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The thing with the car is this... when I was a kid we sat in the parked car all the time, but the car wasn't locked, the windows manually rolled up and down, and we weren't strapped into car seats.
If anything was to happen to the car while the kids are in it in the vehicles we're in now, how the hell would they get out? This includes dropping your keys down the drain while your little kids are locked and buckled in. They're pretty much helpless in there if they're under 3 or 4. Thieves are also able to skirt keyless entry systems now. If your kids are in the car too bad, they're going for a ride with the bad dude. Happened just this morning in Philly.
It's not the same as leaving kids in the car in 1975 or even 1985.
Were the keys left in the car? Was the car running?
I used to leave my kids in the car with the doors locked and the ac running. But now I don't.. it's not that I have been enlightened to the "dangers" of leaving kids in the car. It's that I dont want some 40 something busy body playing hero by smashing my windows out to "rescue" my children.
Now I take them home then go do my shopping, what a pain in the asp and waste of gas.
I seriously wish people would mind their own damn business.
Kids take more risk when they are just riding in the car than they do sitting in a parked car waiting for 5 minutes.
Our cycle of 24 hour news and social media has turned this entire nation into a bunch of pill popping, delusional, schitzos, afraid of our own shadows... Its really disturbing how much freedom we have lost under the guise of safety. Kids growing up now don't do anything remotely adventerous or by themselves because of their parents fears. The result has left us with a bunch of defenseless, puppies well into their 20s living at home with no job.
1 kid was car jacked in philly? out of 300 million people. You know 3200 people will die in a car accident by the end of this day and 3200 the next day? How many of them will be kids?
My point is we have turned into an odd society too protective of our children. it's a given that we treat our children right and provide but we dont have to try to plan for every possible improbable thing that could happen to them. We dont focus on the right things. Were worried about kids left in cars with windows down or running with AC while we have lost sight of the big picture. We create more and more nanny laws and regulations that try to make up for a lack of common sense. and because of less than 50 cases in the last 20 years we have to rearange our lives in fear we may become criminals for going into a store for 3 minutes while we leave our kids in the car.
Crime hasn't gone up.. as a matter of fact crime was 3 times worse in 1985 two times worse in 1975 than in 2015. But because we are constantly alerted by twitter facebook social media and news, a minor incident in Kentucky is read by millions of people 3 minutes after it happens. In 75-85 we didn't have the net we had news papers and tv and a minor carjacking case or case of someone leaving thier kid in the car in Kentucky would never have even registered with tv stations in Illinois let aloen LA or NYC. Perhaps we were blisfully ignorant. But I would rather be blissfully ignorant than live my life constantly fearing something that may never happen will happen. Now we have people afraid of flying, because everyday there is a story about something wrong with a plane, now we have cops with itchy trigger fingers and homowner shooting family members in the middle of the night, because of an irrational robbery fear. The home security industry is booming, Prozac now is like ibuprofen, metal health cases are at an all time high, gun sales are higher than ever. None of this is improving our quality of life.
I'm so over the "information age"
Last edited by AndyAMG; 04-24-2015 at 04:45 PM..
Reason: i have no spell check on my phone
News Flash: I am a CPS worker, but if I bust a window, I'm doing it as a human. A caring human at that!
Perhaps if child protective service workers spent more time investigating actual child abuse, the backgrounds of questionable foster parents instead of patrolling parking lots the world for children would be a better place.
If I noticed a child alone in a car I'd probably asses the situation and watch for a bit. It would also make a difference if it was in front of a convenience store or in a huge industrial parking lot or on a street that wasn't near anything. If a parent made an appearance I'd say nothing and be on my way. If I was there for 15-20 minute and it was a hot day and it was a baby strapped in a car seat I might act. Common sense is what's missing in all these cases.
I was at the grocery store with a friend once and as we were walking through the parking lot she noticed a dog in the back of an SUV. We had to stand there until someone came out (about 10 minutes) with her debating the entire time whether or not she should call animal control. It was obvious to me that the dog was fine...looking out the window, licking his rear, etc. I was annoyed that she made me stand there with her but whatever. I mean, grocery store! Obviously someone wasn't going to be spending hours there.
