I once left my puppy beagle in the back of my car, windows cracked, while I ran into the restaurant to pick up takeout.
I was not in there more than 5 mins. When I got out, started to pull away, and was stopped by a cop who then called animal services.
This level of nanny-state-ism drives me slightly crazy. But the real issue for me was the person who decided s/he needed to call the police (the police for this). If it were me, I would probably sit and wait on a bench nearby, keeping an eye out. It's true that the dog was barking like crazy but he's a dog (a beagle at that), and dogs bark. I'd watch and if he showed signs of distress, I'd act. Or, if it turned into 20, 30 mins, then probably I would also react. But the person who comes across a situation and instantly goes to "call the police" is not something I understand.
I think maybe we all know the type who just likes to report things. Who likes that power trip. I can't help but feel we'd maybe be better off if those types learned to be more circumspect in their actions.
(In the end i paid my $35 fee and told the cop and animal control that I thought what they were doing was a total farce.)
I once called animal control when I saw a dog in a car, in a hot parking lot. This dog was barking and running around the car. I waited in my car's A/C for 5 minutes before calling, just to be sure I wasn't overreacting.
When I got through to animal control, I was told that the dog was not in distress. A dog in distress would retreat to a cooler spot of the car (near the passenger side floor) and not jump around barking.
That your dog was barking and moving around, it was not in distress.
To be fair, if I'm a passerby and I see a dog with the window cracked open, I have no idea how long he's been there. Calling the cops makes sense, they're the ones paid to made the judgement call and animal control should have the training to diagnose whether the dog is in distress or not. Whoever made the call chose to err on the side of caution out of humanitarian concern, not to get your goat or ruin your day.
Sounds like your police department sucks more so than the worried passerby engaging in "nanny-statism." The police chose not to assess the situation correctly and just went for the easy fine.
You're assuming that whoever sees the dog has the time to sit and wait and observe. What if they were to assume that you were making a quick stop but you actually weren't, didn't notify anyone, and your dog dies.
While it's tough to criticize the decision to leave a child in the car for a few minutes -- happened to me all the time as a child -- I'm forever scarred by seeing a dead child pulled out of a car in the office complex next to mine [1]. The dad was bashing his head against a tree trying to knock himself unconscious because he was so overcome with grief. Officers were trying to restrain him when his wife showed up and went completely (understandably) histerical, pounded her fist on the ground and screaming at her husband.
I can't fathom how one could begin to process and move on from such an incident.
So while I don't think it should be illegal to leave a child in the car, personally that's a line I'll not cross with my kids.
he had agreed not to pursue the charge if, over the course of nine months, I completed 100 hours of community service and attended parenting education
Superbly written, but the underlying story and outcome disturbs me. That someone is dissuaded from presenting a fair case because a court is considered to be bad at its job and taking a revenge-not-justice punishment is the best option serves as a serious indictment of 'justice' in whatever loony tunes jurisdiction she lives. Judicial systems are meant to apply laws contextually based on actual facts, not condemn anyone who falls into a gray area.
It wasn't so long ago that the "bystander" would simply watch the child for a minute out of common courtesy for the mother. If it looked like it was getting out of hand, then perhaps intervention of some sort might cross their mind.
We've become a nation of "I'm Teelllllling..." suitable for nobody but a playground full of 5 year olds.
In my opinion, the actions of this "good samaritan" were not motivated from concern or helpfulness. Just like on the playground this action was malicious. A subtle kind of violence.
Right! If the intention were to protect the child, and the child were in actual danger, the bystander would be right there next to the car in case anything went wrong.
If anything, the bystander should be prosecuted for the same crime.
I'm willing to bet that having a pool in your yard is much more dangerous for your child than leaving them in a car with windows cracked for 5 minutes.
Media drives government. Clicks drive the media. What we're left with is a hodgepodge of laws that attempt to prevent yesterday's headline.
The U. S. has long been a country of busy-bodies (the Puritans weren't known for keeping their noses out of the business of others), and the example of this story demonstrates that cellphone cameras make it easier to share your nosiness without that uncomfortable confrontation of the past.
