Boy caught in Washing Machine

[classiccaprice]

Did anyone see this on the news?

Mom Finds Son Spinning Around Inside Running Washing Machine

MIAMI -- A 6-year-old boy is recovering after his mother said he became trapped inside a running washing machine. Timothy "T.J." Clark and his 4-year-old sister were playing in what they apparently thought was a broken machine at a laundromat off Northwest 79th St. and 22nd Ave.

The boy’s mother, Saraco Black, told Local 10 that her daughter went running to her for help. “She came to me and said 'Mommy, my brother is inside the washing machine.' When she said that I got up, went over to the machine and my baby was spinning around inside,” Black said.

After three tries, and with the help of two men who were in the laundromat, Black was able to pull open the washing machine's door.
The boy was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center. He needed stitches but is expected to be OK.

On my local news, I saw that mom wants to sue the laundromat for leaving the broken machine plugged in. The police are investigating for child neglect.

http://www.local10.com/news/17436177/detail.html

 

[aquarius1984]

Why should she sue?

Its parenting like this that means the UK is in a dire state.
We have Chav children/babies belonging to 16 year olds who run amok in public making a nuisance of themselves because the parents dont care.
What do the parents do? Nothing.

What should they do? - a bloody great whack across the backs of their childrens legs when in mischief thats what.

She ought to be done for child abuse - what decent parent in the right mind takes their eyes off a 6 year old and lets them play outside the house without supervision????

I have no sympathy for the mother if she gets the book thrown at her.

R

 

[rolls_rapide]

bloody great whack

Quite right!

The parents are to blame due to lack of discipline and lack of supervision.

I'd actually whack the parents too, for being so effing thick!

 

[toggleswitch2]

Well SOMEBODY has to raise them............

Being a bad father. 20 minutes worth of work
Being a good mother. 20 years worth of work.

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime............

 

[70series]

She wants to sue? Good Luck! I think someone should inform her of what Contributory Negligence is, or at the very least Comparative Fault, (depending on the state's jurisdiction) before she files. The kids were under her care, and her inattentiveness constituted a breach of the duty she owed them. Breast feeding the newborn would not render her oblivious to what her kids were doing. I've seen more than one mother breast feed, and none of them were clueless as to what was going on around them.

Maybe the washer should have been unplugged; there is that argument, but how reasonably forseeable is it that kids would climb into it. Especially ones who were supposed to be supervised? Anyway, I hope the child has a speedy recovery, and that the mother gets a clue.

Have a good one,
James

 

[pulsator]

Aren't most laundromats protected with signs that say, "DO NOT LET CHILDREN PLAY IN, WITH, OR AROUND WASHERS."?

 

[peterh770]

"You have to be very careful with the machines."

No, idiot, you have watch your kids and discipline them. You as a user is probably smart enough not to climb in a machine and/or close the door on someone inside one, but you do need to be a parent to your children.

Oh, wait, I'm sure the machine sucked the kid in there all on its own. It's the owners fault for having carnivorous washers and dryers. No fault of the parents at all.

That is an Ipso washer in the video, and a newer model...

 

[pulsator]

One other thing, aren't most of these indstrial sized machines hard wired in? They can't be unplugged!

 

[tolivac]

Its really hard to truely pin blame here-yes the parent should have been more attentive while at the laundry-and the laundramat should have done the following with the defective washer-if its hardwired-turn off and lock off its disconnect switch or breaker.Under new OSHA requirements-lockout devices must be provided at such places.the lockouts not only protect customers-but the technicians working on the machine from someone operating a non locked out switch or breaker and applying power at the wrong time.Hardwired equipment MUST have a circuit breaker or fused disconnect switch to disconnect it from the line in case of problems and maintenance.And that switch or breaker must be locked out when the machine is defective or being worked on.We have to go by "tag out-lockout" procedures at where I work.Have had to use the lockout devices several times.

