What would you have done?

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!!!

Edited by my2angels

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!

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.

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.

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.

Bombshell wrote: 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...

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

Edited by my2angels

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!