Brooklyn mom pushed stroller into elevator that wasn’t there. Baby plunged 8 floors to her death.

[babysladkaya]

You know, in the country I was born, there was a sign in front of every elevator " Before entering, please check to make sure the elevator is there" People used to laugh thinking this was one of those dumb blonde jokes. Probably saved a few lives.

[Cida]

Originally Posted by Commander Beth

It's perverse to blame the mother for this.

Funny, for major tragedies, the first thing is to try to pinpoint the cause, to prevent more of the same. Yet for personal carelessness, you think we shouldn't care? If it can be traced to something on her part - focus on her smartphone, wearing sunglasses that were too dark - don't you feel it should be known, to warn others?

Nothing "perverse" about it. It was originally just an idle thought on my part.

[mesa1974]

Horrific. There are no words. SMH.

[BlakeJones]

Originally Posted by Cida

Funny, for major tragedies, the first thing is to try to pinpoint the cause, to prevent more of the same. Yet for personal carelessness, you think we shouldn't care? If it can be traced to something on her part - focus on her smartphone, wearing sunglasses that were too dark - don't you feel it should be known, to warn others?

Nothing "perverse" about it. It was originally just an idle thought on my part.

Reminds me of the train "accident" at Valhalla recently. You know, the one where the woman tried to rush the tracks to get to her hair appointment and the barrier lowered onto her car with the front grill just short of the tracks. She got out of her car, and despite the man yelling on the other side to not move the car and just walk away, she proceeds to dislodge the barrier and drive onto the path of a moving train where she was crushed to death along with a train car full of impaled passengers.

That of course was the "MTA's fault" according to the husband who decided he needed to sue everybody else except his idiot of a dead wife

[Cida]

Originally Posted by BlakeJones

Reminds me of the train "accident" at Valhalla recently. You know, the one where the woman tried to rush the tracks to get to her hair appointment and the barrier lowered onto her car with the front grill just short of the tracks. She got out of her car, and despite the man yelling on the other side to not move the car and just walk away, she proceeds to dislodge the barrier and drive onto the path of a moving train where she was crushed to death along with a train car full of impaled passengers.

That of course was the "MTA's fault" according to the husband who decided he needed to sue everybody else except his idiot of a dead wife

Omigod, I hadn't heard about that. How awful. I guess it's an extreme case of misplaced priorities

[livingsinglenyc]

Originally Posted by BlakeJones

Reminds me of the train "accident" at Valhalla recently. You know, the one where the woman tried to rush the tracks to get to her hair appointment and the barrier lowered onto her car with the front grill just short of the tracks. She got out of her car, and despite the man yelling on the other side to not move the car and just walk away, she proceeds to dislodge the barrier and drive onto the path of a moving train where she was crushed to death along with a train car full of impaled passengers.

That of course was the "MTA's fault" according to the husband who decided he needed to sue everybody else except his idiot of a dead wife

Originally Posted by Cida

Omigod, I hadn't heard about that. How awful. I guess it's an extreme case of misplaced priorities

I just read about it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valhalla_train_crash

[Aeran]

Originally Posted by Febtober

She doesn't have to be an idiot at all. As the parent of an infant myself, she's likely running on next to no sleep. Further, a person's behavior is reinforced by the fact that every single elevator they have ever operated in their life has operated the same way; all she has to do is nudge the stroller froward an in or so as the doors open, enough for the front wheel to go over the gap, and rest will follow immediately.

I wouldn't go so far as calling her an idiot. It's an awful thing to have happened but...as soon as the doors open (no matter how much a rush I'm in or preoccupied) I always step aside so as to allow others the chance to get off (ditto a subway car). Saving yourself the embarrassment of barreling straight into someone & then having to stammer an apology.

How can you so confidently step onto an elevator the minute the door opens & act like you're the only one using it. If I needed to get off, I'd be kind of pissed if someone totally blocked the entrance way with a baby stroller as if he/she's the only one that matters in the whole world.

Unless...she did step aside, realized no one else was coming out and then stepped in without looking. I can see that happening.

[Aeran]

Originally Posted by city living

Why? Am I the only person who doesn't blindly run onto an elevator? I look in before I get on and I look out before I get off of it. I also like to give people the chance to vacate the elevator if they need to do so.

It's kind of like being a pedestrian---I look before I cross the street, whether it's my light or not. And the same goes for driving---I might have a green light, but I am still responsible for braking when the moron is crossing against the light with his eyes glued to the phone.

Exactly. I do this automatically no matter how much of a rush I'm in or how busy I am looking down at my cell phone. Simply because I expect other people to be in the elevator wanting to get off & I don't want to run smack dab into them. Do you know how hostile people are noways? The last thing I need is to be a victim of elevator rage. I guess being a life time subway rider trained me into always stepping aside before getting on anything (subway, elevator, etc). Stepping aside also gives you a chance to look down to see there's an actual elevator car there. You don't have to be the politest, most observant person in the world to do this automatically.