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Am I in the wrong here?
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Anonymous
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PP again. OP stated that she just went to get a paper a few car lengths away -- so she was within sight of her car the whole time.
If the bystander called the police (if that's who he called) while knowing that mom was right there within eyeshot -- I'd say he overreacted. Perhaps he didn't know she was there. If I saw a baby in a car, apparently abansoned, I'd quickly look around and ask "is this your baby?" and if no one IMMEDIATELY responded, I'd have no hesitatino about calling the cops. But if someone were right by and heard me, while getting a paper from the vending machine? I'd think that was fine and no danger to her child, either. For Pete's sake. The people who accidentally leave their kids in cars, who tragically die?? They aren't stopping to get a paper. They are driving to work and forget they have the kid in the car, and park the car, and just go to work ALL DAY. That's horrible and tragic, but don't make out like someone who has a baby in the car and gets out for a second to return a book through the drop through slot at the library is forgetting she has a kid and leaving the kid in the car all day. |
Anonymous
| But what if something hit her on the head while she was going to get the paper and she got amnesia and forgot that the baby was in the car? |
Anonymous
I thought the same thing. Or what if there was a bar on the way to the newspaper, and she decided to have a few shots on her way to get the paper? And she got so drunk she forgot her child was in the car? That's happened to me a few times. |
Anonymous
OMG me too. Then of course, there was the time the aliens kidnapped me while my son was asleep and I brought the trash to the curb. |
Anonymous
| what you did was fine. But telling the man to f*@k off just because he looked annoyed with you would be out of line, in my book. Just ignore him. Even if he'd said something, you can let it roll off. But a look? Heck, some people just have a nasty look to them even when they're trying to be pleasant. Your life will be too stressful if you go reading intent into the looks of strangers. But I wouldn't worry about leaving the kid in the car for that short distance. I've even left them in the car when I go into a store. (w/ glass store front, when I'm parked right in front and keep looking out every 30 seconds) We've gotten crazy. In Germany, people still leave the baby in the buggy outside the shop (because the shop aisles are too narrow). At least they did a few years ago, in relatively small towns. |
Anonymous
Well, I'll admit that I was enough of a worrier when my kids were younger that I had a rule: it was OK to leave my child in the car only if I placed my purse on the roof of the car while I did so, AND I opned up all the windows. I figured that if I didn't feel it was a safe enough place to keep my purse out in the open for " a sec" while I dropped off my Blockbuster video or whatever, then how could I say it was safe enough to leave my child? Meanwhile, the windows rolled down would allow the child to be heard if I slipped and fell on my head and got knocked out. By the bystanders. You know, the same ones who would also come to the baby's aid if I slipped, and fell, and knocked myself unconscious, while HOLDING the baby! Finally, leaving the purse on the top of the car would slow me down considerably in my barhopping, baby - forgetting quest. |
Anonymous
| I live in a condo, first floor, first condo in the hall... sometimes I park in front of my condo (we have reserved parking spaces and mine is not right in front of my building), in someone's else space with blinking lights, air condition on and windows open to come inside grab something I forgot inside or to drop off groceries bags before I park my car in my space and then bring my toddler with me. I also leave my toddler inside the car with windows open, no keys while I go inside the gas station to pay with cash or buy a bottle of water. |
Anonymous
| The OP has not idea who the man was on the phone with. He could have already been on the phone and told the person that some crazy lady left her child alone in the car for a minute...which I don't think is all that short of a time. I think the OP was more in the wrong than the guy. |
Anonymous
| OP, what you did was totally fine. It's nice to think that people are out there looking out for each other's kids, but as you say this guy could have just said something to you before getting on the phone to the authorities. Don't worry about it! |
Anonymous
This is not ok. |
Anonymous
LOL. I am so glad there are other sane people in the world with a sense of humor. |
Anonymous
You laugh, but I saw this on a soap opera once. It could happen to you, too. |
Anonymous
This. Get a grip people. What if you get your baby out of the car to bring the baby with you to the newspaper box and a car runs both you and your baby over! And if only you had left the baby in the car, then the old man would have at least saved your baby! Who lives their life like this? Constantly coming up with absurd "what if" scenarios? It sounds exhausting. |
Anonymous
Not all of us come up with absurd scenarios or live in fear, we just don't leave the baby alone in the car. |
Anonymous
| Haven't read the whole string, but just wanted to say that I would have done the exact same thing! |