This morning while innocently drinking a glass of mixed orange and grapefruit juice while watching the news before work, I was sickened to see the Australian news clip of a baby stroller rolling off a train platform and falling beneath the wheels of an oncoming train. The mother, who had let go of the stroller for just for a moment to tuck in her shirt, can be seen trying to dive forward and save her baby, but sadly not in time. She looked to be in hysterics – as I’m sure the engine driver was – but the happy ending is that after being dragged 130 feet by the train, the baby actually survived with only a minor bump on his head. It took me quite a while to shake the horrifying image from my consciousness ... A moment’s inattention very nearly resulted in fatal consequences.
As I drove home on the freeway at lunchtime, I was startled to find a little red car drifting uncomfortably close while passing me in the fast lane – I slackened speed so as to be ready for evasive action, and looked over to see why the driver was apparently losing control of his vehicle. Imagine my surprise to find the young driver cruising along in a reclined position with both hands behind his head, steering with his knees! What an idiot – in his efforts to look cool, he was endangering everyone on the road. As I fell back and watched his progress down the highway, he continued to weave in and out of traffic at high speeds, only once removing a hand from behind his head for just a moment to tweak his steering wheel, offsetting an imminent collision. Again, near-fatal consequences, this time from a moment of hubris … I’m only glad we all survived to tell the tale.
Anne Ahlman, MPT
As I drove home on the freeway at lunchtime, I was startled to find a little red car drifting uncomfortably close while passing me in the fast lane – I slackened speed so as to be ready for evasive action, and looked over to see why the driver was apparently losing control of his vehicle. Imagine my surprise to find the young driver cruising along in a reclined position with both hands behind his head, steering with his knees! What an idiot – in his efforts to look cool, he was endangering everyone on the road. As I fell back and watched his progress down the highway, he continued to weave in and out of traffic at high speeds, only once removing a hand from behind his head for just a moment to tweak his steering wheel, offsetting an imminent collision. Again, near-fatal consequences, this time from a moment of hubris … I’m only glad we all survived to tell the tale.
Close calls are part of the human condition, and as therapists we sadly get to see the after-effects of inattention and stupid decisions as certain patients roll into our acute care hospitals, rehab centers, and outpatient clinics. Sometimes, it’s hard to feel sympathetic toward someone who has become injured by their own hand, but if you think about it, most of us have had similarly close shaves growing up, and learned from them.
Anne Ahlman, MPT
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