Before you go off to pull out those "child cooks in car in Texas in July" anecdotes, consider that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children. So if we're collectively that worried about it, let's get up in arms about needlessly taking the child on a car trip before we worry about applying "justice" to someone who left their child in a car in 50F weather.
If it were truly a case of "good samaritan" I'd blow it off. But I'm going to guess it was more a case of "she's doing something I think is awful. Regardless of whether harm was done or not, I'm going to go tattle!"
I'd be interested in hearing non-US perspectives on this.
Is it acceptable elsewhere to leave your small child alone in the car for 5 minutes while you get something from a store? Would you fear for the child's safety, of legal action, or neither? Is the US leading the way criminalizing parents who do such things, or are there other countries that have been doing this for years?
Grew up in France in the 90s, in a small upper middle class town. My mother definitely left me alone in the car while she was running errands many, many times (which I liked because it meant I could just read my book, which is all I cared about as a kid). My parents also let me walk back and forth to the library (half a mile or so away) on my own fairly early on.
When we lived in the US for 2 years (pre 9/11), my parents definitely experienced a few police-state-related cultural shocks.
One time, a kid started hitting me in the school bus. It turned out that the kid lived in the same apartment complex as we did. That evening, my dad saw him playing outside, went up to him, and gave him a few stern words. A few hours later, his mother had called the police, and my dad ended up spending a few hours at the local police station.
We still lived in the US for another year or so after that, but nowadays my parents heavily dislike this country, and tend to avoid visiting me as much they can. FTR I don't see myself staying in the US when I start having kids.
Relevant German case law assumes that children are NOT under constant, uninterrupted supervision. Children being able to do things at least somewhat independently is considered important for developing self-reliance [1] and can override the parents' legal duty to supervise them; barring unusual circumstances, watching your child constantly is considered undesirable for the child's development. For example, it is considered more important for six year olds to walk to school on their own than for parents to provide supervision during that time (barring exceptional circumstances, such as a disability).
Checking on your four-year old son every 15-30 minutes is generally sufficient (modulo the circumstances and the child's maturity).
[1] Which is not to say that helicopter parenting isn't on the rise in Germany, too. The difference is that the police and teachers ask that parents NOT drive their children to school or pick them up afterwards, and some parents do it anyway.
I'm from Australia, have lived in the US, Ecuador, Argentina and now Canada. My sister lives in the UK.
I've never seen anywhere else in the world that takes these issues as seriously (and insanely) as the US.
In Australia it's extremely common to see young kids walking to school without an adult, playing in the park after school, etc. etc. Many young kids will walk to the corner shop to buy candy or whatever without supervision. Adults think nothing of this, it's perfectly normal. It's unthinkable someone would call the Police for this.
EDIT: I should add, however, that it's highly illegal to leave a child in a car, due to the extreme heat. I've never seen it, but I expect people would call the Police or just break into a car if they saw this happening. It's taken so seriously, the punishment is actually the same for leaving an animal in the car as it is for leaving a child in the car.
> I'd be interested in hearing non-US perspectives on this.
Finland here. Some people would leave a child in a car when they conduct a short errand, and some people would not, and the latter might frown upon the former. But the law enforcement would never ever get involved. That Salon article is just absurd. A whole new level of American weirdness.
(Then again, we rarely have weather as hot as the more southern countries.)
What happened in the article was just plain crazy. I'm from Finland and being five minutes somewhere outside the car -- nobody would blink an eye.
But things would also escalate gradually, depending on the situation. People would gather and start looking at the clock, seeing how the baby is doing and how long he's been there.
I'm sure there are laws you eventually do break if you leave your baby in the car for a long period of time (half an hour and up?), or in a hot parking lot and windows too closed.
Somebody would call the authorities and the police/firemen would break the window and save the baby and stay waiting for the parent: this would certainly warrant at least hectic reporting. The social workers would probably be notified and there would be a couple of meetings to figure out what's the deal.
But somebody being away for a few minutes... No way it would ever be a criminal case or brought to the judge or courts. While Finland does love rules and regulations more than sanefully necessary, you still have to mess up pretty bad to actually get charged for anything.
