Were we being unreasonable to call security?

[2kidsintow]

At a local retail park, we came out of a shop to see a car left unattended with 2 sleeping toddlers (approx 1 and 3) in the car seats.

I felt uncomfortable leaving once I'd noticed it and thought that most likely the parent would be in one of the 3 shops on the corner where the car was parked, that they'd have popped in for a quick minute and would be out soon to their car.

So we waited, standing off to one side so we weren't too conspicuous, so that we would have peace of mind once all was well and could then leave.

And we waited..... and waited.

After ten minutes it became clear that the parent hadn't just popped somewhere for a quick minute. We found the phone number of the retail park and my friend called them. They sent a security guard over straight away. By the time he arrived at the vehicle it was another few minutes, so it was a clear quarter of an hour that they'd been in the car - and we hadn't noticed them arrive so it could have been a bit longer.

The security guard thanked us and told us that he'd give it another 5 minutes, then call the police.

We went on to another shop, spent another 10 minutes in there and when we came out the guard was still waiting by the car, no parent in sight. That meant half an hour or more unattended at that point.

WWBU?

YWNBU at all.

Doesn't bother me , likely the parent knew they would sleep.

Left unattended for half an hour in a public car park at a retail park? That wouldn't bother you? I am spectacularly lax but even I think that is totally unacceptable.

My mum left me and my brother in the car while she went into pay at the petrol station, she was literally gone 2 minutes.

The handbrake failed and thankfully she turned round as she was walking in to the shop and noticed the car was rolling back.

If she hadn't of noticed then the car would have continued rolling back into a busy road!

Yes, it is much more likely the kids left in the car would have been fine but things can and do happen.

You were most certainly in the right. I'm pretty lax about leaving DD in the car to pay for petrol/use cashpoint/ get milk but this is way above and beyond that.

Poor nippers!

Yanbu and I'm shocked that anyone would think it was ok to leave them like that. There may only be a miniscule risk but the Mcanns thought their children would be ok unattended and look what happened there

Jeez doodles that's awful! My dh is a policeman and he always says never ever leave kids in the car.
He deals with some real scumbag sex offenders and they've admitted sometimes they are just waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
I wouldn't want to give them that chance.
However I do leave them in the car at the petrol station where I can see them or at the local shop if I'm nipping in for milk and can see them at all times. He doesn't know that tho...

YADNBU

It is outrageous that they had been left on their own for that length of time at a busy retail park.

All it would have taken was for one person to sound their horn and it would have woken them up and they would have been all alone. How terrifying would that have been.

I hope the person who left them is feeling very ashamed right now.

You did the right thing.

Not unreasonable. I nip into pay for petrol or to buy something where the car is in view. My kids are older - 6 and 8. To wake up from sleep and wonder where you parent is will not be good for any child.

I am not paranoid and don't really worry about child-snatchers and fires but I do think about my kids's basic sense of security and trust.

Yanbu.

The most likely thing that happened is the parent was taken ill in some way ( not based on anything factual just my opinion that most parents wouldn't do that without an accident of some type occurring)

They could have had a really distressed mum or dad somewhere unable to get help or verbalise that the children were there.

This is not as uncommon as you might think. This was likely one more sign of neglect in a long list of signs being picked up (or missed) by SS and others. It's likely OP that you did them a big favour.

So were the police called?

I didn't stick around to find out, I'm afraid. I'm pretty sure they were called as the security man said he would, but we didn't see them arrive.

How awful. My mainconcern would also be the parent being taken ill and the poor babies stuck so thank god you found them. I can imagine anyone leaving their kid for 30 mins plus in a locked car. Was a window even left open?

No windows open. Not even a crack. Mind you, it was a cold and rainy day here.