My kid didn't even know those things moved til someone else put $2 in. He just wanted to sit in a bus. We usually hang out at the ride for 15 minutes or so before heading back to the car on shopping days, I feed the baby and he shouts 'beep' and sings 'the wheels on the bus'. Due to his intense enthusiasm he has gotten free rides. We say thank you. I rarely have cash so can't reciprocate. If I ever get around to having physical money then I have no problem with free loaders. Provided they know the words to wheels on the bus.
I put my kid on a ride today. I had my $2. I got it out really slowly and obviously and I WAITED. For some freeloaders, as there were two empty seats and I didn't want them to go to waste. But my toddler was getting antsy, and I couldn't drag it out any longer, so I popped my money in and off we went. Not 5 seconds later, a kid finally turns up, moments too late. Sigh.
But I wouldn't have even thought about a thank you. Would depend on the person, I guess, and the conversation. Being friendly enough passes as gratitude for me, but I'm weird with strangers.
The whole thankyou thing I find quite interesting because not all languages use please thankyou etc to same extent. When we lived in Spain was quite interesting the perceptions of English politeness and some of the ways they said things would be considered quite rude e.g answering phone with the equivalent words "speak to me" or even just "speak" . Sometimes I do think we could drop some of our language and be more direct.
With the ride scenario my preference is for chat while stood there, if that chat includes thankyou then great but prefer chat and no thanks than a thankyou followed by no chat and no eye contact.
If someone wanted an insight into the minefield some people turn two dollar rides into go to Prahran market on a Tuesday - there is a three horse carousel there and lots of toddlers and some of the comments I have heard there astound me ( around the concept of freeloading on rides). It is great to hear toddlers/pre schoolers there negotiating solutions though and often they put parents to shame.
I was reminded of this thread today while at the shops. Ds1 wanted to play on the ride, there was no one on it and I said fine. I never put money in them, just let him pretend to drive the car/ride the horse/etc. today's ride was a Playschool van. He was playing, a girl a little older than him came up, he asked her to come play with him. She went and asked her mum who was sitting at a table next to the ride. The mum said ok, the girl came back over and went to get in. She then came up to me, I was sitting at another table next to the ride, and asked me to put some money in. I told her I wasn't going to put any in because it scares ds1. She asked again for me to put money in, and I just repeated that I wasn't going to. The girls mum heard but didn't say anything to her daughter.
Thinking about it, if the roles were reversed I don't think I would have said anything on the spot to ds the first time, because he's capable of learning and understanding through that interaction. But the second time I think I would have addressed that he shouldn't ask strangers to pay for a ride for him.
Would you say something to your kid the first time, second time or not say anything at all? Would you have said something to the other parent?
If I was that mum, no I wouldn't have said anything to my child, even after asking twice. If he was polite about it and not demanding that you put money in that is, carrying on about it to a stranger is a different matter
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