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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Called 999 today, now feeling guilty about the consequences.m

136 replies

flanjabelle · 27/05/2016 20:06

Today I was called over by two elderly ladies who were quite distressed. I had been walking down the road with dd and stopped to talk to them. They were upset because a car had two babies in it (one around 6 months, one around 18 months) in full sun and there were no parents.

I asked them how long they had been there and the ladies said over 5 minutes and no one had come to the car. The baby was in the back, screaming his little head off, and the toddler was in the front, both in full sun.

I looked around, no one was coming to the car, the shops are right down the other end of the street and no one was coming. I called 999 after being there for around 4 minutes. The police asked me what was happening and I had explained where we were and what was wrong. They were telling me someone was coming out to us as a woman came back to the car. One of the ladies asked her if it was her car, she said it was, and shouted at the elderly lady that she had only been in the bank. I told her she shouldn't leave her babies in the car alone, definitely not in this heat! (It was 25 degrees here this afternoon and very sunny.) The bank is around a hundred yards away, at the beginning of the road. She was parked on double yellow lines near the town car park, but not in it.

The police told me they could hear what was happening and told me to get the registration of the car. I did as the woman got in the car and roared off up the road at speed.

The police told me they had her address and would be going there to pay her a visit.

Now I'm pretty sure I did the right thing, but now I'm having wobbles about the knock on effect of this. She is going to get a ss referral now isn't she. Should I have waited longer? In total she would have been away from the car for at least 12-15 minutes if not more as I don't know how long she had been gone when the ladies noticed the babies alone.

After she left I spent a while comforting the ladies as they found it all very upsetting. I don't think they had mobile phones as they didn't seem to know what to do in the situation, they were just very upset to see the babies alone and one of them clearly distressed.

Aibu for what I did today? Does what she did justify the consequences that are going to happen now? Should I have just waited by the car? Just having a wobble now.

OP posts:
Enoughisenough9 · 27/05/2016 20:18

I left my aunt mid medical treatment today to make sure my dog wasn't too hot in the car. All windows open, parked in shade and 20 minutes appointment.

MadamDeathstare · 27/05/2016 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Beepbopboop · 27/05/2016 20:18

You did the right thing.
What if something had happened preventing her from getting back to the car?
I was sat in a car the other day waiting when it was only 15 degrees and even that became unbearable after ten minutes!

BadDoGooder · 27/05/2016 20:18

Another one saying you definitely did the right thing op

Ffs I wouldn't even leave a dog alone in a car in those conditions.
Why?
Because a car can heat up in mere minutes, dangerously so, no wonder the poor baby was crying.

I'm normally a live and let live type, but this was beyond the fucking pale.
Small children should bever be left alone for that amount of time in a v hot car.
2 mins maybe, while you pay for petrol etc, but 15 minutes? Completely out of sight all that time??
No fucking way.

TheFullMinty · 27/05/2016 20:18

You completely did the right thing, Flowers

Rpj16 · 27/05/2016 20:20

Yanbu.

Every thing she did was irresponsible.

Original poster
flanjabelle · 27/05/2016 20:23

These are the thoughts going through my mind:

What is happening in her house right now? Has she got an abusive husband who is going to hurt her for what she has done? Or is she having panic attacks now over what is going to happen? Is she dreading the knock at the door from the ss?

The car was a really expensive car, and I don't know why but that is making me worry about what her partner is like.

I need to put in a disclaimer, I am suffering badly with my mental health at the minute because of physical health issues and I am well aware I am overthinking this, but I was hoping the thread would put these thoughts to bed.

OP posts:
EveryoneElsie · 27/05/2016 20:24

flanjabelle

You saved those childrens lives.
Maybe not today, but another day it may not have ended with someone like you there to protect them.

Flisspaps · 27/05/2016 20:26

Regardless of her home situation, she shouldn't have left the children in the car, out of sight, in the sun for at least 10 minutes.

She is a dickhead for doing that. You did absolutely the right thing.

barbecue · 27/05/2016 20:26

Don't worry about it or give it any more thought. You did the right thing. If you're an overthinker you'd be worrying just as much or more if you hadn't alerted the police.

susurration · 27/05/2016 20:28

If the police didn't think it was worth dialling 999 for they would have told you and asked you to put the phone down.

PoppieD · 27/05/2016 20:28

You did the right thing- if you go on to YouTube you can see think it's American 'infomercial' about the risks of this. You should be proud of yourself!

MissMoo22 · 27/05/2016 20:29

You absolutely did the right thing. Maybe she is panicking about the knock at the door but maybe it will make her think twice before doing such a stupid thing again.

CharminglyGawky · 27/05/2016 20:29

It doesn't matter what is going on in her house right now. You did the right thing, the only thing! Cars heat up so quickly and that is aside from the danger of leaving such a young child unattended for over 10 mins!

Hopefully she will just get a word from a police officer and it will make her think in the future!

dexy24 · 27/05/2016 20:29

Flowersyou absolutely did the right thing for those two little mites.

Also sounds like you managed to help out the elderly ladies who were distressed.

Imagine how you would feel if you hadn't called-you'd be worrying about what might happen to those kids next.

Don't beat yourself up.

LondonKiwiMummy · 27/05/2016 20:29

Seriously - she'll be fine. You did the right thing. Please don't over think this, those children needed someone to advocate for them and you did.

AgeOfEarthquakes · 27/05/2016 20:30

You will never know her home situation so don't beat yourself up asking yourself questions that you will never know the answers to.

You did a good thing today. Nobody should ever leave babies alone in a hot car. Alerting the police was absolutely the right thing to do.

Ditsy4 · 27/05/2016 20:31

You did the right thing.
Think about what might have happened if you hadn't. If the car had got very hot the babies might have become news items. Perhaps you will make her think next time and not take such risks.
Would she have left a large open suitcase of £50 notes in view? No. Yet she left the most precious thing of all alone and scared.

AnotherPrickInTheWall · 27/05/2016 20:32

I was told by my DF of something similar today. Was it at Lidl?

Original poster
flanjabelle · 27/05/2016 20:33

Sorry last thought to get out of my head. I have been feeling like a hypocrite because I leave dd in the car to pay for petrol. Only if she is in clear sight at all times, but it's niggling in my mind that I can't judge because I leave dd in the car at the petrol station. I go straight in, pay and leave though I don't do shopping or anything. That is completely different right?

OP posts:
srslylikeomg · 27/05/2016 20:33

Even if there are problems at home then a police visit and possible sw referral will be a positive. Whichever way you slice it: you did the right thing. And I am one that leaves the kids while I pay for petrol or get a ticket, not twenty minutes in the hot sun. You wouldn't do that to a dog:(

Original poster
flanjabelle · 27/05/2016 20:34

Nowhere near a lidl. That's horrible it isn't a one off then.

OP posts:
MadamDeathstare · 27/05/2016 20:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ringadingdingdong22 · 27/05/2016 20:36

You did the right thing. We arrived somewhere the other day and DC1 aged 3 had fallen asleep just before we got there. DH Sat in the car with him for approx 15mins to let him sleep a bit longer, windows down and a door open. It was overcast and around 16 degrees. He was hot and sweaty when we woke him up.

Those two children would have been getting very hot and uncomfortable in that car. You did the right thing.

I would imagine the police will go and talk to her and give her a warning. I doubt it would get referred to SS if it's a one off incident.

Hopefully she won't ever do it again.

AmberNectarine · 27/05/2016 20:37

Absolutely the right thing.