Dad selling son's Guitar Hero on eBay...

[glorybebe]

ORONTO -- A claim on eBay that a Canadian man was putting a popular video game up for sale rather than give it to his pot-smoking son has sparked an online debate and led to the item being bid up to more than $9,000 -- 100 times its retail value.

"While I doubt this will keep him from ever smoking pot again, I think it will make him think twice before doing illegal drugs on my property,'' the man, with the user name "k_lid'' and identified only as from Canada, said on a letter accompanying the game's sale on the online auction site eBay.

K-lid said he found it hard to justify rewarding his 15-year-old son with the gift after he found the boy smoking pot in the backyard and "greatly disappointed me''.

''I am an elementary school teacher and I know that rewarding bad behaviour is just asking for more of the same," reads the letter.

While the site did not offer more details about the seller and he could not immediately be contacted, he was listed as a good-faith eBay user since 2002.

The compassionate letter attracted hundreds of comments from other eBay users, most of them siding with the disappointed father.

Others accused him of publicly humiliating his son. The game in question was the hard-to-find "Guitar Hero III'' for the Nintendo Wii.

Even websites joined in the discussion.

justpressplay.net ran the father's letter with an invitation of its own at the end:

"If you want to help ruin this kid's holiday spirit even more, bid on the auction here,'' said a story on the website providing a link to the auction.

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I agree with the dad. And if embarassement doesn't work, what will? There are so many people who say not spank, not yell, not to ground...what can parents do to get the lesson home to their children?

[Stixxman]

too bad so sad, i agree with the father(yeah i know HUGE surprise there), respect the rules of the house or get your own house.

Edited December 14, 2007 by Stixxman

[goalienan]

That's a great game to be auctioning off.....How can the dad be publicly humiliating his son, unless he used names in the auction...And if this isn't the first time, and the kid was warned, then oh well....suck it up.....

[Stixxman]

yeah who cares if the kid is embarrassed, what about what happens to the dad if the kid gets caught doing that at his house

[Bear's Quest]

I side with the father but all this could be just a gimmick even in good faith from E-BAY.

Theres too many trying to grab your attention to bring up an auction's bid.

[Feenix Fire]

well done. I think the embarassment of the situation will have a little more affect than him losing the game. It amazes me how some parents believe a simple "talking to" is enough to get their child down the right path.

[goalienan]

Embarassment can go a long way with a kid...I had my teenage grandson, and three of his friends in the truck, taking them to hockey practice, when my grandson decided to act like a big s**t and mouthed off to me....I pulled the truck over, got in his face which totally shocked him, and ripped him a new you know what....Made him apologize to his friends for being stupid, and apologize to me in front of his friends....It was a first and a last time....They all see how far they can push the buttons....

[crtDzyn]

So how does paying $9,000 for this game help teach the kid a lesson? People are crazy

[Stixxman]

if someone is that stupid then the kid learns two lessons, one never mess with his dad, two never under estimate others people's stupidity, voila double dip

[+joc]

Wrong, wrong, wrong! What a mean Santa Dad! That's just so wrong. What a jerk.

Why don't people ask me before they do stupid things?

What he should do is give the present to the kid...tell him he is very disappointed with him...and take him to some cool places just for fun...like a drug rehabilitation center, a local prison, the morgue.

[Lotus Flower]

So how does paying $9,000 for this game help teach the kid a lesson? People are crazy

It was a "hard-to-get" game, the kid won't be able to get another one so easy. By selling it for such a large amount, it is a double-wammy and shows the kid what he lost.

Not that he will care, he is probably too bloody spaced out and dopey to worry.

Good on the dad I say, the kid's a twit.

[raoulduke666]

Well even though IMO there is nothing wrong with smoking weed, the kid is still only 15 years old and he is still smoking on someone else's property, even if it's his parents. He doesn't own it, so he has no say on what he can or can't do. If he gets caught, he might get into trouble, but his parents are gonna receive the brunt of the punishment. I fully support what the dad is trying to do cause these days kids don't listen to anyone but their friends and obviously the kid never thought of what the consequences could be...and if he complains about it...well, maybe the son should quit smoking weed or find a better spot so he won't get caught!

[Walter Sullivan]

Thumbs up to the dad for punishing his kid for being an idiot.

Who the heck would pay $9,000 for a Wii game?

Being a member of Ebay also, I smell a scammer.

[Stixxman]

granted there is nothing wrong with smoking as you say when your an adult and in your own place.

[+joc]

It was a "hard-to-get" game, the kid won't be able to get another one so easy. By selling it for such a large amount, it is a double-wammy and shows the kid what he lost.

Not that he will care, he is probably too bloody spaced out and dopey to worry.

Good on the dad I say, the kid's a twit.

