BANGOR, Maine — Officers Kyle Pelkey and Richard Polk were investigating a parking problem on West Street about 3 a.m Saturday when they noticed three girls cross the street in an attempt to avoid them.
One of the girls dropped a purse and the officers called after them but they didn’t respond, Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said on Monday.
When the officers approached the 15-year-old who dropped the bag, “she basically said, ‘Ain’t my bag,’” Edwards said. “The other two girls went inside” a nearby residence.
The only thing in the bag was a half gallon of vodka. The teenager, who was heading over to her friend’s house to spend the night, was charged with illegal possession of liquor by a minor. The other two girls were not charged. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)
The story brought to mind, a commercial I saw on TV: “It’s 3am. Do you know where your kids are ?” It appears not everyone answers with a “Yes”.
Or you got some that can answer yes…they just don’t care and won’t until something happens to their “innocent” child
and this girl’s “parent” wouldn’t be the first to buy the vodka for her daughter…you know, to show her that she is her “friend.”
If you just bought a half gallon for your daughter and her two friends, would you really just let them run off with it? Or, because you are already involved (and therefore guilty of a crime), simply let them drink at your place to ensure they are being safe? I find it hard to believe a parent supplied the bottle because of this reason.
Some know exactly where they are because they are the ones who bought it for them and have no problem with them sharing it with their friends as long as they drink at home. I’m not saying that the parents of this 15 yr. old knew about it but more times than not they know what their kids are doing and just dont care. We all know people who do this but choose to put it on the back burner because it doesnt involve us on a personal level until we hear of an accident and then the regret of not saying anything comes into play.
That encounter may have saved those girls’ lives. I’m sure that’s not how they see it, but maybe someday they will.
Yes, I am sure they would have drank themselves to death on that half gallon (which probably wasn’t full) that night. Thank God for the Police!
A gallon of vodka between three young girls (who probably have no experience with alcohol) certainly could be deadly. My freshman year of college we lost a classmate to an accident during a drunken night. When I was a kid, my friend’s father fell while intoxicated and died from head injuries. All it would take is one of those girls to drink too much, fall asleep, and choke on her vomit- and a young life would be gone. So, don’t try to tell me that alcohol can’t be deadly.
It was a half gallon, not a gallon an I doubt they’d try a half their first time out. Something tells me they have drank at least a few Wine Coolers or Smirnoff’s in the past. Im not sure I know a single person who drinks now who can say their first time was a half gallon…. Yes, it can be a part of deadly events. You can also get injured and possibly die just simply climbing out of bed. If you choose to drive or do something dumb while drunk you might get hurt. As far as your friends father goes, sadly, accidents do happen. Although, lots and lots of people get drunk all the time and as a rule, they do not die. Its not typically the alcohol which kills people. Your classmate died because of the accident, not because he was drunk. Did the alcohol contribute? Sure, but it wasn’t the cause. It is rarely ever the sole cause. Maybe the classmate ate a cheeseburger before his tragic accident? Surely it could then be argued that the cheeseburger may have caused it? And yeah, all it would take is one of them drinking too much and then she could choke on her own vomit. What if. Could. Maybe. How often does such things actually happen? How many young girls do you know who have suffered such a fate? Ive been around awhile. Ive known kids in my younger years who drank at a young age. Some turned out ok, some didn’t (such as people do, in general). None died.
I understand your concern, but I really don’t think its as bad as I believe you think it is. Kids will be kids. Id rather see them at home in a controlled environment drinking then out at 3 in the morn with a half gallon, but, due to the nature of things, they dont. Whether its because their parents do not approve, wont babysit them or dont know, either way, something must change. You cant teach people to be responsible by leaving them to their own devices. Is it right that kids are drinking? I’m not sure but I know they do it and they will do it and therefore, the adults and people who are responsible for looking out for these younglings must find a logical and effective way of educating them and teaching them that there is a time, a place and a “smarter” way to get drunk.
