and even growing up getting licks the face wa off limits “Well not including a slap in the chops” #itsyamouth
if she would have said the same thing to a police officer or politician would she not be before the courts? so because he is a blue collar worker its ok to curse him and insult his mother and no court proceeding? thanks you ladies this is what makes me proud to be bermudian
Are you serious? Obviously if the police didn’t hear it they can’t charge her, that’s called hearsay. Could you imagine every-time someone swore in public or at another person and people ran to tell the police? They’d laugh in their faces. Some of you are being real ridiculous.
@Notorious BEFORE you are quick to try to be rude read what d-reader said carefully and slowwwwwlllyyy.
Some might say….Notoriously…rediculous?
Some might note that you both are notoriously stupid? Btw learn how to spell “ridiculous”. I wasn’t even being rude.
did the police see him slap her? or was that just hearsay?
They saw her face busted up dumbass!
Has anyone even considered that he may not be telling the entire truth…there are always two sides to a story. I hope he has learned a lesson too…you can’t go around slapping people and get away with it (regardless of what they say). I think we have all forgotten that this was a young GIRL!! When has it become ok for a man to put his hands on a woman. I guess if I say something that direspects my husband he is justified to slap me and then hopefully he’ll get paid like Mr. Pond!!! Totally disgusted that money was raised for this cause when there are families out there starving!! I wouldn’t have given this man a penny…
I don’t believe the story that’s been told by him. These people who agree with what he did and say they hope someone would do the same to their kids should be just as ashamed. What right thinking parent would actually want someone to assault their child? Maybe THAT’S why we have problems, not from the lack of discipline but from parents who think like these people. Poor kids. If he slapped his boss he’d be in the same situation so what’s the difference? Because these older people on here think she’s a bratty teen they have an issue with her and not him. SMH.
@ Notorious..could not agree with you more. I certainly would not want anybody else putting their hands on my children. We have become a warped society and with a lot of not so clear thinking people, thinking cause they old school they have rights to discipline out children. Even the some of the old schoolers are gone south.
If ten people decide that they want to go upside your rude childs head in a day, when does it become abuse after the 5th time or when they bring them to your door with their head open, sadly it might be to late. It would than become a case of the stranger’s (Mr. Pond) story against your child (16 year old)and who you gonna beleive the stranger or your child. Than what? Guess you all are gonna wanna visit the judge. For what you allowed the peeople to whoop your children’s ass…..realize you adults are the problem, not the teenagers. YOU. Fingers pointing at all you all.
There’s a thin line between discipline and abuse! And if my child needs to be slapped upside his head after the 1st time clearly there’s a problem that he didnt learn the lesson and its up to the parent to get to the root of it. All im saying is he should not have slapped her 1 cause’s she a female an 2 cause of the new screwed up court system on how u ant hit a child. If she were my child i’d want him to tell me so i could cut her tale myself and make her publicly apologize. I make my son write apology letters when he gets in trouble. That’s after he is disciplined and spoken to bout his wrong actions Than he has to sit down make a card or write a heart felt letter and hand deliver it himself to whomever he offended.
Exactly…cause I know if it was one of their own kids they would feel quite different. He should have let her parents deal with her if he felt so direspected! How about being an adult and reporting her. Bermuda has reached an all time low, rewarding people for violence, and we wonder why the country is the way that it is. People have dogged this litte girl and her parents and don’t even have the entire story. He was also saying rude things to her but he has left that part out as he wants to appear like the victim…I don’t buy his act for one minute. Everyone is forgetting that he was the adult in the situation and should have acted like one. By doing this, we are saying that its ok to assualt kids who have foul mouths, well I hope people have deep pockets because they are going to need to raise a lot more money for all the fines that will be coming soon!!
Thank you @Judge and @Two sides to story.
It’s so refreshing to see some right thinking people on bernews for once.
Yes it’s ok to assault “kids”(?? she’s not a kid) who have foul mouths. And you all are missing a very valuable point. This was not about disciplining anyone else’s “child”, this was about responding as a human being to a verbal and unprovoked assault. It’s about justice! She spoke ill of his mother, she got slapped. When I was younger i remember using foul language to an old man at the bus terminal. He grabbed me and tried his best to slap me. He was too weak and didn’t succeed, but his mere act of trying to slap me for it taught me a lesson and I felt remorse. Glad he was brave enough to care.
