Toy Story Responsible for Skill Crane Captivity

Young child crawls into skill crane in imitation of Woody and Buzz

- by Bob McLain, January 29, 2011

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I have pretty good luck winning stuffed animals from the 'skill cranes': those big machines with a metal claw inside that you maneuver over a toy, let drop, and then hope its grip is strong enough to carry the toy over to the chute.

When I don't win, I'll admit that sometimes I entertain thoughts of crawling inside.

A two-year-old English boy named Jake did just that, presumably by crawling up the chute into the 'toy-grabbing machine', as the British apparently call skill cranes.

How is that Disney material? According to Jake's mother, he had just watched 'Toy Story' and decided to duplicate what he had seen Woody and Buzz do in the movie.

It was no joke for firefighters who had to remove the top of the crane to get the kid out.

Not only did Jake's parents let him crawl into the machine, they also allowed his twin brother Jack to operate the machine while Jake was outside, perhaps hoping for a YouTube moment of their son in the clutches of a metal claw.

The mother claimed in an interview that she has to "keep my eye on [Jake] all the time". No word on whether she's blind in that eye.

At least Jake didn't waste his time while in the machine. He grabbed by hand the tiger he was unable to grab by claw. When he was freed, he took the tiger home.

And that's grrrrreat!

Don't stop there! More Tidings Await...