The kid isn't a twit. He's a kid. And all the Dad is really doing is pushing him deeper into the world he wants him out of. The kid is not going to stop smoking pot because his Dad punished him like that. He is just going to hate his Dad and probably start shooting up to rebel. Where does that get anyone?

[crtDzyn]

Okay, the kid shouldn't be smoking at his parent's house, but selling the game really is just gonna make him think his dad's a douschebag. I guarantee it won't stop him from smoking weed. guaranteed.

[Stixxman]

so i geuss we just let the little guys run rampant then joc? that is a weak argument, don't punish him cause it might hurt his so called feelings. So where does that leave the father in disciplining his kid?......ohhhh yeahhhhh it doesn't. I mean it will only push them further into their drawn in world if you confront them head on,,,,,yeah that makes sense,this won't work at all with this kids friends ripping on him, it might teach him the world isn't his oyster. When you finally have kids joc please remember this conversation when they push your buttons and their luck. Remember what you have said here and don't be a hypocrite. I will be pleased to hear the result from that confrontation and its aftermath. What seems cruel joc is really a parents concern for their child, this guy is teaching his kid several things with this action and all of it is good for him to learn. There are no real free rides in life just naive people who think there are.

[Stixxman]

Okay, the kid shouldn't be smoking at his parent's house, but selling the game really is just gonna make him think his dad's a douschebag. I guarantee it won't stop him from smoking weed. guaranteed.

granted crt granted, but it may stop him from disrespecting his dads house. Smoking is fine as i said but not if it has the potential to screw up people who don't partake. Getting his dad in any kind of legal trouble is a big nono in my books. When the only person or property at risk is your own or your fellow partakers then fine, but putting someone who has a job like elemantary school teacher puts them at risk which is not cool. Its not his right no matter how p***ed off he is or what he will do after the lesson.

[Bunny Munro]

What a grinch, I'd totally inject heroin into my eye balls if that was my dad.

I doubt this will be very effective, as I'm sure most who smoke marijuana will agree drugs beat the hell out of any game.

Edited December 14, 2007 by Affliction

[EmpressStarXVII]

Hopefully he donates this money to charity. Then will I be able to say he done the right thing.

[Stixxman]

addict....erm affliction please breath through your nose for ten breaths then reply.

[Lotus Flower]

The kid isn't a twit. He's a kid. And all the Dad is really doing is pushing him deeper into the world he wants him out of. The kid is not going to stop smoking pot because his Dad punished him like that. He is just going to hate his Dad and probably start shooting up to rebel. Where does that get anyone?

Well at least the dad is trying to do something and not just ignoring it all!

What would you suggest the dad should have done? Pat the kid on the head and say "don't do it again, by the way, here's your game"?

It was his dad's property and he is fully entitled to say what goes on there and if he doesn't like his kid smoking pot, then that is tough on the kid.

If the kid hates his dad for the punishment, then he has a lot to learn, if he wants to smoke the stuff he has to accept the risks of being caught - luckily it was his dad who caught him and not the old bill! If he starts shooting up to rebel, then he really would be confirming my previous statement in that he is a twit!

Where would it get anyone if the kid was allowed to do exactly what he wished, when and where without any thought for anybody else, not even his own family. Totally selfish.

[crtDzyn]

granted crt granted, but it may stop him from disrespecting his dads house. Smoking is fine as i said but not if it has the potential to screw up people who don't partake. Getting his dad in any kind of legal trouble is a big nono in my books. When the only person or property at risk is your own or your fellow partakers then fine, but putting someone who has a job like elemantary school teacher puts them at risk which is not cool. Its not his right no matter how p***ed off he is or what he will do after the lesson.

I agree with that. It seems he doesn't realize the way his actions can reflect on people he cares about. This is an important lesson to learn, especially considering his father's role in other kids' lives. I am curious if this has happened before or if the father caught him once and jumped into this thing. The action his father took seems appropriate if the latter is the case, but if not, perhaps sitting him down and having a discussion about what is acceptable and what isn't would be better suited. Perhaps accompanied by a less extreme punishment.

Then again, he's banking pretty hard off this. He won't have any stress on the wallet this Christmas... oh well then again he doesn't have as many gifts to buy....

[Stixxman]

yeah i could see him sitting down and just laying out the ground rules, like say at least get som e exercise and walk off my property when you do it then you come back and no harm no foul. Something like that might work and your right it does depend on if this was the first time or one of many. People can't be controled from doing what makes them happy so he would find a way no mattewr what. But he is getting to the point where i think the dad can sit him down and teach him a little bit about what it takes to be a good man. Even if you do things that are socially unacceptable it doesn't make you an ogre, i believe that each person is entitled to the control over their happiness.

[ravergirl]

I smoked weed when a few years ago. I quit because i wanted to. If my mother had told me to quit and taken something away from me. i would have hated her the whole time I was smoking weed. there are other ways to deal with kids and drugs and denial forms of punishment aren't it.