She isn’t a child? Then what is she? She can’t vote, she can’t drink and she can’t drive a car, she isn’t an adult. So you are telling me if anyone verbally assaults someone else(even though none of you have proof and are merely going off of his word) you have the right to physically assault them? So if you boss said the same thing you can slap him? Sorry this isn’t the 1960′s when you were raised and your whole comment is ridiculous. Read it back and don’t tell me you think you sound reasonable. And “justice” is not slapping a young girl as a grown man.
She can legally have sex…. an ADULT activity
She can legally drive on the road…. another ADULT activity
She can legally leave school and go out to work…. another ADULT activity….
She’s 16… she’s no child, she may still be a dependent YES, but a child NO… my 23 month old is a child….
She’s not an adult. Does it make a difference regardless? It’s still assault! STFU!
I’m not saying that what he did was wrong, im not saying that is wasn’t assualt. All that you stated was correct. All I’m saying is that that ‘young lady’ was JUST AS WRONG!! Physically hurting a person isn’t any worse than emotionally hurting a person, I’m sorry but wrong is wrong is wrong. THEY ARE BOTH WRONG! She is not some innocent little child that didn’t know any better, she knew exactly what she was doing and so did he. And I don’t knw why YOU have a hard time believing that he warned her before he hit her— she said that the trash tuck stank yes, but she also said that HE STUNK – THATS when he told her to watch her mouth- it continued from there… again they are both wrong, I’m not condoning what he done, but you better believe if she would have disrespected me the way he says she did him, and especially if she continued to do so AFTER I’ve asked her to stop – she would have gotten a royal back hand from me! Then, I would have taken her to her parents and let them know EXACTLY what happen – if they had issues and wanted to take me court, then so be it – I bet you ya little brat would think twice about being disrespectful to a grown ass adult, and one that she doesn’t know from adams at that!
Furthermore, I don’t see the girl or her parents complaining that his fine is being paid for, and their the supposed victims right? Why do you care – she isn’t YOUR daughter is she?
HE SHOULD HAVE PUT HER BEHIND IN THE TRUCK,
I THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING MR POND DID,
I MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROLL,
I DO NOT TAKE LIP FROM RUDE CHILDREN, NOT EVEN MY OWN.
@Dee…Agreed!….I used to get back-hands if I would back answer my mother…some of these young mothers think it’s cute when their little Becky or Johnny back answers.
Some of these young mothers shouldn’t be able to produce children unless a social inquiry or mental report is done!!!!….Come on OBA get on this!!!
Seems to me an ideal case for restorative justice.
Well I guess the loss of his job is the FINAL ANSWER since he never payed the fine.
I might not agree w/ what Erica Rance-Cariah and Janice Battersbee did in this case (you can’t just go around slapping people) but they certainly always take initiative. I hope the newly formed party will be canny enough to consider them for future Senate positions.
Disgusting all around!!
He should be ashamed of his actions and for accepting funds. That money should have been directed to a youth organization. He’s supposed to be a grown man…
Not very proud of Bermudians for supporting this man. There are so many worthwhile places to donate money.
SMH
She was NOT HIS CHILD to be hitting.CONSEQUENCES AND ACTIONS.go hand in hand…and else for all you idiots with the not my child…not my child….UNTIL you have walked in the shoes of someone putting their hands on your children…STFU..
Again, online forums will never allow for a conclusion to a debate however the persons responsible for collecting funds never condoned Mr. Pond’s actions.
And by the way, typing in caps lock doesn’t make your point more important.
Somebody needs be correcting some of these rude neglected children!!….Where is the mother of this child anyway….she is probably too ashamed to be known that her daughter needed a cut-a$$.
ya well if anyones child including yours was to disrespect me i would punch them in the mouth and make sure they bleed too
uh huh, “NATCHO CHEEZ”, “NATCHO CHILE”
All-in-all I think locals coming together to help another member of the community is a move in the right direction. Though I do not totally agree with how Mr. Pond handled the situation (the slap), I can understand why he reacted in the manner that he did. Majority of our young people today are on the wrong path which I blame their parents for and they need to be saved. Growing up I remember my mother always telling people that if they ever saw me in public getting out of hand to go upside my head! This always made me think twice about my actions/words where ever I was, and prevented me the embarrassment in front of my friends along with a second cut tail that would be waiting for me at home! Its amazing how the times have changed and what was once a form a discipline can now result in you losing your job and being fined by the courts. I personally think she should have received an a** whopping with his belt. I’m curious to know the outcome of all of this if the worker had been female and reacted the same way.
