Bri and I had a wonderful week of summer last week overall. But, we experienced a very scary incident on Tuesday that scared both of us to the core. And Doug was out of town when it happened.
I posted the incident on FB. This was my status...
"I know you have all probably heard the stories
about the dangers of crocs and escalators, but now I can say that B and
I have experienced it first hand. B got her croc stuck in the side of
the escalator at the mall. She started screaming and
I was somehow able to pull the shoe and her foot out. Luckily, she
walked away with just scrapes and bruises (I got a huge scrape on my leg
too trying to help her). We are both very shaken but lucky it wasn't
worse. I've told her over and over to be careful on the escalator and
she still made a mistake (at almost 8 years old). Make sure you watch
your kids on the escalator. I sometimes consider myself a "helicopter"
parent - which I hate to admit. She was standing right next to me and it
still happened. In a split second."
When the incident first happened, I almost thought about keeping it quiet. I was kind of embarrassed that something like this happened on my watch. And I almost threw the shoe out at the mall because I didn't want to look at it - it was that upsetting.
I'm so glad I didn't.
I realized that I might be able help keep other kids safe by saying something, so I shared the incident publicly and it was shared almost a 100 times.
And now I am sharing my story here.
Bri and I had just left some friends that we had run into at the play area and were going to grab a cookie really quick and head out of the mall. We had ridden the escalator several times that day, and each time I told Briana to "be careful" on the escalator (she was being a bit overly brave getting on and off of it - hopping off, etc.). I mentioned being careful every time we got on and every time we got off. Except I didn't say it "during" the ride. It didn't even enter my mind to do so.
Bri and I were heading down the escalator. I was looking around as we rode along. There was a Hispanic woman with her two daughters (looked preteen-ish) riding a few steps in front of us. All of a sudden, I heard the scream from Briana. She was terrified. She had been standing on my left, and her left foot (with her croc on it) had almost disappeared down the side of the escalator (next to the step) and it was beginning to twist a bit. She was screaming so loud and she couldn't get her foot out. I started screaming to her "OMG, what did you do????"
I remember reaching down and trying to grab her ankle to get her foot out. On my first tug, it didn't feel like it was going to come out. I was panicked about what would happened if we reached the bottom. I needed to get it out. Bri was still screaming. So I tugged again, her foot came out as well as the shoe. I was terrified about what I might see. Bri was balancing on her right foot and I started examining her left foot. Her shoe came out destroyed and mangled. Her foot was scraped but didn't look too damaged. But, I was worried she maybe broke her toes. Bri and I started to kind of fall back/sit down together on the step behind us because she couldn't balance anymore. We reached the bottom and we both were on the floor. I prayed that my clothing wouldn't get stuck in the escalator as well. The woman in front of me grabbed Bri for me and I had to figure out how to get up off of a moving escalator. I found my grip somehow, got up and took Bri back from the woman. I placed Bri on the floor against a column and looked closely at her foot.
I had her move her toes. Her foot was scraped, but I was beginning to think that she was physically ok. I could tell people were looking at us, but no one approached us. No one from the mall was around. Bri was hysterically crying at the time. The woman asked if we would be ok and I told her yes. I said Bri was more frightened and embarrassed than hurt. I picked Bri up and got her to a table nearby and raised her foot. The woman back over to check on us. I wanted to get some ice for Bri's foot, so she stood with Bri at the table while I did that (she was so nice - I wish I knew who she was so I could thank her again). Eventually the woman left and I iced Bri's foot.
Bri kept crying and I felt like crying too (which I did when I got into the car). I looked down at my leg and realized my left calf was completely scraped up from the escalator. I am not even sure when it happened, but I didn't even feel it until my adrenaline slowed down. The bruise on my leg now is really nasty.
I asked Bri exactly what happened. She said that while we were riding, she started pushing the squishy rubber on the side of the escalator with the toe of her croc. All of a sudden, the escalator pulled the croc in and she couldn't get it out.
I thought about reporting the incident at the time, but Bri was so upset and she just wanted to leave the mall. I am assuming the escalator had an emergency stop at the bottom (I need to look the next time I am there), but I am not sure. In that moment, I didn't even think about that. I just knew that I needed to get her foot out right then.
That night, Briana could not get to sleep and she cried and cried. She was so scared by the ordeal. And I was too. She is doing much better now thank goodness.
That night, Briana could not get to sleep and she cried and cried. She was so scared by the ordeal. And I was too. She is doing much better now thank goodness.
I'm thinking about reporting the incident now, but I am not really sure what the mall could/would do with Briana not being physically hurt.
I will watch Briana like a hawk on the escalator from now on. I can't imagine what I would have done if Bri had been on the escalator alone or even a few steps ahead of me. She knows now that escalators are not for fun. They are simply to get you from one place to another. An escalator is a big piece of equipment and it needs to be respected. She gets that now - a very big lesson learned.
I'm so very grateful that she came away from this without injury. I know it could have been so much worse.
I'm so very grateful that she came away from this without injury. I know it could have been so much worse.
Hopefully, my story will help other parents and children be much more aware of escalator safety.
