What would you have done?
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11375
Printed Date: 10 October 2025 at 12:45pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: What would you have done?
Posted By: my2angels
Subject: What would you have done?
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 9:31am
|
Last night about 6pm I was just getting into my car after doing some groceries and out of the corner of my eye I notice a car pull up opposite me and a 2 ladies and a young girl get out and head into the supermarket. Just as Im about to back out I see that in the car is a wee boy about 1.5-2yrs old asleep, no adult or anyone else in the car and it was sitting directly in the sun ,ok it was late and the sun was setting but I was hot and sweating sitting in my car and he had a jacket with hoddie on and the sun was in his face so he must have been roasting. I checked and there were no windows down and definelty no one else in the car. I didnt know what to do so I rang hubby and told him what was happening. I couldnt drive away, imagine if the wee boy had woken up or something, I thought its probably not 111 emergency, i thought of going back into the supermarket and talking to a manager or something but then what could they do. In the end I rang *555 and they were really good and I waited till I saw the people come out which was about 10-15 minutes later so not that long but still thats not the point. I was just horrified they would leave a wee one in the car like that, they hadnt even attempted to hide what they had done because they parked right in front of the entrance, right in the sun. I was kind of annoyed that they left before the police arrived because they definately needed a talking to and now Im feeling like I should have said something but to be honest I was to chicken which annoys me aswell.
Why would someone do that!!! |
Replies:
Posted By: Two Blondinis
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 9:39am
|
I've been in a similar situation and I went back into the supermarket and told the customer service person. She did an annoucement with the rego "would the people of X car please return immediately to their child"
A serious red face emerged back at the car rather quickly! You did the right thing to call *555. The fact that there were THREE adults makes me even more angry! Why couldn't at least one of them stay with the child? 
I don't even leave Caitlin in the car alone when I fill up with gas! I either take her in with me or I make DH do it in the evening. I'm paranoid someone will pinch the car with her in it  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 
|
Posted By: IVFGirl1111
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 9:43am
| We saw the same thing at a carpark a few weeks ago - but the poor wee girl was left for 45 minutes and thats what WE saw so it could have been longer before we got there! The poor wee thing was screaming as she had woken up from sleeping, we ended up ringing the police, we had to go in the end before the police got there, but there was another man waiting there until the parents or caregivers got back, the man waiting was SOOO angry, were as we were more upset, he wrote them a REALLY bad note and told my sister and I not to read it! I couldnt beleive that someone could leave their wee girl in the car for at least 45 minutes - it was devestating! |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 10:10am
|
I think you did the right thing Robyn - I saw the police breaking into a car in gisborne. There was a ascreaming baby in the back. went shopping, came back and the cops were STILL standing there waiting for the mum to come back. and i would've been about 30 mins. I mean, you can't even leave an animal like that - who leaves a child.
funny thing though. when i got that fine for not hsaving the kids in "appropriate car restraints" (don't get me started on that) - i had to buy new ones and meet this cop to have her check it out - then wipe the fine. Taine fell asleep as we waited. Anyway, she said I had to come in to the office and fill out a form. I said, Oh but my baby is asleeo, she said "He'll be fine - we'll only be 20 minutes". i was surprised that she condoned me leaving Taine to sleep in the car - I grabbed him and it turned out her office was MILES away and i couldn't have seen the car at all from there. not impressed. |
Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 11:30am
|
You did the right thing robyn. Man I feel bad enough when I leave the kids alone for like a minute while I go and get a trolley to put them in.
|
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 9:31pm
I know someone who leaves her twins in the car when she goes to get starbucks!!! 
