Disturbing incident with my daughter at Typhoon Lagoon

[Pin Wizard]

On second thought, here it is from the Sun Sentinel...

http://blogs.trb.com/features/family/parenting/blog/2009/07/there_seems_to_be_a.html

 

[mickeyboat]

Man, Jill. What is wrong with people?

 

[horseshowmom]

Don't know what to tell you about the bikini incident except that it sounds like a typical teenage boy trying to get lucky. Sorry they didn't do anything about it.

Thankfully, I haven't come across any "typical" teenage boys like this (neither while I was a teenager nor when my daughter was). If this behavior is typical for him, he needs to have somebody official have a very serious conversation with him regarding sexual harrassment.

Congratualtions to the OP's husband for his self-restraint. The kid needed his block knocked off (I know, we can't do that , but it might make him think twice next time).

I wonder if the parents would have left their purse or wallet on the chair.

Amen to this! I'm sure they wouldn't have because they wouldn't want to take a chance on losing their "vaulables" (maybe they need to rethingk what's most valuable!).

 

[pooh4evr]

I can not imagine leaving one of the girls behind- sleeping or not - on their own- WTH - (sorry) Unfortunately I am sure that happens all too often- good for you for stepping in - what could the parents have even said to security when they went to claim their daughter and imagine how frightened she would have been waking up alone- I think of all the place to kidnap a kid TL would be one of the easiest - just carry the sleeping kid to the parking lot and they are gone.

 

[NotUrsula]

I can see all your points, but we have no way of knowing if this was the kid's first offense or not. If they don't write down the complaint, or at least try to identify the kid then he can keep doing it over and over, and each time it would be like the first time since there is no record of it. Do you know what I mean?

Well, yes, I do, but presumably she did at least take mental note of it -- had someone else come up and reported a similar incident again then she probably would have notified security that they appeared to have a problem patron in the pool, and the folks on the cameras would have gone on the hunt.

It's very hard sometimes to be in a public service position like this when someone makes this type of accusation. If you really want to try to catch the person, you have to stay low-key about it and not send up an obvious alarm, because it alerts the perpetrator to leave the area and hide in the crowd, but then the person who reports it tends to think that you are not taking it seriously. It depends on the policy and the objective -- do they want to be sure to catch people and have enough evidence to make criminal charges stick, or do they just want to try to scare would-be perpetrators with a visible security presence?

The other issue, too, when it comes to informing lifeguards, is that they often cannot leave their posts for something like this. In this current climate of concern, Disney would do well to put visible security guards in this particular pool in addition to the life guards, so that the security personnel could attend to these situations without having to divert the lifeguards' attention from what they are really there to do -- save people from drowning.

 

[SleepyMom]

Don't know what to say about the teenage boy, but thanks for letting people know to be on the lookout for that kind of thing in the future.

As for the family and the toddler, I would have done the exact same thing you did with security. When the family came back to the chairs though, I probably would have played dumb to her whereabouts and asked them some questions in trying to "help" them find her. "How old is she? What was she wearing?" "You left a 2 year old here alone?" "How long was she alone?" "Oh my, what if she woke up alone and was scared and wondered off looking for you?" "What if she went towards the water?" Mean yes, but it would hopefully have given them a wake-up call and scared them into not ever trying something so stupid again. Thankfully you did know she was alright, but they didn't! What idiots

 

[mjkacmom]

I can not imagine leaving one of the girls behind- sleeping or not - on their own- WTH - (sorry) Unfortunately I am sure that happens all too often- good for you for stepping in - what could the parents have even said to security when they went to claim their daughter and imagine how frightened she would have been waking up alone- I think of all the place to kidnap a kid TL would be one of the easiest - just carry the sleeping kid to the parking lot and they are gone.

I'd be a lot less worried about the child being abducted, which is rare, and much more worried about her wandering into the pool and drowning, which happens a lot (just heard about a 3 year old drowning in his parents pool just yesterday on the local news). I don't let little ones out of my sight around water!

