Train Door Suddenly Separates Father From 3-Year-Old Son

"I frantically tried to push the open button, but they didn’t open."

November 20, 2009 at 1:28 pm - KGW-TV
Dateline: Portland, OR
Cliff   November 20th, 2009 - 1:41 pm

Thank God there was a decent human being on that platform. I am a father of a 15 month old and think I probably had a heart attack in the time it took to have the train stop..

God Bless all involved…

Bill Smith   November 20th, 2009 - 1:42 pm

Dad,

You’ve been walking around long enough that you should have learned certain basics. One of these is that elevator doors, and train doors are not going to amputate your arm. They are designed to retract if they encounter resistance, and that will prevent the train from moving. You can see this happening at almost every stop. Also, you should never place your son in a situation where he could be separated from you like this. You stand IN the doorway blocking the door, and guide him through. Then you follow him.

Plan for what COULD happen. I’m glad it worked OK.

anon   November 20th, 2009 - 1:53 pm

Did they pull that spokeswoman out of a bar to get her sound bite or what?

Jeff   November 20th, 2009 - 2:18 pm

Mr Smith, I am sure the father knew HIS own arm would not be hurt but he was probably thinking of his little 3 year old’s hand, fingers or arm. I love when people come up with all the solutions…in 20-20 hind-sight we all know what SHOULD have been done. The father seemed to be worried about his son’s hand and then tried to open the door immediately after letting go of his son’s hand by pushing the button again; but it didn’t open.

So now he has “Learned” to HOLD the child when getting off train then no problems.

Can’t even imagine if no one had been there. Most kids would run after their parent, and that could have made the little man fall onto the track…thank you Miss Red, you were an angel.

Jason   November 20th, 2009 - 2:24 pm

“Did they pull that spokeswoman out of a bar to get her sound bite or what?”

I am guessing it was cold, but she did not seem to be bothered enough did she?

As to the dad being separated from his son that way, he probably just didn’t think clearly in the moment and went for the open door button instead of keeping his hand in the doorway to keep it from closing. I ALWAYS stand in the doorway as my 1 and a half year old walks through it, you never know if the door will try and close on her. Thank God there was a decent person there on the platform and not one of the sex offender panhandlers that are all over Portland. It is a beautiful city, but I would be very concerned for a young child in that situation.

Bill Smith   November 20th, 2009 - 2:36 pm

Jeff,

I love when people don’t watch the video, or see things that just aren’t there when what did happen is plain to see, and bears no relationship to what you describe. 20/20 hindsight has nothing to do with it. I stand by what I said.

Jana   November 20th, 2009 - 2:44 pm

Thank God for the woman who sheltered the boy. I would like to think that there are more people like her, than others who would “not want to get involved”. It’s heartwarming to see a happy ending when so many times, there is none.

frank01   November 20th, 2009 - 3:38 pm

I’ll admit I shed a tear when the dad described his relief at finding his child still on the platform with the lady in the red scarf…..What that 7 minutes must have felt like for Dad, kid, and kind stranger!!

frank01   November 20th, 2009 - 3:40 pm

oops….i meant red hair…

Astralis   November 20th, 2009 - 4:27 pm

Bill Smith,

You are wrong about elevators. There is a high incidence of them lobbing off body parts because they didn’t retract correctly. Look it up. NEVER stick a body part in-between two automatic doors such as elevators or subway doors.

The boy is alright and the father is alright. He made the right decision.

Bill Smith   November 20th, 2009 - 7:35 pm

Astralis,

Airliners crash, too, but that doesn’t man we don’t get on them. I don’t know where you live, but where I live elevator doors, and subway doors retract automatically when they meet resistance, AND are pretty easy to stop from closing. They are NOT designed to close so powerfully, and relentlessly that they can amputate a limb. WHY WOULD THEY BE SO DESIGNED?

If an elevator door is closing, you flip the rubber bumper that precedes the actual metal door, and the door immediately retracts. If it doesn’t, you have time to pull your hand back, but never in my considerable decades of experience has this failed to work. And, I have personally stopped NYC subway doors from closing too many times to count. It happens all the time.

If my 3 year old kid was about to be left alone on a subway platform I would have tried to stop that door, and the chances of getting my arm amputated are — I’d guess off hand, heh heh — about the same as an airliner I board crashing. That is, it is DEFINITELY worth the tiny risk.

What is it with you fussing about theoretical, hypothetical, or RARE cases when here we had a real live actual kid left on a subway platform because of some theoretical, but highly unlikely possibility of getting a hand amputated? There were any number of very, very real, clear, and present dangers to that child as a result of not even trying to stop that door. THAT is what actually happened. Thank God that Lady with the red hair was there.

I am not condemning that father. I am condemning his thought process, as he probably did, too. I am sure he will not make a similar mistake again. Life is real. There are no make-ups, or do-overs.

Kevin   November 20th, 2009 - 10:18 pm

Happened to me once with an elevator and Kev Jr running out the doors while I was trapped inside by the crowd. I have never ran down stairs so fast in my life before or since.

Terry   November 20th, 2009 - 10:35 pm

Man, I gotta remember that the next time there is an ultr-hot red-head I want to meet!

Christopher   November 20th, 2009 - 10:57 pm

Yes, doors are supposed to retract, but they do not always do what they are supposed to do! When I was in
college 10 years ago, I was in an elevator when a girl entered. The door closed on her, and did not retract.
She was completely stuck, half in and half out. She started to panic when she thought the elevator might
start going up or down with her like that. I was able to get a shoulder into the doorway at her waist level,
and I had to use all my strength to push the door back. Needless to say, she was too shaken up to use the
elevator after that-she just left. So please, judgemental people who think you know what you are talking about,
be quiet! I have 3 small children, and I can only imagine how I would feel if that happened to me! Thank goodness
for that redhead!

Rick   November 20th, 2009 - 11:20 pm

I agree with Bill Smith all automatic doors now days will retract easily if some thing is blocking it from closing or there would be a lot of people getting messed up all over the place. The doors have in fact a floating edge that is like a bumper with setting’s that can tell if there is a blockade. I stop doors from closing almost everyday so there is no way I would let that door close like that man did. Just sticking part of your foot in there will work.

Bill Smith   November 20th, 2009 - 11:25 pm

Fine, Christopher.

Leave you kid on the platform, because your arm MIGHT get stuck. Don’t even TRY.

But your kid WILL absolutely, positively, definitely, right then and there be left alone while your train pulls away.

Do you not see the contradiction in your own scenario, Christopher? I wonder why you feel so defensive.

jp2feminist   November 20th, 2009 - 11:33 pm

I hope for his sake, he is a single dad. If he’s married, his wife must have had multiple heart attacks upon learning what happened. Seriously though, freakish things do happen and God does place angels where they need to be (even red-headed angels!) Given that the two steps he took to stop the train failed, I kind of doubt the door would have automatically opened upon detecting an obstruction, but if it had been me, I probably would have held on to my son’s hand for dear life, thereby resulting in serious injury as he was dragged at high speed as the train took off. Good thinking of the dad to let go and leave it to God. A miracle for sure!

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e procurement software   November 22nd, 2009 - 8:29 pm

Thank God for good samaritans…

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