#troxel

Rawhide

Testing my 7 yr old Charles Owen vs. a brand new Troxel.

I must say I'm team Charles Owen and will probably be returning this Troxel.

The Charles Owen is comfier and gets way less pushed back when I put pressure on the visor (both helmets were fully adjusted with straps tightened in the middle 2 photos).

They both twisted quite a bit when I tugged the side of the visor, but the Charles Owen wasn't always like that while the Troxel was from day one. The Charles Owen has felt looser on me this past year, which is why I'm helmet shopping, but I think it just expanded after I left it in my hot car one time too many. When I first got it I could tip my head down with it unbuckled and it wouldn't fall off.

I figured I'd try a Troxel again because they're cheaper, and for whatever stupid reason I thought they'd outperformed the Charles Owens in the Virginia Tech ratings, but I see now that I conflated Troxel with Tuffrider.

When assisting grandparents with concerns about the custody and wellbeing of their grandchildren, there are more options in Idaho other than seeking a guardianship. As explained by the Idaho Supreme Court in Overholser v. Overholser, 164 Idaho 503, 432 P.3d 52 (2018), grandparents in Idaho hold several “keys to the courthouse” in such situations:

"Magic Keys" by cogdogblog is licensed under CC0 1.0.

The De Facto Custodian Act under Idaho Code § 32-1701

In certain situations, a grandparent can be deemed a de facto custodian of a grandchild(ren). Idaho Code § 32-1703 lays out the requirements essentially stating the grandparent must be related by blood to the child and must have been the primary caretaker of the child for a specific amount of time (differs based on the child’s age) “without a parent [of the child] present and with a lack of demonstrated consistent participation by a parent.”

Intervention in a divorce case under Idaho Code § 32-717(3)

This one is under the divorce statutes and only applies as follows: “In any case where the child is actually residing with a grandparent in a stable relationship, the court may recognize the grandparent as having the same standing as a parent for evaluating what custody arrangements are in the best interests of the child.”

Grandparent Visitation Rights under Idaho Code § 32-719 

This one is also short and found under the divorce statutes: “The district court may grant reasonable visitation rights to grandparents or great-grandparents upon a proper showing that the visitation would be in the best interests of the child.”

Minor Guardianship under Idaho Code § 15-5-204 

This is the general minor guardianship statute under the probate code in Idaho. The petitioning grandparent will have to show that the grandchild was neglected, abused, abandoned, or the grandchild’s parents cannot provide a stable home environment. In contrast to the options above, guardianships like this can put a larger wedge between the grandparent and their own child all in the name of the grandchild’s best interest. Note that the Court Assistance Office in Idaho has self-help forms under this statute available HERE. You can even complete and file the forms online through a new feature on that website.

And... What about Troxel?