This was a very nice thing to be done for Mr. Pond and I wish him well.
What would have been a real bonus is to have seen the two together to apologize and forgive. That would have really done Bermuda proud. Maybe there is still time. We all make mistakes and do wrong no matter how we were raised.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31,32
Did it occur that the judge made a DECISION based on the facts he had in front of him. You all are just going by what the RG printed. I’m sure the RG are delighted that their are so many people out there that are so easily brainwashed by what they print. No wonder we are at a crossroad in this island. Too many people believing half of what they hear (in this case read) and none of what they see.
Granted the judge made a decision on the facts before him and that is ok. but when this young girl said what she she said about his mom…she needs some serious help……I guees she was trying to impress her girl friends..
GIVE HIM HIS JOB BACK!!!
Andy I agree with you GIVE HIM HIS JOB BACK !!! Or maybe publick works should hire him as a consultant….come on Chris Furbert !!!fight for this man and get him back on the payroll….you sure went above and beyond for that that infamous bus driver….and ferry driver….. this foul mouthed girl should have been arrested,she is lucky she only got a slap.
That little girl needed to be slapped. Parenthood is clearly down the toilet, COH give this man his job back, he made a mistake and the fine is his punishment. send that little girl counselling or co-ed
Girl Should get named and shamed in Newspaper, and be handed community service! Agreed young people need to be protected but judging by her mouth she is not a young girl at all.
This tunring a blind eye to the down right rudeness and insolence of young people in Bermuda is the reason half of them are out shooting eachother. Go back to grass roots, when i was young if u were heard sayin anything rude, u would get a ringer or your mouth washed out with soap FAMILY or NOT!.
RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!!!!!
Sorry to keep posting but heres and idea… Dont pick up the trash from her place of residence for the rest of the year and we will see who and where stinks then!!!
Because this fine was paid mostly by the PUBLIC!!!! Accoutant General do the right thing donate it to charity!!!!
Oh yeh forgot non of our government know how to govern, Win hearts and minds do the right thing…
Or just pocket it as you usually do!!!
If your child talks to people like this you should be steralized and have your kids taken away.
Spelling isn’t your strong suit is it? You can tell you spell the way you talk. Your mother should have been STERILIZED and maybe the world would be a lot better off today. Please provide some proof that she said that to him. Video with audio would be nice.
bwahahahaha @geza! what a blank!
SO Notorious do you honestly believe that the grown man slap an innocent girl for no apparent reason? I mean think about it yeah the story maybe a little twisted who knows neither of us were there. But i cannot personally see some random trash collector slapping a girl cause he just felt like it. Something had to initiate it. I mean be for real. They were both wrong they should have both been punished. I don’t think the money from these ladies is saying they condone his act it is only saying here’s a Bermudian in trouble lets help. Are you saying that we shouldn’t help drug addicts or alcoholics recover and help them financially to get back on their feet. I mean it was their decision to take the drugs in the 1st place right so why don’t we just forget about them and let them deal with their consequences. Or maybe let’s try to help them, feed them and counsel them so they can lead a better life. #imjustsayin
Well if you look at his history I can believe it. If she merely said the trash truck stinks(which of course it does) and he replied saying something vulgar about her then her saying back something equally vulgar about his mother-maybe I could believe that. But I don’t for one second believe he told her to “watch her mouth” because she said a damn trash truck stinks and then she continued on with something about his mother. I really don’t. Yes something initiated it but it surely wasn’t her going from “the trash stinks” to something vulgar about his mother. You think he didn’t reply back the same way? Of course not. People use that “she/he talked about my mother excuse” all the time to get off for doing something wrong. Everyone knows that. A Bermudian in trouble lets help? Over 1,000 Bermudians are out of work and in trouble were is there help? Are you kidding me? If those drug addicts and alcoholics didn’t harm anyone else of course they should be help. This man physically assaulted a girl so yes it sends the message that if someone hurts your feelings you can assault them.
that child deserved a ringing slap from both him, parents and even a judge..where was the fine for using offensive words…hell even teachers can hit children and this just like any case in school is totally out of order for someone her age…she aint dead so no need to defend the girl, she should watch her mouth whether that be around younger people, those her own age and those older than her…i would have done the same thing….maybe we shouldnt collect the trash from her house then? theres all this talk now about holding parents responsible well where is that coming into play?!
