Would you leave your child in a car alone?

Ozzuk

I was left in the car loads growing up (perhaps they didn't like me). I used to love pretending to drive the car (yes, I was in front seat).

Was fine until on holiday I was 'playing' in the car and let the handbrake off. This was on a campsite in Tintagel, if anyone knows it the one on top of a cliff. The van rolled toward the cliff but my grandad stopped it in time.

I don't have kids so can't say its something I've thought much about, but I have dogs and I try to avoid leaving them unattended. They probably don't try to drive it though.

hazyjo

Blimey, when I was a youngster, it was the done thing. Kids would be left in cars with a packet of crisps and bottle of something with a straw in a pub car park. And we would always be left in the car when mum nipped into a shop (she left the handbrake off once too and we rolled. Don't remember the outcome but she must have got in and yanked it quick...).


Back then, I'm not sure we even had seatbelts, let alone had to wear one by law. We'd lay in the rear footwell when out, or on the back parcel rack thingy, or we'd lay with our heads under the seat and feet up towards the roof of the car.


Jeez... my dad must have gone seriously mental at us. I don't remember that bit though...


The world is a different place - usually for the better (in these instances) but sometimes there's too much 'cotton-wooling'.


Sorry, just reminiscing. Hope I've not started an off-thread discussion lol.


I don't have kids, so can't really be sure what I'd do. It's a tricky one. Is it actually illegal?


Jx

pollypenny

I never had to do it, but now I'd say it would friend on the shop, the type of purchase, where parked and the age of the child.

I do remember a little girl bring left in a car and desperately wanting a wee. I went into the supermarket and asked them to call the mother. They did so, but no response.

I stayed outside the car, trying to reassure the child. When mother came back she gave me a mouthful. She was a stupid hippy, dippy type.

GwylimT

No I wouldn't, not until they had the sense to safely get out of a car in a car park/parked on the side of the road and the sense of where to go find me (I would always tell them where I was going) and sense around going off with strangers.

I left my son in the car a few times when he was about 13/14 when he decided he couldn't be bothered to actually get off his backside and walk around the shops. The car has always been left unlocked so he can get out etc, it was a pile of junk so if someone stole it they would have been doing me a favour.

pigpen

I have no idea how old the child in question was but unless they were over 10 and it was for minutes and i could see the car at all times no they would not be left in the car.. nor would I leave them at home before then.

If we go for fuel with children we both go so one stays with the children.

I don't recall my siblings and I being left in the car either.. possibly because we'd have wrecked it lol.

Jagraf

GwylimT wrote: »

No I wouldn't, not until they had the sense to safely get out of a car in a car park/parked on the side of the road and the sense of where to go find me (I would always tell them where I was going) and sense around going off with strangers.

I left my son in the car a few times when he was about 13/14 when he decided he couldn't be bothered to actually get off his backside and walk around the shops. The car has always been left unlocked so he can get out etc, it was a pile of junk so if someone stole it they would have been doing me a favour.

I seriously tell my 16 year old not to let strangers in the car when I go to pay for petrol

Come to think of it, I struggle to leave my frail 81 year old mother in law too.

And I would never leave them together ha ha!

sheramber

Many years ago I came out of local supermarket to see several people round a car.

It turned out a little girl left in the car had locked it from the inside by pressing a button and her mother couldn't open the car. I think she had left the keys in it.

The little girl was too young to understand instructions on how to unlock the car.

As I left a policeman was trying to open the door with a piece of plastic.

pigpen

sheramber wrote: »

Many years ago I came out of local supermarket to see several people round a car.

It turned out a little girl left in the car had locked it from the inside by pressing a button and her mother couldn't open the car. I think she had left the keys in it.

The little girl was too young to understand instructions on how to unlock the car.

As I left a policeman was trying to open the door with a piece of plastic.

As ridiculous as it sounds.. even the police are not allowed to smash a window to get in to rescue a person or animal.. because people have been known to sue them. My son happened across a woman who had locked her 4 month old in the car (to go to the chippy!!) and the police wouldn't even come to the scene... nor would the fire brigade.. it is laughable!

GwylimT

pigpen wrote: »

As ridiculous as it sounds.. even the police are not allowed to smash a window to get in to rescue a person or animal.. because people have been known to sue them. My son happened across a woman who had locked her 4 month old in the car (to go to the chippy!!) and the police wouldn't even come to the scene... nor would the fire brigade.. it is laughable!

I'm not surprised, what they need is a recovery service to open the car, not the emergency services.

Person_one

pigpen wrote: »

As ridiculous as it sounds.. even the police are not allowed to smash a window to get in to rescue a person or animal.. because people have been known to sue them. My son happened across a woman who had locked her 4 month old in the car (to go to the chippy!!) and the police wouldn't even come to the scene... nor would the fire brigade.. it is laughable!

I very much doubt police or fire officers would stand around watching a child or animal suffer because 'people have been known to sue them'.

In fact, a very quick google shows that they'll even go to that effort for a doll: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/police-break-into-car-to-rescue-baby-which-turned-out-to-be-a-childrens-doll-a6674866.html

No lawsuit mentioned.