Teen Pulls Train Emergency Brake To Retrieve Dropped iPhone

[marmar]

A 13-year-old traveling on a New Zealand tourist train proved that some teens will do anything to avoid parting with their precious smartphones.

The Otago Daily Times reports that Spencer Sutherland Todd, a native of Dunedin, New Zealand, dropped his iPhone as he was snapping photos out the window of the Taieri Gorge Limited train. Rather than accept his loss, however the teen pulled the emergency brake, bringing the entire train to a stop.

'It is very important to me," Todd said of his phone, per the Otago Daily Times. ''I just panicked and pulled." ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/train-emergency-brake-iphone_n_2439999.html

[thelordofhell]

1. If you dropped 200 bucks out the window........would you pull the brake??

[trof]

2. I just...I just...oh nevermind.

geez

[a geek named Bob]

3. Fine his parents for any and all damages... and maybe a brief stay in an NZ reformatory. n/t

[MrSlayer]

5. Really?

Put him in jail for this? How iron fisted of you.

[a geek named Bob]

8. and your solution would be?

Look, this young idiot's actions could have injured or killed people.

Shall we just say "no harm done... off with you, you little scamp..."

That's not liberal or progressive... that's condoning stupidity.

[MrSlayer]

10. Taking him out of his home and sticking him with a bunch of psychos is not the way to go.

He's a 13 year old kid, he used poor judgement. No one was hurt, no one was killed, people were merely inconvenienced. Sending him off to juvy to get beaten and abused is not the solution to a minor transgression such as this.

You want to fine him? You want to give him some sort of community service? No problem. But to treat him like an arch criminal is ridiculous. You can ruin someone for life by sending them there. I know that first hand.

[a geek named Bob]

12. You are saying that you are ruined for life? Isn't that kind of defeatist?

As for community service, how about 6 months in the shock/trauma ward? He can meet people with the sort of injuries he almost caused.

[MrSlayer]

13. No, not me but people I know/knew.

They were never the same afterwards, ruined forever. And over trivial things, stupid kid crimes.

How about cleaning a highway or taking food to and spending time with some elderly shut-ins or something? Again, he's a kid. Why so harsh?

[a geek named Bob]

15. sigh...

He should learn that he could have KILLED people, with his actions.

Cleaning a highway doesn't really match a repayment to his possible damages.

Harsh? If this young idiot is incapable to making rational decisions on his own, then he shouldn't be out in public on his own. He should have an escort/chaperone.

[MrSlayer]

19. Sigh, is right.

You know what? I really don't care enough about this to continue here.

You'd clap him in irons, I'd find a different solution.

We'll agree to disagree or at least I will. I doubt either of us will ever hear about the final result.

[Renew Deal]

16. Electrocution

That'll learn him

[a geek named Bob]

17. sounds like - pardon the pun - Overkill... n/t

[Renew Deal]

20. lol

[elleng]

4. No big surprise, imo,

and kind of to be expected of teen-agers, especially at this young age, whose brains have not developed 'impulse-control' mechanisms.

Hopefully parents and others take this as a teaching opportunity.

[a geek named Bob]

9. perhaps it depends on the learning environment the kid was raised in...

NONE of the people I know would have grabbed a $%^& emergency handle.

[elleng]

11. That too.

[a geek named Bob]

14. When I was his age, I was working with High Voltage, and large scale Model rockets...

I learned from my uncles, and learned "THINK IT THROUGH" lessons.

[elleng]

18. Lucky.

[a geek named Bob]

21. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase...

"The experimentations of my teenage years..."

Mind you, my first date completely freaked out, when I took her to an Arc test.

...she DID say she wanted to do something exciting...

[elleng]

22. Ah yes, EXCITING!

[a geek named Bob]

23. Okay...

You're my idea of a fun date...

[Arcanetrance]

6. You know I would probably do the same if I was his age

As much as these smartphones cost my parents would have had my skin if I lost one

[HappyMe]

7. Oh boy.

I hope he had a sandwich bag or a pocket to put the pieces into.