When I got to the bit about being arrested I was completely baffled... there's a law against this? I'm from the UK and as a child was left in the car for short periods, which is almost certainly commonplace.
I'm simply stunned that parents can be prosecuted for this. Another wtf America moment.
I'm from the UK and was born in 1990. I remember my parents leaving me in the car when I was younger, in all sorts of weather. Rain, snow, sun, whatever. I never really cared because they'd leave the radio on and I could play with whatever I'd taken with me. Nothing bad ever happened to me when they left me in the car
I don't see any issue with people leaving their kids in the car, it just requires a little common sense.
Also, comparing events where someone forgot their kid was in the car and leaving them all day to events where the parents consciously leave their kids and are aware of the conditions they've left them in (especially if they actually do something to help ensure the comfort of the child, like cracking the window) it's completely wrong. One is neglect, one is giving your kids a little freedom.
Some people in the UK take an extreme view on age of baby sitters. See this BBC article (in my parenting SE answer) about a woman leaving her 14 year old son in charge of a 3 year old boy for 30 minutes and the trouble that caused. (She should not have accepted the caution. I am surprised that's what the solicitor suggested, and I'm not sure she actually got a solicitor.)
I find this pretty crazy. Going with a really contrived example, using the same logic, we could make it illegal to step next to your children because you could potentially break their skull with your elbow. Way too many ifs.
However, the goal itself, namely protecting children is noble. I guess hitting the sweet spot between being neglective and overly protective is hard. Such is the nature of most social issues.
In the Netherlands I would not expect any legal consequences or police involvement over leaving a kid in a car in the way described in the article (e.g. window open and only for a few minutes).
Bolivia here - I've NEVER in my 14 years living here in two different departments (states) seen a child left alone in a car. It's just unheard of. And we don't even get that much heat or cold either.
The risk is someone can break your window and steal your kid. It's just something that's never done. It would be akin to leaving your child on the street corner while you go up to your apartment to grab the purse you forgot.
I commuted by public transportation for about 5~ miles each day before and after school from the age of 9 (in Ukraine). From 11 on I commuted about 5~ miles each way to school in New York City.
At 8, I would often walk for miles in the wilderness when out camping, or go swimming in a river without serious adult supervision.
In the UK things have changed and so parents need to be careful. Various high profile cases have resulted in changes to both social services and police processing.
As a German and father of a 22 month old child, I can't understand how unbelievable dumb this story is. I couldn't even finish reading it, because all this stuff is so cringeworthy.
While I understand that bad things can happen if you leave a child for a long time alone in a car, I can't understand the bystander was calling the police but couldn't open his mouth to actually say anything to the mom. And how come somebody is criminalized when there was no victim at all?
Also, while I understand children loves their electronics, please try to read a book to your kids once in a while.
Yes, I would love to hear about this too. I once left my son in the car for literally 2 mins while he was sleeping to buy a soda in a gas station. I am in the US.
I don't now if it's an American thing or maybe a Western thing, but for whatever reason, voters and elected officials seem to be able to effortlessly make that huge leap from "It's sensible to do ABC" and "It should be required by law to do ABC, under penalty of fines and/or jail". We over-legislate things like public safety, and then rely on the court bureaucracy to apply sensibility and lenience on a case-by-case basis.
> I got out of the car one day to feed the parking meter next to the driver side window. “Don’t, Mommy. Don’t. The police will come.” I went to let the dog into our front yard while he was watching his morning cartoon. “Mommy, no!!! The police.”
Sigh..... It's such a tragic, fucked up thing that our society could do this to a child and his mother. We all really need to think more about the consequences of our actions. The bystander who called in should have done more than just call the police. The mother should have brought the kid in. The cop(s) shouldn't have let it get to court. The courts shouldn't be able to split apart families for a single, momentary, stupid, virtually riskless act. And the media needs to not villify and capitalize on the fear and hate of people who judge situations like this without context.
To be fair, all we know is that prosecutors can threaten to split families apart for a single, momentary stupid, virtually riskless act. The mother agreed to a plea-bargain because she didn't want to find out if they actually could.
This is just so patently absurd. The legal issue seems to revolve around "rendering the child in need of services". A child alone in a car for 5 minutes on a mild day is not in need of services. The case should be thrown out right there.
