2-year-old found wandering by railroad tracks

" WoW!!!
2 year old and not just one but both mom and dad falling asleep....I think you need to be a little more alert and smarter then what you are....Come on if your tired take a nap but not both of you at the same time....I really think something needs to be done about this so it wont happen again and so others can see that something will be done if caught... "

" Parents better be thankful the darn trains weren't flying down the rails like they normally do. The kid would be the goner. And for you RAILROAD PEOPLE works out there, why in do you have to blown the damn horn from 19th all the way to 9th street at night? WHY? "

" First of all, he is 3, not 2..
Secondly, both his parents were not sleeping..
And as soon as it was realized he was not in the house, both his parents were outside looking for him.. at the very same time he was being picked up.. he was at the police station for less then 5 minutes.. and gone for about 15.. parents looking for him the whole time..
I really think the courier should fact check a little better before reporting their news. "

" and yes, both his parents are very thankful that a train was not flying down the tracks. and very grateful for the concerned man that noticed and took action to ensure the safety of their son. "

" Has the Courier absolutely no ethical journalistic accountability? Is this the best you can do... or is it all about selling quasi-sensationalism and anxiety within this paper? Can you spell ombudsman?

I sure hope I don't ever need the benefit of the doubt. I'll surely be crucified by this "newspaper." "

" Angry,
Regardless if they were asleep or not if you are allowing a 2 year old to wander out of the house you are not watching your child properly. My child is 5 and I know where she is at all times. PERIOD. They probably were asleep and now are changing their story to keep from looking bad. Regardless. It looks bad. "

" they have to blown the horn so much because there are three crossings in that span, so until morons can pull their heads out and pay attention they will have to blow their horns all the way from 19th to 9th street! "

" Why do parents always have to be discredited when something like this happens? Yes it's unfortunate the child managed to leave his home; and yes he could've been hurt or worse, but I am certain the parents are feeling bad enough about this without the newspaper or the community passing judgment on them. This does not make the parents unfit, uncaring, or careless. To the parents, I am very happy your child was found safely and promptly. Good luck. "

" "Mrs. D", if you must know why the "darn trains" always "blow the damn horn from 19th all the way to 9th street at night"...it's because the crew on the train is DOING THEIR JOB. It's the LAW that they whistle for grade crossings, whether they see anyone there or not. It's to alert people of the presence of something that is much bigger than they are. There is the answer to your question of "WHY". The tracks were there before you, so tell me, why did you move so close that it causes you such irritation? So you'd have something to moan and complain about? "

" Well, RJ.. as I am his parent, I know that we were not sleeping. Again, he is 3.. and a half.. not two. I certainly hope nothing like this ever happens to you, but if it does, I will be certain not to judge you without knowing all the details. And I will make sure that I do not say you are changing your story to make yourself look good. As I said, we did not "fall asleep". It was an accident, and one we are very thankful did not turn out worse. 3 year olds can be very quick and very resourceful. As a safety precaution, I definitely recommend using latches on your doors that cannot be opened by toddlers standing on chairs. "

" And as a second thought, looking good was not my primary concern, the safety of my son was. It does not make me feel any better, knowing that this was an accident, nor does it make the situation any better. "

" I know the people involved in the situation, and I can assure you that this was merely an honest mistake. This is a healthy, well taken care of three and a half year old, not two by the way. He is also very smart and a typical toddler who wants to explore every chance he gets. His family was frantic when they realized he had gotten out, and did everything they could think of to try to find him. I just thought the real story ought to be reported, rather than the version that has been reported. "

" Been there, lived through it. when my son was three he wouold never go out by himself, refused to ever leave my site. When he was 3 years 1 day old his daddy didn't lock the door when he left for work at 6 a.m. and at 6:30 the neighbors were knocking on my door wanting to know if the child they found playing in the street was mine. It makes you sick to the core thinking about what might have been. I'm sorry these parents had to go through this. Bet they don't again, I didn't. "

" Maybe the police chief should be scrutenized since it looks like he is the one that reported the information the paper printed. It says "some time later" the parents contacted the police. What is his time frame for that comment. Hasn't anybody's child wandered off in Wal-Mart or a grocery store? or the park or anyplace? Does that mean they should be reported to the County Attorney? If so, we should all stand in line for that crucifixion!
I am glad the child was uninjured and good for the parents for standing up for themselves about this story.
The facts should have been reported correctly by the police to the newspaper. The paper can only print the information they receive. "

" Why does the horn blow on a train? Because that's what trains do.. Ask a 3 year old what a train does and they will tell u choo-choo.. They also do it to let anyone know or something know that maybe walking on the tracks at night or during the day. They really don't like cleaning Deer off of the trains or other parts of a human/animal.. People need to realize that mistakes happen/ kids happen.. People need to worry more about what goes on in our School systems with their kids then someone Else's kid when u only get part of a story from a newspaper. They ain't perfect they only get what they get from the police. "

" angry, I'm glad your child is okay and safe. If you want the truth to be reported then talk to the chief who made the comment that you both were asleep. Sounds like he didn't get the whole story so he shouldn't be making comments that he knows are going to be put in the paper unless he has all the facts. "

