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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

aibu to think this guy was completely off his rocker or just a nasty piece of work?

156 replies

blushingm · 27/06/2011 18:35

I left ds (9yo) in the back of the car while i nipped into the guide hall to collect dd from rainbows. he was reading and is quite sensible. I left the engine running as it was warm and the air con was on.

while i was in the guide hall an old guy walking his dog approached my car and started swearing and threatening ds. He then went around the otherside of the car, removed my keys and threw them over the wall into the adjoining grave yard.

i was gone less than 5 minutes. there was a guy parked behind my car who saw it all - he retrieved my keys and tried to chase after the older guy but he'd gone. ds was very very upset

i'm Angry and Shock that someone would think it's ok to behave that way - the guide hut is in a very very small, usually friendly town - people dont usually lock thier cars and houses unless they are going away

the more i think about it the more cross i am getting

OP posts:
Rockerchic · 27/06/2011 19:29

What would you have done if someone climbed into the car and drive off with your DS. Think next time, yes you was only a couple of minutes but that is all it takes to take your car and steal your son!
Remember your insurance would not pay out if you'd left your keys in it, no doubt the police would give you a bollocking too. What an irresponsible thing to do.

Rockerchic · 27/06/2011 19:31

And get cross with yourself OP not with this man this was your own stupidity and it could have ended so badly and that would have been your fault, no one else's so be cross very cross with yourself.

tazmin · 27/06/2011 19:35

daft,thats all, just daft

ShellyBoobs · 27/06/2011 19:36

The old man was a being a knob.

Kvetch- "Go and find that old man.

Give him the biggest, most heartfelt thank you you have ever offered in your life.

He's just taught you a very valuable lesson. Learn from it."

What a load of condescending bollocks.

What valuable lesson would she learn then? Perhaps one about how to terrify an innocent child? Perhaps one of how to steal someone elses's property and deliberately inconvenience them?

Bizarre.

usualsuspect · 27/06/2011 19:38

err it was the old mans fault ,the same as it would be the thieves fault if the car was stolen

Rockerchic · 27/06/2011 19:40

But if the keys are left in the car well that's an invite to say take me.

Rockerchic · 27/06/2011 19:43

So those that agree with the OP you would do the very same the ? Leave your car running with your children inside? Total madness if you ask me!

xstitch · 27/06/2011 19:47

The man was very extreme. However you left the engine running WTF? and YTF? Leaving your son in the car for a couple of minutes fine at that age fine but I can't condone leaving the engine running.

ShellyBoobs · 27/06/2011 19:50

A lot of people are talking about how easily the car could be stolen which is fair enough, but the fact a child is sat inside it is a big deterent to a thief.

Kidnap is in a whole different league to the one that your average car thief is playing in. They might be scum, but most aren't totally thick; they know they would very likely find themselves doing a long stretch behind bars if they took a child, rather than getting a fine and a few hours of community service for car theft.

meltedchocolate · 27/06/2011 19:54

I know there are nice areas that you seriously can still do stuff like this. Where I live the vast majority of people in the village still do not (and would never dream of, ever.) lock their doors at night.

MistressFrankly · 27/06/2011 19:57

Yeah but its not always gonna be kidnap. Most people who would be happy to steal a car etc would not think twice about dragging kid out and dumping him/her on the roadside. A kid being in the car was not a deterent for the old guy to go in the car to get the keys? Its not uncommon for kids to be mugged for phones etc. Leaving the keys in is leaving the kid responsible for the vehicle imo. Being driven off by theives was just one example of why people wouldnt leave the keys in.

meltedchocolate · 27/06/2011 19:57

I would not leave the engine running while DS was inside but he is two and would not know to leave the key alone. In my area, yes, I would leave a 9 year old DS in the car if it was only for a few minutes with the engine running. It's hardly more likely to blow up than I am to get in a car accident when driving...

scuzy · 27/06/2011 19:58

cant understand leaving the keys in the ignition at all!!! windows down if it was warm, stand out on footpath even but that i dont get. other than it being an invte to be stolen (and insurance wouldnt cover you if you told them you left keys in igntion) i would have been worried about a 9 yr old no matter how sensible being curious and putting it in gear or leaving off hand break or something.

what the man did was a bit mad. do you know what he said? perhaps he was horrified as we are and was roaring at your ds about his mother and how dangerous it was then took the keys and threw them away so no one else would steal the car/kidnap/whatever else.

but the engine running is mental. i also dont like locking kids in cars especially as most people have child locks on in the back and if anything happened they couldnt get out.

meltedchocolate · 27/06/2011 19:58

MY two posts where in answer to Rockerchic

meltedchocolate · 27/06/2011 20:00

I actually do not know what a nine year old is like but I would for a child that I felt sure, would not touch the keys or anything.

scuzy · 27/06/2011 20:01

why take the chance???????

MistressFrankly · 27/06/2011 20:08

Yeah melted i know, i grew up in a tiny village where cars/tractors are left running with keys in and folk go to bed with every window open and door unlocked. And it was this that attracted a lovely swarm of theiving bastards that cleared half the village out the other year Sad its a lovely way to live but dont be suprised if sometimes something shitty happens like with op.

meltedchocolate · 27/06/2011 20:08

Are you talking to OP scuzy or me?

Rockerchic · 27/06/2011 20:09

Meltedchocolate I too live in a lovely village where everyone looks out for everyone, it's nice and idyllic but no way would I leave my DD in a car with the engine running I just would not take the chance however safe it is here. All it takes is one weirdo

trixymalixy · 27/06/2011 20:09

The guy sounds off his rocker, but I agree with others, why on earth would you leave a child in the car with the engine running?

Apart from the dangers as so many have pointed out, what about the waste of petrol? Round here you get fined for leaving engines running unnecessarily because if the environmental impact.

Animation · 27/06/2011 20:11

"started swearing and threatening ds."

You might have done wrong leaving the engine running - but I'd want to find him and smash his face in for doing that to ds.Angry

BitOfFun · 27/06/2011 20:11

The idea that a casual car thief would drive off with your nine year old is too ridiculous for words. I can't see that the OP did anything wrong, and I don't understand the hysteria on this thread at all.

EricNorthmansMistress · 27/06/2011 20:13

Regardless of cars spontaneously exploding, or thieves stealing your car or son, it's really gross to leave the engine running while you are stopped. Stinky fumes for everyone around, noise pollution, environmental damage and wastes your fuel.

Old man was intolerant twat but I'd have been tempted to turn engine off myself (wouldn't do it, but tempted)

usualsuspect · 27/06/2011 20:13

I don't understand it either ..I blame the heat

giyadas · 27/06/2011 20:14

I can understand leaving the keys in the ignition far more than I can understand terrifying a child and throwing an unacceptable tantrum over some strangers car habits.