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Somewhat shocked

11 replies

PrettyCandles · 20/09/2006 13:15

Driving along a residential road round the corner from my home, I saw a toddler dressed in T-shirt and nappy riding a trike along the pavement completely alone, looking a bit bewildered. I wasn't sure, but thought I knew where she lived, and, sure enough the front door was open and her big brother/sister was playing on the pavement a couple of houses along. I pulled over, rang the doorbell and told the mum, who dashed off down the road to retrieve her dd. She was out of sight round the curve of the road about 5 houses and half a park away.

But what gets me is firstly the fact that these children are always playing unsupervised on the unfenced front lawn or the car on the drive, with the front door open. How can the mum feel this is safe? I think that they're less than 2yo and about 3yo. Does she expect the older one to supervise the younger? And the other thing that gets me is that the only other person on the street at this time was another woman who was obviously aware that something was wrong, that the child was unaccompanied, yet she just walked on - did nothing!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Tortington · 20/09/2006 13:39

call social services if you are very concerned

anniebear · 20/09/2006 14:32

The kids in our road have played out since they were about 3

they just run across the road, not looking

How can the parents be sitting in their houses not caring?

Mine are not going out til they are at least 20

misdee · 20/09/2006 14:39

well.............

last week, i was walking with dd2+3 to the shops, i cross over outside my house, but on my side of the street i notice a little girl running along outside the flats, Naked! 2 people walk pass her and dont do a thing, so i cross back over. at that point a kid sticks his head out of the end block and calls the girl back. she runs twoards him but i cant see if she has gone back in. a man from one of the other blacks has also spotted her and asks if i know where she lives, i say i dont but am off to check.

i go to the flat and shout through the open door if the girl is back there. the mum comes out and thanks me ever so much for spotting her. apparently they had been painting in the hall and opened the front door for ventilation, and the girl escaped then.

BUT if she had been clothed, i am not sure if i would've gone over there to check, as the kdis from those flats are always outside the front, and there are people always poking their heads out to check.

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Kidstrack · 20/09/2006 14:42

i see this sight very often where dd attends nursery, we have to walk past a block of flats and the kids are out playing some as young as 2 playing on trikes at 8.30am with the parents hanging out the window shouting and swearing at them to get indoors, wtf how did they manage to get outside in the first place

SSSandy · 20/09/2006 14:44

If I'm not sure, I always check. With all the nutters running about, you can't be too careful. Think all adults should feel responsible for all children.

Blu · 20/09/2006 14:59

I nearly ran one over last week and feel as if I am still shaking.
I was driving down a road of 4 lanes of traffic which was flowing freely and fast. Thank heavens for speed cameras because I was pegging to 29mph exactly. A 3 year old on a bike with stabilisers came speeding out of a gate very fast, directly into the road in front of me and then in front of the other three lanes of traffic.

His sister was following, but passers-by who saw what was happening grabbed her before she could follow. I stopped, people gathered, no adult for miles around, they had come out from their estate, didn't know where they lived, no-one knew where they lived. Enebtually a known 'community' sort of woman said she would find thier parent/s. Everyone said it was a miracle I had been able to stop - and my tyre tracks are still on the road a week later.

Shudder. That little unsupervised life was so nearly lost.

Mercy · 20/09/2006 15:02

OMG Blu

essbee · 20/09/2006 15:25

Message withdrawn

Marina · 20/09/2006 15:34

Oh, Blu
Many years ago pre-kids we witnessed a close near-miss such as this and I have to say the driver was so shocked he started the car up again, drove after the child (we were at a bus stop the other side of the green about 100 yards away), and drove into him at low speed to knock him off his bike. The child was about 10, not a toddler.
The poor little boy went running off with his dented bike before we got there and despite our calling out to him ran away.
We told the man we would report him to the police (no mobiles then of course LOL) and he said to us, If we were parents ourselves we would understand. We filed a report and despite knowing we had a good description and the correct numberplate the police said they were unable to trace the driver. .
I've been haunted by that shocked little face ever since and am adamant that parent as I now am I could never do that to a child.
How very distressing for you
and in answer to the OP, no, I'd not let a child play out in those circumstances, ever.

Bozza · 20/09/2006 15:42

I was also shocked to see a child in the road (main road through village - so B road and 30 area but heavily trafficked. Fortunately it was last Saturday at about 7.15 so not so busy. We were waiting to pull out of a side street but I was heart in mouth waiting for the other drivers to spot him. He was about 18 months-2 years.

PrettyCandles · 20/09/2006 19:29

Blu thank goodness for being a safe and alert driver!

Marina, I can understand why the man did that - though I could never do it myself. A friend of my parents did that to his own child when we were kids. The boy learned his lesson.

I think the house where the chidren that I posted about live has the kitchen at the front, so presumably their mother thinks she can supervise them from there. It didn't work today though!

But how can someone just walk away from a toddler lost on the street?

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