November 19, 2009
A Buffalo Grove, Illinois boy called 911 after his parents took away his Xbox console as punishment.
The boy hung up, reports The Chicago Tribune, but as a matter of routine, an officer was dispatched to the home just in case. The boy apparently admitted to making the call and asked a cop whether his parents were within their rights taking away his game system. A police officer assured him that they were.
A Police Commander told the paper that he did not know why the boy was being punished. Police further advised the boy to listen to his parents.
Comments
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
Wow. Man, I'd sure hate to pwn him. He'd probably give me a headache. man, but yea kid, your screwed. Unless I paid COLD HARD CASH for anything, it wasn't mine, even gifts can be "temporarily misplaced" till I was 16, then it was mine :) yea, but even then, I was God when it came to the care and safety of my games, let me tell you.... If I found so much as a scratched I raised all mighty hell. Typically on he who borrowed it.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
Until you're 18 or emancipated, deal with it.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
The kid was probably being annoying online thank god
Never underestimate the power of idiots in large amounts.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
If he was that upset, why didn't he just run away, attempt to climb a tree, fall out of it and die on impact with the ground ala Brandon Crisp?
When Jack Thompson runs his mouth, does anyone really care what he has to say anymore?
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
And look!!! The cop didn't have to once use his taser on the boy, that's downright amazing!
There's a certain police officer and deadbeat mother in another nearby state who could take a lesson from this guy.
Kids being Kids != Taser target practice
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
While i believe there is a point before "enter arbitrary age limit for adulthood here" where a minor is capable of making his or her own personal decisions so long as a child is living under their parents roof, eating their food and being provided for and taken care of from their parents, the child must follow their parent's authority and rules.
On the other hand I believe that if an individual minor can prove "lets say through a court of law" that they are capable and mature enough to take care of and provide for themselves and make their own decisions they should be able to emancipate themselves from their parents and gain all the legal rights and responsibilties of adulthood.
"No law means no law" - Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black on the First Amendment
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
Ok, jokes asside, this actually does touch on the more interesting topic of minors and property ownership. This sounds like a strait forward punishment by restricting game time, but...
One of the roles of police (and CPS) is to prevent parents from commiting crimes against their own children. Theft is a crime. Minors can own property (though the specifics vary from state to state) and legally a gift becomes the property of the recipient. Generally minors do not have the legal ability to sell/transfer property on their own, but guardians do not have the legal right to take away that property either.
So from a technical point of view, it could be said that the parents did commit a crime that is sufficiently socially acceptable that the police gave a nod and a wink, letting it slide. If the minor wanted to actually push the issue though he could very well be in the right.
Though since there was likely no formal transfer of ownership, it would be up to a judge to decide if it really was the minor's property or not... and most judges would probably side with the parents since regardless of law, it would be a politically bad move to side with the kid.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
I don't know where you live, but here in Minnesota, nobody under the age of sixteen is legally allowed to own any property, and even then, you can't own anything valued over 250 bucks until you are eighteen. Also, if you live in your parent's house, regardless of age, you are legally required to obey their rules, so long as you are not placed in any danger.
Also, always thought you were an ignoramus, but come ON! The parents committed theft? That's a new low, even for you.
---
He was dead when I got here.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
You may have a point, but you are assuming that the kid bought the XBox himself, and wasn't given provisions (either implicit or explicit) that he behave himself before being allowed to make the purchase, or else given the XBox without similar provisions.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
You know.. That's an interesting point.. I know that when I started earning money and buying my own stuff, I was sure to make it very clear to my parents that IT IS MINE. Therefore, I could control it as I saw fit, and restrict it's use when it came to my brothers. (They mistreated my video games all of the time, so when I bought my 360 the first time, I made damn sure they were treating it right.)
It makes me wonder if the same argument could be used against them if they threatened to take my legally purchased property away. Even more interesting, I wonder how that would play as I grew closer to the age of majority, and even past it, when I was still living at home.
I do remember one particular fight with my dad, where he threatened to break my XBOX because I was being disrespectful (admittedly, I was.) I told him that I had purchased it myself, and if he did, he'd find himself in small claims court. It pissed him off, but it stopped him in his tracks, and he didn't destroy it.. I wonder if there is some legal precedent?
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
I would have to argue that it would be legally questionable whether the minor could own property.
If a 10 year old's bike is stolen, whose name is on the Police report as owning the bike? The Guardian's or the child's?
Same thing with property in the house being stolen during a burglery. Is ownership of various properties broken down by Guardian and minor?
Of course, there is always the tried and true logic: It's the Guardian's house. They pay the electricity. If they can't take away the XBox, TV, DVD, computer, etc, they CAN deprive the minor of connecting to the electric sockets. Problem solved.
And, as I've said many times before, it sucks to be a kid.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000
Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
Apparently it varries from state to state. The most common configuration is minors can own and utilize property but not transfer it.
Preventing use of electricity would probably the most legally sound approach.
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
The associated image is classic. Well done!
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
I'm surprised the kid & his parents didn't get a fine for that call.
"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
Video games are serious business...
They will look up and shout "Give ROFLCOPTERS to us"... and I´ll whisper "NO". The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
You're welcome!
Posted 11/19/09 at 08:04am
sortableturnip: Kid calls 911 after it was taken away by parents: http://tinyurl.com/yfbs3ku
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
Re: Police: Yes Kid, Parents Can Take Your Xbox
ROTFLOL wow that made my day XD