Reply #124: I watched a grown woman with her children in the car reduced to sobbing tears

[Thor_MN]

When my vehicle skidded on ice at a stop sign and tapped their rear bumper. The amount of force involved was less that what you routinely receive at an amusement park. I was probably at less than 1 mph when that damn skid (took forever to stop) ended. Her husband, who was driving, got out, we looked at both vehicles and decided that there was no damage at all.

I've been on the other end of the same collision when a car of college aged students skidded into me. (Yes, it snows here in Minnesota...) They were quite concerned and worried, but after a quick look at the bumpers, I told them no big deal. No harm, no foul.

Back to the adult woman, she was a mess, sobbing in the front seat, her children were calm, looking at her and I'm guessing wondering what the heck was wrong with Mom? I tried to tell her I was sorry, but I honestly do not believe she was even capable of knowing that I was talking to her.

Point is, some people do not handle even the smallest amounts of stress well. Neither of you can know what happened at the zoo, but to say that only in soap operas do adults get traumatized by being mauled by a 200+ lb tiger - that is absolutely ridiculous.