Baby left in car

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

On my way back to our car, My husband noticed a baby in the car parked next to ours. Alone, two front windows were slightly open, he looked about 12 months. We fretted a bit, stayed sat next to him waiting for 10 minutes and no-one came. So I called the police on 101, and they immediately put me through to 999.

The woman arrived back at her car a minute before the police did. I told her I'd called the police, and she couldn't leave her baby like that. She cried and said she was having a shit day and needed to get the item she' bought (big and bulky box, maybe a buggy?) to the car. I hugged her, cried with her, and said I understood but she still can't do that, and then directed the police to her and left.

Was I being a busy body? AIBU to think it's illegal to do that?

She might be having a shit day. But that's no reason to leave the baby in the car. Would have been an even shitter day had the baby been ill etc. As much of a pain in the arse as it can be with baby in tow, you have to take them with you. Regardless.

Not illegal per se but it is if they are at risk link

You did the right thing. You were sympathetic towards her, and you sought help for a child who was at risk. Hopefully the mum will be able to access support if she needs it.

Well the baby was fine and you made her day way way shitter by setting the polis on her, so I wouldn't be feeling good about it.

I'd have smashed the window personally, why call the police

And been stood there holding her baby when she arrived back

It's bloody muggy today so that poor baby was probably very hot in that car. There's no excuse for what she did so don't feel bad. I'm sure if she went in the store with baby an employee would have brought the box to her car anyway. You did the right thing.

Baby was fine in this instance, but next time might not be.

You did the right thing. Babies and small children left in cars for too long in the heat, die.

You did the right thing - sympathetic and kind, but you had to take action x

Why did you cry with her, you have done nothing wrong, you did the right thing by giving her 10 minutes.

Where I live a baby died after being left in a car yesterday. You did the right thing.

Her day would have been a lot shitter if her baby had died. It really doesn't take long, even on an overcast day. You did the right thing, OP.

You did nothing wrong. Babies can die extremely quickly in cars when it's hot. I read this article a while ago - it is devastating: www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/fatal-distraction-forgetting-a-child-in-thebackseat-of-a-car-is-a-horrifying-mistake-is-it-a-crime/2014/06/16/8ae0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

A ember of staff could have helped her carry the item if she had taken the baby with her. She was obviously not having a great day, but might think more sensibly next time.

You did the right thing. Even at 16 degrees outside the inside of the car can rise to 30 degrees or higher in a very short time. It should always be 999 with a baby in a car on a warm day. Isn't it really hot in the UK at the moment? Shop assistants can always carry a box to the car, babies are much more important. Shit day or not, you did her a favour and gave her a wake-up call.

Has it ever happened in the UK? I can see many reports from the US, and some from Australia, one in Israel, a few more. What I can't find is a single report of a baby/child dying in a hot car in the UK.
Yet its always said on these threads that its so easy to happen, its a big danger. It doesn't appear to be true though.

Freedom - I am in Italy and it has happened several times when the temperature is around 30 degrees - which it has been recently in the UK. The problem is that the heat in the car can be hotter than it is outside (and airless) if it is parked in the sun.

You did the only thing you could do. Imagine if you'd have turned a blind eye and then read that the baby had heaven forbid died.
People know the risks of leaving babies/children/animals in cars surely to God. Why do they do it.
please do not be hard on yourself

I think if it was as shop car park I might have asked them to put something out on the tanned before calling the police (or maybe not, esp. on a warm day)but you definitely did the right thing intervening. A friend of mine apparently used to do this and didn't seem to get how serious it was, I'm pretty sure she was suffering from pnd and wasn't really engaging properly with anything at the time. Sounds like this mum might not be in in a great way either - getting a fright like this might what she needed in order to seek help. In any case, you did the right thing by the baby so don't feel bad.

Haven't found any reports of deaths, but found this recent incident: www.thesun.co.uk/news/1469709/mum-goes-shopping-in-next-while-leaving-child-in-car-on-the-hottest-day-of-the-year/ . It's been very hot recently.

What I can't find is a single report of a baby/child dying in a hot car in the UK

Oh well then, it will never happen then will it?

Of course you did the right thing. You were supportive to the Mum and OK so she had a shit day, but you were not to know the situation. You can't assume everything will be ok.

The Police will probably only give her a talking to. Don't worry about it.

Thats not how risk perception works.
Every time this type of thread comes up you get post after post of "babies die in hot cars, never leave a baby in a car". Now, if you are in the UK, it seems that babies do NOT die in cars.
That doesn't mean its ok to do it. BUT it does mean that people should stop basing their risk perception on completely false statements like that.

You did the right thing. Absolutely.

A couple of years ago, in ASDA carpark, my DH and I saw a tiny child (about a year) toddling between the vehicles. We looked around - no adults - so DH went for security and I waited with the baby until someone came. They took the little 'un into the store. Fast forward about five minutes and we had just finished loading up the car and were driving out when I noticed a woman frantically looking round the car park - between and under cars etc. I shouted "Excuse me - have you lost a little boy?" "Oh, God - yes! Have you seen him?" We told her what we'd done and where he was - apparently he'd been asleep so rather than wake him she'd left him in the car with the window part open for ventilation. Somehow he'd wriggled out of his toddler seat and gone looking for her. So lucky that we saw him, and he didn't end up under someone's wheels, or abducted.

So yes, OP - you did exactly the right thing. Children are to vulnerable and too precious to be left to chance.