Parade of delinquency and terror, part 1


 Posted on November 16th, 2009

After squeezing my way through my second annual procession on Sunday, I can say without hesitation that the Santa Claus Parade is no place to bring your kids. The dangers are many and very, very real.

To begin with, you have strange men winding their way through the audience snapping random pictures of children and posting them on only God-knows what website. That alone should be enough, but there’s much more to be wary of.

Consider the example set by  pre-pubescent delinquents who don’t think twice about defacing public property:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, children, floats, toronto, city, life

“Welcome Santa” must be kid code for “deliver crack cocaine here”. If only that were the worst of it. What happens when your child learns to steal cars? Driving without a license (and training) not only means a harsher jail sentence, it’s also extremely dangerous:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, children, floats, toronto, city, life

If you don’t believe me you can ask the cops. There were plenty of them along the parade route, handing out literature to educate the young about the dangers of falling in with the wrong crowd. Why they even allowed kids to attend is beyond me:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, children, floats, toronto, city, life

Those are just a few of the criminal influences that could befall your child at the Santa Claus Parade. Besides the dangers of running afoul of the law, kids also run the risk of mental / emotional trauma. Those who attended and have a fear of clowns are probably catatonic by now:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, children, floats, toronto, city, life

Reasonable people would think that inspiring terror on this scale would be enough. They’re just kids, for heaven’s sake! But no, parade organizers had to take it to twisted new heights:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, children, floats, toronto, city, life

As if fear weren’t enough, bringing children to the event means exposing them to all sorts of filth:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, horses, riders, horseback, crowd, people, children, floats, toronto, city, life

Every cunning device is used to ensure that no child escapes unscathed. For those with more active imaginations, a terrible portrait is carefully painted to resonate with their young minds. Imagine being held fast by a giant, blood-red beast who’s probably already feasted on your friends:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, clifford the big red dog, children, floats, toronto, city, life

The parade of horrors continues with strange, nightmarish creatures that are neither beast nor man, but some ghoulish mixture of both:

santa claus parade, 2009, yonge street, dundas street, university avenue, christmas, seasonal, holiday, parade, crowd, people, costumes, children, floats, toronto, city, life

Unfortunately I’ve run out of space in this post, but sufficed to say that the hazards lurking about the Santa Claus parade are many, some much more insidious than what’s shown here. I’ll continue with these tomorrow but if you have a kid or two and are considering a similar event in your home town, I urge you to reconsider. Attending is a first-class ticket to a shattered future. Won’t you please think of the children?

8 Comments on “ Parade of delinquency and terror, part 1 ”

  • mike
    November 16th, 2009 8:33 pm

    Those clowns suck big time. And someone should have laid out some traps for those "Man-Bears".

    *shudder*


  • Patrick
    November 17th, 2009 7:34 am

    Haha! Someone should have, Mike. Creeped me out big time!


  • Kato
    November 16th, 2009 10:32 pm

    Hahah! Hilarious.


  • Patrick
    November 17th, 2009 7:35 am

    Yes, Kato. That's one way to look at it :|


  • Angel
    November 17th, 2009 1:36 am

    Clowns? Aiiiiieeeeee!! (*run and hide*)


  • Patrick
    November 17th, 2009 7:36 am

    I know, right? And those upside down ones are especially horrific. Your reaction is the only correct one, Angel.


  • dawn
    November 17th, 2009 7:17 pm

    When I was a kid I looked forward to this parade every year :(

    How times have changed…


  • Patrick
    November 17th, 2009 8:50 pm

    It's much more fun when you're grown up, Dawn. It's childhood that's terrifying. :)


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