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Don't Let this Happen to You': Escalator Traps Teen's Fingers as He Tries to Unstick Flip-Flop

Don't Let this Happen to You': Escalator Traps Teen's Fingers as He Tries to Unstick Flip-Flop

"...take extra care to step over the comb plate..."

Ye be warned. Rubber shoes -- flip flops, crocks, etc. -- and escalators do not mix. A Canadian tourist visiting Washington, D.C. this week learned that lesson the hard way.

According to MyFoxDC, a 14-year-old boy was riding down the escalator to the Smithsonian metro station when his flip-flop got stuck in the combs of the escalator's step. Reaching down to pull out his footwear, his fingers then became wedged painfully into the metal tines for about 40 minutes.

He had to be taken to the hospital for treatment but metro spokesperson Dan Stessel said the injuries were not life-threatening. The escalator though is now out of service as it is being investigated.

Watch the MyFoxDC report:

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority points to a summer escalator safety tip sheet, which says:

Flip-flops, Crocs and other soft, rubbery footwear can actually sink into the escalator step as you're riding it. This creates a greater potential for your footwear to go under the comb plate (the yellow teeth at the top and bottom of the escalator). Don't let this happen to you. If you choose to wear rubbery footwear, be sure to take extra care to step over the comb plate as you get on and off the escalator.

In fact, escalators are just a dangerous place in general. This is the second story on The Blaze within 24 hours regarding an escalator accident. The first was a woman in Boston flipping over in a motor scooter as she tried to ride it up the moving stairs.

Featured image via Shutterstock.

(H/T: Daily Mail)

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