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Train Door Shuts 3-Year-Old Out While Dad Rides Away
It played out like my number one fear when hopping a subway with my toddler – Dad got on the train, with his three-year-old son behind him. He thought.
Instead a malfunctioning door shut the three-year-old outside on the platform, and the train pulled away with Dad frantically watching through the window.
Video of the scene in Portland, Ore. shows Aaron Bailey making one last desperate grab for his son as the doors are closing, and the tiny figure standing with a red-headed woman who turned out to be his savior. Tracked down this week after the dramatic separation made national news, Orianne Greene met Bailey for an emotional reunion.
The nursing student told the Oregonian she tried pushing the button on the outside of the door as Bailey was pushing it on the inside – but it was malfunctioning. When she realized it wouldn’t work, she yelled to Bailey that she’d stay with the boy.
According to a variety of reports, the tot had pressed the button himself initially, starting off the door closure as he slipped outside. The video surveillance camera captures dad’s arm making the grab and then his hand lifeless outside the closing door, while Greene smashes on the button outside the train attempting to get it open. When the train pulls away, Greene is seen holding the boy’s hand and walking him to safety.
The train safety issues are mounting, with Bailey becoming the second dad to report being separated from his child by malfunctioning doors AND the second dad to report attempting to use the train intercom system to summon help and not getting an answer.
My daughter is still small enough to pick up when we’re hopping on a train, and I try to put myself between the door and her – lest she make the attempt to run. But nothing’s foolproof with little kids.
What do you do to avoid train disasters like this?
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7 Comments
Amy commented on Nov 23 09 at 11:31 amThis almost happened to my son on the way to daycare on a bus. My husband stepped off and the doors closed before my son could step down. Luckily the other passengers yelled to get the driver’s attention. My son was afraid to ride the bus for weeks after that. I can understand why he was so terrified.
Lauren commented on Nov 23 09 at 2:37 pmI worked in a day camp in NY one summer and we stood in the train doors until all of the kids were off the train (they all wore the same color tshirts on trips.) We never lost a kid on the train. Having the doors shut on your whole body hurts though!
Ali commented on Nov 23 09 at 6:25 pmDads are notorius for not holding their child or holding their hand. I woudld never let a child walk onto a train without holding their hand. Once again a woman saves a child. I have watched dads cross parking lots with toddlers dawdling along behind them.
dina commented on Nov 24 09 at 12:26 amAli you are an idiot. Did you even watch the video? The dad was holding the kid’s hand when the doors started shutting. Your blanket statement about dads is ridiculous. You sound like a moron.
Ri-chan commented on Nov 25 09 at 12:32 amAli- I agree with dina, I don’t know what kind of men you’ve been hanging out with, but I see dad’s (including my Husband) holding their kids hands all the time. Maybe you just hang around losers?
MsC commented on Nov 30 09 at 3:36 pmThis happened to me when I was about six and we were riding the subway in NY. It was pretty scary. And while my husband is even firmer about holding our daughter’s hand than I am, my father was like the dads Ali mentioned. It never would have occurred to him to hold our hands while getting on a train. Luckily it wasn’t a very busy time of day.
John T. commented on May 12 10 at 5:52 pmWatch the video people! The child was not getting ON the train, he was getting OFF the train – the father was holding the child’s hand and the door closed on his arm, apparently causing him to release the child’s hand. Blame the train/operator/transit authorities. I think I smell a lawsuit… wish I was an attorney!
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