Idiot dad

[chikenlady]

Not sure where this should be. Please move if necessary.

Just got back from my neighbourhood Safeway where a man came up to customer service saying there is a SUV in the parking lot with 2 infants left inside. The guy said the SUV had been there for at least 10 min. When the worker came back in from confirming, a man got in the vehicle and drove away.

I just check the temperature outside and it is 30 deg Celsius (approx. 86 deg Fahrenheit)

What goes on through peoples head. I am now thinking I should have at least gotten the license plate and phoned the police or child welfare services.

[bainsidhe]

Thank goodness those kids are (we hope) ok. Consider this a teaching exercise in people's stupidity. You're now prepared to immediately call the cops should you ever see a similar situation (and I hope you don't!)

[LillFilly]

The police would have fined them big time! I don't care what the temperature is. I don't care that you will only be a few minutes. A minute is all it takes. If you're gonna have the, you better take care of them! (I've called the police more than once, and the parent's always make these excuses!)

[bean]

I've personally called 911 when people have left their kids/pets in a hot car at work.

My store is also less than a block from the nearest fire station. They're usually there within 3 minutes.

The last time was a fairly new Lexus SUV with an infant inside, when it was over 100 outside. Fire dept showed up and taped up the window, then shattered it... just as the owner ran out of the neighboring store screaming at everyone and getting in people's faces.

The cops were also on scene by then.

Owner/proud parent left in handcuffs. Lexus with missing window sat in the lot a couple of days.

[stargirl195]

Hey, if you see a kid in the car, and it's 30 degrees celsius, and there's no parents to be seen?

Break the window first, get some air in, open the door. Make sure the kid is ok, THEN call the police. That should send the message across; a visit from the police and a window to fix.

[LillFilly]

I just remembered we DID have an issue with one van. The people drove around with a VERY lifelike baby, strapped in a car seat, swaddled in a blanket, in the back seat. I don't know why, but with the tinted windows all you saw was OMGABABY!!! We had lots of calls about a baby being left in a car; some people had already called the police by this time. After 3 or 4 calls, we recognized the van and told the caller look closer, it's a doll. We finally got-ahold of the vehicle owner and told them the doll was causing a problem, this isn't funny, please put a box or something over the seat when you're shopping!

[sprocket79]

Ok the baby-doll thing is so creepy on so many levels.

[XCashier]

I just remembered we DID have an issue with one van. The people drove around with a VERY lifelike baby, strapped in a car seat, swaddled in a blanket, in the back seat.

That doesn't even make sense! What, were they trying to get arrested?! The only "reason" I can think of is trying to use the carpool lane, but a cop would ticket you if your "passenger" was a doll and not an actual living human being.

[blas]

Some people are very mentally unhealthy and think that dolls and other inatimate objects are real people, even their own family.

[PepperElf]

you do have to be careful about breaking the windows open though

even tempered glass will splinter

and yes it makes interesting lacerations on the skin if you're not careful.
(i have a lovely scar on the side of my elbow from one)

and of course not all kids will like strangers grabbing them so ... they might struggle. which means they could scrape against the broken glass.

[Samaliel]

you do have to be careful about breaking the windows open though

even tempered glass will splinter

and yes it makes interesting lacerations on the skin if you're not careful.
(i have a lovely scar on the side of my elbow from one)

and of course not all kids will like strangers grabbing them so ... they might struggle. which means they could scrape against the broken glass.

Seconded. Call the police first. They have authority to act as required. You wouldn't want to have people reporting you for breaking in a car or trying to kidnap a child, would you?