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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that my son should not have been able to trap his hand in the Next lift?

116 replies

maggiethemagpie · 28/08/2014 17:31

I was shopping at the big Next store in Manchester city centre today. We were coming down in the lift from the children's department to street level and my three year old son put his hand in the gap between the doors and the wall, when the lift stopped the doors opened and squashed his hand - I had to pull it out. I didn't see what he was doing as I was preoccupied with my other child.

Although I can understand that the door has to go somewhere when it opens am I right in thinking that a lift in a shop selling children's clothes, so there is likely to be a lot of kids using it, should be more childproof than that?

I can't fault next management once alerted they came and took a statement and said they'd call their lift engineer out but surely it should not have happened in the first place?

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 28/08/2014 20:39

I am sure it would not hurt Next's profits to employ a person to sit in the lift in order to supervise.

But that would be wrong on so many levels

AmazingBouncingFerret · 28/08/2014 20:40

ive heard it all now!

Just because Next sells children's clothes does not mean it should be a sodding soft play with padding and cartoon characters on the walls.

It's a SHOP. Where ADULTS can buy stuff, some of those adults may have children with them. Usually these adults tend to watch their children not rely on staff or spiderman to wag their finger and say nuh uh uh.

Same thing happened to my daughter what SaucyJack described, she was resting her hand on the lift door and it slid open and trapped her hand. Nobodies fault but hers and mine. You can't affectively childproof a lift. it's a huge and dangerous piece of machinery.

Caillou · 28/08/2014 20:47

I think some posters are being so harsh on op,

I am guessing that all of you who are being harsh, spend all day long staring at you dc and no accidents ever happen to them because you are all so perfect.
Children can be very fast, and sometimes too fast.

I sympathise op, the same thing happened to dd while in Abu Dhabi airport, and she was right in front of me, but wasn't quick enough to stop it happening.

I am now even more careful than I was before around lifts.

That's how we learn

phantomnamechanger · 28/08/2014 20:50

@ Worra

exciting new job opportunity, gawd they would be queuing round the block to sit in a lift all day telling off supervising kids. I'm sure the hours would just drag on and on and on fly by.

there is no need for this when parents should be doing the supervising. Does every escalator or flight of stairs need an attendant at the top and bottom? Do you get a pep talk like on a plane before you can use it? Do you sign a contract agreeing to abide by the rules? are we going to be charged 50p per use to cover the wages of this army of supervisors?

chopinbabe · 28/08/2014 20:53

Lots of people would benefit from a lift attendant: harassed parents; people with extra physical or sensory need; shoppers laden with bags and simply those who don't like lifts.

It could also be useful if local councils ran courses for pre schoolers in which they could be given coping strategies.

Notmadeofrib · 28/08/2014 20:54

Well I laughed worra

phantomnamechanger · 28/08/2014 20:54

It could also be useful if local councils ran courses for pre schoolers in which they could be given coping strategies

bwahhahahaha!

oh, you were serious?

MyFairyKing · 28/08/2014 21:03

"It could also be useful if local councils ran courses for pre schoolers in which they could be given coping strategies."

Yeah, I'd love pay more council tax for that.

Spartak · 28/08/2014 21:06

Perhaps pre-schoolers could be given "coping strategies" by their parents? Or am I missing the point you are making.

Spartak · 28/08/2014 21:07

And are you suggesting that Next employee lift attendants to hold the hand of people who don't like lifts? Really?

PunkrockerGirl · 28/08/2014 21:09

Worra

chopinbabe · 28/08/2014 21:10

It would be a far better use of council tax than some other schemes which find funding.

MrsBoldon · 28/08/2014 21:11

Coping strategies for what?!

AmazingBouncingFerret · 28/08/2014 21:14

coping strategies for toddlers.

Primadonnagirl · 28/08/2014 21:14

So how much are you after then OP ? Or would some vouchers do?

phantomnamechanger · 28/08/2014 21:17

And are you suggesting that Next employee lift attendants to hold the hand of people who don't like lifts? Really?

^ I imagined them doing soothing voices with breathing exercises, or hypnotherapy, or shoulder massage...

but we are obviously going to need several attendants for each lift - one for nervous people, one to supervise other peoples children, one for all other needs? Is that enough do you think?

phantomnamechanger · 28/08/2014 21:18

Coping strategies for what?!

^ need to teach them common sense for toddlers whose parents have none, I think!

Morloth · 28/08/2014 21:18

I gave my preschoolers coping strategies myself. I said 'don't stick your fingers in there. Why did you stick your fingers in there? Bloody hell now you are stuck. Oh for God's sake didn't I just say don't do that? Don't whine I told you not to stick your fingers in there it is your own silly fault...'

Repeat over and over.

I am please to announce that my 10 year old hardly ever gets stuck anymore.

phantomnamechanger · 28/08/2014 21:21

Morloth LOL @ you repeating that over and over, you sound like JUST the sort of person we need to man lifts...do you fancy a new job - please apply to chopinbabe

awfulomission · 28/08/2014 21:23

'Coping strategies' hehe.

I think the strategy I offered my toddler went roughly along the lines of 'if you touch that door your hand will get chopped off'.

That was the strategy for the nt one. The other one - I practically shackled his hands and feet to me at all times. Both strategies worked just fine.

Permanentlyexhausted · 28/08/2014 21:25

Sorry OP but YABU.

I would imagine that the lift is perfectly safe for any customer using it properly. However, it is a piece of working machinery, and as such it cannot be made completely childproof. Treat it as a lesson learned and thankfully no real harm done.

Itsfab · 28/08/2014 21:25

DS2 got his finger stuck in the ATM a few years ago. I am assuming it was the bit where the money comes out as I can't see where else it could have been. I yanked his finger out before it got chopped off and ran into the shop to get them to look at it . I then went and did my shopping. He remembers it to this day and he is allowed to press buttons but nothing else now. I think once he has taken the money for me since. Making the trapped finger not the last result of using the ATM I suppose.

Permanentlyexhausted · 28/08/2014 21:35

Chopinbabe I think a better use of council tax would be courses to re-educate adults who seem to think that somebody else should do the everyday risk assessment they can't be bothered to.

LosingAllTheLego · 28/08/2014 21:54

Secondly, most lift doors have a safety mechanism so if they feel the slightest pressure they stop/reverse. I've seen this in action before with doors closing (so they reopen), so I would figure that with a door that opened in the manner suggested by the OP, if it met resistance while opening, it would close again.

No, they don't! Such a system would cost a fortune to build into a lift in such a way that allowed it to actually operate. Lift doors usually work with solenoid sensors, so that if something blocks the sensors from meeting the mechanism stops and the action reverses. It's nothing at all to do with pressure on the doors.

And yes, a lift is a pretty heavy piece of machinery. You should watch your kids in it. Maybe bring them into the body of the lift rather than next to the door. Or just accept that accidents happen.

LiberalLibertines · 28/08/2014 22:02

Hahahaaa MN at it's most batshit frothy, I love it when it goes like this

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