Am I in the wrong here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[Of course you have an opinion. That's my point. It's not just semantics--you're of the opinion that the OP chose selfish convenience over her child's safety. That's why you phrased it the way you did--because you had something to say about "how she feels about her kid." And that's fine--just own it, don't try to innocently slip your subjective opinion in as objective fact.

Isn't that was she was ultimately asking?? And this affects you .... how?

Because it's annoyingly passive agressive when people phrase their opinions as facts. In my opinion. Which affects you...how?

You have some serious problems. Finding ill will and ill intent in someone's post on DCUM where there wasn't any is just a display of your own anger issues. I don't think that someone saying "I wouldn't do it, it's not worth the risk to me" equals "I don't think they care about their child." You are just an angry person. Why don't you come to grips with that and perhaps deal with that in a more positive and effective way than attacking someone here.

[Anonymous]

And the guy could have watched her for 30 seconds to see what she was doing before immediately whipping out the phone to call 911 before she even walked 30 feet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[Of course you have an opinion. That's my point. It's not just semantics--you're of the opinion that the OP chose selfish convenience over her child's safety. That's why you phrased it the way you did--because you had something to say about "how she feels about her kid." And that's fine--just own it, don't try to innocently slip your subjective opinion in as objective fact.

Isn't that was she was ultimately asking?? And this affects you .... how?

Because it's annoyingly passive agressive when people phrase their opinions as facts. In my opinion. Which affects you...how?

You have some serious problems. Finding ill will and ill intent in someone's post on DCUM where there wasn't any is just a display of your own anger issues. I don't think that someone saying "I wouldn't do it, it's not worth the risk to me" equals "I don't think they care about their child." You are just an angry person. Why don't you come to grips with that and perhaps deal with that in a more positive and effective way than attacking someone here.

I'd just like to point out that you're arguing with multiple people, as I am the OP who called you out. So obviously at least one other person agrees with me. And I think it's time to get real, lady. You were being snarky and sanctimonious. That constitutes ill will, as far as I'm concerned. As the PP said, at least own it. So now, you've proven yourself to be a tool, as well. Congrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: You are just an angry person. Why don't you come to grips with that and perhaps deal with that in a more positive and effective way than attacking someone here.

And I'd just like to add... pot, kettle, black. Just sayin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: 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.

This is not ok.

why is that not ok? with the windows down the kid is fine. do you take the kid out when you pay with a credit card at the pump? what is the difference?

I hope this is a sarcastic comment. But I will bite. ummm....HUGE difference. If I pay at the pump, I am still standing right there, not more than a few feet away. In fact, I will somtimes lean in the window and talk to him while the gas is pumping. If I am in the gas station store, I am not right there in close proximty.

no, not sarcastic. but so what is the difference? if the child is in sight and not more than 20-30 feet away? What is the concern?

Because when you go in the store the child is not in sight.

[Anonymous]

I think each of these cases is a judgement call. Some parents do feel ok to leave their child in the car - in sight. Some parents feel ok to walk out of sight for a few seconds, etc.

I think everyone has a different comfort level with that. However, knowing the risks and how many parents have "forgotten" their children - I make it a habbit (for me) of not leaving my child in the car. It's my choice. So, for me, I would not have comfort in what you did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[Of course you have an opinion. That's my point. It's not just semantics--you're of the opinion that the OP chose selfish convenience over her child's safety. That's why you phrased it the way you did--because you had something to say about "how she feels about her kid." And that's fine--just own it, don't try to innocently slip your subjective opinion in as objective fact.

Isn't that was she was ultimately asking?? And this affects you .... how?

Because it's annoyingly passive agressive when people phrase their opinions as facts. In my opinion. Which affects you...how?

You have some serious problems. Finding ill will and ill intent in someone's post on DCUM where there wasn't any is just a display of your own anger issues. I don't think that someone saying "I wouldn't do it, it's not worth the risk to me" equals "I don't think they care about their child." You are just an angry person. Why don't you come to grips with that and perhaps deal with that in a more positive and effective way than attacking someone here.