 

[re563]

There are so many things wrong with this story. First of all having lived now in south florida for 18 years, and having to have gone to the laundromat, I have personally seen parents who bring their children with them and let the children run around the place like animals. Personally, and this is just my opinion, a laundromat is no place to bring your children. After all there is large equpiment there. It was as they put it an industrial machine. And, what others have said, she was breat feeding. Okay, so that means you have no clue what your other two children are doing??? A) you're in a public place. These are also the same people who's children "disappear" and wonder why my baby. Growing up, I was the youngest of 6. Even when I was, where I thought out of my mom's sight, and tried something my mom would yell, " don't even think about it". I was amazed!! how did she see me I don't even see her around. That is the trick of parenting. And that is why I don't have kids and thank god I don't and that I'm gay. I just don't have the time effort of instinct to be on guard 24/7.

 

[laundromat]

First and foremost,how can you test a so called Out of Order washer without having power to it?How many other people were in that coin laundry and saw what was happening without any response?

 

[ptcruiser51]

How did they get it started?

I'd love to find a laundromat where the machines would start without coins being inserted! I'm sure the little darlings didn't pester mommy for change. Likewise, if the machine was stopped mid-cycle, then it's true - power should have been cut off or something.

In my store, I find it amazing how many people are blithely unaware of what their pint-sized terrors are up to. Including trying to climb into the FL's, let alone the chest freezers!

 

[peterh770]

If the washer was prone to starting on it's own, the owner certainly wouldn't leave the power on and give away wash cycles. Owners are usual quite aware of these situations very quickly and cut the power. There must have been something else, maybe non-electrical wrong with the machine. Or another user loaded the machine, inserted their coins, THEN SAW THE OOO SIGN and moved their clothes to another machine. The machine could have been there just waiting for the door to be closed on the children who had climbed inside.

Yeah, stupid for the owner or attendant not to cut the power. More stupid the parent though...

All laundries have electrical cutoffs in the bulkheads behind the machines. Very few if not none have the cutoffs in a remote area.

 

[autowasherfreak]

Playing in Washers

I climbed into our broken down wringer washer once and only once. My dad caught me, and when he was through with me, I unable to sit for awhile.

James

 

[sudsmaster]

I may be in the minority, but I'd have to say that the laundromat owner should have tripped the breaker to the defective machine that apparently was able to start spinning without any adult attention (ie, putting coins in). If it had been a normally functioning machine and the kids had put in the change themselves and started it up, then that's parental neglect. But in this case I think the onus is on the laundrymat owner/management. Thankfully the boy wasn't seriously injured or killed, which he could very well have been if the thing has started filling with hot water or gone into a high speed spin.200 G's being rather fatal.

 

[neptunebob]

That may be the case, but I have noticed that generally parents today do not watch their kids the way our parents watched what we were doing.

 

[sdlee]

man you guys....

........sooooooooo judgemental on the parenting.
SHE HAD HER HANDS FULL...........yes our mothers knew what we were doing..well most of our mothers DID NOT breast feed. I havent done it being a man and all but Ive watched and it does look like something that takes most of your concentration. Esp in public, esp in public where you are trying to be discrete about it.

yeah i agree she should have had abetter idea on what the other two were up to. She DID respond imeadaitely which is something she should get credit for coz i have seen a lot of them tell the other child to shut up or continue tier conversation with thier neighbor and THEN go see if theres trouble.

When I lived in Colorado a woman and a man sat at a bar while thier daughter was having an astma attack in the motel across the street, the older sister told them but they argued over who should go tend to it, finally the older daughter took it on herself to call 911 but by then it was too late.

Also are all of you who say she should have been watching them saying there was never ever any accidents in your childhood. From what the 1950s to the early 80s no kids ever got into mischief, or out of thier mothers sights? there were no little broken arms or legs and every kid went to bed each night having never been taught the science of gravity or curiosity first hand? Cmon you guys , lighten up.I havent raised my own kids but I had plent of first hand expierence helping my sister with hers and I can tell you they can and do get away and get into to stuff faster than you can possibly think (unless ofcorse you have been there)

Lighten up on the laundromat too. how do you know it wasnt unplugged and some unaothorized costomer didnt plug it in. how long was it broke. Was it really broke? Did some load it with coins while it was unplugged and got mad and walked away to another machine/did someone else come along and plug it in and is THAT the reason it started up when the door was closed.

where are all these possible people and why arent they held accountable for suieing as well? But yaeh Ill concede that it should have been somehow put under a knowledgeable sign stating it was out of order. It should have been unplugged. Im also saying maybe it had been. As for signage even a kid with reading skills might say so what, that looks like fun,Im getting in

