Baby left alone in car

[ChickenGator]

I was on my way to pick up my son from school when I walked passed a car with a baby inside.

I did a double take and noticed he was on his own and felt uneasy walking off and leaving him there.

So I waited there for a couple of minutes to see if anyone came, maybe they'd rushed back in the house to get something.
The car was parked on the street and I knew in front of a house with a driveway with another car in the driveway.

After another minute or so I knew I was going to be late to pick up my son, so I built up the courage to knock on the door.

She answered pretty quick and I asked is that your car on the street and she said yes to which I replied I was just checking because there's a child alone in there.

She then gets a bit annoyed and says I know I'm checking on him which seemed weird since I had been hanging around a while and the windows at the front on the house were covered by blinds

So I said ok and starting walking back down the drive to which she then calls me rude.
I turned back and said I was genuinely concerned for the child and by the way he's awake and walked off.

When I walked back home after collecting my son the child was no longer in the car.

Am I mad for thinking this is crazy. I remember when mine were that age? Transferring them out of the seat would always wake them but I'd never considered leaving them on their own in the car. Many times I sat in the car whilst they slept.
The car wasn't even in the drive it was on the street! I've been thinking about it all evening.
It's a quiet residential street but still...

in a car park!! WTF! I would definitely be calling the police if I saw a baby in a car in a car park!

Tell that to my friend who was car jacked at knifepoint

I don't think that's an issue.

My kids all loved napping outside as long as they were wrapped up really warm in their prams. Fresh air is good for them.

The main worry for me about the child in the OP would be somebody driving into the car.

I definitely would not do this. I've spent hours sitting in my car reading a book while my kids slept.

There is definitely evidence that the other mum in the OP wasn't taking the same precautions.
OP said she stood outside near the car for at least 5 minutes without any sign of the mum coming out to check on baby.
She said the car was on a residential street, and as such there is increased risk of someone who might have intentions of snatching a child walking by and seeing the opportunity.
It may be an assumption that the car was petrol-operated instead of electric, but if that is the case, it's necessary to leave the car turned on and ready to drive in order to keep the climate running. This makes it easier for car thieves to make off with the car, with or without realizing the baby is inside. (This happens.)
Edited to add: OP also said it was cold out, so if the car was not ready to drive as a means of keeping the climate running, then the child was at risk of cold injury (unless s/he was very bundled up.)

Like I said, I come out to check on my DD literally every 5 minutes when she is napping in the car and I'm not sitting out there with her. My house is in the middle of the woods; there are no people walking by it to see a sleeping child in the car. My car is electric, and does not need to be ready to drive to keep the climate running, so there is little risk of someone stealing the car with my DD inside.

These are things I've taken into consideration.

Ok, it’s perfectly safe and absolutely nothing could happen to a toddler let alone in a car 🤦‍♀️

No that’s not what I’m implying but why up the chance and increase risk from outside factors? Of course it’s more risky to leave a child alone in a car than in their bedroom because there’s more risks about and I’m not sure why people think it’s perfectly safe

You're a stand up citizen OP, we need more people like you. Hopefully that terrible mother has learnt her lesson, poor child should be taken off her.

I’ve spent many hours sat in the car
on the drive whilst a child slept, I even worked out that if I reversed further enough up the drive (so the car was practically touching the house) I could run in and get my laptop and the WiFi would still connect so I could catch up on a bit of work whilst sitting in the car.

My friend used to leave her daughter in the car sleeping on the driveway, said she watched the car via ring door bell. I could never do it though.

How would you sitting in the car reading a book reduce the likelihood of car ploughing into you?

Because there is the same risk of a child choking on something or having a seizure when left unwatched in a car as there is if the child is left unwatched in a house in a crib.

I already talked about the mitigation I practice for car-specific risks.

You did the right thing OP, but I would have called the police and not intervened directly. The parent is likely to ignore you and do it again.

Very dangerous for a baby to be left in a car seat even if a parent is in the car - they aren't safe to be used when not driving. Lullaby Trust says

Car seats should only be used for transport and not as an alternative for cots or high chairs. It’s OK for your baby to fall asleep in a car seat when travelling, but they should be taken out as soon as you get to your destination, and placed onto a firm, flat surface to sleep.

@ludocris 😳 She did what??? I must have missed it!

It is probably riskier to let your child sleep in carseats in general, but you gotta admire anyone willing to risk waking their kid up during the transfer to avoid that!

You might of assessed the risks yes but not everyone does. It’s not always safe to leave a child

@Coconutter24 Right, I don't think anyone here is saying that it's always safe, or even that it's ever entirely risk free, to leave children in the car.

The car does not need to be running. Children can be wrapped up warm to sleep outside just fine. The UK does not get so cold that children cannot sleep outside or in cars. Your car being electric is irrelevant.

Nothing is ever perfectly safe. But all the examples you gave are by no means car specific.

OP said this child was about 2. Not an infant at risk of asphyxiation.

The woman is clearly irresponsible and puts her baby at risk. Anyone could have stolen the car with her baby inside. Things like this have happened before and been on the news. If her baby was asleep she could have sat in the car. When my DC was a baby I often sat in my car reading a book until she woke up.

Every gas-operated car I've ever been in had to either have the keys in the ignition or the push-to-start button pressed to start it in order to keep the climate on. Maybe it's different where you are.

I suppose if you put your kid in the car with the intention of getting him/her to nap and then plan to leave the car off with the windows cracked in cold weather, you would dress him/her in warm clothing or use blankets. But then you have increased suffocation risks from the bulky fabric, and allegedly the restraints can be rendered ineffective from not fitting correctly. I personally don't bundle up my kid in her carseat for those reasons.

Hence, I leave the climate running but not the car, and it's relevant.

Why does climate need to be on? It's perfectly safe to bundled up in these temperatures whether in a car or outside. I don't know where you are, but it really doesn't get that cold in England. In an enclosed car, a blanket is usually sufficient, assuming child is already wearing appropriate layers. Thin layers under the harness, blanket on top. How do you think we all survived back when cars had no/shit "climate"?

I'm gonna exit this conversation with you, @Fluufer , because I don't think it's going anywhere.

When cars are stolen with a child in it the keys have invariably been left in the ignition. Do not leave your keys in the ignition child or no child.

There is obviously the issue with keyless entry and devices to start cars without the key, but use the appropriate pouch to reduce this risk.

v sorry for your friend.. honestly never heard of that happening in the UK... But would you wake your sleeping baby to pop in to pay for your petrol?

All those saying the woman should have sat in the car with the child, why do we assume its an only child? She could have been feeding a newborn and not made it back as soon as she hoped, she could have an older child she was tending to.

When my twin babies slept on the school run, they were left in the car while I brought DS1 in and gave him a snack and had a chat and did homework. I'd leave a window open and our front door ajar so I could hear a cry. Admittedly it was a driveway not a road. If I brought them in both would have woken and one would cry while i fed the other then our entire feeding schedule would be out of sync, DS would not get homework done and possibly not get dinner. All three children would be out of sorts for the evening. Leaving them sleep in the car was by far the sensible option for the family.