Stuck in the car park AIBU?

[CindersCatsSister]

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?

@TheGumption

This was well worth reading 🤣 the quality content I stick around for. Triggered "real" police officers and 5 year olds reading Dracula. Glorious.

🤣

Extreme yes, but I don’t know of anyone that goes out to get knocked over, stabbed or involved in a terrorist attack! So yes it’s not acceptable to leave a toddler in the car alone at all!
The child was not a toddler. If the parent was in the situation you describe then a child would be safer in the car than with the parent.

In shock at PP who think this is OK. 25 mins in a car park?! Wow. Just wow.

@BurbageBrook

In shock at PP who think this is OK. 25 mins in a car park?! Wow. Just wow.

So am I TBH. The mind your own business comments are probably from parents who leave young children in cars.

It takes a village....

Of course you can't leave a 4 year old alone for 25 minutes in a car where you can't even see them. They might have become unwell or there might have been an accident nearby. The parent could also have become unwell (fainted etc) and the child would then be all alone. While none of these situations are likely they're very plausible and do happen.

I've never been in a car accident, I still insist the kids wear their seatbelts.

The child in the car,may tell their parent/s, when they come back, that a strange person had been staring at them in the car whilst they were reading in the car,and the parent would then be worried about a stalker !

I'm glad you stayed and I would have to. Doesn't make you a busybody but it's bloody dangerous to leave a child in the car.

There is no excuse for it, it's so dangerous.

@1forAll74

The child in the car,may tell their parent/s, when they come back, that a strange person had been staring at them in the car whilst they were reading in the car,and the parent would then be worried about a stalker !

The person left their child alone in a car. I really don't think they'd care about a stalker.

@Streamside

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.

I am a paranoid mess so I lock my car with ds in the back when I get out of the drivers side and then unlock it when I get to his door. The alarm has never gone off, and it is a 19 plate.

@trappedsincesundaymorn

Who are the 'many' under 12 that travel to school via public transport alone

Most of the year 7's in the village where I live.

My grandchildren got the bus to secondary school from day 1 when they were 11. It's perfectly normal.

@OwlinaTree

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

They might be a small older child?

At the age of 8/9 my Ds was the size and had the look of a 5/6 year old. I look back on photos taken of him at that age and even I struggle to remember he wasn’t actually aged 5 then.

Aged 11 I was told off by the librarian because he did his homework there in the designated area and I met up with him afterwards. The minimum age for unaccompanied children was 8 years.

The alarm can go off in the car, when the person locked inside moves around.

I am a paranoid mess so I lock my car with ds in the back when I get out of the drivers side and then unlock it when I get to his door. The alarm has never gone off, and it is a 19 plate.

Even for the length of time it takes to walk round to the back of the car?

Do you live in a very rough area?

The poster is probably thinking DS will open the car and run out on to the road.

I’m totally gobsmacked as some of the response to this thread, how can leaving a child in a car alone be anything but beyond stupid, I agree it’s nothing like Madeline McCann because taking a child from a car would be considerable easier than breaking into a building, lets just stop and think for a moment, apart from the obvious abduction risk, what if the car caught fire, what if someone ran into the car, what if the child became ill,stressed,scared, what if the parent became ill, what if the parent had an accident, what if the child wondered off, it’s beyond my comprehension how any parent could do such a thing

@quizqueen

Personally, I think leaving a small child unattended at any time or a dog (if it's hot) in a car should be an automatic prosecution and fine.

Well it's lucky that you're not in a position to inflict rigid blanket rules on the nation.

@SmidgenofaPigeon

‘Anything could happen’

Like what? A child snatcher roaming a car park looking for kiddies in locked cars, that they can take without anyone noticing?

Well that is quite like the McCann's isn't it? Burglar finds child alone in flat and takes her. There are such things as opportunistic paedophiles.

@Shoxfordian

It’s not your business so go about your day

Seriously? Wow. A child is in danger and you'd just walk away? Have a word with yourself. People with your mindset, are the reason so many neglected children go under the radar

@GreyEyedWitch

You're a busybody. The child is fine.

😲😳

I think the biggest danger is kid letting themselves out of the car and wandering off to look for mum. I mean surely that's highly probable

it is illegal to leave a child alone in a vehicle if it places them at risk, quote from government .uk.

@coffeefi

I think the biggest danger is kid letting themselves out of the car and wandering off to look for mum. I mean surely that's highly probable

There’s also real life videos on YouTube showing how easily kids can be lured away.

This is an outstanding example of a MN thread.

So far we appear to have established that 4 year old children can be anywhere between 6ft 4 and 20cm. Could be reading the complete works of Bram Stoker but they should be lambasted for not understanding the themes (I mean fairplay to that...I bet a 4 / 5 possibly 18 months and a half year olds literature thesis might lack depth)

Someone's husbands car spontaneously burst into flames as they walked away in an action film sequence that I truly hope included him wearing sunglasses.

Oh and a slightly confused point being made about something to do with the middle class being unreasonable about PCSOs or possibly the existence of PCSOs were a problem....or maybe the existence of a middle class in general....I wasn't sure on that one.

Meanwhile the OP has wandered off, the child (aged 4 , 9 possibly 25) is fine. And apparently the said car is still not on fire.

I do love MN

I truly hate this attitude. The kid is happy. Leave the family alone. Total busybody

OP @CindersCatsSister I'm disgusted that you didn't call the Police immediately. This mother will now do this again & again & again, as she got away with it this time and so will believe she'll get away with it in future.

Well done