Unattended young kids in car - would you have done anything?

sharnad

pulliptears wrote: »

Can you please site me some examples of this?

Someone already has on here. I cat link now as I on iPod not laptop but if you google it news stories Coe up, some ate a few years old

2gorgeousgirls

Haven't read the whole thread.

Have two children and until they were 7-8 they were never left in the car, even for a few seconds.

The reason I never took the chance is because I worked with a girl whose nephew died in a car fire which started with an electrical fault while her sister was in the shop getting milk. He wasn't in the car more than two minute.

Yes it's a hassle getting kids out of car seats and dragging them into the shop but it was a hassle I never resented when I thought of that poor woman and how she must feel.

I have loitered round cars before where children have been left unattended and if the parent has not returned within a few minutes I have reported to the store.

chocdonuty

This has happened to me once and it still sends chills down my spine thinking what could have happened if I hadn't kept an eye on the child.
I used to live opposite a couple of shops and popping out one day spotted a young boy on his own in the car, no parent in sight. I faffed about with my keys and bag so I could keep an eye on him without looking suspicious and then he decided to get out the car and attempted to cross the road! no cars would have seen him as he was too small and the road was busy. I caught his attention and spoke to him for a minute or two until a adult came back.
Tbh she was as shocked as I was, poor lad just wanted to find out where his grandma had gone and she was only gone a couple of minutes. That could so easily have had terrible consequences.:(

KiKi

I just wanted to add that no-one knows the parent was in the shop.

It's entirely possible that she or he returned from the shop, strapped the kids in, and just popped away to put the trolley back and the OP didn't see them. It doesn't mean they were left for 10 minutes plus.

I wouldn't leave kids for a long time in the car, but I would absolutely leave them for a couple of minutes to pop into a shop or get cash from a machine etc. You measure every risk in life, from crossing the road to going upstairs, to getting on a plane to leaving your child in the front room whilst you cook in the kitchen. Perhaps on this occasion the parent was less than two minutes gone to return a trolley, and felt it was acceptable.

fluffnutter

squirrelchops wrote: »

I know our local ASDA has a clear policy that if anyone reports children unattended in a car an employee will wait by the car until the parent arrives back. They report to the Police too.

When did supermarkets become self-appointed moral guardians? Not content with endlessly treating people like morons and telling them not to forget to step off the end of the travelator when they reach the top, they're now grassing you up for child neglect or god knows what else.

If they were really serious about 'caring about the nation's children' they wouldn't put sweets next to the checkouts. But that wouldn't be good for profits, would it? !!!!ing hypocrites.

fluffnutter

sharnad wrote: »

Five minutes is how long it would take for someone to steal your car take your child rale and kill them. Is it really worth it

Get a grip.

Mojisola

fluffnutter wrote: »

When did supermarkets become self-appointed moral guardians?

When people started suing them for not telling them that wet floors can be slippery, freezer goods can be cold, coffee from the cafe might be hot, etc.

ziggy2004

DKLS wrote: »

At what point did parents become so soft? Cotton wool sales must be through the roof.

Growing up there was many occasion I was left in the car usually with pop n crisps and told I could play with the gears but not the handbrake, surprising despite this huge amount of risk I survived to adulthood.

When I was young we had no car seats and yet I still use them for my children.

I would not leave my children out of sight in the car. Not because I am worried about a random stranger abducting them but because there is a small risk that something will happen to them/the car in my absence which could either have been prevented by me being there or could have been addressed easier with me being with them.

I would have reported children left obviously on their own for a longer period of time because I would feel uneasy with that risk and would hope that the supermarket would have a method of dealing with it.

Air_Cooled_75

I have a little trouble with these 'electrical' faults, it must be as rare as hen's teeth (especially when the car is 'off') or else there would be recalls left right and centre, especially if children have died.

As for being children being snatched from cars and 'raled' and murdered, unfortunately it's more likely to be someone known to the child than a stranger...*thanks media*

I wouldn't leave tiny ones in the car though, I just wouldn't bother going somewhere unless I could walk there with the buggy when mine was little, although I've only had the one but I can imagine the logistics of having a few.

michelle2008

I dont think anyone has claimed electrical fires are common - they have just been cited as something which can happen. It is always on my mind because I know an example of it happening.