I complained this woman and it may result in the police being called..

[Fisharefriendsnotfood]

Dropping the kids to nursery this morning I saw a woman leave her dc aged about 4 in the car while she brought younger dc in to nursery. She left the car window open and the engine running!!!

I nearly said something but she looked so angry I chickened out though. So, this afternoon I had a word with nursery manager about it and she said that she saw this herself one day last week and had a word with the mother but obviously nothing has changed.

Nursery manager is going to have another word and failing that we agreed that the police should probably be informed.

So, am I an interferring old cow? Car out of sight and mum gone about 5 mins.

I have left sleeping DD2 in the car, and shot up to nursery. Very quiet estate.

Would never have done it when they were older because they could both undo there seat harnesses and no doubt the hand-break.

Often left them at petrol stations, regardless of age. Far safer than them getting run over on the forecourt.

diddl: you don't understand why people ever leave children in cars? Because some of us understand risk and probability and can calculate that the risk of getting three young children out of their seats, out of the car, past others driving around, across the forecourt, over to the till, back across the forecourt past cars driving around, back into their seats, seatbelts on; is actually greater than the risk of leaving them in the car**

**unless you factor in the risk of ignorant but self-important busybodies interfering with the children's perfectly safe status of being in the car, mere seconds away from an adult.

"Safeguarding does not only mean reducing the risk of danger. If danger can be eliminated completely then it should be."

So your 17 year old can't use scissors in case they cut themselves?

Allowing children to be exposed to risk, and danger, and think about risks means that once they are old enough not to be constantly watched, they're likely to make more sensible decisions.

I strongly believe that this poster's attitude is much more likely to inflict damage to his/her children in the long term than a measured approach to risk taking as espoused by others on this board.

What poster avocado

No offence altimkum but you sound like an idiot claiming someone who left a child in a car with the window open and keys in the ignition was 'minimising the risks' and that everyone else would see it that way. Probably a good job you are an ex social worker in that case as god help the safety of children on your caseload.

highway code 123
tis illegal

Jesus Eau. Did you really mean no offence when you said it there? Because I didn't see how you can expect someone not to be offended by that post.

"Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ?in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health?"

Which means bugger all really. We would all have different interpretations of that.

loads of ways this is not safeguarding the children.

handbrake can fail, car can trundle off on its own, crash, kill child.

child can get out of seatbelt, loosen handbrake crash die.

etc etc

not you op, the one i quoted

So, is the general verdict that I was right to speak to nursery manager? What would you have done?

Phew, thanks avocado

I don't know how calling the police will help. I hope she doesn't end up in jail or anything because of this.

I sincerely doubt it, nobody

I would not report this woman!

I think it was a massive risk leaving the kid in the car with it running.

There would no way I could leave ds 5 in the car alone ( not even to pay for petrol) he would get out of his seat and mess around and he can take the hand brake off.

Never mind with the keys.

A guy in my old office got out of his car just long enough to post a letter and while his back was turned for a few seconds, someone nicked his car.

Many, many years ago, someone stole my granny's car, with my great grandmother sitting in the back, too terrified to speak up.

It does happen

It is illegal to leave a car with its engine running as you are not in control of it.

I do know someone who was spoken to by the police, (i don't know if he was cautioned or just spoken to) for leaving his car with the engine running.
He had pulled up at a junction, saw someone he knew, so pulled over to talk to them. Instead of winding down the window, he pulled on the brake and stood up out of the door.
Most of his body and one foot was still in the car.
the police man saw him and spoke to him.

The police would give her a good talking to and she'd feel about an inch tall. And she is putting them at unnecessary risk.

I once left my toddler in the car in sight in front of my house for 5 minutes and the police knocked on my door. Engine was not running.

toddler was asleep, BTW

I think that's appalling behaviour by the mum.

YANBU and protecting the child.

Clearly the police think its a serious issue as posters on this thread have said police have spoke to them about it