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Original poster

Well, if you must leave it open!

137 replies

Thistledew · 20/08/2018 16:03

DS has just turned 2. He is mad about all things diggers. There has been some major resurfacing work on the road near us recently and a digger (sorry DS, backhoe loader) has been left parked just down the road for about a week now. DS likes to go and have a good look at it close up. Today he asked to drive it, i.e. sit in the cab. I said "Sorry DS, it is locked", but stupidly to demonstrate the point I tried the door handle.

It's not locked.

It would make DS's week to sit in the cab and pretend to drive for a few minutes.

Would you let him? Smile

OP posts:
TrappedByATurtle · 20/08/2018 16:05

No. Not without permission. But in my experience, if you ask nicely then he'd likely be allowed.

AuroraFloyd · 20/08/2018 16:05

No! It's not yours and it's irresponsible to let your ds think he can do whatever he wants with other people's things.

EwItsAHooman · 20/08/2018 16:05

No because it's heavy plant machinery and not a climbing frame, I'd be teaching him that it's okay to look at it from a safe distance but not to attempt to climb them or get inside.

Do you have a Diggerland near you? It's an adventure park themed around diggers, tractors, etc.

EwItsAHooman · 20/08/2018 16:06

www.diggerland.com

LellyM · 20/08/2018 16:09

I worked for many years in a well known UK manufacturer of these machines. They are very dangerous machines. During my time at the company there were at least 2 or 3 occasions where people were seriously hurt (and in 1 case killed) by a machine when they thought everything was safe.

L

OrcinusOrca · 20/08/2018 16:12

Instead of saying no because it's locked you need to say no, because it's not yours. Otherwise what if he starts thinking he can walk into stranger's houses if they're unlocked ShockGrin

NoelHeadbands · 20/08/2018 16:15

No and weren’t you ever taught not to touch things that don’t belong to you?!

Take him to Diggerland though, he’ll love it

Original poster
Thistledew · 20/08/2018 16:16

The keys are definitely not in the ignition so there is no chance he could accidentally get it to move. One would assume it has been left safe as it is parked right next to the pavement. I obviously would not let him climb over the outside. He has been allowed to sit on the seat of a mini digger owned by friends before.

The roadworks finished about a week ago so there is no one around to ask. I think that it is not unreasonable to assume that if they were bothered about the possibility of people sitting in the cab it would have been left locked!

OP posts:
Sirzy · 20/08/2018 16:16

No they aren’t toys!

StrangeLookingParasite · 20/08/2018 16:20

Absolutely not. And the people who own or hire it will probably be in violation of their insurance for leaving it unlocked.

BunnyTeapot · 20/08/2018 16:21

Keys or not please do not let your child sit in this piece of machinery. It isn't safe. It isn't yours.

NonaGrey · 20/08/2018 16:22

Not in a million years. I wouldn’t let him go look “up close” either.

It’s not a toy, it’s potentially dangerous machinery.

AnExcellentUsername · 20/08/2018 16:25

Are you for real?

EwItsAHooman · 20/08/2018 16:25

It doesn't matter one iota if it's unlocked, it is a piece of machinery with the potential to be dangerous. It's not a toy and you really shouldn't be encouraging him to approach diggers/plant machinery. Children and machinery don't mix.

ALickyBoomBoomDown · 20/08/2018 16:25

Definitely not. It's machinery, not a toy. What if he falls or manages to get a finger trapped or something? Above all, as others have said, it's not your property so leave it alone.

Takfujimoto · 20/08/2018 16:28

I'm sure this was the basis of a casualty episode back in the day, 🧐 I'd say not a brilliant idea op, best to ask the operator surely?

BaronessBomburst · 20/08/2018 16:28

I have a CAT master key!

Haberpop · 20/08/2018 16:29

No. I wouldn't expect someone to sit in my car or enter my house because I had left them unlocked so no, I wouldn't allow him to sit in the digger.

Original poster
Thistledew · 20/08/2018 16:38

I can't believe some people are so risk adverse they wouldn't even go to look at it! You would have to cross the road to avoid it as it is parked right next to a busy pavement. Of course I'm aware that it's a dangerous piece of machinery when it is working and that there are risks even when it is stationary and turned off, but sitting for a few minutes in the cab is a manageable risk and one I would be prepared to teach DS about.

OP posts:
AnExcellentUsername · 20/08/2018 16:39

Never mind the fact that it's not your property in the first place OP?

Original poster
Thistledew · 20/08/2018 16:42

Neither is the (sturdy, low) brick wall around the nearby church my property, but I still let DS walk along it like generations of children have done before.

OP posts:
NoelHeadbands · 20/08/2018 16:42

It’s not yours to dick about with.

AnExcellentUsername · 20/08/2018 16:46

Oh fuck off, you know that's not the same thing. Would you let him sit in someone's car if they left the door open? Would you let him walk into someone's house?

You seem determined that you have the right to let your little darling sit in the digger regardless of either the risk to his own safety or the fact that it doesn't actually belong to you, so why are you even asking about it here?

AviatorShades · 20/08/2018 16:46

I'd leave a note and my tel no. under the windscreen, to ask permission.Who could resist a digger-mad 2yr old?

And I'm fully prepared to be told that it's dangerous to leave a tel no.under a windscreenWinkGrin

meadowmeow · 20/08/2018 16:47

What's wrong with teaching your 2yo that we don't walk up to random vehicles and jump Confused

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