Kersplash!

[Homicidalheathen]

A New York City teenager says she was text messaging while walking down the street — andthe next second she was down a manhole.Alexa Longueira was walking down a Staten Island block and was getting ready to text message when she fell into an open sewer manhole, MyFOX NY reports.

VIDEO: Longueira Describes Falling Down a Manhole

Longueira suffered mild cuts and bruises and is expected to recover.

The teen's mother says workers told her they left the manhole open and unattended for just seconds while they went to fetch some cones from their truck.

The Department of Environmental Protection says it is investigating.

"DEP is conducting a full investigation of what happened during a manhole incident on Victory Boulevard where workers were flushing a high-pressure sewer on Wednesday evening," said Mercedes Padilla, of the DEP. "We regret that this happened and wish the young woman a speedy recovery."

The Longueira family says they plan on filing a lawsuit.

Edited July 12, 2009 by Homicidalheathen

[Simon Bar Sinister]

she does have a case.

[TitsMcGee]

I frankly don't thing she has a case at all. If she had been looking where she was walking instead of texting she would have avoided this whole mess. It's called personal responsibility.

[pomba gira]

I frankly don't thing she has a case at all. If she had been looking where she was walking instead of texting she would have avoided this whole mess. It's called personal responsibility.

I strongly agree but unfortunately she prolly does have a case. Juries in these cases tend not to be big on personal responsibility.

[Oh_My_Goth]

Though I agree that she should have been looking where she was going.. I also think if one is going to open a sewer cover & walk away, one should have something indicating that said sewer is open.

[Simon Bar Sinister]

thank you!

[TitsMcGee]

Though I agree that she should have been looking where she was going.. I also think if one is going to open a sewer cover & walk away, one should have something indicating that said sewer is open.

The thing is, they had just opened the thing up and turned to grab the cones out of the truck that was 5 feet away. They didn't notice her coming and she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. It was a big screw up on both sides of the issue.

[TygerLili]

she does have a case.

Yeah, she does.

I don't like it, I think only a dumb ass would walk into a manhole because they didn't bother to look where they were going, and I think our court systems are way too bogged down with stupid cases like this, but she has a case, nonetheless.

[Soulrev]

You see, anyone who has spent any time in the system knows that floods of cases like these in our courts are (just one) of the reasons why people go to jail for driving on a suspended license and have to wait in jail for 30 days before they even SEE a judge. Then, by the time you are in front of a judge they just let you go because you've served too much time for your crime already. It really does happen. I've seen people sit in jail for 6 months on a C misdemeanor that doesn't even carry that much time in a maximum sentence.

And this family is going to file a law suit for a couple of minor cuts and bruises? If I filed a law suit for every time I fucked myself up not paying attention I'd be up there with Donald Trump on the money scene

-B

[Confess]

As amazing as suing over burning your crotch with hot coffee because it didn't say it was hot on the cup.

[Rev.Reverence]

The thing is, they had just opened the thing up and turned to grab the cones out of the truck that was 5 feet away. They didn't notice her coming and she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. It was a big screw up on both sides of the issue.

No, really...they should HAVE cones in place BEFORE they open the lid (just like on construction sites, where we use cranes )...there are allot of idiots in the world...& they have protocols for this reason...& I am pretty sure that the protocol is that way, because this can not be the first time a person fell down one of these things...what if some one was walking & looked at their watch just as they rounded a corner? What if they were checking the address of where they were going on a piece of paper...what if they have an unquenchable thirst for Knowing things that usurps their 'common sence', & HAVE to walk around reading all the time?

Those workers are in trouble.

[TitsMcGee]

No, really...they should HAVE cones in place BEFORE they open the lid (just like on construction sites, where we use cranes )...there are allot of idiots in the world...& they have protocols for this reason...& I am pretty sure that the protocol is that way, because this can not be the first time a person fell down one of these things...what if some one was walking & looked at their watch just as they rounded a corner? What if they were checking the address of where they were going on a piece of paper...what if they have an unquenchable thirst for Knowing things that usurps their 'common sence', & HAVE to walk around reading all the time?

Those workers are in trouble.

Oh I agree the cones should have been in place before they removed the cover, but saying you're going to sue because you were too busy texting to pay attention to where you are walking is crap. Would her parents be suing if she walked in front of a bus because she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking? Maybe, but probably not, and it would be chalked up as an accident. To me it still comes down to personal responsibility, on both sides.

[pomba gira]

As amazing as suing over burning your crotch with hot coffee because it didn't say it was hot on the cup.

Just for the record... coffee at normal serving temperatures does not produce 3rd degree burns... and the woman who was the subject of such ridicule was hospitalized for EIGHT days and needed skin grafts. She was also far from the first person to be severely burned by coffee at the temp McDonald's was serving it at then (185; normal hot beverage temp is 140 tops). In fact there had been over 700 other claims in the previous 10 years. None of these facts were mentioned in the media at the time, since it was much more entertaining to portray the poor granny as some hapless idiot out for easy money.

[Confess]

Just for the record... coffee at normal serving temperatures does not produce 3rd degree burns... and the woman who was the subject of such ridicule was hospitalized for EIGHT days and needed skin grafts. She was also far from the first person to be severely burned by coffee at the temp McDonald's was serving it at then (185; normal hot beverage temp is 140 tops). In fact there had been over 700 other claims in the previous 10 years. None of these facts were mentioned in the media at the time, since it was much more entertaining to portray the poor granny as some hapless idiot out for easy money.

Oh, I don't doubt the severity of her injury, or the fact that it was hot. But people buy coffee hot. It's supposed to be hot. Maybe not that hot but hot. It's a hot drink. People shouldn't need it emblazoned across their cup to know this. People shouldn't need to be reminded to watch where they are walking either.

If this girl was oblivious enough to walk into a big hole in the ground the cones probably wouldn't have made a difference. Hell, she might have just sidestepped them.

I'd like to see that text convo.

"OoOo UR so cute..."

"I know huh? Should i send moar nudie pics?"

"So when can I cum over?"

"Fuck! I just fell in a hole."

[TheOsakaKoneko]

Just for the record... coffee at normal serving temperatures does not produce 3rd degree burns... and the woman who was the subject of such ridicule was hospitalized for EIGHT days and needed skin grafts. She was also far from the first person to be severely burned by coffee at the temp McDonald's was serving it at then (185; normal hot beverage temp is 140 tops). In fact there had been over 700 other claims in the previous 10 years. None of these facts were mentioned in the media at the time, since it was much more entertaining to portray the poor granny as some hapless idiot out for easy money.

+1!

Nice point. We all like to hate on people who make stupid mistakes, like the old lady or the teen, but creating dangerous situations and then ridiculing the people who fall prey to them (even if they weren't entirely blameless in the happening) isn't right either.

They had no business making a big hole in the street and then leaving it like that. No business at all.

[ttogreh]

It all comes down to a failure to follow protocol. People have been falling down manholes for about as long as manholes have been around. They left an open hole in the road unattended.

What if a car had lost its wheel because of this? Would you be so quick to blame the driver?