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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Stuck in the car park AIBU?

369 replies

CindersCatsSister · 15/05/2021 10:19

Well this is annoying. Just got out of my car at the car park in the (small) town centre and noticed in the car next to me a child, looks to be about 4 or 5, by themselves. Quite happily reading a book but all alone. I thought oh I’ll just hang on here until his parent gets back but it’s been 15 fucking mins now and I’ve got shit to do. But I want to keep an eye on him in case (of what, I don’t know). Am I being (too much of) a busybody?

OP posts:
TheQueef · 15/05/2021 11:03

@grantoderek

What are you on about?
Car parks here are patrolled by PCSO's, it was just a question, no need to credit me with all your mnet woes.

bonfireheart · 15/05/2021 11:04

In Birmingham recently we've had cars stolen with kids in them, one car had two kids in it and was stolen, they drove for ages and then left the kids on the roadside.

Nanny0gg · 15/05/2021 11:05

@Shoxfordian

It’s not your business so go about your day
Really??
nannyplums · 15/05/2021 11:05

A couple of minutes is fine, while getting a ticket etc but absolutely not for any longer than that. I can't believe some of the responses on here!! I would not like to think any of you are parents, your poor children.

bonfireheart · 15/05/2021 11:05

@grantoderek weird response

I've seen people leave kids in cars at supermarket and people usually alert thr security guard who waits next to car until parents come back.

randomkey123 · 15/05/2021 11:05

I'd report it to the Police. What a stupid thing to do with a child.

ThatIsMyPotato · 15/05/2021 11:06

I'd call 101 and ask their advice.

Nanny0gg · 15/05/2021 11:07

@grantoderek what are the odds of a 'real' police officer being around?

coffeeneeded · 15/05/2021 11:08

I definitely couldn't leave the kid alone. Call security/police

ThatIsMyPotato · 15/05/2021 11:09

Is there a security person at the car park

summersolstice43 · 15/05/2021 11:09

Thats far too young to be left alone for such a long time. What if something has happened to the parent.

To everyone telling OP to go about her day, thats exactly what the people did who saw James Bulger being snatched and look what happened there.

peboh · 15/05/2021 11:10

I was call the police. Accidents happen, often in car parks. A young child should never be left unattended in a locked vehicle.

Snaketime · 15/05/2021 11:11

I would report too, ok so it isn't very warm today, but if they are happy to leave a 4/5 year old alone for this amount of time, what if they did it on a hot day? The fact that the child is sitting there happily reading a book, rather than messing around in the car shows they are used to this. Children are unpredictable, especially at that age, anything could happen and just because the car is locked and people can't get in from the outside doesn't mean the child can't get out.

OwlinaTree · 15/05/2021 11:17

They must be quite an advanced 4 year old if they are quietly reading a book.

They might be a small older child?

grantoderek · 15/05/2021 11:18

[quote TheQueef]@grantoderek

What are you on about?
Car parks here are patrolled by PCSO's, it was just a question, no need to credit me with all your mnet woes.[/quote]
It's not a weird response. The biggest anti climax the busy body would feel is if nothing happened. No fire, flood or kidnappers. And as someone said, report it to the store security who can deal with it as per their policy, why just sit there watching the kid. Because they are awaiting the pats on the back for being such a good person whereas a normal person would either make a phonecalls or go into the store. To ask on MN what to do is obviously glory hunting and attention seeking. I think it's weird to sit and watch a child rather than just pass on the information.

RealHousewifeOfPontypandy · 15/05/2021 11:20

might be an older child who looks younger
they might have a mobile phone on them
parent might be watching them from afar?
tricky one

grantoderek · 15/05/2021 11:20

[quote Nanny0gg]@grantoderek what are the odds of a 'real' police officer being around?[/quote]
Presumably the OP has a telephone seeing as I stead of using it they are instead posting about what a savior they are from a car park. So presumably they have battery sufficient to press 3 buttons and report and get along with their own day.

bonfireheart · 15/05/2021 11:21

@grantoderek your life must be so tiring...

And OP is hardly going to get a pat on the back from someone who knowingly left their child in a car.

Viviennemary · 15/05/2021 11:21

That's pretty shocking. Call the police?

kowari · 15/05/2021 11:23

@OwlinaTree

They must be quite an advanced 4 year old if they are quietly reading a book.

They might be a small older child?

Yes, I'd assume older based on behaviour. Or even if they are five, if they have the maturity and attention span to sit quietly reading then the parent may have made the decision to leave them based on that, not their age.
grantoderek · 15/05/2021 11:24

OK so then why are they posting. Do they Genuinely wonder if it's OK to leave a child in a car for that period of time? Or at all in fact apart from, as others said, getting a ticket/trolley etc. So there can only be two options. Either they genuinely are not aware of basic societal norms in which case it's peculiar they are able to post from their phone. The second is so that they can be reinforced and heroic. It's a pointless question, it's not a question. It's a look at me.

Thomasina79 · 15/05/2021 11:28

Gosh, in the past when I had a dog I would never have left her in the car and gone away, let alone a child. This poster is not a busy body but a concerned member of the public. There is too much looking the other way and not getting involved nowadays.

LST · 15/05/2021 11:28

There are no 4 or 5 year olds I have ever known to read a book for 15 + mins. Could this child be older?

bonfireheart · 15/05/2021 11:28

Nah think they created this thread purely to annoy you!!

Streamside · 15/05/2021 11:29

Very few cars nowadays would let you lock a child in without the alarm going off so I'd assume the cars unlocked. Phone the police and report it, otherwise you'll not be able to get it out of your head.

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