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On cold days, rather than exposing her to even MORE cold, I let her stay in the car if I were running into a convenience store. Especially when she was an infant. With her buckled in her car seat, with the doors locked and windows up, it's ridiculous to think she was at any greater risk than she would be if I were to drag her inside with me.
When she was old enough to understand "Stay here, I'll be right back, don't let anyone in", I would also make an occasional run into a convenience store on the way home. Again, windows up, doors locked.
With that said, I never would have left her in the car to go grocery shopping, or leave her in an unlocked car with the windows down, especially not with the keys in the ignition.
I wouldn't meddle in any one else's business, unless I thought a kid was genuinely at risk. If I had nothing better to do, I might stick around for a couple of minutes to stake out a car with open windows, just to make sure no one other than the parent interfered with the kids.
On cold days, rather than exposing her to even MORE cold, I let her stay in the car if I were running into a convenience store. Especially when she was an infant. With her buckled in her car seat, with the doors locked and windows up, it's ridiculous to think she was at any greater risk than she would be if I were to drag her inside with me.
When she was old enough to understand "Stay here, I'll be right back, don't let anyone in", I would also make an occasional run into a convenience store on the way home. Again, windows up, doors locked.
With that said, I never would have left her in the car to go grocery shopping, or leave her in an unlocked car with the windows down, especially not with the keys in the ignition.
I wouldn't meddle in any one else's business, unless I thought a kid was genuinely at risk. If I had nothing better to do, I might stick around for a couple of minutes to stake out a car with open windows, just to make sure no one other than the parent interfered with the kids.
these nervous Nellie sorts that are squealing to the authorities for no good reason would prefer that you wake the kid up, wrestle him out of the car seat, get a coat on him, and take him out into subzero temps rather than leave him safely in a locked car for 30 seconds.
While everything is crazy and show that people and cops involved don't have common sense about children safety or just choose not to follow it.
The practical lesson in this case is when the cop went to interview to her, she should refuse to talk without an lawyer. She is not legally required to talk to cops and that would save her a lot of headache and money later. It is sad as a society to have to be suspicious of people enforcing the law of making a case over something silly as this.
However, I did leave my dog in my Jeep Wrangler a few months ago.
Only the top was completely off so I'm still not sure what I was leaving him 'in'.
Anyway, I backed my Wrangler up to the patio at a bar. At 10:45pm when it was 58 degrees and once again the top was completely off.
I just finished unleashing an epic Sky-O version of Dio's song 'Last In Line' when the bartender said 'A few people have complained about your dog barking. . . . ' blah, blah, blah. And I asked her if that was going to be a problem, and she walked away and said in total biyotch mode 'I don't know. . . '
So I threw what was left of my Heineken across the bar and called her a fat biy-otch. Then on my way out I noticed a table that had huge 2x4 lumber pieces in a Jenga formation and I flipped the table over, and it sent all of the Jenga pieces on steroids across the bar and I held up my middle finger for the rest of the bar and said 'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck youuuuuuuu!'
Anyway. The owner that I knew sent me a text the next morning and said 'Due to the show you put on last night, you are 86d from the bar.'
However, I did leave my dog in my Jeep Wrangler a few months ago.
Only the top was completely off so I'm still not sure what I was leaving him 'in'.
Anyway, I backed my Wrangler up to the patio at a bar. At 10:45pm when it was 58 degrees and once again the top was completely off.
I just finished unleashing an epic Sky-O version of Dio's song 'Last In Line' when the bartender said 'A few people have complained about your dog barking. . . . ' blah, blah, blah. And I asked her if that was going to be a problem, and she walked away and said in total biyotch mode 'I don't know. . . '
So I threw what was left of my Heineken across the bar and called her a fat biy-otch. Then on my way out I noticed a table that had huge 2x4 lumber pieces in a Jenga formation and I flipped the table over, and it sent all of the Jenga pieces on steroids across the bar and I held up my middle finger for the rest of the bar and said 'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck youuuuuuuu!'
Anyway. The owner that I knew sent me a text the next morning and said 'Due to the show you put on last night, you are 86d from the bar.'
Whateva!!!
Sky-O
Are we supposed to sympathize with you because of this story?
I just read this article... Jeez, I'm actually shocked. WTF is wrong with people who want to be so judgmental? There is a significant risk of harm to the child if the weather is warm, the windows are closed, and there is no a/c running. Granted, that last one may be hard to tell; so if the first two are present, then there's probably cause for concern. If it's a cool day or the windows are left a crack open, let the kids sleep.
Between people being busybodies, and the lack of common sense... no wonder this nonsense is happening. I feel sorry for those moms who were dragged through the system like that because of the stupidity of strangers.
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Bully
It is becoming increasingly clear as time goes on that the biggest danger in these sorts of "free ranging" situations is not potential kidnappers and criminals, it is the legal consequences of being noticed by busy bodies and tattle tales. It's not logical, but it is reality and as ridiculous as it sounds people need to start taking this in to consideration when making parenting decisions nowadays.
true. sad, but true. People need to get a ****ing life
I remember discussing this particular story on the parenting forum here on CD and there were some (not the majority of posters but still a small handful) arguing that it wasn't even ok to leave a child in the car while you returned your grocery cart to the coral at the grocery store or dropped a book in the library book return slot or paid for gas at the gas station, etc. All things that would take a minute or two and all things where the car was in sight. It was eye opening and a little bit frightening to know that there are some who take things to that extreme.
When I was a kid our parents would give us the choice to come into the grocery store with them or wait in the car. We often chose the car. It was common back then (70's, 80's). It's weird to think how much attitudes have changed regarding this in just a few decades.
Agree, and I'd add that there is less crime now than back in the 70s & 80s.
Wow, I have to say this is absolutely ridiculous. A lot of children suffer REAL abuse, but those parents never seem to get in trouble. I am becoming less and less inclined to ever want children in today's society.
WA state law says you can't leave kids unattended in a car that is running. I get that; easy for a thief to drive off with your kids, as we've seen in the news. But a quick pay? I don't get the big deal.
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