My first reaction ofcorse was thank god hes ok. When you think of how different the outcome could have been, He could be scalded and deformed,electrocuted and drowned. As it is he seems ok but who knows the long term effects.

now a lil side story....when me and my cousins were about 13 or so we used to go down to this old laundry in town and get in the machines, drop quarters and spin until it was too hot to stay in.
Were we stupid...yep.
were we having fun...yep
were we dizzy...yep ( or high from the propane)(or both)
did we do any damage (who knows were all kinda weird but then so is everyone)
did we hurt that old mans machines? (probably)
did our mothers know?........nope (not til years and years later)
did anyone get sued.......................nope
did anyones kids get taken away.....nope
did the cops come..............once and we all got kicked out and sent on our way.
Are kids still doing things like this......yep,check it out on you tube if you dont think so.
how can it be stopped...........it cant.
are you guys gonna pick my response apart....likely..heheh ..have fun.

As I said before Im glad kid came through it and everything else aside THAT is what Really matters.

 

[perc-o-prince]

But in this case I think the onus is on the laundrymat owner

You've got to be kidding. Parents are responsible for their children, the rest of the world isn't. Whether the machine was plugged in, juiced, or otherwise (not saying it was right or wrong as I don't have first-hand knowledge of laundromat policies on that), what the hell was the (cute, little, glad he's doing well) kid doing playing away from his mother in a public facility like this, obviously not near enough to his mother for her to see or hear him? Yes, it happens sometimes, but since she knew she was going to be distracted...

SDLEE, as far as, "SHE HAD HER HANDS FULL," that's no excuse for not paying attention to her other two kids. Obviously she has at least one too many if that's the case. Perhaps a neighbor should have been watching them while she did her thing? Yes, she went to the "rescue" right away (you say she gets points for that), but it was oh so totally preventable (I think she loses double your points for that).

Chuck

 

[sdlee]

sorry

oh chuck,

really IM not siding with her when I say she had her hands full Im just saying I can see how it would happen.Also trying to see what her situation would be..........

This ofcorse is just an assumption but useually a mother with three kids at a laundramat is too poor to have a washer and dryer at home. Or if she does they are broke.If she has an old man he obviously isnt willing to watch the kids or she would have never dragged them down there to begin with.

Very, very few people in this world are like those of us here at AW and would find a laundromat a fun and adventurous place to be ( well with the exception of kids that want to take cylindars for a carnival ride)

But most adults would not see hauling three kids, a weeks worth of laundry, the need for a lot of coins,and valuble wasted time going down the toilet as something they would willingly go do so I dont think she was there by pleasure but rather force.

If we go farther we might even guess that shes a welfare mom, worked to the bone only to face pentalties for working and that all three of her babies have different daddies.

Does that mean she should slack off as a mom? No, Im just saying its possible she has too much to handle.

Heres another theroy. Maybe shes all of the above BUT GENERALLY her kids are very well behaved and most trustworthy and for one tiny little aspect of time they fell by the wayside like little kids can do.

or maybe shes god awful rich and just wanted to live like the other half for a an hour or so, so she took the kids and went to try and wash her furs, looking for quality family time and this tragedy suddenly took place. Damn she thinks, Im a fool, I have no right taking the kids from thier nanny and taking my fine washable from the cleaning staff,what was I thinking....

ok the last sceenario was just to be funny but my point isthat there could be a hundred different things in the way that all took place. Im just saying you guys need to be less judgemental unless you know everything about any given situation.

I still stand by what I say.....she had too much happening at once and that has happened to all of us at one time or another or will happen to those of us who havent encountered it yet. I hardly think she should have her kids taken away over it.

kids are kids, accidents are accidents.

Just like the laundromat owner, Im sure he didnt set out that day waking up rubbing his hands together and sinesterly laughing saying aww this is it, this is the day that a child will get in that washer and be mangled awwahahahahhh ahahahaha hahahaha!!!!!!!!!! Been planning that for weeks, todays the day someone will take the bait.Devil may care,todays the day I exact revenge on all coin tossers who darken my door with thier small annoying children. its only one but soon I shall free the world of all little rodents hahhaha ONE LOAD AT A TIME aha hahahahahhahha.

cmon you guys,be nice. This could have been you and your kids.This could have been your laundromat and this could have been your situation. What would your reaction be then?