Comment on A Meditation on Railroading

  1. DigitalMagpie on Chapter 1 Mon 11 Oct 2021 05:03PM UTC

    The worst part of all of this is that Atlanta isn't Gotham. If Tim went to the cops and explained what had happened, Jack would be in big trouble for what he did to Tim, especially as there are 1) witnesses and 2) a canceled reservation receipt, and 3) Tim obviously still in Atlanta with inadequate clothing, no money, ID, etc.

    That's neglect/endangerment, depending on the specifics of the statute, and in Georgia (laws are different across the US) that can be a felony resulting in jail time on the first offense. Hitting Tim likely wouldn't result in any kind of charges beyond a misdemeanor (*maybe* - GA law is very lenient toward parental "discipline") but leaving him the way he did is felony levels of neglect/endangerment. In these types of cases, it's usually difficult to prove parental intent, but with the fact that there were witnesses that could confirm that Jack knew Tim didn't have his wallet, intentionally canceled the reservations for the hotel, and left Tim with only the clothes on his back and his camera, Jack would likely not be able to talk his way out of a felony charge. It's really difficult to say that he didn't intend to leave Tim and that's illegal.

    Anyway, poor Tim is so accustomed to looking after himself he probably wouldn't even think to go to the police over this the way an upper class/ upper-middle-class white child normally would be trained to do. (If any readers are outside the US, the police are supposed to be there to help any child, but certain demographics of children don't receive the same care here. 😥😠 So, their training for what to do in an emergency is sometimes different.) I mean, between Tim's independence and Gotham's corruption, he really has no reference for how to handle being an at-risk minor in a "normal" city.

    Last Edited Mon 11 Oct 2021 05:06PM UTC

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    1. eggmacguffin on Chapter 1 Wed 19 Jan 2022 05:51PM UTC

      I honestly didn't want to reply to this comment until the story was finished because I didn't trust myself to not give away the twist,
      but your analysis of Tim and his thought process is perfect and your knowledge of GA law is impressive

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      1. DigitalMagpie on Chapter 1 Wed 19 Jan 2022 07:17PM UTC

        I really wasn't expecting the gaslighting twist, but sometimes I forget just how manipulative/mentally/emotionally abusive people can be.

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      2. Hangebokhan on Chapter 1 Sat 15 Apr 2023 09:36PM UTC

        There are very few good things I can say about the hellhole that is Atlanta. One of them is that there is actually a darn good queer support network for runaway kids that he could have tapped into for resources. I will say though, most kids of Tim's status would know about those resources in THEORY, but be far too ashamed to use them in fact.

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        1. DigitalMagpie on Chapter 1 Sat 16 Mar 2024 01:32AM UTC

          It's good to know that support network exists for those that are in the know. It's not like that everywhere. :(

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          1. Hangebokhan on Chapter 1 Sat 16 Mar 2024 02:56AM UTC

            Yeah, I am sadly all too familiar with that. Atlanta is the center of Pride in the Southeast. Many middle schools will sneak in a bit about support networks.

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    3. Libraflyter on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Oct 2023 02:32AM UTC

      I was skimming the comments to see thoughts on real world support and appreciate this call out to GA law. One thing I picked up on this reread is that the restaurant staff were clearly trying to be conscientious bystanders. The more senior staff member tried to help Tim feel safe and reassure him he was not in trouble. The manager was presumably on the phone with emergency services in order to figure out how to make sure Tim stays safe.

      Just like pushing the distress signal, Tim had options in the restaurant. And the library, for that matter. But all those options required a leap of faith he wasn’t ready for.

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      1. eggmacguffin on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Oct 2023 01:02PM UTC

        💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

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      2. DigitalMagpie on Chapter 1 Sat 16 Mar 2024 01:34AM UTC

        Adults can be good and adults can be bad. Unfortunately, it seems like Tim's seen too much of the bad to be able to really trust the good. :( You're right - he had options, but was he really aware that those options existed if they had never really been options for him before (relying on other people)?

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