What happened to Mr. Pond’s Union Representation to fight for his job re-instatement? They are Unionized at COH so I thought??!!
Dose this man live on Pond Hill?
Almost finished with my book aboutthe past 40 years in Bermuda.
I may have to change the last chapter with recent events and the frustration gripping and it’s hold on Bermuda.
Since currency ans status matters so much I think I may re-title it
The value of a Pond………………………………irony is a bitch………
some of you should be slapped in the face for supporting him
I have followed this case from the beginning. I was in court when Mr. Pond was charged & given his fine. He was very remorseful about his actions. He admitted that he contacted the girls parents & apologized to them & the little brat he slapped. I don’t know when Bermuda’s philosophy “it takes a village to raise a child” changed. I remember when I was young & I was out of order, I would get slapped by whoever saw it & by my mom when I got home. We need to get back to that!!! Mr. Pond was right in slapping her. She is a 16 year old CHILD! Everyone is saying he shouldn’t have hit a woman. Let me know when did 16 become adulthood?!? Had it been a female adult would u all be singing this tune?!?
When laws were created to allow 16 years olds to leagally have sex, legally drive on the road and legally leave school and go out to work…. 16 years olds are no longer CHILDREN they are merely DEPENDENTS… hell even insurance companies changed dependenet categories from child dependent to student dependent when the child reaches age 16….
All this BS about when children were coming up they got slapped by other people is taken wayyyy out of context. Rest assured when you were coming up and somebody slapped you up it was by somebody know to the family. I can not once remember a total stranger beating a child in my neighbourhood or me and taking them home to their parents. Cause honey it would have been a ruckus in my neighborhood and that wasn’t the dirty south either. Beleive that!!!!
I think looking at the posts that there is some consensus albeit in different guises that 1) The young girl should have been disciplined in some meaningful way both before and after.
2) That the man who slapped her should have been penalized in Court for assault.
3) That perhaps the punishment was too severe and that he should have received a suspended sentence with mandatory attendance at Anger Management classes.
4) That the two participants in this case should have been made to make or write a public apology to each other.
5) That the COH reinstate the man if he had no other personel issues and is ordinarily a good worker. As he was remorseful, maybe he should be given a second chance.
*personnel*
and we wonder why we have problems with our children,he who says words dont hurt,
the tounge is a double edge sword, people need to whach what they say because you dont know what the other person is going through or how they will react, or what is on there mind, to have a kid disrespect you like that and you expect the average person to do nothing please!!!!!, do that to a cop and see what happens.I know Mr Pond from primary school,if he cracked that girl she deserved it
he has always been humble and quiet from young, never one to make a a whole lot of noise or problems, we all say what we would have done but until your in that situation you will never know, we all make mistakes in life should he realy be punished to this extent? and to lose his job? he has to survive, eat pay bills ect,
and if he cant find a job are you all going to help feed him, pay his bills?
oh!! wait he gets tired cant find a job now he starts doing eligel things then what!! oh! he should get his life together he should get a job he should do this he should do that, after you have threw him to the wolves. were so ready to trash him for what he has done but no one seems to be concerned that this little girl is out of control, our focus should be on her also and how we can fix this problem so she dosent do it again because the next person might not be as calm as Mr Pond when talking about their mother.
Sticks and stones May break bones but names… You suckers just backed the wrong horse … The judge knew exactly who the real Micheal Pond is … I wouldn’t give that man a dime and looks as if COH won’t either , as they are used to handling rubbish .
right on for him! i’m so tiered of these young girls shouting obsenities and trash (excuse the pun) without remose or recourse. I woulda like to have slapped her too!
Of course what Mr. Pond did was wrong, but certainly understandable.
Every now and again I am forced to catch a bus from Hamilton to the West end at knock-off time. On several occasions I have witnessed the behaviour of some of our 12 to 15 year old girls and have often found myself resisting the urge to do exactly what Mr. Pond confessed to doing.
