Hellobee Boards

Oh wow, what a biatch! I don't think what you did is wrong at all. If you can get arrested for it, well I guess don't do it again - but yes, our parents definitely left us in the car and it was totally considered okay back then!!

I have left my LO napping in the car in the driveway of my parent's house and quickly went inside to drop something off for them. I got yelled at by my mom for leaving my baby in the car and how I can get arrested and yada, yada, yada.

I don't think it warranted calling the cops, but honestly, I wouldn't do it.

I leave my lo in the car with my oldest if she's sleeping, and I'm going to be quick, my Dad gets so mad when I leave her in the car at their house. I think he just wants to wake her up and play though..

Good for you for calling her out though, some people need to mind themselves, not everyone is a Saint. Ugh, some people...

I don't have a car, but maybe as a jaded NYer I've read too many stories about people stealing cars with babies in it for me to do leave my baby in the car even for a quick run.

But I know that my sister and I were definitely left in the car alone when we were little.

I think it was probably ok for the short time, but she probably didn't realize you'd just run in and run out. If she thought you were in the restaurant having a meal or something, then I'd have to agree with her initial reaction. I called the police once in a similar situation, except that it was 80° and Palm Desert, CA. As an outside observer, you just can't be too sure.

I'm way to paranoid to do it (I envision scenarios where the keys get locked in the car, the car is stolen, or the cops drive by and arrest me/call Child Protective Services). Yes, its tempting to do, but so not worth it if something bad happened.

I never understood curb side service or Starbucks drive thrus until I became a parent. I will admit thinking only lazy people couldn't walk in to order Starbucks or pick up take out. Now I realize this is a necessary convenience for parents that don't want to hassle with loading and unloading one or more kids for a 2 minute trip!

@littlebug: this is what I was thinking. She might have pulled in right when you had left the car to pick up your food-- so what only took a few minutes could have been much longer to her. I don't think she was being a bitch about it at all; there are way too many situations out there of people being extremely irresponsible, and don't just run in and out for a couple of minutes at a time.

It sounds like a five second thing and you were just a few steps from her. Meh.

I have contemplated this now that I have 2 kids. Leave baby in car while I run into daycare and pick up my toddler for a few minutes. There is one mom with twin babies and she does that while picking up her older one. I totally get it!! But I am too worried that someone will steal the car because I won't be able to see the car for the whole time even though there is a security guard right there.

I can totally understand your situation and I don't like people who make my business their business. However, I think this particular law has gotten a lot of attention in recent years (at least where I live), and my day care even has a sign up that says "Please do not leave your children in the car, it's the law." So I know that I am pretty hyper aware of it.

I'm very paranoid, so I never leave my kids in the car even for a second. I even feel weird stepping out to get the mail from the mail box or stepping out to pump gas (I open the window). That being said, I would not call the cops on a mom who popped out with the baby left in the car. I wouldn't say anything to her either. Mind your own business, people... if a cop saw her and arrested her because it's against the law, fine... but no need for a citizens' arrest for this kind of situation.

@winniebee: Exactly why I haven't.

I do think there is a difference between still being able to see your child and not, though.

DH is so paranoid about cops being called on him, he refuses to leave our dog in the car. I dont know what I would have done in your situation., I might have just not had lunch, or if I was not sleep deprived I would have called and asked if they could drop it off at the car for me

I think if someone walked by and didnt see you were running back and forth I could see why they made comments.

If I were to see a sleeping baby alone in a car, I probably would watch for a few minutes and if a parent seemed nowhere in sight, yeah, I would call the cops. Clearly you were only a second running in to get takeout, no big deal - however, my coworker just told me a story about how she did the same thing when her LO was small and the car locked itself! Fortunately her MIL lived down the street and they had given her an extra set of car and house keys. Yikes!

@winniebee: same.

I went into a coffe shop (glass, could see LO from the line) because they got my order wrong in the drive-thru.
The whole time I was paranoid that people were judging me.

Anyways- I see why its illegal. It's ASKING for trouble. But, the thing is, parents sometimes need to run out for a minute! Of course, i'm sure some people do it when they can't see their child and for more than a minute.

Apparently I am a total biatch because I am 100% with that lady. Sorry. I have been the one to call the cops when I saw a child in a car with no parent around. Too many kids die in cars or, as I have personally seen working in Law Enforcement, get kidnapped when a car is left running and somebody steals the car. I don't care if you will be inside for "just a minute"... a minute is all it can take.

@Crumbs: wwhhhaaaattttt???? Why?

My cousin leaves her 5 year old to babysit the 3 yr old and infant in her car all the time when she runs into the store. She said she's scared of whooping cough.

I don't judge. I'd just be paranoid though.