Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

cardboard fixture fell on my son while shopping

237 replies

shminkie · 08/04/2014 16:51

I visited a matalan store on 10th Feb with my almost 2 year old son and my mother. My son loves exploring his world right now and I'm happy to let him under my watchful eye. He was doing his usual 'taking things off prongs for mummy to put back' when he tried to take some socks off one of their cardboard display units. As a store planner and shop fitter, it never occurred to me that the fixture would be unsecured, especially placed so close to the children's department. I was therefore horrified when the 4 foot, front heavy fixture with eye threatening prongs fell covering my son. I settled my son who was thankfully ok, but thought that it needed reporting to duty manager. After paying for my goods I asked to speak with someone. A young lady arrived and I explained what had happened and was utterly astonished at her response. There was no concern, no apology. She just said 'well he must have pulled on it' I replied yes he had, as he explored, as he should be able to without the fixture falling onto him. She then told me 'that's why our trolleys have child seats in them, we recommend you keep them in a trolley.' I was utterly enraged with the 'well it's his fault or your fault' attitude. This attitude has been repeated by their own h and s dept and by my local council. I simply cannot believe that this is OK?! That because these are temporary fixtures and because he was not injured I should accept the vouchers they offered and shut up!? I have asked them to donate them to charity as i do not plan to revisit while my sons safety cannot be guaranteed. Please let me know your thoughts, or knowledge of other incidents/ways I can report it. Either way, watch your little ones in matalan, as ease of sock management comes before your child's safety.

OP posts:
intheenddotcom · 08/04/2014 20:02

Your son is okay, and you were the one encouraging him to pull things off displays?! The mind boggles as to why you think that is okay.

mummytowillow · 08/04/2014 20:09

Crikey I deal with goodwill hunters like you daily!

You let your child 'explore' and then when it goes wrong you want to blame someone else Angry

Your kid your responsibility, I dare you to seek legal advice and see how much they laugh at you!

wheresthelight · 08/04/2014 20:10

Sorry but Yabvu!!!

You allow your child to run riot and pull stuff off their display units and then whinge that he pulled it over on himself?

They should have asked if he was ok but you are entirely at fault

IneedAwittierNickname · 08/04/2014 20:37

Gakkers I hope the man's curry wasn't too hot (unlikely in Tesco ime) and that Johnny didn't burn himself Grin

CarryOnDancing · 08/04/2014 20:42

You are all being far too dismissive here. This was practically an assault on the OP's inquisitive little darling...

His eyes felt bloody threatened by prongs!
Nobody deserves that kind of fear when they are just going about their exploring business!

Needaninsight · 08/04/2014 21:30
Grin
Cinderelephant · 08/04/2014 21:42

Look this poor mother has been chewing over this incident since the 10th Feb. Her young child should be able to explore shops and prongs without risk of harm. It is worth considering that theme parks are so expensive these days. Also it did rain quite a lot last February making a play-park an unsuitable place to play. What other option did this poor mother have to allow the child to explore? OP I hope that you can move on from this incident and perhaps you could turn it into something positive. You say that you are a store planner and shop fitter. Could you look at installing slides at tills, and perhaps designing merry-go-round seats on those twirly display stands?

AramintaDeWinter · 08/04/2014 22:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pixel · 08/04/2014 22:05

The child was nearly two, he might be actually two by now and already bored with life since he explored The World at such a young age. Too much too soon you see. What other challenges can he look forward to now he's faced the eye-threatening prongs of Matalan and survived? Perhaps he'll go to Starbucks and take his chances with the hot coffee cups of doom. All under a watchful eye of course.

OwlCapone · 08/04/2014 22:09

No sign of the OP...? Has she been crushed by a cardboard display somewhere?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 08/04/2014 22:11

Noooooooooo - not the Marshmallows of Doom, Pixel? Shock

Funnyfoot · 08/04/2014 22:11

Nope she called us names then ran away back to nethuns Shock

NorksAreMessy · 08/04/2014 22:12

"goodwill hunters" is that really a thing mummytowillow ?

Some people have a LOT of time on their hands

Pixel · 08/04/2014 22:14

Marshmallows are nice and soft. I suppose they could rot his teeth Wink.

treaclesoda · 08/04/2014 22:18

My 2 year old dived head first out of his trolley in Matalan last time I was there, narrowly missing cracking his head open like a boiled egg. I briefly thought 'ooh it would be better if these trolleys had the little seat belt things on them , then he couldn't have done that'.

I now realise my approach was wrong and I should have posted an outraged AIBU instead.

FutTheShuckUp · 08/04/2014 22:19

OP. Thank you!
This thread has made me lol irl several times. JoyousGrin

IamInvisible · 08/04/2014 22:26

Jesus wept! Just when you think you've heard it all someone surprises you!

I bloody hate kids running a mock exploring their world in shops. It shows complete total disregard for everyone else.

MidniteScribbler · 08/04/2014 22:36

Perhaps OP should take her son to a grip shop instead and let him pick one off the shelves for her.

Gakkers · 08/04/2014 22:36

IneedAwittierNickname - don't get me started! I'm suing Tesco cos that curry burnt my Johnny

FanFuckingTastic · 08/04/2014 22:39

WHO MENTIONED MARSHMALLOWS?

I'll have you know my sister once threw me a marshmallow in passing, and it hit me RIGHT ON THE EYEBALL!!! They aren't soft and squishy at all, they are corner-y and hard and sore to one's eyeball.

Now she throws sweets at me all the time in the attempt to re-enact the horrible experience, it's harassment I tell you. I may need to contact the POLICE!

FanFuckingTastic · 08/04/2014 22:41

I'm lucky it wasn't an eye threatening marshmallow or I'd have been blinded for sure.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 08/04/2014 22:43

This is a great thread. Grin

FanFuckingTastic · 08/04/2014 22:45

She's just gotten engaged, I think as her chief bridesmaid and person in charge of all the practical jokes therefore, that I might hand out bags of marshmallows to throw as she leaves the venue. They won't make birds stomachs explode or anything?

Fannydabbydozey · 08/04/2014 22:50

OP you were in a cafe in my home town last week ?erent you? A wonderful cafe that sells just cakes and ice cream deliciousness where you can watch the kids devour treats while you sip a large glass of wine. Its an oasis of calm and baking.

Except for you, I think. The woman whose toddler was running rampage and who crashed into my table spilling my wine. Who then didn't seem to notice and carried on loudly parenting and prattling while the toddler from hell was exploring the world in his own special, special way.

Unless there are two of you...

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 08/04/2014 22:53

Fan I once as a child got hit in the eyeball when a relative threw a creme egg a me. They are definitely not soft. That'll get her back Grin