I used to leave my kids in the car with the doors locked and the ac running. But now I don't.. it's not that I have been enlightened to the "dangers" of leaving kids in the car. It's that I dont want some 40 something busy body playing hero by smashing my windows out to "rescue" my children.
Now I take them home then go do my shopping, what a pain in the asp and waste of gas.
I seriously wish people would mind their own damn business.
Kids take more risk when they are just riding in the car than they do sitting in a parked car waiting for 5 minutes.
Our cycle of 24 hour news and social media has turned this entire nation into a bunch of pill popping, delusional, schitzos, afraid of our own shadows... Its really disturbing how much freedom we have lost under the guise of safety. Kids growing up now don't do anything remotely adventerous or by themselves because of their parents fears. The result has left us with a bunch of defenseless, puppies well into their 20s living at home with no job.
1 kid was car jacked in philly? out of 300 million people. You know 3200 people will die in a car accident by the end of this day and 3200 the next day? How many of them will be kids?
My point is we have turned into an odd society too protective of our children. it's a given that we treat our children right and provide but we dont have to try to plan for every possible improbable thing that could happen to them. We dont focus on the right things. Were worried about kids left in cars with windows down or running with AC while we have lost sight of the big picture. We create more and more nanny laws and regulations that try to make up for a lack of common sense. and because of less than 50 cases in the last 20 years we have to rearange our lives in fear we may become criminals for going into a store for 3 minutes while we leave our kids in the car.
Crime hasn't gone up.. as a matter of fact crime was 3 times worse in 1985 two times worse in 1975 than in 2015. But because we are constantly alerted by twitter facebook social media and news, a minor incident in Kentucky is read by millions of people 3 minutes after it happens. In 75-85 we didn't have the net we had news papers and tv and a minor carjacking case or case of someone leaving thier kid in the car in Kentucky would never have even registered with tv stations in Illinois let aloen LA or NYC. Perhaps we were blisfully ignorant. But I would rather be blissfully ignorant than live my life constantly fearing something that may never happen will happen. Now we have people afraid of flying, because everyday there is a story about something wrong with a plane, now we have cops with itchy trigger fingers and homowner shooting family members in the middle of the night, because of an irrational robbery fear. The home security industry is booming, Prozac now is like ibuprofen, metal health cases are at an all time high, gun sales are higher than ever. None of this is improving our quality of life.
I'm so over the "information age"
Listen I agree with you for the most part. I don't think you (genetic) can compare the experience of sitting in a car back in the day with being strapped into a locked vehicle now. The cars are completely different. Once a kid is mobile and cognizant enough to understand how to unbuckle and get out in an emergency I don't see an issue. But I wouldn't leave an infant or a two year old locked in a car that neither they nor anyone else can get them out of easily should something happen. There's no egress.
I'm not a hysterical safety nut. You can do what you think is reasonable. That's what I think is reasonable.
If I noticed a child alone in a car I'd probably asses the situation and watch for a bit. It would also make a difference if it was in front of a convenience store or in a huge industrial parking lot or on a street that wasn't near anything. If a parent made an appearance I'd say nothing and be on my way. If I was there for 15-20 minute and it was a hot day and it was a baby strapped in a car seat I might act. Common sense is what's missing in all these cases.
I was at the grocery store with a friend once and as we were walking through the parking lot she noticed a dog in the back of an SUV. We had to stand there until someone came out (about 10 minutes) with her debating the entire time whether or not she should call animal control. It was obvious to me that the dog was fine...looking out the window, licking his rear, etc. I was annoyed that she made me stand there with her but whatever. I mean, grocery store! Obviously someone wasn't going to be spending hours there.
Yes, our dogs like to ride in the car. We stop taking them as soon as the temps go up to about 70 if we aren't specifically taking them out. I do worry someone's going to completely over react.
Also, the problem is if you leave your infant/very young child in the car you give people that see them a dilemma. How does one know whether they've been left for too long? How does one know whether the child has actually been forgotten or not? Should one stay and wait, call the police, mind their own business? If I had actually forgotten I had the child with me, I would be grateful somebody called the cops and saved her life.
Given that people do indeed forget that they haven't dropped the child at daycare, and kids do die, who wants to be responsible for having seen it and ignoring it, if it is a fatal outcome?
Really it's a no win situation for everyone.
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