Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that Sainsbury's security staff should have done "something!!!"

129 replies

MrsExpo · 06/04/2017 20:21

I went shopping at our local Sainsbury's. It's a big store with a large car park and I pulled into a space somewhere in the middle of the parking area. As I got my bags out of the car I noticed the window of the next vehicle was slightly open and then - to my horror - the reason was that there was a small child in a child seat in the back of the car!! Child must have been maybe 18 months or so, wide awake but quiet. Mother nowhere to be seen, so presumably in the store shopping. I waited by the car for a few minutes to see if the mother was going to reappear, but she didn't. While I stood wondering what to do, the child began to cry not surprisingly!! I should day I was just standing by my car, not staring in at the child or anything. So, I went into the store and reported it to the store security staff, who essentially said "not our problem" ...!! They refused to put out an announcement (I provided the car make and reg number), wouldn't send someone out to the car park or do anything about this at all.

AIBU to think 1) the mother behaved disgracefully(illegally??) to leave a small child like this and 2) the store security staff should have at least tried to alert the child's parent. I was in two minds about calling the police but really don't know what I should have done tbh .....

OP posts:
Squirmy65ghyg · 06/04/2017 20:25

Calm down. Stop being so melodramatic and sexist.

Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 06/04/2017 20:25

I would have been tempted to take it to customer services. . Likely the car was open or the alarm would have been going off. .
At 18 months my ds could open his seat and the car door!!

LadyPW · 06/04/2017 20:27

They were probably too busy handing out tickets to men without children parking in the P & C spaces Grin

JohnLapsleyParlabane · 06/04/2017 20:28

All else aside, why do you assume that the child's mother was the one who left them?

goodpiemissedthechips · 06/04/2017 20:28

I stopped reading at "Mother nowhere to be seen." Hmm

SexLubeAndAFishSlice · 06/04/2017 20:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
MrsExpo · 06/04/2017 20:30

Squirmy ... in what way am I being melodramatic and sexist? A child was being endangered by a parent who clearly thought it ok to leave it in a car for a period of time. I'm sorry if you think I'm over reacting but happen to think this is pretty poor behaviour.

Sexist ....?? ... oh dear, did I assume the errant parent was a mum when it could have been a dad??? Sorry I offended you by being concerned.

OP posts:
RhiWrites · 06/04/2017 20:30

Melodramatic? Read this and then say that: www.kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/heat-stroke/

MongerTruffle · 06/04/2017 20:30

How do you know it wasn't the father?

Sparklingbrook · 06/04/2017 20:30

so presumably in the store shopping You don't know that.

And how do you know it wasn't the father or a Grandparent?

Sainsburys are very busy this week with car park shenanigans.

Nicknacky · 06/04/2017 20:30

So what did you do?

Barrytheunicorn · 06/04/2017 20:30

I think they should have put out a security call at the very least.

I think in that situation personally, I would have phoned the police on the non emergency number given the registration number and explained the situation if the police felt like it was an emergency they could have put out a 999 for it.

That way the police can access the dvla database for the address of the car owner and decide whether to follow it up with the family or alert health visitor / social services etc

VimFuego101 · 06/04/2017 20:31

I would have called the police.

Photograph · 06/04/2017 20:31

The advice around here is to call the police. At least they make a note of the car registration and have it on file.

Squirmy65ghyg · 06/04/2017 20:34
Hmm

Well what did you do then? And yes, your repeated use of mother is offensive and I was offended. Apology accepted Biscuit

If you'd thought the kid was in that much danger you'd have done something.

Am fully aware of the dangers of leaving kids in cars, thanks, I never do it. The OP is just bizarre though.

Billybonkers76 · 06/04/2017 20:36

Ffs people, mother, father, f'ing Aunty! That is not the point of the post! OP, yes, the security could have put a call out. Dogs shouldn't be left in cars so I definitely think babies shouldn't be!

Starlighter · 06/04/2017 20:37

I would've called the police! The OP said she waited for quite a while. Aside from being cruel and irresponsible, it can be life-threatening on a warm day!

Billybonkers76 · 06/04/2017 20:38

why the hell are people getting offended? Confused get a grip, it's not about you!

Original poster
MrsExpo · 06/04/2017 20:38

Does the gender of the parent matter? It's the clear disregard for the safety of the child which is the issue. As it happens, when I returned from my shopping I saw the car being driven way by a woman, which means the child must have been alone in the vehicle for around 25 minutes ......

OP posts:
Sandsnake · 06/04/2017 20:40

I don't think the use of 'mother' is the key point here, though see why it irks. The store should have taken far more responsibility, pretty pathetic from them really.

Sparklingbrook · 06/04/2017 20:41

The supermarket could have put a tannoy message out but they couldn't make the car owner come to the customer service desk. Plus who listens to supermarket tannoys?

EasterRobin · 06/04/2017 20:41

I think your best bet would have been to ask customer services to put a call out for the owner of the car.

MrsGotobed · 06/04/2017 20:42

Wow! Anyone would think that it was the OP that left the child in the car judging by the hard time she's getting.

Why are people so quick to jump on the finer details of posts rather than look at the real issue ie. an adult left a young toddler in a car in a supermarket car park on a hot day

Original poster
MrsExpo · 06/04/2017 20:43

Interesting viewpoint Squirmy. Do you mean I'm bizarre personally, or that it's bizarre that I thought it unacceptable that a mother (as it was a mother, it transpires) should leave a child in this way? Just curious really .... ?

OP posts:
MrsGotobed · 06/04/2017 20:43

oops pressed post before I finished...

....and the supermarket security staff refused to intervene and help in any way