To worry about this child asleep in car

[StrangeMusic]

There's a child about 2years old asleep in a car (in car seat) on road near my work (quietish residential street). I've been here about 10 minutes and no one has come back for him. Might be overreacting but would never leave my son asleep in car for more than a minute or two. Don't know what to do, should I report it?? Just concerned maybe he's been forgotten about, after reading some stories where this happened, and worried for the little thing

Vince - why exactly do you think the parent did something wrong in this case?

Mmelindor - if someone just had a nosey around then walked off, I wouldn't necessarily go out - as long as they had walked off.

Robert - why is the the parent a 'poor excuse'? They left a child sleeping in a car, not playing on the M25.

Thymeout - yes, it has. Very very wrong.

MerryMarigold I could have popped back to check later but, call me selfish, why should I have to? It's not my child and I have a job to do (although I'm admittedly dossing a bit on MN today) and didnt want to have to go out in the pissing rain twice. I just wanted to sort it out fast and get on with my day.

chipping - because, imo, good parents do not leave children locked inside cars outside their houses. But in this case it seems even worse, because the mother obviously wasn't even keeping an eye out of the window, or she would have come down when she saw the OP, surely?

something has gone wrong with maternal risk assessment in
this country

Missing the point.
The law takes a very dim view and you could be prosecuted.

Yes, but you did go out twice, I think.

I think if you were that concerned then yes, you need to go out twice rather than calling the police on that mother straightaway.

Chipping
If someone was wandering around the car, I would have popped head out of window to say that I hadn't forgotten him, just didn't want to wake him.

I don't think that I am overly protective. I let my kids walk to school alone, over two busy roads, only one with a lollipop man. They are 9 and 11yrs and have quite a bit of freedom.

In this case though, the OP was just making sure the child was ok. We should all be grateful that people are willing to put themselves out, and risk being shouted at by parents, for the sake of protecting a child.

That's great Mmelindor, and as you said, you wouldn't have advised the OP to call the police.

No didnt go out twice, was there the whole time (if you're confused as I spoke to a colleague, that was because I spoke to her on the phone, partly to explain why I was running late back)

I'm sorry but I really didnt feel it was my job to keep checking on a stranger's child, it's probably a 5 min round trip walk from where I was, in the rain, and why should I have to do that twice??

Strangemusic
How long was the child alone in the car? From the moment you noticed? Maybe if you clarify this point, it will be clearer. Were you standing next to the car the whole time?

I'm a shit parent but I wouldn't do this!

10 minutes mmelindor and I was pacing between the car and the tree about 10 metres from it, where I was trying to keep dry (no umbrella!)

I have very little respect for people who treat their children with less care than their laptop or credit cards. It may only be a small risk but it's a completely unnecessary one. Only a couple of weeks ago my neighbours hand brake failed and his car rolled through a brick wall.

It's the kind of mentality which leads to kids in flats with mastiffs or in unlocked holiday apartments. I just cannot understand why anyone would take a risk when they don't need to.

I'm off to be great parent IRL!

Blimey. How long before MM came up? I think I'm glad I am not in 'that' camp of judgmental opinion anyway.

SeaSickSal

I have very little respect for people who treat their children with less care than their laptop or credit cards. It may only be a small risk but it's a completely unnecessary one. Only a couple of weeks ago my neighbours hand brake failed and his car rolled through a brick wall.

Let's imagine that happened. The child is in a safety seat when the hand brake fails and the car rolls through the brick wall. What's the likely outcome to the child? Seriously, what do you think will happen with a low-speed collision? The child is shocked, grizzly, perhaps a touch bruised.

It's not like you've put him in a bathtub on wheels with three old men from Yorkshire and sent him down a hill, is it?

It's the kind of mentality which leads to kids in flats with mastiffs or in unlocked holiday apartments. I just cannot understand why anyone would take a risk when they don't need to.

It's this kind of over-reaction which leads me to think that the ability to accurately assess or gauge risk has long since left most of the population. And I wonder whether it left the building at the same time as common sense did.

Iam wondering why so many people choose to ignore the fact that leaving kids in cars leaves them open to prosecution?

No copper is going to give a tinker's fart that "MN said it was ok so ....."

I hope some of the 999 wailers don't work in a profession that utilises risk assessments as a key part of their job! Oi vey!

Seriously, what do you think will happen with a low-speed collision? The child is shocked, grizzly, perhaps a touch bruised.

And on what planet would that scenario be okay? Child upset and bruised whilst parent is indoors, unharmed and possibly oblivious? WTF?

Flatpack a serious question how would you react if someone was obviously paying close attention to your car when you child was in it asleep?