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

IamInvisible - I know, I read the whole tragic article when it was posted on here in the summer. How is this different exactly? How was anyone to know that this isn't what happened in the case outlined in the OP?

Gosh, what a vast amount of over-reaction to a child sleeping in a car, on a residential street, in the UK, in a mild November.

They dont want to hear the facts Chipping.

Sleeping.
Novemeber.
Mild weather.
Residential street.

None of it goes in.

Rather, she might have been in Australia, or Ice Land, its chest might not have been going up and down, it might have been totally forgotten about, the mother might be up to 5 minutes away from collecting it.

Ducks - how could you be so sure that the child hadn't been forgotten? I have yet to hear any facts that support the idea that to suggest the OP do something, even if it was just to put her mind at rest, was an overreaction.

Ignore, op you I'd the right thing, whether in August or November. Yu don't taka risk with a chids life

Ducks - seemingly not. Common sense isn't that common after all.

Dojo - please link to anyone, ever, forgetting a two year old.

I hardly think allowing a 2 year old to nap in the car, on a residential street, in a mild Nov, in the UK is a risk. People really don't understand the concept of 'risk'. The child was far more 'at risk' when the car was moving - but no-one panics about that on a daily basis.

Some one could have jumped into the car, he could have been forgotten (yes terearesome that woud do this, jst because you are a good parent, does not make other people.

DoJo common sense tells me the child wasnt forgotten.

If the child had been howling alone, common sense would have told me he had been forgotten.

Since the child was happy and as sleep, common sense tells me the child has been left to sleep.

What with it sleeping. And not howling.

Chipping - The article linked to above mentions a 'toddler', and although they don't specify the child's age, he was adopted when he was 18 months old so could have easily been two when he was forgotten in the back of his car by his father.

Sorry - this article: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701549_2.html?sid=ST2009030602446

I wonder if all these saying OP overreacted would leave their phone/purse etc in the car for that long.
If someone wanted these items, they would be gone before you even got to your front door. so why is it that suddenly a child isn't at risk from this?
IMO it is a risk that i wouldn't be willing to take, naps or not. The mother who said she reads in the car whilst the child carries on napping is exactly why routine isn't an excuse.

Ducks - the fact that he had not yet woken up didn't mean he wasn't forgotten. As the article linked to twice on this thread shows, it is when children are asleep that they are most likely to be forgotten by a parent who is distracted or deviating from their routine.

Just to put a bit of perspective on for OP random accidents do happen. A few years ago I pulled up at retail park with 6 week old DS in car with me and fortunately also my mother. I got out of the car, closed the door and went to get a trolley to put DS car seat on as we had a few bits to get. Had to walk a way down to get a car seat trolley - then tripped over my own feet and fell over knocking myself out. I was sent to hospital in an ambulance. Had mum not been with me then no one would have known I had DS in the car until I was coherent enough to talk. I was so woozy I don't know if I would have been able to tell them about DS. It was a hot summer day. Still gives me the shivers now.

Ok lets quash the bag/phone hysteria also.

How many phones and bags do you think are stolen every day in the UK?

Thousands, I bet.

Now, I wonder how many cars per day are boken into, to steal the child in the UK?

I very, very much doubt they correlate.

sam how unfortunate. But also very very unlikely. Proved, by the mother of sleeping child coming out to get him.

well duck that's your risk to take.

I read the whole tragic article when it was posted on here in the summer. How is this different exactly? How was anyone to know that this isn't what happened in the case outlined in the OP?

Because:
a) It is November not summer, not hot, not freezing
b) The child was not awake or in distress of any kind

People have different styles of parenting. I think it is OTT to call the police emergency line because someone does something you may consider 'risky' (which a lot of other parents do not consider risky).

Some people may think it's risky or bad parenting to give their kids Coca Cola, but you wouldn't call the police about it.

iloveweeds what risk would I take?

If I saw a child asleep in a car alone, Id keep an eye on it.

What am I risking?

Not sure why people are being accused of hysteria - if the Police saw an unattended child in a car on a public street the parents would be in deep shit.

There was a story not so long ago of a man who left a much older child in the car whilst he popped in to a shop and was prosecuted.
If a police officer felt so inclined then charges of neglect would be brought.

I think it is insane to leave a very young child in a car on a public street.
When my son was asleep I'd stay in the car with him and get some kip myself.
Christ I don't even leave the dog in the car.