Do kids know/understand?

[RvW]

9:30 pm
Im driving 25 mph on a quiet residential street in Richland Wa. tonight returning from Home Depoe/Pizza Schmizza.
Slice of hot pizza in one hand, greasy steering wheel in the other trying to sing along to JJ Cale's version of " They Call me the breeze" between bites ("They call me the cheese, la la la la")

POP...WHACK!

I hear the report of some sort of air gun, and immediately hear the projectile hit my 6 day old, $350 dollar windshield! What the...? Why you little....

I test the anti-lock brakes in my truck, throw it in park and turn on the hazzards in about .07 seconds... fling the door open and Im in the faces of five 14 and 15 year old kids huddled behind a bush holding airsoft pistols.

"we didnt do it"



After I explain, that contrary to popular belief I am NOT retarded (which wasnt very convincing with a mouth full of pizza) I gently confiscate all of the guns, and toss them towards my truck.
Someone else must have called the police already, because they were there before I even got the flip on the phone open.

Do kids have any idea of the danger they put themselves and others in with toy guns and air-soft pistols?

I didnt lecture them. But I did explain two things that I hope got across to them.
One: Human eyes are not replaceable. Two: they are very lucky they shot at my truck and not at any one of the many tweeked out idiots, or aggressive wanna-be gang-bangers riding around town tonight. ( 7-eleven just around the corner )

Anyway, maybe its a good time to remind your kids if you have not had the talk with them lately.
Fake guns, airsoft guns, bb guns etc can hurt... and sometimes people, including police (the good guys) shoot back with real ones.

Peace.

(Windshield survived, but I have this weird feeling its not going to last)