Inadequate parenting? That father probably thought he was doing a good job - spending time with his kid, doing something together. Doing an activity and buying a product which was public, advertised, okayed by the safety commissions and practiced by others. Buying and riding ATV's is not something you or I would do, but that doesn't make it malfeasance.

Do you think he was awful because he didn't hear the kid turn off when his own engine was roaring in his ears? His failure was one that parents have committed time and again - not realizing how quickly the kid has become more independent. Sometimes this discovery leads to minor pleasure, sometimes it leads to tragedy. Nonetheless, it happens all the time.

Don't criticize a person till you've walked a mile in his moccasins.