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Being a child of the 70's, I don't remember people leaving their kids in the car to die as much as I see it now a days.
In this day and age there should no reason to leave your kid in the car for 2-6 hours
Throw the book at Him/Her
IMO back then, people weren't rung out as much as they are now. In the 70's, men and women especially weren't working 12 hour days and on call the other 12, and as over-scheduled and stressed as they are now. It's easy IMO, to forget a baby who's sleeping in the back seat when your mind is stretched thinking a million things. I think this is something that could happen to anybody.
IMO back then, people weren't rung out as much as they are now. In the 70's, men and women especially weren't working 12 hour days and on call the other 12, and as over-scheduled and stressed as they are now. It's easy IMO, to forget a baby who's sleeping in the back seat when your mind is stretched thinking a million things. I think this is something that could happen to anybody.
And similar things have happened to everybody. Sure, it wasn't lethal, but who hasn't left their keys dangling out of the lock in the front door, or pulled into parking lot of the dry cleaners having forgotten the clothes they were going to drop off? I'd bet that this poor guy probably went about his day thinking he'd dropped his kid off at daycare. This isn't a case of negligent parents knowingly leaving a kid in the car with the window cracked to save on childcare.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 06-20-2014 at 03:08 PM..
I hear the arguments about how can a parent forget their child? This is true.
However, I'm one of those parents who has a million other things on my mind and I can see how easily it can happen. I would not call it negligence. I would call it horribly bad luck.
As one if the comments stated, there is no punishment that can compare to the inner torment these parents will carry with them for the rest of thier lives. I see how it could happen and have had nightmares about it as a parent. I feel sadness for these people. I don't think jail time could ever compare to the horror of realizing what you had done. Personally, if something like this happened I'd have trouble waking up every morning.
The 70's didnt have near the amount of distractions we have in this day and age.
I do question how it happened but that sounds pretty extreme.
Living with the guilt is enough.
In the 70's we weren't glued to the damned phone while driving!
With texting, such problems will only get worse.
I have two children. I am disabled, so, therefore, I was labeled as a "bad mother' then people looked for a way to backfill their conclusions. I NEVER, once, not even for a minute, left my babies alone in the car, even if I was "just" going into the convenience store for a gallon of milk, etc. No, each and every time, I took them both out of their carseats, walked ds, and carried dd. Even for "just a minute." Stuff happens, what if I was delayed, fell, was mugged, whatever....and no one thought to look for them until too late? Yet once the label of "bad mother" is placed on you, well, might as well hang an albatross around your neck.
Look, FORGET THE DAMNED PHONE! Turn it OFF, put it in the backseat, let people leave messages until you get to your destination. So your nephew is having trouble paying his gambling debts? Call Gambler's Annonymous......So you got a medal for juggling $47 million contracts without being a penny off, that's a real accomplishment, certainly worth more than one small child
That bit about the lower parts of the brain taking priority over the higher functions....so, I guess such people pee their pants, crap themselves, go hungry, thirsty, suffer major injuries, etc, all while their lower brains are in function? What I'm saying is, some stimulus wakes them up, I'm not going to pee myself because my "dinosaur brain" is driving the car, but I can forget all about the precious child in the back seat?
Don't ever put me on a jury trial for such a case.................
I love how so many people are willing to compare forgetting a child to forgetting your keys, or lunch, etc. A child is not an inanimate object. And considering just how many people will freak out if you compare a pet to a child, its surprising always to see a child compared to an object.
Yeah its normal to be absent minded, and forgetful, and to have a million thoughts on your head, but if you aren't thinking once per hour about your child then you should really consider the life you are leading before you end up in a situation like this man.
When you supposedly love someone more than anything on earth, like your children, and you haven't thought about them in 7 hours... how much do you really "love" them? "hey I wonder what my kid is up to at daycare, etc"
Maybe its just me, but I think about the people I love every hour.
I love how so many people are willing to compare forgetting a child to forgetting your keys, or lunch, etc. A child is not an inanimate object. And considering just how many people will freak out if you compare a pet to a child, its surprising always to see a child compared to an object.
Yeah its normal to be absent minded, and forgetful, and to have a million thoughts on your head, but if you aren't thinking once per hour about your child then you should really consider the life you are leading before you end up in a situation like this man.
When you supposedly love someone more than anything on earth, like your children, and you haven't thought about them in 7 hours... how much do you really "love" them? "hey I wonder what my kid is up to at daycare, etc"
Maybe its just me, but I think about the people I love every hour.
This. I freak out over leaving my dog in the car for too long. Not sure how you "forget" an actual person, that's just beyond ridiculous, there is no excuse for that level of blatant stupidity. I get that this guy feels bad, and he should feel bad, maybe there wasn't any malicious intent but he's still a moron.
In the 70's we weren't glued to the damned phone while driving!
With texting, such problems will only get worse.
I have two children. I am disabled, so, therefore, I was labeled as a "bad mother' then people looked for a way to backfill their conclusions. I NEVER, once, not even for a minute, left my babies alone in the car, even if I was "just" going into the convenience store for a gallon of milk, etc. No, each and every time, I took them both out of their carseats, walked ds, and carried dd. Even for "just a minute." Stuff happens, what if I was delayed, fell, was mugged, whatever....and no one thought to look for them until too late? Yet once the label of "bad mother" is placed on you, well, might as well hang an albatross around your neck.
Look, FORGET THE DAMNED PHONE! Turn it OFF, put it in the backseat, let people leave messages until you get to your destination. So your nephew is having trouble paying his gambling debts? Call Gambler's Annonymous......So you got a medal for juggling $47 million contracts without being a penny off, that's a real accomplishment, certainly worth more than one small child
That bit about the lower parts of the brain taking priority over the higher functions....so, I guess such people pee their pants, crap themselves, go hungry, thirsty, suffer major injuries, etc, all while their lower brains are in function? What I'm saying is, some stimulus wakes them up, I'm not going to pee myself because my "dinosaur brain" is driving the car, but I can forget all about the precious child in the back seat?
Don't ever put me on a jury trial for such a case.................
I dont recall mentioning phone usage in my comment...?
its not only being on the phone, but also being preoccupied with job stress, family stress, etc.
like i said, i do not condone his actions, im not saying what he did was okay. but i know you people are not 100% perfect. god forbid you ever make a mistake.
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