A mum has come under fire from other parents for letting her seven-year-old daughter ride on a motorcycle.
The controversy first started after mum Mallory Torres' video of her seven-year-old Tiffany was shared on a Facebook page called 'Biker Dad'. In the snap the little girl can be seen riding with a helmet on, behind her mum's boyfriend.
The post, which has had thousands of reactions, shares and comments, created quite the debate when it comes to children's safety, with some people calling Mallory and her boyfriend 'bad parents'.
One Facebook user, Josh Siegel, described allowing little girl to ride on a motorcycle as, 'unsafe and stupid,' adding, 'I've been riding for 20 years and I've been in way too many close calls... If an adult goes down at 50, they have a chance... If that baby goes down with him... She's done for. That's irresponsible parenting and riding.'
https://www.facebook.com/TVbikerdad/videos/1676956702566022/
Another Facebook fan of Biker Dad, Diane Duncan Conner, questioned, 'would u be able to live with yourself if something happened?'. Dustin Porter had strong views on the picture too saying, 'Definitely a bad Ass little girl.... But F**K NO. You have got to out of your mind to let your child do something like this.'
On seeing the negative comments about her daughter's safety Mallory posted her own picture, along with a lengthy comment on why she disagreed with her critics.
The mum explains, 'I LOVE MY DAUGHTER and she loves to ride, so I allow her to ride on the back of a motorcycle in full gear with my boyfriend who has 20+ years of experience. This was not her first time, she has had experience. I followed closely behind on her first ride, and i as a mother, felt that she did great and that she could handle it again.'
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1080276442015984&set=a.172158262827811.32495.100001009142617&type=3&theater
She then goes on to challenge the accusations of being a bad parent, saying, 'We've been called "bad parents" for allowing her to ride. Bad parents??? Hahahaha. NO. Our children are fed, they are happy, they are healthy, they are up to date on all of their shots and healthcare visits, they are punished when they misbehave and they are praised when they do good.'
She finishes the post by arguing that letting her child ride on a motorcycle is allowing her to experience life.
In the post she says, 'do not call us bad parents because we don't lock our kids in their bedroom with iPads and cell phones. Don't call us bad parents for allowing our children to experience LIVING. Don't call us bad parents for enjoying putting a smile on our kids face every now and then with a motorcycle ride home after school... I won't keep my child from riding just because a handful of close minded, ignorant people think they are the definition of a "perfect parent".
A lot of people have pointed out that in Texas, where the picture was taken, the law on motorcycle passengers is that they have to be at least five years old and must wear a helmet – which the little girl is. In the UK there is no minimum age for a child to ride behind a motorbike driver.
What do you think of children riding motorbikes? Let us know in the comments below.