I'd just like to point out that you're arguing with multiple people, as I am the OP who called you out. So obviously at least one other person agrees with me. And I think it's time to get real, lady. You were being snarky and sanctimonious. That constitutes ill will, as far as I'm concerned. As the PP said, at least own it. So now, you've proven yourself to be a tool, as well. Congrats.

You're funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: 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.

This is not ok.

why is that not ok? with the windows down the kid is fine. do you take the kid out when you pay with a credit card at the pump? what is the difference?

I hope this is a sarcastic comment. But I will bite. ummm....HUGE difference. If I pay at the pump, I am still standing right there, not more than a few feet away. In fact, I will somtimes lean in the window and talk to him while the gas is pumping. If I am in the gas station store, I am not right there in close proximty.

no, not sarcastic. but so what is the difference? if the child is in sight and not more than 20-30 feet away? What is the concern?

Because when you go in the store the child is not in sight.

well depends on the store I guess. but are your kids in your sight 24-7? they aren't when they are asleep or playing in a different room. And they may not be in sight every second you are gone paying at the pump.

[Anonymous]

So, I've skimmed through the comments and have a few to add:
The horror stories are based on accidents. But it always starts with leaving a child (or pet) in a car. What would happen if you went to the newspaper box and came back to find that you had locked your keys in the car? According to BC/BS, in 90 degree weather (we typically get this or higher around here), a car will heat about 1.5 degrees per minute. But the heat increase grows more than linearly. In 10 minutes any car will be above what the national weather service considers an extreme heat advisory. And infants are significantly more susceptible to dehydration and heat prostration than even toddlers or adolescents (let alone adults). If you did not leave the car running with the A/C on, or you closed the door, the stranger could easily have been concerned. As pointed out, based on the frequency of these accidents over the last three consecutive summers, it may be pretty high up in someone's mind. They have no idea whether you are going to be gone for a minute or for 10 minutes. And in this type of heat, a minute can make a huge difference, especially if emergency personnel needs to be summoned, so waiting could have been fatal. In general, you need to make sure that if you are going out for just a second, you make it clear that you're not going far. Leaving the car on and the A/C running, leaving a door or two open on the car are all ways to ensure that a child is not trapped in an oven and to alert passers-by that you are coming right back. I'm like the other PP, if I were going to do this, I would have double-parked next to the newspaper box and then it would have been pretty unlikely anyone would have thought anything amiss.

However, someone tried to prevent an accident from harming your baby and you are annoyed and were even considering shouting expletives at them? I think the wrong person is overreacting here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I've skimmed through the comments and have a few to add:
The horror stories are based on accidents. But it always starts with leaving a child (or pet) in a car. What would happen if you went to the newspaper box and came back to find that you had locked your keys in the car? According to BC/BS, in 90 degree weather (we typically get this or higher around here), a car will heat about 1.5 degrees per minute. But the heat increase grows more than linearly. In 10 minutes any car will be above what the national weather service considers an extreme heat advisory. And infants are significantly more susceptible to dehydration and heat prostration than even toddlers or adolescents (let alone adults). If you did not leave the car running with the A/C on, or you closed the door, the stranger could easily have been concerned. As pointed out, based on the frequency of these accidents over the last three consecutive summers, it may be pretty high up in someone's mind. They have no idea whether you are going to be gone for a minute or for 10 minutes. And in this type of heat, a minute can make a huge difference, especially if emergency personnel needs to be summoned, so waiting could have been fatal. In general, you need to make sure that if you are going out for just a second, you make it clear that you're not going far. Leaving the car on and the A/C running, leaving a door or two open on the car are all ways to ensure that a child is not trapped in an oven and to alert passers-by that you are coming right back. I'm like the other PP, if I were going to do this, I would have double-parked next to the newspaper box and then it would have been pretty unlikely anyone would have thought anything amiss.

