Oops - Texting Teen Falls Into Manhole
Categories: Teens & Tweens, In The News
OMG! Teen falls into a manhole while texting. Photo: sxc.hu
Proving that walking and texting don't mix, Staten Island 15-year-old Alexa Longueira recently found herself four feet under -- in a manhole. The teen had been sending a text message when she walked right into an uncovered manhole.
"It was four or five feet, it was very painful," Longueria told the Staten Island Advance. "I kind of crawled out and the DEP guys came running and helped me. They were just, like, 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'"
Longueira was taken to a local hospital and treated for cuts and scrapes, while the Department of Environmental Protection was left scrambling for an explanation. Local workers had turned their backs to get orange cones to mark the manhole when Longueira fell in.Of course, there's a lawsuit in the works -- apparently mostly because of the smell.
"Oh my God, it was putrid," says Longueria's mom, Kim. "One of her sneakers is still down there." But as for the walking and texting, Longueria's mom seems to think that's beside the point -- instead, she blames the workers who left the site unattended.
Granted, the DEP was momentarily negligent for not protecting the open hole. But the teen would likely have seen the danger had her eyes been looking ahead, rather than on her phone. Walking and texting is just plain risky behavior; check out this London street, where so many people were getting hurt running into lampposts. A local charity finally covered those pesky lampposts with cushions.
Our own Susan Avery -- senior editor here at ParentDish -- fell down a New York City manhole when she was just 10 years old. She'd been doing her own version of texting -- writing graffiti in chalk on a playground wall -- when she stepped to the side and, as her friend said, "There was no Susan there any more." Besides a bruised back, Susan recovered from her incident and is able to laugh about it today.
Thankfully, Longueria wasn't seriously hurt, and I think we can all learn -- and hopefully teach our kids -- from this lesson: If you're going to send a text, stop walking.
So who do you think is really at fault here? The city? The distracted teen? Or both?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
damoki 7-15-2009 @ 11:55AM
You've heard of the "first rule of holes": When you find yourself in one, stop digging... well, we can now change it to... When you find yourself in a hole, stop texting.
There is blame on both for not using good sense, but, I am sure the blame will be placed on the city workers by many who believe individual responsibility is second to institutional and governmental oversight. In many cases, the need for "Big Brother" is real, but so often, just a little good sense by the "victim" would have avoided the problem. On the other hand, keep in mind, one of the best teachers is failure; I bet this young woman will be looking out for holes in the ground between the "OMG's" and "LOL's".
Let's just wait for the lawyers to get involved...
DaMoKi
Reply
anwrose 7-15-2009 @ 12:15PM
OMG!! CYBI?
How do these "children" ever survive to be adults!?!?! L*rd help us all!
Texting, sex-ting, and yet, not one of these teen-age (and younger!!) "brainiacs" can spell or put a complete and proper sentence together! :-( But let me guess, they all have the latest, greatest and most up to the minute phones, cars, clothes and toys.
And these are the adults of our future!?!?
Thank goodness I didn't contribute any of these snot-nosed brats to this over filled society of kids who feel "entitled" instead of "responsible".
Uly 7-15-2009 @ 12:31PM
Isn't it a
Dreadful pity
What became of
Dreamy Kitty?
Noticing the
Moon above her,
Not the missing
Manhole cover?
Reply
Allison 7-15-2009 @ 8:08PM
Brilliant!
SKL 7-15-2009 @ 12:40PM
Remember this the next time your kid tries to tell you that texting is a "skill" that will make him more successful in life.
Reply
Jill 7-15-2009 @ 2:07PM
While I think that texting, and other things that people do with their phones causing them to not pay attention, is a little out of hand, this story would have had a much different spin had it been a running child or a wayward toddler that fell in the hole. Both equally not or unable to pay attention, the city would have been the one to blame hands down. And while adults should be more aware than children, the city should have kept that hole covered while they found their orange cones.
Reply
parsnips 7-25-2009 @ 6:19PM
In this case, I think both the girl and the workers are at fault. Obviously, if she had not been preoccupied with texting, she would have noticed the manhole. Also, if the workers would have properly covered or marked off the manhole, she would not have fallen.
With that said, I think it's fine for kids to have cell phones. I have 2 teenagers and actually like the convenience of being able to reach them anytime/anywhere especially in the summer when they're into so many different activities are are pulled in many directions. They both have Tracfones so I never have to worry about overages or monthly fees. They both have allowances and can earn more minutes, for example, with good grades. I think it's a great teaching tool for budgetting money and minutes. I don't believe in getting kids, the latest and the greatest most expensive or coolest cell phones. Then, it just becomes a status symbol. Really don't see the need. With the right guidance, kids and cell phones should not just fine. My kids are growing up to be nice and responsible young adults and by no means..brats!!!
Reply
twiliteroks 8-02-2009 @ 3:41PM
I think is so the teens fault. It says in the paragraph that the workers were getting orange cones to put around the hole. If the girl had stopped texting until she was sitting down or not moving, she wouldn't have fallen! It is not the workers fault and the child is to blame~
Kate
Reply