Leaving kid in car

Hi bromeliad,

Yoiks.

I just looked up the legality thing for another forum a bit ago, but I forget what the result was. I think illegal, but I need to check.

It is such a horrible idea. 18-month-old?? Ack. Even if it is not hot (where are you?), the air does not circulate in a parked (engine-off) car. Even with windows open, there is something about where the air actually goes. And if the windows are open, there is the security issue...

I read somewhere that you would never leave a sack of 100 bills on your front seat while you go do something "just for a minute", why would you leave your kid?

I don't know what I would do in that situation. As obnoxious as I know it would be, I think I would feel duty-bound to say that it is a bad idea. And bring up the possibly illegal aspect. (Will go check on that now.)

bromiliad- I think that leaving an infant in a car unattended for an INSTANT is asking for trouble. No, I don't think that you are overreacting. I think that as soon as you heard about the child you should have insisted that the woman fetch the child.

Kids suffocate, can be kidnapped, and can fall into all kinds of serious trouble when left unattended in a car.

Leaving an 18 month old in the car is wrong, wrong, wrong under any circumstances!

OK, looks illegal:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040102/325/ei82y.html

This has good information:

http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2003/kidsincar.htm

Whether it's legal or not isn't completely to the point. A kid could be kidnapped, even from a locked car (all it takes is a slim jim and a nonobservant neighborhood).

Right, but it gives additional ammo in terms of convincing this person it is a bad idea.

With all the hype in the news media, of children being car jacked or left in the car on a hot day with the windows rolled up...whether it is illegal or not...I just can't understand why mothers and or fathers, still leave their kids in the car alone. It's just unbelievable.

How is it that people can convince themselves that "it" (crime, disaster, etc.) can't happen to them. How can they feel so removed or above the rest of the world?
Sounds to me that this particular mother was trying to get away from her kid. The focus is on children socializing in a playgroup, correct? Why bother coming if you're gonna leave the kid out?

Forget about kidnappings - the 2 year-old brother of one of my best friends in childhood toddled out to the family car while they were at grampa's, got in and released the safety brake. The car was on an incline, started to roll, and went into traffic. Ann's brother was killed. She was 3 at the time. Knowledge of that death was part of my childhood.

No kids in the car alone, for any period of time, anytime.

that is really irresponsible....unless you baste 'em really well...the idea is for them not to dry out.....and ...oops!! I thought I was on the Jeffrey Dhamer thread.....excuse...

I think people have become lazy and stupid...which makes for a bad idea any way you look at it.

I recently had a neighbor leave me a nasty note for parking in front of her house (public street) because she has an infant and had to park on the other side of the street....its not a wide or busy street. I do my best not to park in the "I own this spot" areas but, sometimes it just works out that way...what, carrying the kid 10 more feet is gonna kill ya? boo hoo.

Leaving a child in a car for any reason is just plain bad and I would definately have said something.

ehbeth, that happened to my young cousin also. He was about six or seven and while playing in the car alone, in a store parking lot, he accidentally kicked the emergency brake and the car began to roll. By the grace of God, his father, who had just gotten out of the car, was able to catch it.

Thanks, everyone. I don't always know if my instincts are on target or not; it helps to have feedback.

I agree will the others. I've never left my child alone in my car for even a second. Anything can happen in just a few seconds. You thought the right thing.