Did that just happen?

I decided to quickly run an errand this weekend. I knew a store was having a sale and I wanted to grab a few items. As I began shopping, I thought to myself "I'll give Carson a little bit of a long leash today. He's been pretty well behaved in public lately." So I'm shopping and just kind of aware of my child 10 feet away. I suddenly realize that there is this really loud, annoying noise. It then registers that this is a fire alarm. I immediately look for Carson and he is standing by the emergency exit (about 10 feet away). At first I assumed he had pushed on the emergency exit door, but as I walked over he had actually pulled the fire alarm. I tried to push it back in, but apparently you can't just "push" the handle back in. So I found the store manager and apologized. She told me it happens all the time. That made me feel a little better inside. This whole time the alarm is deafening. Carson is sitting with his ears covered.

I decided to try and finish my shopping, with the annoying alarm going. At least now Carson was just sitting on a bench. A few minutes later the fire department showed up. While the annoying sound was helping to teach Carson to not pull a fire alarm, the arrival of five firemen and a fire truck had the opposite effect on Carson. I was busy trying to make myself look really interested in the clothing as I contemplated how I would introduce myself, "Hi, I am the mother that wasn't paying attention to her child that pulled the fire alarm that caused a total waste of time for all five of you brave firemen." I began to feel really embarrassed and the "okay" feeling I got when the manager said "this happens all the time" was fading away quickly. The firemen and store manager were all trying to push the handle back in (much like I had), but with no luck. I then heard them all discussing how they were going to have to call the alarm company to get it turned off. It was at this point that I couldn't stand the burning guilt in my chest. I kept waiting for one of them to hand me a fine but no one even mentioned it. I apologized one more time and then got out of the store.

While in the store I had tried to make Carson apologize for his actions, but he was scared stiff every time we approached the store manager. He did apologize to me though. On the drive home I tried to explain that we can't pull fire alarms unless there is a fire...etc, etc...blah blah blah (the last part is probably what he heard). The next day, Carson found the advertisement for the store's sale on our counter. He brought it over to me and said "I'm not going to pull the fire alarm, mommy." He said something about not pulling the fire alarm a few more times that day as well. Hopefully that has sunk in because I really don't want to relive that moment. Two thoughts - the "long leash" has new been shortened...and, why don't they put a little plastic box around the handle or put it a little higher. How much more tempting can they make a fire alarm to a three year old kid?

PS - This is a theoretical, hypothetical, imaginary leash. I don't literally have my child on a leash.