Baby left in a car at the supermarket

[Pinkerbells]

Shopping in my local supermarket. I parked my car as normal, but noticed that the car next to me had the windows down. I'm not talking a little bit to let air in, I'm talking about every window being all the way down. My teenage DD said 'oops someone forgot to shut their window's'. I looked across and straight away clocked the baby seat. I said 'there's A baby on it's own'! We had a bit of a debate about it and we sat trying to work out what to do. We were probably sat there for 5 minutes, so plenty of time for the parent to have dropped off a trolley, or even go to the cash point at a push. The child was quiet still so I'm guessing it was asleep but it only looked about a year old.
In the end I took the licence plate and reported the car to customer services who immediately alerted security.
But WIBU to report this? I understand in a petrol station it is a different matter, but in a supermarket?

It’s also worth noting, that even if you just pop in somewhere (say a spar or local coop, or Tesco express) for just milk and think ‘oh will leave baby’s asleep in car’. If (heaven forbid) you had an accident or fainted or had a heart attack or something, your baby would be stuck in car for hours as you wouldn’t be conscious to tell anyone about it. Just a thought as that scenario happened to a friend of a friend.

@cadburyegg Probably not the case in this situation (as they'd left the windows down) but it does happen and it's utterly tragic.

Babies and young children can die if left in a car in warm weather, even with a window open. Try sitting in a car for a few minutes on a hot day without the air conditioning running and see how quickly it becomes unbearable.

Then remember that a young child can not control their body temperature as well as an adult and are not able to move around as they are strapped in their seat (which would act as an additional warming layer).

The petrol station scenario is a bit different because, in most cases, it is a very short period of time and the car is under a canopy, so out of the direct sun.

also if something dreadful happened to you for example you collapsed in the petrol station they would be likely to notice the children in your car whereas if you've left them in a supermarket car park this.is less likely to be the case.

I'd have called the police.

I have done this in the past. My car has a remote start so I can leave the car locked, running with the A/C on.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Lifestyle/forgotten-baby-syndrome-parents-nightmare-hot-car-death/story%3fid=40431117

This is similar but I think it was a Pulitzer price winning Washington Post article?

Kursk

Hope you’re kidding. The heat is just one reason why a baby shouldn’t be left alone! What about someone stealing them? Easy to smash a window and take a baby. Or what about just generally not leaving a baby unsupervised? What if the baby wakes up and starts screaming whilst you’re gone?!

I would always report this to the police. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have children. 😡

crispysausagerolls

Have you ever tried to brake a car window??

I saw 2 children left in a car outside a DIY store. The older child who was about 8 was punching and strangling the younger one who was about 4. The car doors were locked and windows closed.
I hammered on the window and shouted at them to stop. My dd went to find security.
It isn't just babies and toddlers who are at risk.
I was shocked tbh.

Kursk

That’s your response?

@Noeuf yes the one I read was Pulitzer-winning. It's stayed with me ever since.

I saw 2 children left in a car outside a DIY store. The older child who was about 8 was punching and strangling the younger one who was about 4.

If this was roughly 25-30 years ago then it was probably me and my brother

Kursk
Idk if car window glass has changed since the early 80’s but my friends father punched his hand straight through the glass in anger.

@Mother I was thinking the same!

@Kursk I’ve never tried to break a car window, but mine has been broken into via the passenger window four times over the past ten years, so it can’t be that fucking difficult.

I know someone who used to do this with her young kids , it disgusted me. I always think someone should remove the child and watch the parents reaction and then remind them of all the things that could happen while they were gone. You did the right thing

I think it is ok at petrol stations as A) you are only in the 5 minutes max. and B) the car is parked in the shade. But otherwise, no. There was an incident where a baby died in a hot car a couple of years ago and after reading about it in the newspaper, it tooks months before I could make myself go into the office without checking all the cars in the parking lot first.

I found a toddler wandering around a car park on his own. I brought him up to the shops and he pointed out his mother in a shop. She looked stunned to see me walking up to her holding her little boy by the hand.
She had left him asleep in his car seat, and didn't realise that he knew how to undo the strap.

In fairness, she looked genuinely shocked and I doubt she ever did that again.

user1485342611

Imagine if someone terrible had found him 😳

Kursk, are you genuinely admitting you'd leave your baby in the car alone and do a shop?!

Helloisitteaurlookingfor

Not a full shop but 10-12 mins.

Well hopefully someone will report kursk to the police and she won’t have a baby anymore to abandon.

kursk Why would you do that?

I leave my kids in the car while I pay for petrol etc but you would leave a baby for 10mins plus?

10 minutes is unacceptable and I can't believe you can't see that it is. You must be winding us up.

If I have the children I always head for pay at pump petrol stations. I just cannot get my head around leaving them in the car for a short time. Did the right thing OP