Why do people do this!!!! Are they just stupid?

[memoo]

Sorry but this is a bit of a rant.

We went to mothercare today, we pulled in next to another car that on first apperance was empty.

As I got out of our car I noticed that there were actually 2 children asleep in the back of this car. A baby of about 10 months and a toddler. The car was all locked up, doors and windows closed. It has been so hot today, the temp gague in our own car showed 26 degrees. The thought of sitting in a car with all the windows shut was unbearable.

I stood there looking around thinking maybe there mum or dad has just taken the trolly back or something but there was nobody to be seen.

So we stood there with me getting increasing worried. I didn't know what the hell to do and tbh was on the verge on phoning the police.

Finally after about 10 minutes or so a women came out of mothercare laden down with bags so she must have been in there for quite a while. I just looked at her and tbh didn't know what to say without losing my temper so said nothing. She just put the bags in the boot, got in the car and drove off, she didn't even check on the children.

I just can't believe that somebody would do this. Its so incredably dangerous, children have died after being left in a hot car like this. Are some people really so stupid or do they just not give a damm

• I say stopped happening in the 80's as I remember my Uncle leaving me in the car whilst he went in the pub for a drink... Gone about 2 hours. That was during the 80's

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MissSunny - I haven't ever heard anyone on MN say it's OK to leave DCs in the car to shop in Tesco. Some of us feel it's OK to pop into the corner shop or pay for petrol, where you can still keep an eye on the car.

The risk of a serious collision in a car park or the car exploding is minute, and the danger is far, far greater when you are actually in the car with them, driving in fast-moving traffic.

However, leaving children locked in a car for any length of time when it is warm and sunny is incredibly dangerous.

Back to the 80s - my parents used to leave us to sleep in the back of our estate car on a regular basis while they played badminton. We even had a special foam mattress cut to fit in the back of the car. It was perfectly normal. My mum is horrified by the idea now, especially is this was in South Africa where it's so very dangerous now.

And to add, when I leave the DDs in the car to pay for petrol, I leave the car unlocked, so that if, god forbid, anything did happen, it would be easy to get them out.

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Annie, I also leave ds in the car to pay for petrol, but am never sure whether to leave doors unlocked (for your reasons) or whether to lock them in case someone pinches him! Even though I can see him the whole time, he's 4 and really lively, so think would be bigger risk taking him with me across the forecourt.
Its a minefield, can't believe anyone would leave their kids to go shopping though

Slight overreaction with some posts here. I leave my DCs locked in my car outside the local shop.

I do hope that one day I don't see some nutcase smashing the windows onto my sleeping children in the 2 minutes that I've left them.

'Back to the 80s - my parents used to leave us to sleep in the back of our estate car on a regular basis while they played badminton. We even had a special foam mattress cut to fit in the back of the car. It was perfectly normal. My mum is horrified by the idea now, especially is this was in South Africa where it's so very dangerous now.'

Anne this would be dangerous anywhere, depending whereabouts they were left. As I am sure you know, there are good and bad parts in SA, as there are in the UK. Doing that is just a big no no in any country.

Something people don't think of too is what if someone steals their car.... with their child inside? Unthinkable.

By the way, it took the police 4 minutes to get to us when I called re the child in the car, which I thought was amazing. The neighbour told me she'd been there for 45 mins already (!!!), she then knocked on my door and asked what she should do... I just immediately called the police! The kid was distraught

The petrol forecourt thing. I've decided that it's safer to lock them in.

Twice in my life (I'm quite an old gimmer!) some pissed up bloke has got into my unlocked car on the forecourt while I've been paying, wanting a lift home.

However, I've never seen or heard of a forecourt fire.

It's totally illegal and socially unacceptable here in Australia to leave your kids in the car for any length of time, obviously heat is more of an issue. I did feel very sorry for a mum one day though who left her toddler sleeping in the car in the school car park while she collected a sibling (school in the arse end of nowhere so no stranger danger risk). It was not a hot day and all the windows were open but when she came back the car was surrounded by school staff, including the head teacher, waiting to speak to her. The shame!

Miss Sunny is right I think, there have been previous threads where people have said thay think it is ok for 5 or 10 minutes while they nip to the supermarket

There are so many things that could go wrong, why put your children in that position? I don't get it.

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when I got into my car yesterday my temp gauge said it was 30degrees in my car, and it went down as I drove about with air con on. It was uncomfortable for me, and I would not leave my kids in the car while I went shopping, however I do leave them in the car when paying for petrol, but I try to use the pay at pump stations now.

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MissSunny - exactly, how would they know? Yet to smash the windows is assuming they've been there for 20mins surely. If they waited a reasonable time to see if anyone was coming back/watching then fair enough.

Going across the forecourt with a 2yo, staggering because they've just been woken up, and a baby in a heavy car seat is surely more risky than leaving them in the car?

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Lol, I would love to see what happened if you started dialing 999 or smashing windows as someone walks into the petrol station shop to pay for their petrol. I suspect you would be verbally cautioned for wasting police time and criminal damage at the least.

I know we all have different ways of risk assessing and so on, but there is clearly a big difference between a shopping trip in Mothercare and paying for petrol.

To the Op, just a thought I had, could the mother have ordered the stuff in bags to collect in store? Perhaps she really was just picking it up and was gone just the 10 minutes you saw? (I agree even that is too long and dangerous btw but I was just wondering if there was another explanation).

i remember seeing a police man in our local town rescue a dog left in a car on a hot day ,the car was parked opposite the police station and he calmly walked out and smashed the car window with his baton and got the dog out .A bystander said ' i thought you have a special device to open cars ' to which the police man replied 'we do !'.Couldnt hang around to see what happened when the owner returned ,but it wont have been a cheap shopping trip !!!