And the on-base Mother of the year award goes to...

[PepperElf]

My BF and I were on the local base today picking up some items from the store. We had the dog with us so I waited in the car with the AC running and was busy keeping myself entertained on the iPod while he shopped. Quick background note - it's getting hot here. Low 90s by 10am, low 100s by 2pm. This is very relevant.

It's a good thing we did this. About the time my BF was walking back to the car I noticed there was a line of cars behind ours. And some annoying knocking sound coming from one of the vehicles in the lot. Just as he got to the car I realized what the "line of cars" was.... it wasn't a couple of cars waiting for a good spot like I'd originally thought. They were base police cars with their lights running.


The focus was on a recent model Chevy suburban with chromed out wheels two spots down from us. My BF noted that it had a blue sticker on it (meaning the driver was either an officer of the wife of an officer) The knocking sound? Later on my BF said that the police had broken her driver side window open (and broken the mirror off too) in an attempt to open the vehicle.

It wasn't until much later (re: now) that I realized the driver had arrived at the scene AFTER my boyfriend did. Meaning she WAS NOT at the sub while the police were starting to break it open. I do remember the car alarm going off though.


The reason for all this drama? She had an infant in a carseat in the back. With NO AC running. In 90 degree weather.

My BF heard her claim, "I have a remote start. I don't know why it wasn't working!" As if that's justification for leaving the infant in the car.


Dunno what charges they'll drop on her. I do know they started filling out the report and carted her and the child away in one of the supervisor's cars. But... if they do charge her it'll be a federal offense since it's a military base. (federal reserve).

[raudf]

Hopefully everything in the book they can find to drop on her!

I guess I'm just so very paranoid that I never leave my child unattended in the car and he's 10. The baby is gonna be no different when he's born. Really, it's not that hard to get a kid out of the car and if one is having that much trouble, maybe going out and about is a bad idea!

[Merriweather]

Yeah, she's in it deep. Military bases don't hesitate to come down harder than bricks on things like that. They don't worry about lawsuits, being "p.c." or anything else. In fact, if it's her husband who is the officer, unless he's an awfully high ranking one, his career is going to feel it too, cause military consider anything done by a dependant as the ultimate responsibility of the military member. And there's no differentiation between career & personal life, either (for example, when living in military housing, a person can get written up by their Commanding Officer at work if the housing office tells them they aren't mowing their lawn often enough).

[PepperElf]

I hope. I'll keep an eye out in the news but, the local army stuff doesn't always appear in the paper, if it completely stays on base that is.

(assuming they do prosecute of course. i've seen cases where commands have blown off spousal abuse & DWIs cos they liked the soldier)



Though ... I haven't decided yet, I may do a letter-to-the-editor on child safety to the local paper. The paper that the base skipper does not control that is. So... if the base does push it under the carpet then... well they can't do fuck all to a civilian paper or a civilian commentator.

[kpzra]

Oh yeah, I had it DRILLED into my head that I wasn't responsible for any of my screw ups on post, my husband was.

[Rainman]

Yeah, she's in it deep. Military bases don't hesitate to come down harder than bricks on things like that. They don't worry about lawsuits, being "p.c." or anything else. In fact, if it's her husband who is the officer, unless he's an awfully high ranking one, his career is going to feel it too, cause military consider anything done by a dependant as the ultimate responsibility of the military member. And there's no differentiation between career & personal life, either (for example, when living in military housing, a person can get written up by their Commanding Officer at work if the housing office tells them they aren't mowing their lawn often enough).

This. Hell, my 1sgt once told me a story about a former company commander of his who got transfered to a different freaking hemisphere because of his wife's actions. Apparently the wife T boned another car while running a red light, then proceeded to pull the other driver out of her car and start beating on her in front of her disbaled daughter. The other driver? Post Commander's wife. Oops.

[Sapphire Silk]

The reason for all this drama? She had an infant in a carseat in the back. With NO AC running. In 90 degree weather.

My BF heard her claim, "I have a remote start. I don't know why it wasn't working!" As if that's justification for leaving the infant in the car.


Dunno what charges they'll drop on her. I do know they started filling out the report and carted her and the child away in one of the supervisor's cars. But... if they do charge her it'll be a federal offense since it's a military base. (federal reserve).

This bitch is so FOS. At the very least, she could end up banned from base. Her hubs could lose his on base driving privileges. Unless he's got some serious pull, his career is finished. He won't get promoted and no promotion means you're out of the military.

[MoonCat]

Every year I read about a kid--sometimes more than one--left in a car with no a/c on a hot day. It just boggles the mind that people can be that stupid. I hope they throw everything they've got at this moron.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Every year I read about a kid--sometimes more than one--left in a car with no a/c on a hot day. It just boggles the mind that people can be that stupid. I hope they throw everything they've got at this moron.

Agreed.

Saw a near incident today after work when Mom and I stopped to get gas @ Wallyworld.

We pulled up to a pump behind a Nissan, where a young guy got out, locked his car and proceeded to leave the pump to go to the line at the counter.

Needless to say, we moved around to the next pump . . . . . it was already way past 90 outside (close to 100 then) and our AC ain't working too good in the car, so we didn't want to get stuck waiting behind him.

He came back quickly after, unlocked the car, got a small girl out (couldn't have been more than 2) and took her with him to get in line.

Needless to say, the place was pretty packed . . . I guess the guy thought better of leaving the child in the car as there were too many witnesses and too many cell phones.

I just hope he doesn't make that mistake again in a place where it's not so busy . . .

[Pixilated]

And here was me not wanting to leave two cats in my car for even a quick meal in a fast-food place during my recent trip to My Hometown ...

I'm sorry for her husband, who's certainly going to be nailed over this, but I hope she's still fighting her way out of the sh*t at Christmas.

[LillFilly]

I hope they throw the book at her! At 90 degrees that car would get to over 103 in 10 minutes! More than enough to cause brain damage in a baby.

[Misanthropical]

We have had more than one complete moron leave their baby in the car with no A/C in our 100 degree heat.

I never left my babies in the car. I got so use to getting them out of the car that even when I was out alone I would open the back door of the car to get them and then remember they didn't come with me.

[RealUnimportant]

I don't even like leaving a shitty old jacket on display in my car at any time, let alone another living being that's reliant on me to make the right decisions... Rain or shine; AC or no AC; sunshine, streetlights or an underground carpark - you don't leave something in the car that can't be replaced and you don't leave someone unattended in the car who can't look after themselves.

[ozcatbug]

Didn't someone say that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Each year we are warned not to leave children and pets in cars in the heat, and year after year children and animals die. Every time there is a major storm coming our way we are warned to not drive through flood waters, and not to let children play in the stormwater drains, and yet time and time again some idiot thinks they can make it through the flooded roads, which then gets pushed off into the flooded rivers, or children once again get washed away on their boogie boards in the flooded drains. Seems to be a case of darwinism at work, survival of the fittest, though you have to feel sorry for the poor children and animals who through no fault of their own are left to die.

Hope that poor excuse for a mother is thrown to the wolves over this.

[PepperElf]

and as i told my bf later, it was a good thing i remained in the car. cos if i hadn't i'm sure our windows would have been broken too. but not only was i still there, but we left the car running for the AC.


tho, keep in mind the woman could have been either the spouse or the officer herself.