Chatterbox | August 15

Let's start off with the good news, before we get to the unbelievable horror show of United Airlines losing a 10-year-old:

 

• In Oregon, a 17-year-old kid—who had worked as a lifeguard in Vancovuer, Washington—heard cries of help from a 12-year-old boy stuck in some rough surf, and swam out to save his life. He ended up with a fairly large medical bill, and now folks are banding together to pay his bill and set up a college fund for him.
• Bumbo seats are being recalled again and this time they'll be released with a safety belt. I have to admit, I was never a big fan of the Bumbo—anything that requires you to "gently" jam your child into it just feels wrong.
• My wife sent me this "Toy Buying Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them" article, as a subtle reminder of how much she hates the fire-station-racetrack-elevator thing currently clipped to our coffee table. Her tip: "Know the layout of the toy store before you go in, so you can dodge that aisle."
• In the most epic customer-service fail of all time, I present to you this story about how two parents sent their 10-year-old daughter—as an unaccompanied minor—on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Michigan for summer camp, and United forgot about her on her layover in Chicago. Then a customer service rep tried to convince the parents that their daughter actually had landed in Michigan. It's an amazing, horrifying story. I highly recommend reading the mother's letter to United, which provides a compelling blow-by-blow.
• And just to cleanse your palette, here's a video of a backyard roller coaster a dad made for his daughter. As the link I saw referring to this story put it: "Best dad ever, or child endangerment?"
• Finally, here is the greatest photo of our president. I lke that he's just slightly blurry, indicating that he's really taking this game of chase seriously.