Strollerderby : accident

What's Wrong with "Women and Children First?"

JeanneSager — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:02:00 GMT

The crash of Flight 1549 came just when the nation needed it - a crisis averted, a hero in our midst, nearly two hundred people saved. Next to the inaguration, it's the brightest spot what's been an otherwise bleak American horizon of late.

But we're a country that thrives on some sort of scandal - so it's no surprise the heroism of Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger has quickly turned to criticism of the age-old (at least one hundred and fifty-some year-old) standard of evacuating people in case of tragedy: "women and children first."

To be fair, I'm biased. I am, after all, a woman. I'm also a mother. So women and children rank pretty high on my list. By all accounts, I should be rushing to the defense of the mandate Jezebel aptly dubbed "strangely quaint" and "old fashioned."

A lot of what Jezebel's Sadie said made sense - there has to be some organizational basis for getting people moved from here to there, and few would argue with a child's right to be cut the line in light of a tragedy. Children first, at least, is almost irrefutable. They still have a chance at a life. They still have time left to make a difference.

But Sadie makes one very salient point - kids need caregivers when they're rescued. And last I checked, caregivers come in all forms - daddies too. So what happens when we stick to "women and children first?" If a child is traveling with their Dad in tow, is the screaming tot ripped from his arms and thrust into those of a stranger, wriggling and crying? Add a toddler torquing his body in frustration to an already stressful situation, and you've just lost precious moments.The organizaton you're striving for can be dealt that fatal blow with the moments lost calming them down.

Yes, I would want to get off a sinking plane as quickly as possible - and with my daughter in my arms. But as important as I would hope someone thinks I am in my daughter's life, so too is my husband, my father, my brother . . . I am not a he-man hating feminist (yes, some of them still exist). If one of them were there with my child, I would hope that an able-bodied adult would be willing to let child and "male relative caregiver" take the place of "mother/woman."

Perhaps the more appropriate choice is children - with appropriate caregiver - first, to be followed by whomever the pilot and his crew thinks can be gotten to next in the most organized fashion?

Image: AP

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Whit Honea — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:00:00 GMT

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Toddler Survives After Car Key Pierces His Eye

Jen Chaney — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:32:00 GMT

If you're one of those parents who lives in fear of the many ways your child might be impaled (um, guilty as charged), the following story will give you both nightmares and hope.

Prepare yourself because this one is pretty horrifying...

Back in September, 17-month-old Nicholas Holderman was playing with his brothers when he fell on one of his parents' car keys. Somehow, the key managed to pierce his eye and lodge itself in his brain (see, I told you this was horrifying), prompting his stricken parents to immediately call 911 and get him to a hospital.

Here's the amazing part of the story: Doctors ultimately were able to remove the key and Nicholas survived. Not only that, but his vision remains in tact and he has suffered no brain damage. In fact, all evidence of the accident is completely undetectable. It's like nothing happened.

Nicholas's parents recently shared their story on the CBS "Early Show," prompting several media outlets to also run stories on his miraculous recovery.

My takeaway from all this is two-fold. First, I'm never letting my kid anywhere near my car keys ever again. And two, even if your child has a terrible accident (and it's hard to imagine one more terrible than this), there is always hope that he or she will be just fine. Clearly the Holdermans have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend.

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Real Life Wonder Woman saves her twins

Brett Singer — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Remember the TV show "That's Incredible"? They had a segment once where a woman lifted a car off of her child to save him. This isn't quite that superhuman, but it's close.

Long Island mother Coleen Charles was parking her car and accidentally left it in neutral. She got out, and the car started to roll downhill, landing in the river. She chased after the car, screaming for help. A couple of bystanders rushed to her aid; by the time they got there, she was already in the water pulling the kids out of the vehicle. Everybody pitched in and got the little ones to safety. Mom and both babies (and the people who jumped in with her) are fine.

Just because, here are a couple of clips from the classic Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter.

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images: 7online.com,Amazon.com

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Girls saves mom, goes on TV

Brett Singer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Cassy Osborne, a ten-year-old in Galesburg, Illinois, is being hailed as a hero after she took control of the family car when her mother had a seizure.

"Between getting her arm cast off, prepping for television appearances, giving media interviews and saving her mom’s life, the Abingdon fifth grader has had a quite a spectacular week."

Now, personally I would put "saving mom's life" before "giving media interviews" but why quibble?

