Or is this just another case of a couple of ****, so obsessed with celebrity that they don’t mind that their daughter’s 15 minutes of fame came 15 minutes too late.

Crayola what makes you any better than TheLittlestHobo? You’re hardly in a position to name call over insensitive comments.

It still should have been private. It’s a simple and sad cock-up. The school’s not being evil or deliberately hurting the parents, so why the fuss? Seriously, I don’t think they should have entertained any press at all. It’s not fair. What’s she hoping to gain from it? Does she have some kind of campaign for holistic IT systems that she needs press coverage for?

IT cock-ups happen all the time, unfortunately. It’s just not news.

Crayola what makes you any better than TheLittlestHobo?

As far as I’m aware, the parents aren’t mountain bikers, they certainly don’t look like mountian bikers anyway. So I think it’s fairly safe to assume that they won’t be reading this forum. Brant stated his position and Hobo made a rather insensitive comment directly at him. I think that was unnecessary.

just because you don’t think you would have the same reaction in the same situation doesn’t mean you can’t be understanding of that reaction. I work in a grief/loss/angst/rage/general-messed-upness ‘industry’ and honestly, if it were possible to quantify and award ‘grief and pain’ points for things, the loss of your child would be right up there. And so the understanding and acceptance of a wider range of ways of dealing with/not dealing with your grief should be right up there too.

Have a look at how other non-western/americanised cultures deal with their grief. They don’t go to the tabloids but they do and say some pretty unusual-by-our-standards stuff.

Sure the parents might look back on this in a few years and wonder if they needed to make such a big deal of it but anger does strange things. Including wanting to make life as difficult as possible for other people if what they do comes anywhere near the subject of your loss. At least they aren’t starting fights in pubs about it (yes that does happen in my professional experience and yes it is hard to explain to the magistrate too).

directly at him

So why do you have to get involved in the name calling?

I didn’t call anyone any names. Time for a careful re-read methinks Gary.

TheLittlestHomo, you might think it’s childish abuse, and I didn’t see the comments that have been removed, but Brant was certainly right about one thing.

It’s very plain to see what you’re getting at Crayola. Of course you’ll say that’s not what you meant but you and I both know what you’re trying to suggest.

Perhaps you should think more carefully before casting aspertions in the direction of someone who thinks more carefully.

Yeh right, whatever.

I might be wrong Mrs Flash, but I could have sworn I saw both the mother and the father, sitting on a sofa talking to a TV camera and a journalist. Might be wrong though.

Yes they were, my point was though that they probably didn’t just run to the Sun. I would imagine that they went to a local paper, which imo is understandable. The story was then picked up by someone else.

Don’t **** well roll your eyes at me matey 🙄 😉

Yes they were, my point was though that they probably didn’t just run to the Sun. I would imagine that they went to a local paper, which imo is understandable. The story was then picked up by someone else.

Don’t **** well roll your eyes at me matey

*Fixes gaze firmly ahead*

Again, I may be wrong, but during the sofa scene, I don’t recall a big, scary media mogul in full-length leather trenchcoat and trilby holding a gun to their heads. But as I said, I may be wrong…

Or it might have been a clever crop on the cameraman’s part…

🙄 Oh bugger…

good grief. put your toys away kids, go stand in the corner, and think about what you’ve done.
for those still getting mail for deceased relatives, sign them up for the mail preference service ( mps.org IIRC ), and this should substantially reduce the problem.

for those still getting mail for deceased relatives, sign them up for the mail preference service ( mps.org IIRC ), and this should substantially reduce the problem

Schools aren’t generally members of the Direct Marketing association. If the direct marketers did the honourable thing, their relatives could sign them up for their own list.

Again, I may be wrong, but during the sofa scene, I don’t recall a big, scary media mogul in full-length leather trenchcoat and trilby holding a gun to their heads. But as I said, I may be wrong…

Or it might have been a clever crop on the cameraman’s part…

Or they may have lost their daughter recently and so are not really functioning rationally?

Does no-one have any photocopying to do? 😐

I assume they’ll be suing for compensation next then?

Exactly what I was wondering, Big Dummy.

Cheers Gary-M for the correction, ‘e’ one never stop learning ow 2 rit proper english… 😉

I really don’t understand this thread tbh.

A couple have lost a child and are grieving. They made the news over something that was entirely avoidable.
It will be out of the news just as quickly as it entered the news. Let it go.

I think the thread title (FFS, have a word…) should apply to some of the posts here, rather than be directed at the parents, press etc etc.

that they went to a local paper, which imo is understandable.

I don’t think so. I’d not have done anything. I’d have called the school and said ‘Look, you’ve cocked up here’ and that would’ve been that.

Perhaps they went to the papers as they intend to sue the school for emotional distress?

Deleted, cos i quoted the wrong person 🙂

Molgrips last comment makes most sense to me.

Deals with the issue with as little fuss as possible.

Perhaps they went to the papers as they intend to sue the school for emotional distress?

My thoughts entirely.

I don’t think so. I’d not have done anything. I’d have called the school and said ‘Look, you’ve cocked up here’ and that would’ve been that.

Exactly. If they’re going through as painful an experience as I imagine they are and this cock-up has upset them further surely broadcasting it to the world can only make matters worse?

just had a look back at this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7964654.stm

nowhere is compensation mentioned, the parents have their say, then a statement from the school, and the IT company is read.

They went on the telly to express their anger at a stupid mistake, no-one forced them.

A worthwhile story to tell IMHO

A worthwhile story? How the hell is it ‘worthwhile’? Will publicising it benefit the public? Will it prevent people from making very unforunate but very rare mistakes like this again? No.

Has it enriched my life? No. Do I need to know that this happened? No. Will it help the parents’ grieving proccess? No. Will it bring their daughter back? No.

Will it make ordinary, sensitive people feel even worse about a mistake that they’re probably already very, very sorry about feel even more wretched than they already do? Yes.

So no Martyn, it’s not worthwhile at all. It’s bordering on the malicious on the part of the parents and the press should know better than to have their strings pulled by a couple of bitter people who want other people to feel as bad as they do.

“It’s bordering on the malicious on the part of the parents and the press should know better than to have their strings pulled by a couple of bitter people who want other people to feel as bad as they do.”

blimey…

Its news.. simple as that. News is “unusual” stories this is unusual. I think the press were totally justified in running the story, and I think there was sufficiant interest in the story to run it.
As all sides were covered there is no “string pulling”

I’d love to know what you think “news” is…

“Will it help the parents’ grieving proccess?” And you know what about parental grieving? Cock all I’m guessing. I do. It’s a very dark place to be. You have no idea what you are talking about. You’ve been a **** in your previous disguises but you really have proved yourself an attention seeking **** of the highest order with this little stunt.

Oh enough!