With all the recent discussions about safety, accidents, and the important awareness being raised by Hatzalah and Shomrim, I would like to bring attention to another issue that I witnessed firsthand.
Tonight, around 9:00 PM, I was walking home from the grocery store when I saw approximately 15 children coming out of a construction site just two doors down from my house. This wasn’t an open property. It was a locked construction site. Whether the children figured out the code or somehow got past the lock, they were inside a place they had absolutely no business being.
I stopped them and explained how dangerous it was. Construction sites are filled with hazards—open wiring, unfinished staircases, unstable flooring, sharp materials, and countless other dangers. On top of that, you never know who could be hiding out in a secluded area like that.
I immediately texted the contractor. He initially thought the lock must have been damaged, but when I told him the children had apparently been getting in all week, he sent the owner over that very night to change the lock. Baruch Hashem, this situation was addressed before anyone got hurt.
But the incident left me wondering: Why are young children out at 9:00 PM without supervision? A 10-year-old should not be wandering around at that hour, and even older children should know better than to enter a locked construction site.
Lately, our community has seen far too many close calls and tragedies. We often ask who is responsible after something happens, but perhaps we need to focus more on preventing these situations in the first place.
Parents, please talk to your children. Make sure you know where they are and what they are doing. Explain that a locked gate is not an invitation to explore. It’s there for a reason.
Maybe it’s also time for construction sites located in residential neighborhoods to consider additional security measures such as cameras, alarms, or other safeguards to help keep children out.
This is not about placing blame. It’s about making sure that everyone gets home safely. Tonight ended without incident. Next time, we may not be so fortunate.
Signed,
A Concerned Neighbor
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
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4 Responses
Let’s make an asifa about it , have a fund raiser embezzle the money and build a house so the kids can have a construction site to play in. Let kids be kids or we can sell bubble wrap in bingo for our kids too maybe some adults can use bubble wrap as well?
That is insane!
Thank You for taking the time to write your letter. It’s good to know there’s still responsible adults in the community.
My experiences have taught me that children who go where they don’t belong, often come from families where boundaries are not respected.
You probably saved some lives. Maybe you even made an impression with your words.
Until they do it again when they think nobody is watching.
Parents are failing miserably in their duties. This is but one in a list of negligent behavior by today’s parents. Another very widespread problem is the fact that despite the documented dangers and deaths, parents are allowing their children to ride e-bikes,e-scooters,etc. Parents don’t want to be involved in disciplining their children. There is not enough pleasure in carrying out this chore.