It does seem that the focus of the article, and maybe the family, is on the media attention. The headline reads, "10-year-old who saved mom called a hero; Daughter, mom, police officer to appear on TV Tuesday morning." I mean, isn't the newsy part the life saving?

Regardless, good for Cassy. And mom too, of course.

image: Galesburg.com

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Train Hits Bus, Kills Seven Children

Cole Gamble — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

A train struck a school bus at a railroad crossing in France, killing seven of the kids and injuring a couple dozen people...

The bus was carrying 50 students, 5 adults and a driver. This marks one of the deadliest train accidents in years for France. The cause for the accident is not currently known.

Photo: reuters

Atlanta Baby Might Be a Superhero

Jen Chaney — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:02:00 GMT

Okay, at the very least, this kid is like Bruce Willis's character in "Unbreakable."

According to a story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, one-year-old Damon Alridge recently fell 20 feet after slipping out the window of his parents' second-story apartment. The child's grandmother had been watching him when he pushed out a window screen and hurtled to the ground below, fortunately landing on grass instead of pavement. (I'm thinking Grandma is feeling way guilty right about now.)

The boy's father immediately took him to the hospital where, amazingly, he was in stable condition and -- here comes the "Unbreakable" part -- had no visible injuries. That's a huge relief for the Alridge family but also pretty astounding in general. Who can fall 20 feet and leave the scene without even a scratch? Not me. I think I just gave myself a bruise while typing this blog post. (A side note: Who is luckier, Damon or this baby who fell into the arms of a postal carrier? Discuss amongst yourselves.)

Anyway, there are a few morals to this story. First: Make sure all window screens are securely attached and, more importantly, that you keep littles ones away from open windows, balconies, etc. Second: If your child does fall, seek medical attention as soon as possible. And lastly: If your kid can survive physical trauma without getting hurt, contact Marvel Studios immediately. They may very well want to make your son or daughter the next comic-book-movie star.

Toddlers Can’t Marry In Arkansas No More

Cole Gamble — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:30:00 GMT

Arkansas didn’t need this. It could’a happened someplace else. To one of them northern states like, real uppity-like, such as New York and that place with the Cheese steaks. Arkansas shouldn’t have to suffer this indignity. But it’s fact, toddlers are no longer legally allowed to get hitched in the Great State of Arkansas.

But why? Why can’t these lovin’ toddlers be married?

Turns out they were never meant to. A recently passed bill attempting to set a minimum marriage age of 18 actually, due to a typo, removed any age limit at all. All any two kids, even infants, require to get married is their parents approval. And with that thought, let us imagine a few things one might overhear at a toddler wedding:

“I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may smear snot all over the bride.”

“What’s holding up the ceremony?”

“The groom ran from the alter.”

“Cold feet?”

“No, he saw a squirrel.”

“Is the bridesmaid available? What am I saying; she’s like 4-years-old, an old maid.”

“Okay Maddy, time to cut the cake. Cut the cake Maddy. Get off the Cake, Maddy. GET OFF THE CAKE!”

Well, I could go on about honeymoons at Chuck E. Cheese and what-not, but suffice to say Arkansas is working to reverse this error, and thus take just a little more fun out of our lives.

Game Over! This Guy Locks Up Asshole Of The Century Award

Amy S.F. Lutz — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:04:00 GMT

Remember the geezer who sued the eight-year-old boy after a minor skiing accident? Well, compared to Tomas Delgado of Spain, that ornery Pennsylvanian is a complete amateur.

Delgado is suing the family of seventeen-year-old Enaitz Iriondo for damage done to his Audi A8 - damage done when Delgado's car smashed at 100 mph into Iriondo's bicycle. Iriondo was killed instantly.

Although Delgado was traveling at almost twice the 55 mph speed limit, a court split the blame for the accident between both parties, as Iriondo was wearing neither reflective clothing nor a helmet. Delgado's insurance company coughed up less then $50,000 for Iriondo's parents, and, I'm assuming, no part of the almost $30,000 in repairs and rental costs Delgado had to pay to get his car back on the road. So it makes sense for him to go after the family, seeing as they have fifty grand burning a hole in their pockets and everything.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When, oh when, will the pathetic greed, the absolute lack of compassion, the stunning mean-spiritedness of some of the people on this planet cease to surprise me?