As a sanity check, here is the law in California (which, I assume, is relatively restrictive, since it's California...):
It is illegal to leave a 6 years old or younger unattended in a motor vehicle when:
There are conditions that present a significant risk to the child's health or safety. Example: Leaving a child in a closed car on a very hot day.
The vehicle's engine is running, the keys are in the ignition, or both. Children can start or move the car causing injuries and/or deaths to themselves or others. An opportunist may (and many have) seize the moment to jump in and drive your car away, child still strapped in.[1]
So ... as long as there's nothing unsafe and the engine isn't running, you're "legal".
Leaving your child in a car for five minutes is definitely a lapse in judgment. Not because it's dangerous so much as because your peers are stupid. I remember a time where I was really tempted to leave my kid in the car. He was asleep. It was a nice cool day. I was going to be gone for much less than five minutes. I was going to be able to see the car the entire time. Nope. Better safe than sensible.
Except it is not safe to remove your kid from the car - that carries risks of its own. There is no safe option - as the article clearly points out.
In any case - if you wanted to make the safe decision, why did you put your kid in the car in the first place? Don't you realize how dangerous it is to drive on the roads? Ask yourself - which is safer - Your child spending 5 minutes alone in a car with a window cracked open on a cool day - or 5 minutes driving to that place, with oncoming traffic that with the slightest lapse of attention by a driver could have their car crashing into yours in a second.
This is the madness of this whole situation - people have left common sense at the door.
For the record, even today with our safety obsessed culture? Car accidents are still the leading preventable cause of death in children (non-preventable things like birth-defects and complications from childbirth itself are the only things that rank higher).
Cars are what kills kids, even now in our hyper-safe society. So it's worth re-examining that stuff.
Which means the thing with the Corvette? Probably wasn't a good idea in hindsight.
But yeah, the total lack of independence in today's kids is a different story. There is no epidemic of kiddy diddlers, of kids wandering off and getting lost and somehow dying. So the obsessive "have your kids with you at all times" thing is probably a modern over-reaction.
But the stuff about cars? Yeah, respect and fear traffic.
Putting children in the seatless back hatch of a Corvette was probably not a great parenting call either.
Not everything that used to be S.O.P. for parents was good judgement. Not every safety concern we've developed over the last 20 years is wrong. Some of them are very valid.
I too rode in the boot of the car, but presumably some other kids did that and died in an accident slamming in to back of their parent's heads and the windscreen when the car had to break suddenly. Or maybe they got crushed when a lorry rode in to the back of them.
I hope the reason that this story is popular is that we as a society agree it's absurd.
Leaving a child in a locked car in the situation described is perfectly acceptable. The police getting involved is ridiculous, which makes it a great story. Hopefully the correct lesson is learned.
Another example of why you should never talk to the cops. When they come to ask, "Did you or your wife leave your child in the car?" Only acceptable response is: come back with a warrant.
The last line of the article reads:
"Kim Brooks' fiction has appeared in Five Chapters, Glimmer Train, One Story, Epoch, and other journals. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she teaches writing and is at work on a novel. You can follow her on Twitter @KA_Brooks."
I remember when my mom left me in the car to run into the grocery store one summer. I put the seat back and dozed with my head resting against the partially-slackened seatbelt. It was a hot day with the sun shining right in the windshield. It felt nice and sauna-like, so I closed my eyes for a bit...
My mother got pretty upset when she came back and found me in that state. She told me that's how people manage to die in the car, and when I realized how hot it was I should have popped the door open and come inside.
My dad used to drag us around in the snow behind his truck as we laid on an upside down car hood tethered to the truck with a rope. It was a prefect 3-person toboggan. That was in the 70s. No one cared.
Just this week a woman got media blasted for having her infant pulled down the church aisle on her wedding dress train. Now I find that a bit tacky as far as weddings go but I can't imagine that child was in any more danger than I was while speeding down a dirt road on an overturned hood.
Good lord, how can this be a crime? Leaving my puppy alone in the car for a minute or three here or there (under reasonable circumstances of course) has been a productive part of developing his confidence in himself, his ability to be alone, and his ability to be calm. I'm not a parent, but I expect basics like this apply to kids too- how can they grow up to be well-adjusted adults if they must be supervised at all times?
