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

Sommer43

Ah the moral dilemma. Should I, shouldn't I?

I wouldn't have informed any person, nor would I wait by the car.

Interestingly enough, cars setting on fire has been mentioned, yet many comments of "popping" into the petrol station where they can see their children, next to a flammable pump where some idiot could come up with a fag hanging out of their mouths and carelessly throw it onto the forecourt.

The parent or parents of those children could well have been taking the trolley back, could have been near the vehicle, could have been doing absolutely anything, it is none of my business and nor would I make it mine.

seven-day-weekend

I couldn't drive when my son was small, so the situation did not arise. We walked everywhere. However, this was 33 years ago, it was still quite common to leave children outside shops in their pushchairs.:eek: I did do this occasionally, but only if I could see him at all times and there was no queue. I would not dream of doing it now, if I ever have any grandchildren.

PurpleJay

My mum used to leave me outside shops in the pram when I was a baby but only if she could see me. My aunt on the other hand apparently set off home one time and forgot my cousin :eek:

I have a 6 yo. I would leave him now to go to a small local shop or to pay for petrol if he was in plain sight and could see me and there was no queue. I always give him the option to come in. mostly he does. Under 5, I always took him into shops but would leave him while returning a trolley (quickly). Having said that, he has just worked out that he can climb into the front and get out of the car - we have child locks on the back doors, so I would be wary of that now in case he came to find me and got run over! we are working on his road sense!

I always worried that he would become upset or need something from me rather than be abducted. I did used to think about it though be the risk of fire or accident and to me none of it is worth it. Parents choose to parent in different ways though. I never left my son to cry and I think a child left in a car could get scared as upset. 5 or 10 minutes can seem like a long time when you are little. Some parents might not worry about this but I am not one of them.

Op I may have lurked a few mins to see if mum or dad returned. I may have just felt uncomfortable and done nothing If the kids looked upset I would probably have lurked and then reported to store.

As others have said, mum or dad may have been at cash point or returning trolley which is ok. If they had popped in for milk, why not use a smaller shop... I hope they hadn't gone to do a big shop.

custardy

Air_Cooled_75 wrote: »

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.

car fires happen though
I wouldnt class it as rare as hens teeth. go to any scrapyard in the UK and there will at least one burnt out car with no accident damage
never seen a car on fire at the side of the motorway?
unlikely yes, but a real posibility

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/2-children-among-three-burnt-to-death-inside-car/1050272/

wonder what happened here for example

nickj_2

statistically the kids would be at far more risk whilst the car is being driven , leaving them for a couple of minutes isn't ideal , but if that is all it was then it's not such a big deal , leaving them for an hour or so when you're doing a weekly shop is , it happens ,

alwaysskint96

michelle2008 wrote: »

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.

Could they not also happen if someone was in the car with this kids also? Same as being hit by another car- not dependent on and adult being present or not

notanewuser

alwaysskint96 wrote: »

Could they not also happen if someone was in the car with this kids also? Same as being hit by another car- not dependent on and adult being present or not

Ahhhh, is that why the pillocks round here use the parent and child spaces even when one parent and no children are going to be getting out if the car?? :mad: :think:

valk_scot

custardy wrote: »

but with petrol/cashpoints you can still at least be in view of the car

Well yes, precisely. Every single time I did this there was a different set of parameters and I made the call to leave them based on these. If I needed milk and had two sleeping toddlers in the back, I drove to the shop where I could park outside the door and see the car from the window ten feet away. If I had two grumpy awake ones and needed a full shop I'd grumpily drag them into the shop in a trolly, bribe them with a couple of biscuits and make a mad dash. I don't think you can make a blanket rule for every circumstance and there are always going to be rare tragic accidents You have to live your life as best you can and not beat yourself up if you're not 100% perfect parent 100% of the time.

I did once get abuse from an elderly woman for putting my son in his car seat, unloading my trolley into the boot and then returning it the ten steps to the trolley bay. She told me my son had been screaming the entire time. I had been aware of this, he wanted a third biscuit and I had none to give him (and wouldn't have anyway) and she thought I should have comforted him and held him on my hip while loading the car and too and from the trolley bay. I was nine months pregnant at the time, could barely waddle myself across the car park, utterly knackered, frazzled and somewhat less patient with interfering old bats than normal. I fear I may have been rather rude.....;)

System

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

I wonder if the best thing to do, if you're that concerned, is to stay outside watching the car and ready to react if anything untoward did happen .

I came out of a store yesterday having just popped in for a newspaper and found this old perv watching my children in the car. He told some unlikely story about "just checking in case there were any problems".
I just got in and drove off quickly. Should I have reported him to the police?

Tigsteroonie

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

I came out of a store yesterday having just popped in for a newspaper and found this old perv watching my children in the car. He told some unlikely story about "just checking in case there were any problems".
I just got in and drove off quickly. Should I have reported him to the police?

Nah, if he didn't have a crowbar to jimmy open the doors and have his wicked ways with your kids, there was no need to worry