On Sunday, Dylan Burkett, 15, died in Detroit after defying his father and recklessly driving his ATV through the streets of the city with his headphones on. Burkett had just celebrated his birthday on Friday and to make matters worse, he refused to use a helmet. Apparently, the kid was yet another one of those punk teenagers who think that consequences don’t apply to them.
The one good thing about this is that Detroit has one less ATV rider to contend with. ATV’s are the ultimate in white trash transportation. Burkett, a dude with a horrible acne problem, is not to be pitied. This is not a matter of an innocent teenager being hit by a drunk driver, something that’s out of their control. The ATV was under Burkett’s control, although not well enough as evidenced by the well-deserved death.
If you think I’m being too harsh, then suck it up, buttercup. ATV riders of any age seem to think that they’re above the law and above the rules. They are a danger to polite society. Burkett was a danger to polite society, as polite as possible in a trashy city such as Detroit.
Oh, yes, the kid was openly defying city law unless supervised by an adult. He was not. While operating his ATV illegally, he crashed into an innocent motorist, likely ruining the guy’s car. If he’d hit me, my first concern would have been my vehicle and not his life, especially given that Burkett brought about his own death.
If there’s any comfort in this story, it’s that Detroit’s streets are a little bit safer. If there’s any bad news, it’s that whatever acne medication he was using, if any, will have one less buyer. But the good news outweighs the bad in this matter. We have an ATV problem here in Albany, although our riders aren’t as stupid as this kid was.
If you operate an ATV, let this story serve as a reminder that if you play stupid games, you will win stupid prizes.