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Just yesterday I called the police about two kids--aged ten and 7--left alone in a car while the grandmother was grocery shopping. It was maybe in the low 80s, not too hot, but I still would probably not have left my dog in the car even with the windows down like they were. The kids started crying when the story clerk approached their car and they heard me reading the license plate to the dispatch. I had an ugly exchange with grandma:
Me: Ma'am, it's a hot day, you really shouldn't leave kids in the car like that. The little girl, she was jumping up and down in the driver's seat.
Grandma, eyes rolling: Well, you really shouldn't wear sandals, your feet are ugly.
Me (nice, oh-so-sweet lady I am): Oh yeah, well your *face* is ugly!
It wasn't until I got home I discovered it's not illegal to leaves kids unsupervised in a car on a hot day, heck *any* day--only up to the officer's discretion.
Well, that's people.
I remember when a retired chief came into my police station yelling "I want to see Ounce (me) or Powers (my chief of police)!". He was upset that the police patrol had ticketed his car for leaving the dog in it while they were in the Exchange. It was a long drawn out "discussion", as things are when people argue with the police, and in the end, we changed department policy to make the tickets warnings in winter (we were in New England states) and offenses in the summer. This was back in the late Cold War.
It's rather hard to convince people that they are in the wrong.
I don't buy a single case of the "I forgot the kid was in the car". BS. Every time they have video evidence of one of these forgetfulness episodes, the parent always goes to the car one or more times to "get something". They just don't ever notice their dying/dead kid in the car? How convenient. 99%+ of these forgetfulness episodes are murder.
On the off chance they honestly did "forget", they still get no sympathy from me as they have proven they are unfit to be a member of society by forgetting about their own offspring.
I've put a fast food order bag and drink on the roof of my car and started driving. I once found my missing cell phone in the refrigerator. I'm surprised my kid lived.
My kids have always been my priority. I literally live to make sure their lives are good and they are happy and healthy.
Have I forgotten to do important stuff at work? Absolutely. Forgot something at the grocery store? Absolutely. Heck, I drove away without food that I paid for in the drive thru. But that stuff does not matter. At the end of the day, jobs are everywhere and we will survive without remembering something from the grocery store. My children are not replaceable and they are always first and foremost on my mind. Every single second, of every single day.
Did you miss that whole section where Lynn Balfour says she thought she actually remembered dropping Bryce off that morning? That she only realized she never did when she called the sitter to check on him because he'd had a cold? Because he WAS on her mind?
Of course not, because you didn't bother to read the Post article. It's more fun and important to you to sit on your high horse and sneer "I don't understand" in judgment of a grieving mother than to dare to read and learn and then maybe understand.
I wasn't replying specifically to this incident, but the situation in general of parents forgetting their kids in cars. Take from it what you will. Your post was rude and it's not the first time but it will be the last time for me. My ignore list is getting longer and longer.
When reading the stories it's often the same thing...parents trying to do too much. Too many jobs, activities, daycares, driving here driving there. Switching off. Not enough sleep.
Whenever you read the stories, one wonders why were the parents trying to juggle all that? Cell phones aren't helping either.
And Type A personalities seem to be more prone to this
No social media
Cars didn't lock automatically after you exited car / no click button locks from key FOB
Kids weren't in car seats as much
Less distracted parents (cell phones etc...)
Heck we didn't have car seats did we? lol I rode on my mom's lap.
You can bet these parents would never forget their phone or their purse today.
Still would like a story about this happening in the 50's or 60's. Cause we can say it did happen but where's the proof.
No social media
Cars didn't lock automatically after you exited car / no click button locks from key FOB
Kids weren't in car seats as much
Less distracted parents (cell phones etc...)
And most moms weren't rushing off to work.
A lot of mothers were SAH. The only women I remember working (in 1960-early 70) were non parents and divorced mothers (and there were few of those) so they weren't distracted, rushed and overwhelmed.
I remember when a retired chief came into my police station yelling "I want to see Ounce (me) or Powers (my chief of police)!". He was upset that the police patrol had ticketed his car for leaving the dog in it while they were in the Exchange. It was a long drawn out "discussion", as things are when people argue with the police, and in the end, we changed department policy to make the tickets warnings in winter (we were in New England states) and offenses in the summer. This was back in the late Cold War.
It's rather hard to convince people that they are in the wrong.
Hard to convince some people that the laws & rules apply to them, is more like it.
Just yesterday I called the police about two kids--aged ten and 7--left alone in a car while the grandmother was grocery shopping. It was maybe in the low 80s, not too hot, but I still would probably not have left my dog in the car even with the windows down like they were. The kids started crying when the story clerk approached their car and they heard me reading the license plate to the dispatch. I had an ugly exchange with grandma:
Me: Ma'am, it's a hot day, you really shouldn't leave kids in the car like that. The little girl, she was jumping up and down in the driver's seat.
Grandma, eyes rolling: Well, you really shouldn't wear sandals, your feet are ugly.
Me (nice, oh-so-sweet lady I am): Oh yeah, well your *face* is ugly!
It wasn't until I got home I discovered it's not illegal to leaves kids unsupervised in a car on a hot day, heck *any* day--only up to the officer's discretion.
It is illegal in Texas. If they are under 7 they must be with someone 14 or older if left in the car. With several recent deaths this summer, our news is telling people to call the police if it's an animal in a vehicle but if it's a child do whatever you have to do to get them out. In both recent cases here the parents were deliberately negligent and drugs was confirmed in one (near Ft Worth) and I would put money on it being a huge part of the Kerrville incident as well.
I used to have dreams I'd left one of my boys in the car and I couldn't find it to get them out. As much as I miss snuggling with them as toddlers I'm very happy that fear is in the past. My 11 year old is still prone to bolting in the street after his basketball though.
And most moms weren't rushing off to work.
A lot of mothers were SAH. The only women I remember working (in 1960-early 70) were non parents and divorced mothers (and there were few of those) so they weren't distracted, rushed and overwhelmed.
More excuses. Married woman with kids started entering the workforce in droves in the 70s, and it continued into the 80s and 90s.
Many today can't focus on the task at hand, put down your Smartphone. Your texts and FB updates can wait.
Most today who are "overwhelmed" bring it on themselves due to lack of planning and unable to concentrate on what is happening around them, so entranced with that device in their hand.
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