I remember something like this was on an episode of CSI - 4 x 4 . The teenage boy killed his friend because he made him go in the laundry machine. Different motives though.
And now, it's reality, except with an even younger victim.
I have to say though, most of the laundry places are unmonitored and self-serve. Not many people go there in the first place from what I observe - except people who:
1) can't afford a washing machine due to poor nature,
2) don't have a need for one, (IE, students, travelers)
2a) currently need one but does not have one,
3) resides in a slum area (refers to 1.)
Thus in response, most of these laundromats typically have junkier/older washing machines. After all, who in the world is crazy enough to buy the newest line of Whirlpools + GE's and put 50 of them into your laundromat?
You're just losing money in that sense, when you want more bang-per-the-buck and you go with a cheaper, perhaps older, junkier machine.
Regardless, such machines have flaws in the first place -- their layout and design, which much of us are lamenting about. I'd put my shoes in a laundro-lord's (pun) and think -- if my customers are always going to be spending two quarters for a whirl, I'd want one that has a lot of power, but probably less options so there's little to worry about if they need to get fixed. Safety would be the last thing on my mind..
Are we blaming the "laundromat lord" for practicing and following the business ethics of capitalism?
Just pushing more thinking for us in this topic here.