 

[Val]

I agree that with the first situation there was not much a CM could do, although she could have at least been supportive....but I think getting caught by an irate dad probably had a much greater effect than getting chewed out by a CM! That would scare ANY teen boy for quite a while.

You did the right thing in the second situation- and likely stopped a dangerous incident. If nothing else, think how scared that little girl would have been waking up hot, dehydrated, disoriented....and no parent. If she had gone wandering......makes me shudder!

As the mom of three teen girls (well, DD21 is an "adult" technically but not in MY book!) and a DS13, the first incident does give me pause....plan on having a talk with all 4 of them. I am guessing that if this is a game at WDW, it is likely a 'game' elsewhere......maybe we could arm the strings on the tops with electric shock!!!!!

Thanks for being responsible.....that little one's guardian angel likely breathed a huge sigh of relief because of you!

 

[agnes!]

Jill -

I think you did the right thing, telling security. If I were in your shoes about the only thing I would change would be what would get said to the idiot parents when they came back...
"Where's my kid?"
"I don't know [true, by the way]. I saw Security - they came & got her.[also true]"
and then I would have walked away. I would not tell them *I* turned them in, I would not tell them anything that I had done. And if they asked me "Well, did you get Security?" The best response would be another question, something "Why? What difference would that make? I'm sure you can ask the lifeguards how to get in touch with Security." and then I would have walked away.
I would have lised to their face, these people didn't deserve the truth, they simply misplaced their emotions and started in on *you* Jill.

Classic behavior...it's always someone else's fault with people like that. They're probably posting on some Internet message-board right now about the busybody who interfered with their vacation. The fact that their kid *didn't* have sun-poisoning, their kid wasn't abducted, that their kid was alive and didn't suffer any harm because YOU chose to act?....doesn't even enter their universe.

agnes!

 

[merryweather20]

Thankfully, I haven't come across any "typical" teenage boys like this (neither while I was a teenager nor when my daughter was). If this behavior is typical for him, he needs to have somebody official have a very serious conversation with him regarding sexual harrassment.

Very much typical. I worked at a city pool and a water-park. I would have been laughed at if I put my board up for a kid trying to untie someone's swimsuit unsuccessfully, nevermind on heresay. If it was a grown-up we would have taken it seriously. I can tie my suits more cavaliery these days but back then, I'd break out the Girl Guide knots for even a quite party in the neighbourhood, just common knowledge of common run of the mill stupid teen-age boy behaviour.

As a former water-park employee I don't suggest tie bikini's as good water-park attire.

 

[minkydog]

this kid once again looked from one daughter to another and then reached out toward my younger daughter's bikini top like he was going to untie it!!!!! My DH grabbed the guy's wrist just as he was touching the tie and said "What do you think you are doing?" and the kid said "Nothing!" My husband let him go and he literally ran out of the wave pool scared ****less.

Kudos to your DH for not decking that kid. I would have been all over him like white on rice.

However, my first thought was that this was a not uncommon teenage boy trick. One thing my mama taught me, and I taught my daughter: Always knot your strings.

Don't know what to tell you about the bikini incident except that it sounds like a typical teenage boy trying to get lucky. Sorry they didn't do anything about it.

Seriously? I don't think typical teenage boys try to untie the bathing suit tops of girls they don't know.

Seriously. I'm 52yo and I had many such run-ins with stoopid boys. Every generation thinks they are the first ones to come up with the old drop-the-top trick. I also taught my daughter to never let a boy put the sunscreen on your back unless you're looking for some extra attention. Just sayin'...

Oh, you should have met the boys I went to high school with. This was right up their alley. They'd just consider it funny. Of course I don't agree with it. And security should have listened to the OP's complaint. I wouldn't have brushed it off if I were them. But because I knew boys like that growing up, I can say that if I ever do have a teenage daughter I will have a 1 pc swimsuit policy.