[+] [-] encoderer|11 years ago|reply
I was not in there more than 5 mins. When I got out, started to pull away, and was stopped by a cop who then called animal services.
This level of nanny-state-ism drives me slightly crazy. But the real issue for me was the person who decided s/he needed to call the police (the police for this). If it were me, I would probably sit and wait on a bench nearby, keeping an eye out. It's true that the dog was barking like crazy but he's a dog (a beagle at that), and dogs bark. I'd watch and if he showed signs of distress, I'd act. Or, if it turned into 20, 30 mins, then probably I would also react. But the person who comes across a situation and instantly goes to "call the police" is not something I understand.
I think maybe we all know the type who just likes to report things. Who likes that power trip. I can't help but feel we'd maybe be better off if those types learned to be more circumspect in their actions.
(In the end i paid my $35 fee and told the cop and animal control that I thought what they were doing was a total farce.)
[+] [-] joeframbach|11 years ago|reply
When I got through to animal control, I was told that the dog was not in distress. A dog in distress would retreat to a cooler spot of the car (near the passenger side floor) and not jump around barking.
That your dog was barking and moving around, it was not in distress.
[+] [-] drzaiusapelord|11 years ago|reply
Sounds like your police department sucks more so than the worried passerby engaging in "nanny-statism." The police chose not to assess the situation correctly and just went for the easy fine.
[+] [-] vvvv|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] redidas|11 years ago|reply
Would you regret not being notified?
[+] [-] mcphilip|11 years ago|reply
I can't fathom how one could begin to process and move on from such an incident.
So while I don't think it should be illegal to leave a child in the car, personally that's a line I'll not cross with my kids.
[1]http://www.khou.com/news/Baby-left-in-hot-truck-dies-in-Aust...
[+] [-] petercooper|11 years ago|reply
Superbly written, but the underlying story and outcome disturbs me. That someone is dissuaded from presenting a fair case because a court is considered to be bad at its job and taking a revenge-not-justice punishment is the best option serves as a serious indictment of 'justice' in whatever loony tunes jurisdiction she lives. Judicial systems are meant to apply laws contextually based on actual facts, not condemn anyone who falls into a gray area.
[+] [-] noonespecial|11 years ago|reply
We've become a nation of "I'm Teelllllling..." suitable for nobody but a playground full of 5 year olds.
In my opinion, the actions of this "good samaritan" were not motivated from concern or helpfulness. Just like on the playground this action was malicious. A subtle kind of violence.
[+] [-] drblast|11 years ago|reply
If anything, the bystander should be prosecuted for the same crime.
[+] [-] nostromo|11 years ago|reply
Media drives government. Clicks drive the media. What we're left with is a hodgepodge of laws that attempt to prevent yesterday's headline.
[+] [-] mikestew|11 years ago|reply
Before you go off to pull out those "child cooks in car in Texas in July" anecdotes, consider that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children. So if we're collectively that worried about it, let's get up in arms about needlessly taking the child on a car trip before we worry about applying "justice" to someone who left their child in a car in 50F weather.
If it were truly a case of "good samaritan" I'd blow it off. But I'm going to guess it was more a case of "she's doing something I think is awful. Regardless of whether harm was done or not, I'm going to go tattle!"
[+] [-] nkurz|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] GuiA|11 years ago|reply
When we lived in the US for 2 years (pre 9/11), my parents definitely experienced a few police-state-related cultural shocks.
One time, a kid started hitting me in the school bus. It turned out that the kid lived in the same apartment complex as we did. That evening, my dad saw him playing outside, went up to him, and gave him a few stern words. A few hours later, his mother had called the police, and my dad ended up spending a few hours at the local police station.
We still lived in the US for another year or so after that, but nowadays my parents heavily dislike this country, and tend to avoid visiting me as much they can. FTR I don't see myself staying in the US when I start having kids.
[+] [-] rbehrends|11 years ago|reply
Checking on your four-year old son every 15-30 minutes is generally sufficient (modulo the circumstances and the child's maturity).