To those of you who subscribe to the “letter of the law” on this issue, I can tell you that if this incident occurred when I was a young teenager, Mr. Pond would receive a commendation and the the girl would have a swollen lip from one of her parents, or aunt, or grandmother, or even a neigbour – maybe all of them!
We wonder why the young kids are holding this island hostage via gangs with guns? It is situations like this that send a clear message to the younger generation. “I can do what I like and say what I like to ANYBODY and I can get away with it. The Judge should have made her apologize to for saying something so nasty to an adult and her parents should have given her a slap. Any of you all that are sticking up for her would have acted the same way if some smart little brat would have said those kinds of things about your mother. I agree that this girl is a “kid” and it is too much of these kids cheeking us adults off and we having to suck it up because they are “kids”. I agree with some others that when we were coming up anyone could speak to us and we would straighten up. If we dared cheek an adult and “Lord forbid” curse an adult, we would not be living to tell the story and by the way, we aren’t in jail or any worse for the “discipline” which we have now labeled as “abuse”. So, Bermuda, you have been warned. If Any kid saying anything to you out of line, suck it up or you could find yourself in court paying a hefty fine and fired from your job. “Proud to be Bermudian”? JOKE!
this country is too modern for its own good. a good ringing slap or just plain old licks or even passive discipline…..ya momma’s *ussy stinks like the garbage…….lucky she has her teeth in a row figuratively speaking. that is verbal assault no? isn’t that a crime too?
@BT: that “old man” is over 40 years old and should also be well aware of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not (ie. slapping someone in the street).
They are both idiots who have issues. Neither of them should be rewarded for that situation that they both caused. There are so many people who have commented about slapping their children – if they were shown how to live a balanced life in the first place, you wouldn’t have a need to “slap their teeth out” as one writer eloquently put it. So many people do not know how to handle conflict in their lives. Does anyone honestly believe that this child has “learned her lesson” with this man being fined and fired? Did that slap suddenly make her nice and good? I don’t think so. That child is a moron and that man just validated her moronic existence by showing her that what she said hurt him to the point that he reacted violently towards her.
We can’t just go around slapping people in the face when they say things that hurt or offend us. Violence, unless used in self-defense to protect ones life, is the easiest and most primitive reaction that we have as humans and it should not be condoned no matter what the reason behind it.
do you hear yourself???? it should not be condoned no matter what the reason..
but just before that you say unless in self-defense to protect a life… which is it choose one and stick to it
Ummm….excuse Erica and Janice! I just slapped a 15 year old. Can I have some money too? Oh no, maybe you shoudn’t. There are Bermudian people/children with cancer that can’t afford treatment, but you’d rather to support some fool who rides on the back of trash trucks slapping others people’s children. COH was probably tired of dealing with this idiot’s behaviour and this was ther golden ticket to get rid of him. I definitetly DO NOT condone that child’s behaviour, but Michael should have acted like the adult that he is and realized that he was at work and should have taken alternate actions (eg. reporting the girl). He probably already had a low morale for being a sanitation worker and because the girl mentioned that the truck stank, it really hurt his feelings huh? We should give him a waamburger and some french cries too! If that was my child, I would have been outside COH’s yard just waiting for his a$$ to pull out on the back of that stinking trash truck.(Yes, those trucks stink out the whole city, especially on a summer day PPPPPUUUUU!!!!). I just can’t imagine how this girl’s parents are feeling right now after this fool physically assaulted their child and he is getting a cheque cut for his a$$ to pay off his fine and have some left over!! Twisted Bermudians…I tell you. SMH! Oh, did I mention that those trash trucks f#%@in wreak??? UGH!!
LOL! Wow!
One Thing is Clear. The Young Ladies Attitude STINKS!!!!!! Imagine how she talks to her parents?
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD… IF THAT WAS MY CHILD, I WOULD HAVE TOOK HER BACK TO HIM AND TOLD HIM DO IT AGIN, THEM SHE WOULD HAVE GOT A WHOOPING FROM ME IN FRONT OF HIM. ITS TOO MUCH OF THESE YOUNGSTERS GOING AROUND THINKING THEY’RE GROWM AND CAN SAY WHAT THEY LIKE WHEN THEY LIKE…. WHO GIVES HER THE RIGHT TO GO AROUND SPEAKING ON A DECEASED PERSON?!!! AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, SHE DESERVES ANOTHER BITC# SLAP!!!! SOME OF YOU WONT AGREE BNUT THATS HOW IT SHOULD BE. THIS IS WHY THESE KIDS ARE OUT HERE GETTING INTO THE CRAP THEY’RE IN….TIRED OF THESE YOUTS TODAY!!!!!
