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That's a tough one, but any of this machinery is dangerous and unforgiving, even if you look like a schmuck doing so and saying something, you might prevent one of those kids from getting killed. And there is the possibility of the parental unit disagreeing. You could try, getting the kids attention, and speak to him on an adult level, without chastising or being authoritative (if there is such a word LOL ). I noticed you were riding around, just wanted to let you know that is a dangerous piece of equipment and you could easily hurt or kill someone if you are not careful, as well as it meant for work not joy riding. I'd mention it to the parent, but keep it mild, hey I kinda noticed the kids fooling with the bobcat and just wanted to let you know I was concerned about them. I was trusted to operate equipment at age 10-11, but not for fooling around, for work that was to be done, and I did have a good understanding of the dangers and the basics on safety, but if I was joyriding around with other kids in the bucket, I think I'd have been asked to stop. I associated this equipment with work, so joy riding really did not apply to my way of thinking, except taking the tractor for a ride to the end of the propery with a friend on the fender instead of walking was about it. Running over some bushes in an overgrown field or crossing the creek was as far as I'd take it, too many hills and other things, that I knew where dangerous, especially while working, rode on the fender many years with dad, and even that was dangerous. I remember my neighbor who was a righteous old coot, who used to balk when he saw me fire up the old ford 4000, even lectured me once or twice, but he did not know that I grew up around this equipment and at an early age had a good grasp on how to operate it, was a natural at it and anytime a machine was needed for something, I'd be the first one to get it ready or fired up. never was shy about jumping in the seat either, onto something I wanted to learn how to run. He was a marine WW-II and Korea, fire chief in town and tried to lecture me on many occasions, they had no kids, and I never really gave him any attitude, but just kept on doing what I knew how to do, be it running the tractor or stoking a fire whils't burning old wood in the yard. He even ordered me to put one out once, I told him to get off the property, but nicely. Then I told him as a vet, you ought to know better, and properly dispose of that weather tattered american flag on his pole and put up a new one, and he kind of shut up and realized he was not immune to an 18 year old firing back a little. Just graduated from military school and we put the flag up and took it down every day. This never hurt anything, he was a still a good neighbor, and citizen, and I respected him, was there at his side when he passed too. You never know how someone will react, good to keep things civil and friendly somehow. You are concerned enough to post about it here, see if you can keep it friendly and neighborly as mentioned. I've always found a way to keep things diplomatic, but also have been known for referencing harsh consequences of things, using real examples of things to get someones attention, especially when giving a tool box safety talk on a job site. Kind of a hard line to walk, but with some genuine concern and neighborly concern, I don't see how someone could not listen, unless they are stubborn. It's one thing to see a kid running equipment and wonder if he's gotten some education and enough seat time to be on his way as far as operating it safely, depends on who taught him, but include kids in the bucket, that would concern me and I'd make sure to mention my concern as friendly as I could. Arguing does nothing here. A few years ago, a long time member of the I.W. local was on a the time warner twin towers, 70 story job, and his kid an apprentice was also on the job, father-son deal, which is tradition and nice to see a kid take up the trade, not many like this work today. Well this is a huge job site just south of central park and was the biggest job going on at the time pre-post 9-11-01 and that local had a ton of guys on that job setting the curtain wall panels, ( metal and glass, building enclosure ) and they struck a deal with the operating engineers to be allowed to run their own forklift on the job to handle material. The kid was doing burnouts and horsing around, turned the forklift over on himself and was killed on the job, same job dad was on. I remember the day of the funeral, all of 580 was there, including 30 or so of the guys on my crew, very solemn day and did not need to happen, all someone had to do was tell the kid to get off the lift, there aint no going back, so even if the guy curses at you and the kids tell you to eff off, which probably won't happen, at least you tried.
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