As I came out of Circuit City yesterday afternoon, there were cops, fire dept and paramedics all over the place. An officer came up asking if I owned a Ford sedan, I told him no, and showed him the truck I drive. Looking towards a fast-food place, I saw emergency people holding and examining a toddler no more than 1 1/2 years old. You could tell the child was in severe distress, the paramedics were cracking and applying cold packs to get her temp down. She looked alert, and responding.
Yep, another stupid adult leaving a child in a locked car in the middle of the afternoon. The temp outside was 100. This is the first time I've ever witnessed this, and became physically ill. I became so angry, it took me a while to calm down.
It reminds me when I was doing my clinical for my EMT in an emergency room years ago. The mother came in with a baby who was bruised and having trouble breathing. The cops came, and the mother admitted her boyfriend did it. Soon after, the boyfriend came in demanding to see the child. I started after him, and the cops had to restrain me, and get the guy out fast. The cops understood my feelings, but had to keep me down to protect me. I did get some satisfaction when I saw the cops trying to help the guy in the car, and just couldn't seem to get his head down far enough and kept hitting his head trying to get in. :chuckle
You need a license for everything to drive, to marry, to carry a gun. An owners manual comes with everything tv's, pc, mp3 players including troubleshooting guides. But NOTHING is needed to become a parent, even those that lack commons sense can do it, it is so unreal what some people will do. The innocent infants, children and pets have not choice as to who thier caregivers are and it just is not fair to be stuck with someone that only thinks of themselves. I can be your bottom dollat that when these people get in the same car they left thier children and or pets in one of the 1st things they do is turn on the ac full blast to cool themselves off........ It is just so unreal the things some people do.
This may be changing the subject a little, but how do you all define "small child"? I hope it is obvious that babies and toddlers should never be alone in a car, even for a minute. Is there a certain age where it becomes appropriate (and legal), or does it depend on the situation?
This may be changing the subject a little, but how do you all define "small child"? I hope it is obvious that babies and toddlers should never be alone in a car, even for a minute. Is there a certain age where it becomes appropriate (and legal), or does it depend on the situation?
Good question. I think it depends on the age and maturity of the child. My daughter is 12 and I have just begun to leave her in the car for short periods of time (5-15 minutes) while I run into the office or the convenience store. Doors locked for safety and windows cracked if its hot. She chooses to not go with me and is more than capable of leaving the car if necessary. Just a short 2 years ago she went with me no matter if I would be back in just a second, even if she complained. Just didn't trust it to leave her alone. Personally I think even allowing the younger school age children (7-8 yrs) is still too young. You just never know these days when some perv might try to steal your kids.
I was also going to bring up the story of the dad who didn't usually take the child to day care. He wasn't being lazy, he just made a mistake. It is tragic, of course, but not laziness or stupidity. From what I understood about the story the child wasn't left for eight hours, but an hour or so, he was in a meeting and suddenly remembered. How awful.
I might buy the story about the guy who normally does not take his infant to daycare, and forgets the kid is in the backseat until it's too late. Mind you, I'm not condoning it, just thinking I could see it happening honestly. How many times have I thought to myself on my way out of work I have to go to Store X, I get into the car thinking I have to go to Store X, I begin driving down the highway and think "don't forget to go to Store X" only to find myself having PASSED Store X because my mind wandered....you get the idea.
But the thing is, NONE of the people who make the news for leaving their kids in the car in the mall parking lot ever seem to have the excuse that "I didn't even know he was there". Nope; they all say "too hot? Really?" or "it was just a minute, what's the harm?" Not forgetful, just stupid or lazy. Or both. Those kids don't stand a chance; it's the gene pool they're spawned from.
Ok, sorry, I don't buy the "oh, I forgot" bit. I have a kid, and there is NO way I could have 'forgotten' she was in the car, even when she was a baby. To me it's still not excusable. It is inexcusable carelessness, and there is NO justification for it.
Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.
I will NEVER understand this!!!! I bet the person took their cell phone and purse,but their precious child......just leave them in the car. My daughter came with me everywhere....she is eleven now and still cannot stay in the car.
I feel the same way. I have 2 children and they come with me. Even if dad has them throughout the day, I call his cell and ask how they are. Forgetting to stop at Store X is much different than forgetting your infant/child. Not even close to the same thing.
Sad to say, here in Florida this happens all the time. Judging by the news stories, and this is my own observation, the people who do these types of things tend to be low income, uneducated and have had some type of previous run in with the law.
This may be true in your local area, but the stories that I have seen on the news about these tragedies were perpetrated by professional-types. I remember that one was a doctor and another was a business owner, and puggy232 in this thread reported that she heard about this being done by a pediatrician. In these other cases, leaving kids behind to die were NOT limited to low-income or non-educated people.
This may be true in your local area, but the stories that I have seen on the news about these tragedies were perpetrated by professional-types. I remember that one was a doctor and another was a business owner, and puggy232 in this thread reported that she heard about this being done by a pediatrician. In these other cases, leaving kids behind to die were NOT limited to low-income or non-educated people.
And a female hospital CEO in Boone, Iowa a few years back.
It's just that people with more money or education are more likely to get away with it.
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lvnandmomx3
834 Posts
You need a license for everything to drive, to marry, to carry a gun. An owners manual comes with everything tv's, pc, mp3 players including troubleshooting guides. But NOTHING is needed to become a parent, even those that lack commons sense can do it, it is so unreal what some people will do. The innocent infants, children and pets have not choice as to who thier caregivers are and it just is not fair to be stuck with someone that only thinks of themselves. I can be your bottom dollat that when these people get in the same car they left thier children and or pets in one of the 1st things they do is turn on the ac full blast to cool themselves off........ It is just so unreal the things some people do.