Do you leave your little children alone in the car whilst you shop?

Question

On the local news it has been reported that the parents of this poor child, left him alone whilst they popped into a shop.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6951038.stm

It's so sad. When will people learn.

Edit - Zeggy, you are right. The story was initially reported that the parents had left to pop into a shop. It was only after I posted my question that the news an hour later reported that it happened whilst the mother popped back into the house.

Irrelevant where she was, whether she popped into her house or into a shop. She left the engine running and the little boy started playing with the electric windows.

You probably got the thumbs down because most people would have thought the tiny specifics of the case irrelevant. Fact is, the child should not have been left like that.

Edit - Heather, I couldn't care less who tuts or bibs me in a petrol station. My little boy is now big enough that he can undo his straps if he wanted to. He comes out of the car now with me to pay for petrol.

Answer 1

what would happen if there was an electrical fault in the car.central locking would fail and the kids would die.stupid people will never learn.
the poor little lad.his life cut short for a shopping trip .and no before anyone starts i have never ever left my kids in the car alone,not even to nip back into the house if i have forgotten something.

Answer 2

Terrible story. A few years ago, I returned to my car to discover 2 very small children asleep in the next vehicle. I looked around & waited for 5 minutes but noone came back. It was winter - dark & cold & this was in the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent. My I left my husband on lookout while I alerted security. Cutting a long story short, the woman returned to her car some 90 minutes later, well after the police had arrived. There had been numerous announcements made throughout the shopping centre. It was extremely distressing wondering if the children would remain asleep. What would happen if they'd woken to find no-one there in the cold & darkness. In truth, the woman had the fright of her life when she came out of the lift to find so many people including police around her car. All that happened was she got a caution! The security man told me that the place was rife with "weirdos" who could so easily have taken the kids, there could have been a crash, a fire - anything! But this woman put her shopping expedition before her children. It must happen so often but it truely beggers belief.

Answer 3

I have left a sleeping baby in the car whilst I've ran to the cash machine or went into pay for petrol. Keys out all the time and he's well strapped in.

Never for more than 2 minutes and always in my eye line. Can you imagine the tuts and toots you would get from people waiting behind you if every parent unloaded kids from car seats to go in and pay for petrol?

Not ideal I know but real life gets in the way of being a perfect parents sometimes.

Answer 4

People who leave their kids unattended anywhere should be brought in under the cruelty to children act. When will parents learn that the world is full of nutters and nobody is safe, let alone poor defenceless children. Not to mention, the fact that we have had all this hot weather, a child will de-hydrate a lot quicker than adults, thus causing death or serious illness. Irresponsible parents should be forced to attend parenting classes or face a criminal record.

Answer 5

No way!!

After the A/C is off, it takes only a matter of seconds before it is unbearable in the car.

If I don't feel like unbuckling them and getting the stroller and bag out, then I just go home and save the errand for later.

Answer 6

parents like that don't desrve to have children!!!
i wouldn't even leave a dog alone in a car let alone a child
doesn't anyone think of the repurcussions?
1. the child could overheat and die
2. the child could let off the handbrake and cause a major accident
3.somebody could steal your car with your child inside.
all of these have happened numerous times before
yet people still do it, personally i don't understand how somebody could be so ignorant and cruel

Answer 7

The boy was not left in the car while his parents were shopping. They were at home and the parents had gone back inside the house while their two children were playing outside in the car.
They were wrong for letting them play in the car while the keys were in it and the engine was running, but this is an accident and they were definitely not out shopping!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=475817&in_page_id=1770

Er why the thumbs down, the last time I looked New Addington is in Croydon and the above report is exactly the same as mine only mine gives the details of the accident. And as you can read the boy died at home while he was playing in the car not out shopping.

Answer 8

Many people do leave kids in the car. Many people leave their keys in there as well, occasionally with the engine running. It is beyond my comprehension.
When I was young in the 50's & 60's it was not uncommon to see babies left outside of shops in prams, but a few kids went missing and that stopped, but even now you still see it.

Answer 9

How could desire to every person ignore one in each and every of their little ones? basic, they're people. They have been drained, rushed, and had 4 different young ones. until there is another indication of their being neglectful mum and dad that is just one thing that could desire to ensue to every person. think of what they went by using whilst they have been on the plane and found out that they had left one in each and every of their young ones in the back of. supply em a smash, are not their adequate mum and dad obtainable who intentionally ignore and abuse their young ones to be bothered approximately?

Answer 10

That is terrible. There is no way I would leave my child in a car, even if it was just for a few minutes. It doesn't take long for someone to smash the window and snatch the child.