Child went missing in 99p store

[PassionateaboutParenting]

My 2 year old son went missing in a 99p store on the High street in Leytonstone. I turned to pay for the items I bought and my son disappeared within those seconds.I called for my son and looked through the isles for him, my 6&4 year olds were with me. I asked the security guard to shut the door, he refused. Instead he told me that I should hold my child's hand.

The last thind I needed in my sheer panic at the thought of having lost my son was to be judged so harshly. None of the staff tried to assist me and just proceeded as usual, and it took another customer to search for my child and bring him to me.
People were awful either pretending not to notice or otherwise passing nasty remarks. I want to start a campaign to create a child safe scheme in my area. Has anyone else done this?
I have complained to the 99p store bit not sure if they will respond. Has anyone heard of the Code Adam in the USA?

The Asda way sounds brilliant.

fredfredgeorge the safety and wellbeing of children is everyone's responsibility. That was a really, really shitty thing you said there and i hope that one day you feel the fear that the OP must have experienced and develop some empathy!

He's not a first time poster, but his parenting experience is limited to what he knows so far. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to realise it.
There will be situations in the future that challenge him to the core, despite planning and research and a confidence that every danger can be circumnavigated with enough analysis.
Let's hope that he meets with more kindness and support then than he's shown on the thread.

Everyone should help, but deciding the person with the problem is entitled to help and the store should close and everyone drop what they are doing to do it is a very different thing.

"Oh shit I've lost my toddler." Security guard and staff all run off looking - accomplice fills pockets with all the expensive stuff while the security guards are distracted, walking out when the doors are re-opened (maybe not in a 99p shop but really their margins are small enough that any loss hurts - which is why it's economic to employ a security guard)

If you go into the wild in much of the world and need rescuing, you're billed the cost of the rescue because of your inattention - reasonable, here we have the store expected to absorb the cost of the inattention - and yes it's perfectly common kids run off etc. but that also means it's perfectly common that they're found again.

And yes you are entitled to the police helping - it's part of their job, and it's not unreasonable to expect people to help. It is unreasonable to feel entitled to it.

That was an awful way for them to handle it, OP. You must have been terrified. That heart-in-your-stomach feeling when you lose a child in a busy place is one of the worst feelings. :( I have only experienced it once when I lost my DS at 18 months in a big pet superstore. He was only missing for about a minute and I didn't alert the staff, just started shouting his name like a lunatic loudly and dashing around like a lunatic looking for him and found him hiding behind one of those giant bags of dog food, but if I had alerted the staff and they had reacted like the 99p people I would have been livid. I agree that it is everyone's responsibility to ensure the safety of a child. They are so quick and sometimes so unpredictable and as parents we are only human.

Fredfredgeirge I would just shut the hell up if I were you, sometimes it's best not to say anything at all. Yes it is stores responsibility if a child goesx missing on their premises, like other stores tey should have a missing child policy. Think James Bulger

What is going to happen FredFredGeorge if you lose your child on a beach.
Suddenly you cannot see them for sand.
Suddenly everyone elses child looks like yours.
Are you goung to search the entire beach by yourself, and really really fast....

Not police around on a beach.
May be lifeguaurds ,maybe not.
May be too late....

Unbelievable FredFred. The sad thing is people really do think like that, and can't think beyond their own nose.

I remember when I was young and a child wandered off on the beach my parents along with most other people on the beach put their day on hold to hunt for the child. surely that is what any caring person would do?

I am paranoid about keeping hold of DS when out, but I still don't for a second think that doesn't mean that one day it could be me in a panic because he was wandered off. It takes seconds.

The way you were treated in Poundshop was appealling ad I would lodge a complaint with the head office and ask if they have a missing child policy and what is it

No ofcourse I shouldn't feel entitled to help.. with people like FredFredGeorge about.....
Everyone should be attending to business.... meeting the profit margins, economics is the only thing that counts if you are a closed-minded, self-absorbed capitalist.
Compassion doesnt keep the bank-balance in your fanvour- so why invest in it?
Are you sure you weren't a child smuggler in another life- I heard it pays dividends...

(I've written this before but)
Years ago in Boots (they had two doors, massive glass doors and automatic ones- 2 seperate enterances)
A lady stopped at the perfume counter with a pram. I was at the till, didn't really register her until the cry.
OMG the noise this woman made still breaks my heart.
Someone quietly wheeled off with her pram.

The staff were bloody fantastic. Closed the doors and checked every person with a pram. The knapper had gone towards the back of the shop (to the other door) calmly walked off.

That's how to handle a situation like this.
Not what the OP was faced with.

It was 99p store- lodged a complaint and asked about their store policy

oh Fred, and bless your little heart. I expect you will remember this one day. and feel a tit.

what happened to the baby 70.?

70 lisa that is what ALL stores should do, was it a happy ending

""Oh shit I've lost my toddler." Security guard and staff all run off looking - accomplice fills pockets with all the expensive stuff while the security guards are distracted, walking out when the doors are re-opened (maybe not in a 99p shop but really their margins are small enough that any loss hurts - which is why it's economic to employ a security guard)."

What a sad world we are in if people put profits before the safety of a child.

Still, FredFredGeorge?
Remember your arrogance here when karma bites you in the arse.

So Fred profit profit profit against the life of a child, you disgust me

I was in a restaurant when dd 1years old, had a seizure. I was screaming for help. Everyone just ignored me including staff. I was begging for someone to call for help . guess I was feeling entitled though

Just popped on to say to the op i'm glad your little one is safe. It only takes a split second to be in a situation like that and YANBU. The shop shoud have done more.

And fred you sound like an utter moron. Just stop.

He won't realise how hurtful his comments are until he is the adult in question.
If he remembers.

Who hasn't been in this situation? It takes only one second and they're gone like smoke.

Surely every adult at that point jumps into action. They certainly did in Sainsbury when it happened to me and DS.

OP I'd give your PCSO a little call and have them chat to the £ shop about their social responsibility. Your local paper might like a tip too.

And as for Fred, you've made my Cock Of The Day list. Jolly well done!

piccadilly How dare you expect help. For all the restaurant knew you were just creating a rouse to not pay the bill.