However, someone tried to prevent an accident from harming your baby and you are annoyed and were even considering shouting expletives at them? I think the wrong person is overreacting here.

I agree with you--in general. But there's no way I'm leaving my car running and the door open with my baby in the back. Is it *likely* someone's going to jump in and drive off? No. Is it possible? Yep. Even in the suburbs.

Cue the shouts of "THAT'LL NEVER HAPPEN!!!"

[Anonymous]

Don't ever leave your child in a closed car in the summer. That is step #1 to a potentially fatal accident. I'm very happy that there are people like the guy in question. Even if you think that it was okay for you to leave the child for a second, it is always okay to make sure that a child is protected, and he was doing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: 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.

This is not ok.

why is that not ok? with the windows down the kid is fine. do you take the kid out when you pay with a credit card at the pump? what is the difference?

I hope this is a sarcastic comment. But I will bite. ummm....HUGE difference. If I pay at the pump, I am still standing right there, not more than a few feet away. In fact, I will somtimes lean in the window and talk to him while the gas is pumping. If I am in the gas station store, I am not right there in close proximty.

no, not sarcastic. but so what is the difference? if the child is in sight and not more than 20-30 feet away? What is the concern?

Because when you go in the store the child is not in sight.

well depends on the store I guess. but are your kids in your sight 24-7? they aren't when they are asleep or playing in a different room. And they may not be in sight every second you are gone paying at the pump.

True, but asleep in their crib and playing in their room is probably a more acceptable risk then locked in a car in the gastation while I'm in there grabing a bottle of water, or whatever. However, YOU evaluate the risk level you want to put your child in - I deam that as unacceptable risk. You've decieded otherwise. Does that make me a better parent? Maybe....maybe not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: 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.

This is not ok.

why is that not ok? with the windows down the kid is fine. do you take the kid out when you pay with a credit card at the pump? what is the difference?

I hope this is a sarcastic comment. But I will bite. ummm....HUGE difference. If I pay at the pump, I am still standing right there, not more than a few feet away. In fact, I will somtimes lean in the window and talk to him while the gas is pumping. If I am in the gas station store, I am not right there in close proximty.

no, not sarcastic. but so what is the difference? if the child is in sight and not more than 20-30 feet away? What is the concern?

Because when you go in the store the child is not in sight.

well depends on the store I guess. but are your kids in your sight 24-7? they aren't when they are asleep or playing in a different room. And they may not be in sight every second you are gone paying at the pump.

True, but asleep in their crib and playing in their room is probably a more acceptable risk then locked in a car in the gastation while I'm in there grabing a bottle of water, or whatever. However, YOU evaluate the risk level you want to put your child in - I deam that as unacceptable risk. You've decieded otherwise. Does that make me a better parent? Maybe....maybe not.

Because studies have shown that the inside of a car can get as much as 15 degrees hotter than the outside air in sunny summer weather, even with the windows down. The metal of the car will absorb energy and emit it as heat only a foot or two away from an infant. And infants are more susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion than even toddlers and adolescents. In 10 minutes a car in the summer sun can exceed what the national weather service considers a heat advisory. Under these conditions, even with the windows down, an infant runs the risk of heat exhaustion and/or dehydration. And this is faster still if the baby is in any type of swaddling or if the car seat has any type of heat insulating padding. Additionally, it is ILLEGAL in VA and DC to leave a child unattended in a vehicle. In MD, it is ILLEGAL to leave a child unattended while out of sight as you would be inside a store.

[Anonymous]

well obviously not an infant. I'm thinking more like running to the ATM 15 feet from the car, while a 3-4 year old is asleep in a carseat with the widows and sunroof open. I'd have my eyes on the car the whole time in case any bad guys showed up ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I've skimmed through the comments and have a few to add:
The horror stories are based on accidents. But it always starts with leaving a child (or pet) in a car. What would happen if you went to the newspaper box and came back to find that you had locked your keys in the car?

I would call 911 and break a window, if necessary. Next!