How long would you leave it until you do something about a 3 year old in a car?

[quidi]

What's the cut off age? I'm sitting in my car, another car had been here since I got here and it's been 30 mins now. Little boy/girl is crying in the car a couple of cars down, literally wailing. What should I do? Someone must be coming back in a bit. Child is about 3.

[Wonkydonkey44]

Well done calling the police , shame on the mother!

[Bettybooop25]

BrightOranges I agree.

[BrightOranges]

I hope I'm never in a situation similar whereby something may have happened to me to prevent me returning to my child. But if it ever were to happen, I so hope a passer by would do something about a distressed child sooner than watching for 30 minutes.

[Mummaaaaaah]

At least OP did something. Imagine how many other people in the high street heard /saw the poor child and walked on by.

The mother on the other hand should be prosecuted.

[sisterignatius]

This is an interesting perspective on this topic, which comes up time and time again on Mumsnet. I'm not justifying the mother's behaviour in this case but it certainly made me think about how we evaluate risk and how quickly we pass judgement.

[quidi]

I phoned 101

Will be home in a sec

[Soubriquet]

Tbf I would hope most people would do something before 30 mins

[DelicatePreciousThing1]

We all react differently. The OP sought advice and acted on her concerns.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Well,we can only hope to be as perfect as you one day BrightOranges

[BrightOranges]

And if it had been me, I would have done something sooner than 30 minutes later without first checking in here.

[BrightOranges]

A 3 year old wailing alone in a car vs buying a packet of biscuits. Very different things.

Sit quietly and let even 3 minutes pass by. See how long that is. And this is someone supposedly leaving a child? People wouldn't leave a dog or car alarm for that long. On second thoughts perhaps they would.

[Aeroflotgirl]

OMG says it all, she leaves the child in the car whilist she goes to the hairdresser . I can imagine some people would do this!

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Anyway, many of you check mumsnet before you buy a packet of biscuits.

Yes, quite!

[Waltermittythesequel]

My, delicate you're really doing the rounds slagging off MN and its posters today, aren't you?

[DelicatePreciousThing1]

BrightOranges, you need to wind your neck in.

[DelicatePreciousThing1]

Why are some of you being horrible to the OP? She was in the situation and not you. Anyway, many of you check mumsnet before you buy a packet of biscuits.
Hilarious.

[oldlaundbooth]

She left the kid in the car to go to the hairdressers?

[Mummyoflittledragon]

And I suppose she'd never heard of a mobile hairdresser

[DelicatePreciousThing1]

The hairdresser is to blame? Riiiight.

[Seeline]

quidi how long had the child been on their own then? Must have been getting on for an hour! Did you ring 999 or 101 out of interest?

[BrightOranges]

No not because you didn't grab your phone but because who waits half an hour in this scenario and even then has to ask social media?
Pathetic.

[ElphabaTheGreen]

Children occupied WHILE INSIDE at the hairdresser, obvs. Never left in the car.

[Paddingtonthebear]

A man got prosecuted a few years ago for leaving a child alone in a car for 10 mins when he went to a chemist

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Omg so she must have left the poor kid there for ages if the hair dresser was lay or something

[ElphabaTheGreen]

Fucking hell. iPads were invented to keep children occupied while at a hair dresser. I hope the mother gets a fine at the very least.