Last week I was on Kelleys Island with the kids, enjoying a great time off the grid and decided to go to The Kelleys Island Wine Co. for one of Anna's favorites on the island, their flatbread pizza's. I like to go to the winery because it's laid back, as most places on the island are. You can sit outside on the lawn which has picnic tables, horseshoe pits and corn holes and it even has a kids play area, which makes it nice for the little ones to have something to do. Next to the winery is a cattle farm, yes a cattle farm and to keep the cattle on there own side, they have an electric fence. They have small signs all along the fence to warn that it is electric. Here's where this story gets interesting...So, during this particular visit, we decided to sit outside by the play area so the kids could run around and play. The girls quickly found a few friends while I walked around with baby Neil as he explored his surroundings, like he usually does. When he was done exploring, he went over and started playing with the other kids so I went to sit down at the table and have a bite to eat. In a matter of seconds, baby Neil ran over to the cattle fence, touched the bars and ZAP! He got an electric shock! I was in the middle of running to get him before he touched it but he was too fast for me at that moment and I was just a couple feet away from him. I scooped him up because he was screaming, looked at his forearm and he had red lines all over it from where he touched the fence. I have to say I was pretty calm but at the same time upset that this happened at all.
I sat down and thought about how I should handle the situation "before" I reacted in haste. I made the decision that I should let the winery know what happened for the simple fact that the play area that they so nicely provide is too close to the electric fence and to please move it to the other side. When this happened, it was only 10ft away and if it happened so easily with my child, I'm quite sure it's had to have happen before.
I went inside and asked a server for a manager. She told me she was not there right now and that I should call later that day. I showed her my son's arm and the first thing out of her mouth was, "There are signs posted all over the fence, sorry." Well that didn't fly with me at all. So I asked her to write down the manager's name and phone number. She said she was busy and she couldn't do that. Are you kidding me??? So I asked her again and again her reply was that she was too busy. At this point I was getting more upset by the minuet that I was being blown off, so I told her, "If you do not write down the name and number of your manager right now, I will call the police and report this situation!" Well, I had the name and number in my hand in less than 30 seconds. I hate being like that but this situation called for it. Now, at that same moment, out comes the owner of the winery who was just catching wind of what had happened and came out to talk to me. I calmly showed him my son's arm and before he listened to what I had to say, his immediate response was, "That looks like a bug bite but there are signs posted all along the fence and it's been there for 30 yrs. and it's not considered there property and only a few kids a year get zapped, sorry!" Oh boy, deep breaths! I politely asked him why he was getting so defensive before he had listened to what I had to say? He shut up so I could talk. I told him that I know that the signs are posted on the fence, I realize it's not there property BUT they might want to move the play area far enough away or put a barricade up by that area so this doesn't happen to ANY kids at all. He shut down my barricade idea and again started to get defensive until I explained that this could have been serious. Well then he changed his tune, offered to buy "baby" Neil a root beer, which I declined, and said that they need to move the play area away from the fence. I said thank you and was on my way. Now can someone please tell me what is wrong here and what is wrong with people?
The more I talk about it, the more upset I become. While "in the moment" I was only thinking about the red lines up and down my sons arm and his screaming. I started to believe that maybe it was my fault for not catching him before he touched the fence. Now, after the fact, I know it is NOT my fault and even though signs are posted, NO WAY should a children's play area be anywhere close to an electric fence, period! If they had no where else to put this play area then they should most certainly have a barricade in front of that fence as to avoid any injuries to children. I should have been asked to write up a report by the winery but I was not. I am not the type of person to make a big deal out of things and cause problems but when a child gets shocked by an electric currant at a restaurant, that's where I draw the line. Especially when it could have been avoided and handled in a much different manner by the staff and owner.
To be honest, I don't want the winery to take away the play area altogether because I do think it's nice they provide it and I tried to tell them that but I just wanted to get through to them that maybe they need to re-think the placement of things and how they handle serious situations like mine. I don't know if I got through to them or not but later that day the play area was moved far away from the electric fence. It makes me sad that I was treated in such a poor manner and made to feel like it was my fault and a careless mother. I also believe that they are lucky that this didn't happen to another family that could have sued the snot out of them and won. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Kelleys Island and all it's quirkiness, that's what makes it so unique and quaint but to keep up with it's wonderful reputation, things like this should be handled properly and respectfully and with the utmost concern that one of their customer's that keep them in business, was caused harm by an avoidable situation.
Never a dull moment in the day and life of the The Stenger Family.
**Update: September 4, 2013**
While I was up on Kelleys Island this past Labor Day Weekend, I went to the KI Police Dept. and filed a report and spoke to the chief and officers, in length, about the situation and they guided me on what I should do. I feel better that I did that and now I have started a paper trail in case anything, God forbid, should happen in the future.
People must realize that when something like this happens, go with your gut. If the situation feels wrong, it probably is. Do not let someone make you feel guilty for their stupidity just because they got caught! It is not in my character to sue the pants off people and make them pay for their wrong doing BUT it is my character to make sure they know what they did was wrong so it doesn't happen again, to anyone! I'd be singing a different tune, however, if the outcome of "my" situation was different.
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