Because destroying something is the acceptable way out of your problems? Because for example, when there are kids blasting off their music in their cars the only way to deal with it is to smash their cars? Sure OP should have been more careful, but if this were done by say, a teenager, everyone would take OP's side. My point is, enough with elderly people getting away with pretty much everything. I respect the notion to respect your elders, but that doesn't equal them being exempt of consequences. Smashing other people's property is unacceptable regardless of your age. That is exactly how horrible elderly people arise(the ones now currently everywhere in FML), because everyone lets them get away with everything.

Actually, the reason I take Gramp's side has less to do with his age and more with the blatant lack of respect for others shown by OP. In all likelihood, since we are now delving into speculation of motives and capabilities, OP knew that Gramps had no clue how to operate the device, knew that the music she left on was at the very least annoying (possibly even repulsive, obscene, or loud enough to disturb normal daily routines), and thought it would be a laugh to force others to listen to it.

"Grandpa."

My bad.

So rather than move it into another room and set a pillow on it or something she chose to smash it? Your mother is a wasteful idiot. It's that simple. I don't care if the ipad was blaring Beiber. They are easily muffled and all you have to do is put it in another damn room to not have to hear it. It's bullshit to say the OP deserved this for accidentally not turning off the music. I have accidentally left music running on my tablet before and that was because I thought I had turned it off. I hit the stop button and things got quiet. It turned out though that I missed the button/it didn't register the touch and just happened to be in a quiet part of a song when I did it. Forty minutes later the music was still running but since I had left it in my room, no one else was bothered. Why? Because on no tablet are the speakers so amazing that you can't just ignore them when they aren't in the room with you.

I apologize. I though you said your mother had smashed it not that she almost smashed it. I apparently did need to locate my glasses. I stand by the rest though, the smashing it hate is necessary.