Lockable 1-piece swimsuits

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I have a feeling that she was right about them not being able to do anything to the kid. At the theme park I work at we have a strict line jumping policy, but unless we see it we really can't do anything other than talk to them (unless we have a very good reason to believe the report.) I imagine that without even knowing where said kid was, they were facing a similar constraint. Although absolutely they should have been more receptive and maybe stated they would keep a lookout for a kid of that description.

My first CP I lost the safe feeling I had at Disney. I believe I came very close to being mugged or worse in the PI Parking lot following a midnight movie with the other Fantasyland CMs. Nobody would walk me to my car even though it was 2am. An SUV with several large men in it headed for the exit turned around when they saw me. As soon as I spotted my car I started running, and they sped up. We reached my car at the same time. They were starting to get out of their car when I jumped in and locked the doors. They slammed their doors and sped off. To this day it scares me to think about what could have happened. It's the only time that I have felt unsafe at Disney, but it definitely took away a sort of innocence while there.

As for the second incident. You did the absolute right thing. The only thing I would have done different is say that Security came and took her because they noticed she was alone. I would have left myself out of it.

Thank you for sharing these incidents though. I hate hearing about this kind of stuff at my beloved WDW. With all the water park incidents, I will wear nothing less than a tankini. I'm even considering a one piece for when I go to the waterpark here to prevent this. It's sad that we have to resort to that. I hope your daughter isn't dwelling too much on the experience and that she enjoyed the rest of her vacation.

 

[golfgal]

While I wouldn't say the boy was "typical" I would say find me a 16 year old that wouldn't LOVE a peek at a teenage girl topless. I would bet anything he was acting on a dare from an equally stupid 16 year old boy. Not that you have to like it but I doubt there was anything sinister about it.

Nice job on the toddler. I think too many people on vacation, Disney or otherwise, forget that they just can't let their kids do whatever they want and I think at Disney people have a false sense of security because of all the CM's around.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I don't know how your DH held back from giving that little hoodlum a good smack in the head! I would be mortified if I saw someone trying to do that to my DD. Shame on Disney for not taking your incident seriously. What if that kid was over 18? I'm pretty sure that qualifies as attempted sexual assault on some level. Kudos to your family for looking out for that poor little girl. I really wish Disney would give folks the "stupid" test before letting them cross through the gates! They can sure spoil a trip.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm surprised the teenager would try a stunt like that with the girl's parents right there. Bad enough to try it, but to be so obvious with parents present, he sounds a bit off. I'd be teaching the stray fist thrust.

The toddler scenario is so sad. What is wrong with people? How could they leave their child like that?

 

[Stacerita]

Don't know what to tell you about the bikini incident except that it sounds like a typical teenage boy trying to get lucky.

I don't think they is "typical". At least not with the teen boys that I know. And if he was older would it still be considered typical?

 

[teacups]

Making excuses for typical boy behavior is why THERE IS TYPICAL BOY BEHAVIOR. He's lucky he didnt have to carry his butt home in his hand.
And as far as you not minding your own business with the baby girl... GOOD FOR YOU!

 

[figment52]

I guess that is what really bothered me. I felt like they should have at least taken our name and written down the complaint in case it happens again to someone else. I felt there should have been a record of some kind.

just curious - how old were the people you talked to at the wave pool? Anyone under 25 may not have understood the magnitude of what could have happened or the potential issues.

I support what you did. I also understood why the first security guard called for afemale to remove the sleeping child - you never know what charges someone would tyr and drum up against a man moving a sleeping child wearing only a diaper. It helps to have a second person, especially a female, as a witness.

 

[disykat]

You totally did the right thing. In hindsight though it would've been great to do what another poster said and play dumb about the whereabouts of the toddler. Maybe a little sweat would've made them understand what they did!

I hope they had to deal with a police report when they retrieved their child.

 

[horseshowmom]

Very much typical. I worked at a city pool and a water-park. I would have been laughed at if I put my board up for a kid trying to untie someone's swimsuit unsuccessfully

IMHO if someone is seen trying to untie someone's swimsuit, they should be put out of the pool/park. Girls shouldn't have to put up with that.