Parents left girl in hot stroller, rode 'Pirates'

[B Hamilton]

Police said a local couple left a three-year-old child alone in a stroller in the 90-degree heat while they went on a ride at the Magic Kingdom, WESH 2 News reported.
According to the charging papers, the couple left their three-year-old alone in a stroller while they went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. {snip}

http://www.wesh.com/news/13565909/detail.html

Two parents were arrested on child abuse counts after authorities found their child in a hot stroller outside Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, according to an Orange County sheriff's report released Monday.

A Magic Kingdom patron alerted park management at about 4:45 p.m. Saturday after spotting an unattended 3-year-old girl in a stroller parked in the sun.

The girl was hot, turning red, covered in sweat and apparently “lifeless,” the report states. A paramedic touched and shook her, but she failed to respond. Saturday's highs were in the low 90s with no rain, and deputies estimate the child was in the sun for between 45 minutes to 1 hour. {snip}

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,2174245.story

[snapdragonfly]

"The couple said the girl was asleep inside a double stroller and got lost in the shuffle as their group of two adults and four children approached the ride, they told investigators."

See, that would never happen with my husband, (or me) because if our kids are not directly in his line of vision (and within arm's reach) he assumes they are missing - he doesn't just get on a friggin RIDE and assume someone else has the kid. Neither do I. He's even more hypervigilant about it than I am, though.

If they are telling the truth, they are some mightly careless parents. Don't sound too bright either.

Wish I had a buck for every "Do YOU have - oh, there she is" check in moment between us - even now with one old enough to drink and the other almost old enough to drive, we like to have an eye on them when we are out and about. Because anything can happen in a crowd at a busy place.

Is is really that easy to lose track of your baby?

Originally Posted by snapdragonfly

Wish I had a buck for every "Do YOU have - oh, there she is" check in moment between us - even now with one old enough to drink and the other almost old enough to drive, we like to have an eye on them when we are out and about. Because anything can happen in a crowd at a busy place.

That is our experience also. I guess for others it might be a YMMV thing.

[annabohly]

Originally Posted by Doug4.7

That is our experience also. I guess for others it might be a YMMV thing.

When my kids were smaller i was always checking for them..."1 2 3 4 (4 DKs)ok they're all there."

[greenfrog78]

I am absolutely dumbfounded at this story. snapdragon

If they are telling the truth, they are some mightly careless parents. Don't sound too bright either

I agree completely. She is lucky she wasn't taken by someone, she sat there for an hour before somone alerted authorities.

I think they are lying though, I'll bet they were just stupid and lackidaisical that they thought "Oh, she's sleeping, we'll park her here and get her after the ride". Also, I'm sure Disney has a parent swap program for the rides, there was no excuse whatsoever for their actions.

As an aside, I have many times participated in the "child checks" when I've been with, well, anyone with kids at any kind of event. I know that "Do you have my child?" look and if I don't both the parent and I start looking around at others. I'm curious how many other of the group were aware of the parents actions. They did that little girl wrong in not challenging the parents on abandoning her.

[Simply Madeline]

Originally Posted by greenfrog78

I'm curious how many other of the group were aware of the parents actions. They did that little girl wrong in not challenging the parents on abandoning her.

The parents were the only adults in the group. There were 4 children with them. There is absolutely no excuse for them "losing track" of this child.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Simply Madeline

The parents were the only adults in the group. There were 4 children with them. There is absolutely no excuse for them "losing track" of this child.

What I was coming here to say. If both the parents were on the ride with the four kids, who else could have had the girl? Both of them going on had to have known the kid was on her own.

[bobs]

oh, for crying out loud, we've got four kids also. If we're out with all four (and usually more if you add in neices, nephews and neighbours' kids), then it's second nature to headcount them every minute or so. Even if it's as simple as; you've got two, I've got one and the other one is over there sulking...

I agree with the person who thought they are lying.

Originally Posted by bobs

If we're out with all four (and usually more if you add in neices, nephews and neighbours' kids), then it's second nature to headcount them every minute or so. Even if it's as simple as; you've got two, I've got one and the other one is over there sulking...

That is also our our method.

As long as you don't collect kids, all you need is a head count.

I've told this story before, but I once got a head count of two greater than what was expected. It was a pre-school field trip and two boys from another group got in ours....

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Originally Posted by greenfrog78

Also, I'm sure Disney has a parent swap program for the rides, there was no excuse whatsoever for their actions.

Yes, they do. It's called a Rider Switch Out program, and works similar to a fast pass ticket (actually, the ticket permits the riders to go through the fast pass line.)

I know many people ask about that program...so why didn't these idiots? ESPECIALLY with temperatures in the 90s! Do the parents have no common sense?

Wait...what they did just proves that they don't...never mind.

[greenfrog78]

Originally Posted by Simply Madeline

The parents were the only adults in the group. There were 4 children with them. There is absolutely no excuse for them "losing track" of this child.

I missed that, I agree there is no excuse. Their accounts don't add up in my opinion, I'm positive they are lying.

from the second article

When they entered the attraction, the father said he thought his wife had their daughter, while she thought her husband had her.

Shortly afterward, the father went back outside to move the stroller to a designated area but failed to see the little girl, he told deputies.

The parents realized their daughter was missing only after they left the ride.

