to think that people should have helped

[FrankBongers]

Was in M&S earlier today and a mum and her little girl were going down the escalator. The little girl freaked out and climbed back to the top but her mum was already going down it.

The little girl (prob about 4 or 5) was sat at the top in hysterics with her feet right on the moving bit. The poor mother was trying to run up the escalator but was getting nowhere - it was like something from a nightmare.

The mum eventually realised that she was not going to be able to reach her daughter, and shouted 'stay there, I'll come back for you', she then ran down the escalator, to go to the 'up' escalator, which is completely out of sight of the other one.

This whole time, people were just stood staring, and loads of people were literally stepping over the little girls head to go down the escalator. It took a good 40 seconds, and probably about 15 people stepping over, before a woman took hold of this child.

Every one knew what was happening, must have been at least 100 people watching.

Poor mum must have been frantic, and to see these people stepping over her DD must have been terrible.

I was totally on the wrong side of the shop, but was heading over to grab the girl but this other woman got there first.

Bloody ridiculous. Am also cross with myself that I didn't shout across the shop 'Will someone pick up that child before she falls down the escalator'.

If you are that poor mum, have a giant non mumsnet hug from me and a massive glass of wine.
at fuckwit people stepping over.

That's nothing - a few years ago, I saw a little boy falling off the back of one of the old routemaster buses when it was going at one hell of a pace. He was terribly badly injured and I shall never forget the noise he was making - wailing like a wounded animal. Loads of people were around on their way to work etc and just walked on by, some looking slightly disgusted like this was something revolting instead of an injured child. I simply couldnt believe it. I put my hand on his back (he was doubled over in agony) and said "come with me, I will help you" and prayed like mad that the people whose front door I knocked on hadnt left for work yet so we could phone for an ambulance. Someone was looking down on me that day because amazingly, the door was that of a nursery school so there were teachers there who were first aid trained and knew how to handle the situation and comfor that poor boy. I often wonder a) how that little boy is (the ambulance had to take him to the neuro-surgery unit at Roehampton) and b) if the people who just walked on by realise just what shameful specimens of humanity they are.

It is horrid when aprents react badly 9though fear / shock has a lot to answer for) but still worth it. We had huge issues with the local ASBO family after we reported their kids for running on a rail track where the nuclear trains operated daily 9with armed guards at the height on the terrorist fear).

I'd do it agin like a shot though; the alternative would be too terrible.

Pixie that made me cry.

On the subject of the op one or two posters have judged the mother for not holding on to her child tight enough. We all make mistakes/misjudge things.

Happened to me in M&S with my small 6 year old, only I was going up. Another lady my mother's age came up behind dd and caught my eye. She just lifted dd on gently and kindly and smiled very nicely at me. I shouted loudly thank you several times as it meant a lot to me but was just a little kind and helpful gesture to her.

I was in Tesco once with DS2 in pram and DS1 walking. All of a sudden he ran and darted across the store towards the exit - I had to literally grab the lady next to me and ask her to stand with DS2 so I could run full pelt after DS1. Everyone stepped out of his way and let him keep going!! It was only the worker at the exit that (thankfully) stopped him - he was 2 and clearly shouting for Mummy at this point, but everyone just ignored him.

But then again, the other day I found 2 boys (around 4 and 6) wandering round the small shopping centre. They couldnt see their mum, and there was no security guard around. So I took them into nearest shop with me, to ask someone to radio security when the mum comes out of one of the aisles and starts swearing and hitting the kids for running off!!

I have been helped in London on escalators/stairs at stations though the women always offer to help with the kids, the men always offer to carry the pram/shopping

Pixie :(

unlike opionatedfreak I didn't get a bad reaction from a mum when I returned her toddler back to her a few years ago. I found him wandering along a busy residential road looking totally lost and very upset with no other adults anywhere to be seen. I didn't know who he was and he couldn't tell me where he should have been but he nodded when I asked if he knew where Mummy was. I let him lead me back to his house and you can imagine the shocked look on his mum's face when she opened the door to me. 'He's supposed to be at my mum and dad's' was the first thing she said! We didn't really say too much to each other at the time other then me explaining where i had found her son but I was so shaken up myself that I dropped a letter through her door the next day givin her a more detailed account of what had happened. I don't know what relations were like with her parents immediately afterwards but there was no way I could have left that little boy out on the street on his own

This has happened to me. I had DS's hand and he is normally fine with escalators but for some reason panicked and as we got on he pulled back. It was horrible. Thankfully a woman did come and stand with him while Dh pelted up the stairs to ds who was screaming. Then some random woman had a go at me saying how stupid I was and as I was also pregnant and emotional I bawled my eyes out, felt so awful for not just being able to pull him on.