DOES ANYBODY KNOW YOU THE CHILD WAS…??? CAUSE I’LL GO SLAP HER ASS TOO…!!! LOL
lol
Takes a village to raise a child???….the village is F#@&d up. No thank you I shall raise mine….keep yours dirty hands to yourself…thanks..
I totally agree with If so!!!! These children are something else. I bet she was showing off for her peers. Didn’t expect that good slap. Just what she needed! She would think twice now before making a comment to someone she doesn’t even know. He lost his job and her punishment should have been to work on the Sanitation truck until COH hired someone for his position.
i agree like what was even her punishment? did she recieve any besides a good slap? she should do a public apology that will really embarass her then we’ll see how much of a show off she is! if she was my daughter i would have smacked her after aswell. this is ridiculous coming out of a little girls mouth.
I read all the comments. I do not know Mr Pond or the young lady. I just want to tell what happened to me. I was leaving a friends house and had to go down the steps. there was a group of children sitting on them and i politely asked then to move over by saying “excuse me i wound like to pass.” word for word. One child then proceeded to cuss me out with some of the worst foul language i have ever heard. Words i would not repeat or write. I felt the blood just boil up in me and if i didn’t have children of my own i would have probally put my hands on that child, not because i would not expect another adult to correct my child, but i probally would have hurt him and been reported for child abuse. I turned around and went another way and could here all the children laughing as i went. The mother was not to far away and heard excactly what her child said but I went to the mother anyway and told her her child was very dispectiful. She told me it was funny. needless to say i really saw blood and had to bite my tongue. I could have easily strangled her. Today that child is a menace to society. I forbade my children to associate with this person growing up. When my children was between 11 and 17 they asked me not to introduce them to any adults anymore because they knew if they were acting up in public or even somewere they were not supposed to be some-one would tell me about it and they would be pumished by what-ever i deemed it to be,even a good licking. And i dared them to call the police or raise their hand back to me.they knew i ment business and were their bread was buttered. That young lady needed her mouth washed out long before she said what was said, she was only this time called out for it. My guess is that she knew the law even before she got the slap (and probally used it on her parents before threating them with abuse if they disciplined her that way) and went running right to the law to teach Mr Pond a lesson (smile). I do not agree with the slap he gave her but i can ampathize with him and how he felt. It was really a no win situtation with both of them in the wrong. I read somewere that Mr Pond bit his lip and appolized to both the parent and young lady and showed remorse. I hope the young lady appolized and is remorseful as well. to the group that helped Mr Pond pay his fine”good for you” It is nice to know that there is still some bermuda left in Bermuda. To the person who tried to make it a race issue, yes there are more black in westgate then whites. What do you expect when the island is 80 percent black and 20 percent white. On the baby daddy issue there are just as many whites having out of wedlock babies and multiple daddys. again think of the ratio. Also fortunatly or unfortunatly depending how you look they have the resourses. I had my first child at sixteen right out of high school and it was very public and everyone knew about it. Guess what 3 of my white classmates had babies around the same time, and no-one knew until a couple of years later. Again this is just an unfortunate incident that took place in a public place or at all , and I am of the oppion that the punishment does not fit the crime as Mr Pond was punished twice for the same crime. And yes he should accept the money collected for him. He probally has a family to support. I do not beleive that anyone has the right to hit another person, provoked or not. He made an error of judgement, let the punishment fit the crime. to corporation of hamilton, give the man his job back. If he was not doing his job right you should havwe fired him before this incident, not right after, then say this had no bearing on him being fired. to the person who mentioned “time-Out”, I have a three year old and timeout does not always work, niether does taking a toy from her work, or removing her from the situtation work, or talking to her work. I am now trying positive reinforcement, but mothing worked better than a smack on her hand or butt because i then have her attention. There was so much i wanted to comment on but i am sure this in enough. If i made any spelling errors please excuse them. If i offended anyone I appolize.