I leave Ella when i get gas but not for anything else! You did right to report them - i would have gone into supermarket too....shame cops were so slow but they might follow it up ok? they can also make a s9 referral to CYFS even without seeing it so you might have helped out a neglected kid in worst case scenario... |
Posted By: Katherine
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 11:16pm
|
I leave Emma Rose in the car when I am pumping gas, but I usually get her out when I go in to pay, unless the queue is really short. I am pretty laid-back about most things, but not this. When I was pregnant, I saw an episode of Oprah where a dad had accidentally left his baby in the car and it died from overheating. Apparently he was on daycare dropoff duty, and the baby was very little, and he simply forgot it was in the car as it was sleeping peacefully in the back and Dad wasn't yet used to the new routine. (In those sleep-deprived early weeks, I can actually understand how this could happen.) He drove to work, parked, and went into the building. It wasn't until a coworker came running in an hour later that he realised what had happened. I'll never forget him sobbing as he described what it was like when he ran out to the car and found his child. It was heartbreaking. It haunts me. I think I would have stayed by the car for a few minutes to see if they just popped into the store or if they were gone longer. If it was longer than about five minutes, I would have either gone into the store to get help, or stayed by the car and called 111 myself. I just can't let that kind of irresponsible child endangerment go. |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 09 October 2007 at 11:27pm
|
I think we would have phoned 111 as that is really not on. I remember that guy in Auckland left his kid in the car with the keys in while he got petrol and the car got nicked, I thought how stupid and irresponsible can you be. I do leave him in the car why i go and pay for gas but i lock the car and watch it like a hawk.
Dumb question what is 555? I have been here 3 1/2 years but this is the first time I have heard of it and don't have any idea what it is. ------------- 
 
|
Posted By: Jennz
Date Posted: 10 October 2007 at 1:58am
|
I have been in a similar situation at a mall- I rang the mall management from the car park who then rang the police.
*555 is for reporting non-emergency traffic issues etc. I've called it once to report a drunk driver and once to report a guy walking down the middle of the motorway. ------------- Jen, Charlotte 7 & Kate 3 
|
Posted By: buzimumto3boys
Date Posted: 10 October 2007 at 7:44am
I have to admit if I have all 3 or 2 kids I leave them in the car while pumping gas, at the dairy and chemist if I go to my local and can see the car at all times. I also leave them when I go into kindy... inside 5 mins MAX. - I dont like doing it but if I had to take all 3 kids I think of it as more of a hazard trying to keep hold of all 3! I would NEVER leave them to go to the supermarket or anywhere else!! If I couldnt see the car it would freak me out!  
A woman was saying someone she knew left her kid in the car and ran into the dairy and got hit by a car... noone knew her baby was in the car, luckily someone did find the baby - I have to wonder what would have happened had she been holding the child when she got hit? Kinda like a catch 21 in that situation!! |
Posted By: my2angels
Date Posted: 10 October 2007 at 8:15am
This is kind of what I was thinking, if they do this is public what happens at home so if there was a history they might already be known to the police. I thought *555 was only for traffic offences too but turns out you get the police which is good to know for future reference |
Bombshell wrote:Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 10 October 2007 at 12:11pm
|
Hmmmm.... I narked on a lady who left her friend minding her baby and preschooler in the car in a busy carpark yesterday - the friend buggered off down the row of cars to have a big ol' goss with her mate parked in the same carpark. I was sitting outside the shop tending to Ella and didn't realise there were kids in the car opposite us until the older one started slamming the horn - the lady (who I must admit was really annoying me by then with her loud "F... this, F... that" conversation about how she was just hilarious for prentending to be F'n mates with some woman who she really F'n hates (oooh... a F'n criminal genius, that one), went and got her, took her down to see her friend, then a baby starts to scream in the car and she can't even blimmin hear it, she's too busy sl*gging some poor lady off. I waited to see if she really wasn't going to check on bubs, then chickened out of telling her that the baby was screaming and told the security guard instead - I figured that way the mum would know that her mate had left the kids as soon as mum had gone into the shop. Who knows if she'd mind though?! ------------- Andie |
Posted By: buzimumto3boys
Date Posted: 10 October 2007 at 12:34pm
|
Oh just realised the last part of what I said was left off...
I think you totally did the right thing... If I was in a bad enough mood I would have waited and said something to the mother myself! |