The answer is not enforcement and punishment in the conventional sense. Its education and compassion. You cant stop whats happening, so all you can do it figure out how to prevent it from becoming worse.
My first thought was one of disbelief and sadness that a 15 year old would be walking around with vodka… but then as I continued to read, she was doing so at 3 in the morning? I realize I was very fortunate to be raised in a house and an environment where being “out on the street” at 3 AM when I was 15 was not even an option. I really hope these young ladies realize that this is not the best path to be heading down.
Well stated and hopefully this is a wake-up time for these girls or else heartache may follow….
Sometimes it sickens me to think about all of the parents out there that just don’t belong having a child. Having children is a privilege. Kids will push the limits, but it is the job of parents to set those limits and bring your kids inside those limits when they push. 15 years old with vodka in the middle of the night. Whoever THAT parent is, they need to take a serious look at how they parent. If they don’t, DHHS might want to.
Yes, because 15 year olds dont have a will of their own and wont break their parents rules. The teenage years are a time of self-discovery, of learning about life and yourself. Sometimes this includes doing things that adults find morally questionable or wrong. Perhaps you have forgotten you were once young? Its not the parents job to baby sit a teenager. Its their job to guide them, but also to let their children make mistakes and learn from them. You can’t babysit people. What about at school, where they have easy access to drugs? Should we not let them go because they might take a hit of a joint? Or, do we teach them what we can and let them learn the rest? Teenagers are rebels. You cant expect to control them, aside from locking them in a cage.
Give me a break, this is a 15 year old out at 3 AM drunk, no excuses for the parents. Yes all teens do stuff, but not all are comfortable enough to be walking around on the city streets.
Firstly, it didn’t say she was drunk, nor how much of the half gallon there was. I’m not making excuses for anyone, perhaps you need to re-read my posts. I’m not agreeing with either “side” of the debate. You are correct not all have enough self confidence to be out at that time. Bangor isn’t really all that dangerous. I know. I spend a lot of time there. Maybe that lack of confidence is an issue? We need strong people in the world. Not sheep. They are “growing up” at younger and younger ages, it seems. That being the case, if they dont feel safe enough or confident enough to walk around their home, then something needs to be done. I personally don’t feel like this behavior is all that terrible. The parents may not know or they may not care or mom might have kissed them on the way out and said “be safe, walking one street over and call me when you get there. I love you.” Its really, really easily to speculate. Fact is, aside from what is present in this meager article, WE know nothing. Maybe they were walking a block over to their friends house? Who are you to assume they were just having a leisurely stroll about? Jumping to conclusions serves only the hysteria which already clogs the air greatly, round these parts. Parents are accountable for their children, but only insomuch as they know what their kids are doing. If the kid ninja’d out the window at 2am to go meet her friends whilest her parents slept, its pretty hard to say they are bad parents. At 15, you are accountable for your own actions. This girl made a choice to take a walk (of some length) with booze and friends at 3am. Her own doing. Not her parents. Free will is a bugger, ain’t it?
Lots of teenagers with good parents do a whole lot of things. If you think your teen has never done anything because you have “set limits” means you have your head stuck in the sand – or you don’t have teens.
Somebody needs to teach these kids to keep their cool and say “No, you can’t search my bag without a warrant.”
Slow news day, huh?
Not at all, early onset alcoholism is a story. If these girls keep up, that’s something I’ll be paying for and that’s something I want to know about!
Kids sneak alcohol all the time. This is NOT news.
Nothing ever good happens after midnight.
Don’t the bars close at one?
It seems that everyone is quick to judge these girls parents when the truth is most 15 year old girls are very good at lying and being sneaky. I may be wrong and their parents might be awful parent but from experience I know that at that age you will say anything to be able to go out with your friends on a Saturday night…even if it means lying to your parents very convincingly.
why would any parent allow a 15 year old girl out at 3am?That is just asking for trouble!
It’s amazing that if these were 15-year-old boys caught with a half-gallon of vodka, their names would be plastered all over the article…