When my oldest son was a Cub Scout, he participated in the Pinewood Derby, a race in which kids entered cars carved from pine. It may have cost a couple of dollars for the wood, wheels, screws, etc. I think Cub Scout dens today still run these derbies. They are a way of father-son bonding and were fun for both parties.
Now, however, kids - at least 135,000 of them in the US - race in go-karts. No big deal, you say. Before reading today's Journal, I would have agreed with you; in fact, my younger kids drove these karts at amusement parks. However, in 2005 we're talking about a different kind of go-kart. Ones that can get up to 70 mph. Ones where the drivers (as young as 5) wear fireproof suits, helmets and chest protectors, but not seat belts. Most races have an ambulance in attendance to rush the injured kids - oops, I mean drivers - to the hospital when they are injured.
In September I wrote about parents who give their kids Spark, a caffeine drink, to bolster their athletic prowess, they hope. I found it hard to believe that parents could take such risks with their kid's health. But that risk pales in comparison to the risks in go-kart racing. Before these kids race, the parents sign a waiver that they "fully understand" that the dangers involve "serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis and death". In 2000 one kid was killed. What rational parent even in the 21st century can allow his child to run these risks?
Not only are the risks substantial, the costs are not for the average worker. Annual costs of $10,000 are not uncommon. One guy bought his 11-year-old son three carts, twenty sets of tires and a 26-foot trailer to haul everything in and he is thinking of buying a tractor-trailer with living space and mechanic's area which can set him back $200,000.
It's a great country, isn't it? You're free to be as stupid and wasteful as you want to be.
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