This Photo Posted in a Maine Group Has Parents Outraged

There's a photo circulating on a Maine Facebook group that I wish I could show you, but I can't. For one, it would likely make you extremely pissed off, and two, I don't have permission to share it.

Before we dive into this, I should mention that I can't confirm whether the photo is photoshopped or not. It's hard to tell. It appears real, but I'm hesitant to say for sure. Regardless, it has sparked controversy, with many people claiming they've witnessed similar situations.

The post reads,

This was last summer. That’s a toddler riding an electric push mower while it’s running

Imagine this: a man mowing his lawn. Sounds pretty harmless, right? Now, picture a two or three-year-old toddler sitting on the push lawn mower's motor while it's running!

I'll give you a moment to process that and maybe punch a pillow. I had the same reaction.

The moment I saw this photo, I got extremely worried. The comments on the photo were mixed reactions, which I was surprised of as well. Some people were outraged like me, and others were supporting the decision of this parent mowing with his young child sitting on the mower.

One person said:

He's not on the motor so chances of getting burnt is slim and a mower is a mower go slow cut even and let the kid enjoy life.

Here's the reply:

Perhaps you don’t know that there's a sharp blade spinning at 3,000 rpm and would cut a toddler’s arm like a dandelion.

According to US regulations, the blades of a power lawn mower with rotary blades should stop spinning within three seconds of the operator releasing the controls. We all know how fast three seconds is, and it is not (in my opinion) enough time to grab your child and save them from immediate doom.

A paramedic then chimed in, saying,

I'm a paramedic with 30+ years in the business. I've seen what 3 seconds with a mower and snow blower blade will do..

Now, if it were a riding lawn mower, I suppose it's different. But this is just one of those things you can't risk. So please don't let your child sit on your lawn mower's motor while you are mowing your lawn in Maine.

What do you think? 

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