If he thought his wife had the child, why did the father to go move her? Why wasn't he alarmed when he didn't find her? Why did he continue on the ride, not knowing where she was? Then add to it that he claims he didn't know she was missing until after the ride and it stinks worse then a portapotty at a drunken festival or concert.

[Artemis]

Maybe he claims he was moving the stroller but thought the girl wasn't in it? (Which is still pretty disturbing, that he could move a stroller and not realize that his own daughter was in it.)

I agree--total BS.

[Simply Madeline]

Originally Posted by greenfrog78

If he thought his wife had the child, why did the father to go move her? Why wasn't he alarmed when he didn't find her? Why did he continue on the ride, not knowing where she was? Then add to it that he claims he didn't know she was missing until after the ride and it stinks worse then a portapotty at a drunken festival or concert.

They were gone for an 45 minutes to an hour. That ride is, what, fifteen minutes? That means they stood in line for at least a half hour without noticing the girl was missing? C'mon people, you have to be able to come up with a better story.

[Morning]

The ride is 8 and a half minutes long, according to AllEars.Net.

So that's 40 or so minutes in line.

They are lying, imho.


Morning

[my2pence]

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

Yes, they do. It's called a Rider Switch Out program, and works similar to a fast pass ticket (actually, the ticket permits the riders to go through the fast pass line.)

I know many people ask about that program...so why didn't these idiots? ESPECIALLY with temperatures in the 90s! Do the parents have no common sense?

Wait...what they did just proves that they don't...never mind.

Hijack...On our recent trip to DisneyWorld we asked at two rides (Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) about the the switch off, and we were told it didn't exist. The Disney line people told us that they didn't know where the idea came from, but that it was never a practice at the park. If we wanted to switch places, one of us had to wait at the entrance to the line with the 2-year-old and then wait in the regular line once the first rider got back.

Did we misunderstand something? DH didn't get to go on BTMR because of the wait.

[Mickey is a gyrl]

Originally Posted by my2pence

Hijack...On our recent trip to DisneyWorld we asked at two rides (Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) about the the switch off, and we were told it didn't exist. The Disney line people told us that they didn't know where the idea came from, but that it was never a practice at the park. If we wanted to switch places, one of us had to wait at the entrance to the line with the 2-year-old and then wait in the regular line once the first rider got back.

Did we misunderstand something? DH didn't get to go on BTMR because of the wait.

Nope, you didn't misunderstand. The cast members should have known that it does exist.

From the Walt Disney World website:

• A "rider swap" program lets both parents enjoy a ride — one parent waits with the child while one parent rides a ride. Afterwards, the other parent can board the ride with minimal wait time.

[mela681]

Originally Posted by Mickey is a gyrl

Quote:
Originally Posted by my2pence View Post
Hijack...On our recent trip to DisneyWorld we asked at two rides (Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) about the the switch off, and we were told it didn't exist. The Disney line people told us that they didn't know where the idea came from, but that it was never a practice at the park. If we wanted to switch places, one of us had to wait at the entrance to the line with the 2-year-old and then wait in the regular line once the first rider got back.

Did we misunderstand something? DH didn't get to go on BTMR because of the wait.
Nope, you didn't misunderstand. The cast members should have known that it does exist.

From the Walt Disney World website:

Quote:

* A "rider swap" program lets both parents enjoy a ride — one parent waits with the child while one parent rides a ride. Afterwards, the other parent can board the ride with minimal wait time.Nope, you didn't misunderstand. The cast members should have known that it does exist.

From the Walt Disney World website:
[/list]

We tried to do it on Space Mountain and they wouldn't let us do it either. Thankfully our 3 year old was tall enough to ride everything else.

That is what struck me. My dd went on that ride when she was two, so surely a three year old would be able to ride it unless she is very short.

I also vote that they are lying.

[chocolate kisses]

There is no way they got on that ride and didn't know they were missing the baby. How the hell do you lose a double stroller in the shuffle?! They just parked her there for their convenience. I've heard of parking empty strollers while on a ride but not with the child still in it. They should be arrested for neglect and whatever else the authorities can stick to them.

[my2pence]

Originally Posted by chocolate kisses

There is no way they got on that ride and didn't know they were missing the baby. How the hell do you lose a double stroller in the shuffle?! They just parked her there for their convenience. I've heard of parking empty strollers while on a ride but not with the child still in it. They should be arrested for neglect and whatever else the authorities can stick to them.

While I also think it is highly unlikely that you can misplace your child in that fashion, there are often reports of people who leave infants and children in cars and forget the kids are there. Is this substantially different in your opinion? Why?

Originally Posted by my2pence

While I also think it is highly unlikely that you can misplace your child in that fashion, there are often reports of people who leave infants and children in cars and forget the kids are there. Is this substantially different in your opinion? Why?

This typically happens when, for example, the wife usually drops the kid off at day care, but on this particular day, the husband needs to, on his way to work. And he has a Very Important Meeting with a client at 9am so his mind is elsewhere, meanwhile the little darling falls asleep in the back seat and, with the added traffic congestion that day, he completely forgets about day care, drives into work, and leaves the kid in the car to die.

Hard as that is to understand, it's harder for me to imagine a scenario where I was pushing a stroller with a kid or two in it all day, then I go to park the stroller, forget the kid is there (right in front of me), stand in line for awhile, get out of line to MOVE the stroller (with the kid still inside), and go back to the line, all the while not noticing that the kid is not in line with me.

-Tim