The DU Lounge

Fla Dem

(23,808 posts) Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:40 PM Jan 2020

My heart stopped yesterday.....

no, not medically, figuratively.

I was in the lobby of a fairly new office building. As I was rounding the corner to the elevator corridor, a young couple was getting out of an elevator. Trailing behind them was an adorable toddler, probably 1 year-14 months old. No sooner did I see her than she made an abrupt turn around and headed back to the elevator as the doors were closing. I shouted Jesus! Was all I could get out. The parents turned around and got to her just as the doors were closing on her. The doors hit her and reopened. The Mom grabbed her. I started breathing again and said Christ! Had the small child been one more step inside the elevator the doors would have closed and God knows where she would have ended up. In the end no big deal, but to see it happening in real time was breathtaking.

Maybe I'm wrong, but my first thought after everything was ok, was one of the adults should have been holding that little girls hand.

14 replies

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Highlight:

My heart stopped yesterday..... (Original Post) Fla Dem Jan 2020 OP

i would have had my toddler leashed to my hand not 6 inches from me... samnsara Jan 2020 #1

Well had they had her on a longer leash, like 3 feet... Fla Dem Jan 2020 #4

I get it. Today at Costco I saw a 2 year old boy running from the front to the back... CurtEastPoint Jan 2020 #2

SMH. Go figure. I know parent are trying to juggle a lot, and kids can be a handful, Fla Dem Jan 2020 #5

Fortunately elevator doors have sensors that detect objects between them and will not close Floyd R. Turbo Jan 2020 #3

I think I was more scared she would make it on the elevator and end up on another floor. Fla Dem Jan 2020 #7

But if the door had closed with her inside leftieNanner Jan 2020 #8

At my wife's workplace there's a point of no return underpants Jan 2020 #12

Surprised that the building hasn't upgraded. Floyd R. Turbo Jan 2020 #13

I have seen similar things. Last week I saw a little one maybe 2 all alone in the grocery store. redstatebluegirl Jan 2020 #6

Angry at you? I would have smacked that GD phone out of her hand. CurtEastPoint Jan 2020 #9

That's just wrong. So many things could happen to a toddler. Fla Dem Jan 2020 #10

I've been hurt by an elevator door before, as an adult. Lars39 Jan 2020 #11

my dad would have been MFM008 Jan 2020 #14

samnsara

(17,651 posts)

1. i would have had my toddler leashed to my hand not 6 inches from me...

Reply to Fla Dem (Original post)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:41 PM

Jan 2020

Fla Dem

(23,808 posts)

4. Well had they had her on a longer leash, like 3 feet...

Reply to samnsara (Reply #1)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:50 PM

Jan 2020

she may have ended up just like some of those dog I've seen in videos. 6 inches is probably a good length.

CurtEastPoint

(18,669 posts)

2. I get it. Today at Costco I saw a 2 year old boy running from the front to the back...

Reply to Fla Dem (Original post)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:43 PM

Jan 2020

no parent in sight. I looked towards the front and along comes Mom la de dah carrying ANOTHER on in her arms. I was a little abrupt. She got close enough for me to yell: "IS THAT YOUR CHILD? YOU CANNOT LET HIM GET AWAY FROM YOU LIKE THAT. HE WILL GET HURT IN HERE!" She said thank you and went to get him. Still in no particular hurry.

Fla Dem

(23,808 posts)

5. SMH. Go figure. I know parent are trying to juggle a lot, and kids can be a handful,

Reply to CurtEastPoint (Reply #2)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:53 PM

Jan 2020

but got to keep n eye on them at that age.

Floyd R. Turbo

(26,648 posts)

3. Fortunately elevator doors have sensors that detect objects between them and will not close

Reply to Fla Dem (Original post)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:46 PM

Jan 2020

completely if there is an obstruction.

Thankfully the child was not injured.

Fla Dem

(23,808 posts)

7. I think I was more scared she would make it on the elevator and end up on another floor.

Reply to Floyd R. Turbo (Reply #3)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:55 PM

Jan 2020

But yes, thankful those doors won't shut if they hit any kind of obstruction.

leftieNanner

(15,180 posts)

8. But if the door had closed with her inside

Reply to Floyd R. Turbo (Reply #3)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:55 PM

Jan 2020

and gone up in a large building, who knows where she might have ended up? My daughter did that when she was two - except it was in my parents' senior apartment building and most everyone in the place knew all of us (we went over for lunch every week). It was still terribly scary!

underpants

(182,957 posts)

12. At my wife's workplace there's a point of no return

Reply to Floyd R. Turbo (Reply #3)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 05:39 PM

Jan 2020

The elevators (very old) have a chime that means it's been open too long and it's closing. Period. No hand wave or button pushing is going to keep it open.

Floyd R. Turbo

(26,648 posts)

13. Surprised that the building hasn't upgraded.

Reply to underpants (Reply #12)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 05:59 PM

Jan 2020

redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)

6. I have seen similar things. Last week I saw a little one maybe 2 all alone in the grocery store.

Reply to Fla Dem (Original post)

Fri Jan 17, 2020, 04:54 PM

Jan 2020

No parent anywhere around. I took her hand and we went looking for Mom. We found her 4 aisles away, she was on her phone and was angry I had her hand and was bringing her back. Okay then. I could have left her there for a predator.