not to have agreed to pay for something of strangers that my child lost?

[LottieG100]

I took DS and DD swimming today. DD got out to use the children's slide. In the meantime, a lady put some ear plugs in and the container on the side of the pool. DD tripped over this as she turned around and fell over onto her knees. The lady came over and said that DD had knocked her earrings that had been in the (open) case down the drain. I apologised but couldn't hear her too well as I was consoling a crying DD over her sore knees. When DD calmed down, the woman demanded I pay the £100 the earrings apparently cost. I apologised again but said it was an accident and there's good reason for the signs saying to leave valuables in the lockers provided in the changing rooms. She began swearing at me so we moved away but I saw her complaining to staff later who didn't approach me so I presume they were of the same opinion as me.

AIBU to not have agreed to pay?

I would have 100% delivered a chinny reckon right in her face and walked off ignoring her

I really hurt myself on one of those tiny beany baby type things....cant remember what they are called but they are Disney characters done up to look like fat slugs.

Was on the floor and I didnt see it. As my foot went down I felt it and sort of twisted on the heel to avoid squashing whatever it was (didnt know at that point). I lost my balance, twisted my ankle and as I went down I banged my head on the coffee table. Lovely! When you think how many people get hurt every year putting on their pants on, a small solid object on a wet surface is obviously a risk to a small child.

OP, YANBU. I suspect she was lying too and had tried this before and got some mug to pay up.

Blatant scam.

No one would leave £100 earrings at the side of a pool.

If something went in the drain the sensible response would be to ask the pool staff to retrieve it from the filter.

She was hoping to get money from you, OP. Maybe not £100, she would have let you haggle, but that is all it was about. Maybe speak to the pool staff, she might try it regularly for all you know.

@ chinny reckon in her face gah

When you think how many people get hurt every year putting on their pants on

Go on, how many is it?

It'd've been very easy to actually step on the container itself, and then it slips/slides along on wet surface causing the stepper to slide and fall. Alternatively, feeling something underfoot may cause someone to instantly try to correct their step, but slip as it was a wet surface. Baffled that some PPs are unfamiliar with the concept of tripping/slipping on small things and/or wet surfaces.

Anyway, YANBU OP. It's you who should have been shouting at her for leaving a trip hazard that hurt your daughter.

Blatant scam.

^This

Hope the pool charge her if her earrings cause damamge to the filter and other equipment.

Yanbu

Just to get it straight - the woman put in her ear plugs and put the earrings she had just taken off in the ear plug case and went off swimming.

Anything could have happened to them. Complete chancer.

What sort of idiot wears £100 earrings onto poolside to swim and then leaves them in an open pot? She was either lying or very thick. Either way you shouldn't pay.

Honestly you probably have more chance of her being asked to leave/getting banned from the pool than anything else happening if she wanted to kick up a stink about this - health and safety is taken seriously by anywhere that hosts children swimming, and people leaving crap around that trips children up can cause very serious accidents.

I recall hearing on the radio that it was something like 50 people a year!

Thanks, Pyongyang. Fantastic fact of the day

YANBU. She should have had the earrings put a way safely. Not at the side of a pool, causing accidents. Its her own fault.
Was there not a word of sympathy ie aww hope your little one is okay.

If you are wearing expensive earrings and doing anything involving water/mud etc - you can just tape them up rather than remove them!

I would have 100% delivered a chinny reckon right in her face and walked off ignoring her

Possibly she realised she had earrings in when putting ear plugs is so put them in box rather than continue to swim in them. This is only explanation I can think of. Even so if she leaves something like that by the pool she is responsible if a child accidentally knocks the box. So YANBU and she is probably trying it on. The pool staff could get earrings out of pool filter if they are real :)

Yanbu. Who goes swimming in £100 earrings then leaves them on the edge of a public SP? Twonk.