" A lot about this story bothers me, first is how people can assume that the parents were neglecting their child. Toddlers are sneaky and resourceful and anyone who has ever turned around in Walmart to find their child has wandered off knows what I'm talking about. Accidents happen and a simple investigation should clear the parents if they are indeed good parents. It sounds like they have already been through a lot. Second, don't attack the paper for reporting news. Read the story, they had a quote from the Chief of Police. They don't make this stuff up, give me a break! "

" I agree with the parents. My girl was 3 when she got out of the house. I was in the bathroom, sick and well you get the point. Right after that I installed a chain latch at the very top of my door. Hope this is a good tip for the parents. I know that as a parent I never thought about a high chain latch on my door until my little one decided to roam the neighborhood while mommy was sick. Good luck to you. "

" For those of us with curious, busy children, we know how something like this can happen. My son was 3 when he UNLOCKED a deadbolt on my front door while I was in the kitchen. I had to replace that lock with one that could only be unlocked with a key. I had to keep our family locked IN with the key up high. That curiosity is what makes him a natural "go-getter" today and doesn't have to be told to work or to get off the couch! :) Unless you have had children of assorted ambition, don't judge.

ANGRY...I am sorry you are having to go through this lynching. "

" Thank you to those who have posted understanding comments regarding this situation. I know that every parent that has gone through this has felt the exact same fear I felt in those few minutes we could not find our son. When every possible horrible scenario was running through my head.

While I agree, the courier can only print what they are told, I feel like with as few details as the police chief was able to give, perhaps the story could have waited until more information was available. The police didnt get a statement from us, and only spoke with us for a short time before releasing him to us, and therefor had very little information to report. I would like to thank them, and the man who found our son, again for helping us and keeping him safe during that time.

And once again, thank you to all those who have read this story and not judged us harshly based on the fact that we have an active, very curious and incredibly resourceful toddler. "

" When I read this article, I thought to myself do these reporters not have kids? Kids wander off, if they are smart kids they try their best to unlock doors and all kids love to be outdoors.
There is no way to keep your eyes on a child 24/7. Once my daughter who was supposed to be napping while I took a shower, unlocked the door and went outdoors to play on the swingset. She was 2! It happens, just glad the little guy is safe! "

" Viewer,
I understand your initial reaction but now that you find out that their are two sides to the story it proves that sometimes we judge to quickly as you may have done.
RJ,
We are all proud of your perfect parenting! Be careful though as those that preach that they are perfect usually have to find out some day that they too are only human.

To not so angry now!
I am glad your child is ok and I am so proud of the fact that a man would stop his life and get involved in a childs in such a positive way!

To the Courier!
Report the facts but have some compassion and ask more detailed questions. Put yourself in their shoes. Report the facts but get it from all angles! "

" When my grandson was 3, he got mad at me and dissapeared, I looked all over my daughters house, in closet, under beds and the pool outside. Sent his sister to the neighbors across the street. I even screamed his name while looking all through the house. I got no answer. I had to call his parents who had gone to Wichita, on a date night. I eventually had to call the police, they immeditally put out a Amber alert. They also had me go through the house one more time. I found him asleep behind his mom's wedding dress, behind her bedroom door. I'm so glad this child was found, and I bet the parents are good parents. 3 yr olds will wander and hide anywhere. So maybe ppl shouldn't judge without all the facts "

" Referring to the train blowing it's horn -

Skeeter stated: "...So you'd have something to moan and complain about?..." lol Skeeter you hit the nail right on the head. lol "

" To not so Angry: I am sorry you got the impression I was "lynching" you. I am a mother of a adhd kid and believe me, he pulled a few Houdini acts around the same age. At that time we lived in off of Seneca. I know how scared you were & am glad nothing came of it.

To Skeeter: refering to your comment about me, I did not appreciate it and I will mind to to tell some who cares. I did not choose to live here but because when we married this house was give to us. Only certain times to the horns bother me. I know the "HAVE TO" but constantly like that? Besides, do you have a clue what I am talking about? Unless you live right next to the tracks I would hush. You don't know. "

" I think that the parents should get a baby proof lock on the door because what would have happened if a train had come along the police might not have been taking the kid to the police station but either a hospital or a grave yard "

" MrsD.. I didnt think that you were lynching me.

Andrew, we did get new locks, that night. "

" Mrs. D, I know all too well how noisy they are, as I spent a good amount of time riding trains as part of my job at one point. When crossings are very close together, and the Engineer is required by law to produce a certain horn sequence, it can turn into a pretty much constant thing. I know all too well how noisy they are. They're LOUD, and they're supposed to be loud.
Now, that being said, since you're the all knowing guru, I'm sure you can relate to how it feels to hit a suicide. You know the feeling of helplessness when some IDIOT goes around the gates in front of the train, and the train wins, all because they couldn't be bothered with waiting a few minutes. Tell us all how great that feels, won't you?
In closing, my original comment wasn't "about you" as you stated and claimed. Nice attempt at painting yourself as a victim. "A" for effort, "F" for execution. It was in response to whatever you were ranting about. And there IS a difference. The main thing here is that the child is safe and sound. That's what actually matters in all of this. So take a moment, and be happy that the parents get to see their little guy every day, and that he gets the chance to grow up and do all the cool stuff that comes with being a kid. That's what's really important here, and I think the article is just a reminder to keep a sharp eye on the shorties. "