[1] Which is not to say that helicopter parenting isn't on the rise in Germany, too. The difference is that the police and teachers ask that parents NOT drive their children to school or pick them up afterwards, and some parents do it anyway.
[+] [-] grecy|11 years ago|reply
I've never seen anywhere else in the world that takes these issues as seriously (and insanely) as the US.
In Australia it's extremely common to see young kids walking to school without an adult, playing in the park after school, etc. etc. Many young kids will walk to the corner shop to buy candy or whatever without supervision. Adults think nothing of this, it's perfectly normal. It's unthinkable someone would call the Police for this.
EDIT: I should add, however, that it's highly illegal to leave a child in a car, due to the extreme heat. I've never seen it, but I expect people would call the Police or just break into a car if they saw this happening. It's taken so seriously, the punishment is actually the same for leaving an animal in the car as it is for leaving a child in the car.
[+] [-] sampo|11 years ago|reply
Finland here. Some people would leave a child in a car when they conduct a short errand, and some people would not, and the latter might frown upon the former. But the law enforcement would never ever get involved. That Salon article is just absurd. A whole new level of American weirdness.
(Then again, we rarely have weather as hot as the more southern countries.)
[+] [-] yason|11 years ago|reply
But things would also escalate gradually, depending on the situation. People would gather and start looking at the clock, seeing how the baby is doing and how long he's been there.
I'm sure there are laws you eventually do break if you leave your baby in the car for a long period of time (half an hour and up?), or in a hot parking lot and windows too closed.
Somebody would call the authorities and the police/firemen would break the window and save the baby and stay waiting for the parent: this would certainly warrant at least hectic reporting. The social workers would probably be notified and there would be a couple of meetings to figure out what's the deal.
But somebody being away for a few minutes... No way it would ever be a criminal case or brought to the judge or courts. While Finland does love rules and regulations more than sanefully necessary, you still have to mess up pretty bad to actually get charged for anything.
[+] [-] Fizzadar|11 years ago|reply
I'm simply stunned that parents can be prosecuted for this. Another wtf America moment.
[+] [-] LukeB_UK|11 years ago|reply
I don't see any issue with people leaving their kids in the car, it just requires a little common sense.
Also, comparing events where someone forgot their kid was in the car and leaving them all day to events where the parents consciously leave their kids and are aware of the conditions they've left them in (especially if they actually do something to help ensure the comfort of the child, like cracking the window) it's completely wrong. One is neglect, one is giving your kids a little freedom.
[+] [-] DanBC|11 years ago|reply
Some people in the UK take an extreme view on age of baby sitters. See this BBC article (in my parenting SE answer) about a woman leaving her 14 year old son in charge of a 3 year old boy for 30 minutes and the trouble that caused. (She should not have accepted the caution. I am surprised that's what the solicitor suggested, and I'm not sure she actually got a solicitor.)
http://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/12599/what-is-c...
[+] [-] friendly_chap|11 years ago|reply
However, the goal itself, namely protecting children is noble. I guess hitting the sweet spot between being neglective and overly protective is hard. Such is the nature of most social issues.
[+] [-] t0mas88|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sergiotapia|11 years ago|reply
The risk is someone can break your window and steal your kid. It's just something that's never done. It would be akin to leaving your child on the street corner while you go up to your apartment to grab the purse you forgot.
[+] [-] diziet|11 years ago|reply
At 8, I would often walk for miles in the wilderness when out camping, or go swimming in a river without serious adult supervision.
[+] [-] robaato|11 years ago|reply
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Victoria_Climbi%C3%A9...
http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2013/nov/11/b...
Does that result in "over reactions" - depends on your point of view.
[+] [-] rmetzler|11 years ago|reply
While I understand that bad things can happen if you leave a child for a long time alone in a car, I can't understand the bystander was calling the police but couldn't open his mouth to actually say anything to the mom. And how come somebody is criminalized when there was no victim at all?
Also, while I understand children loves their electronics, please try to read a book to your kids once in a while.
[+] [-] jason_slack|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] rasz_pl|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ryandrake|11 years ago|reply
See Also: Three felonies a day
EDIT: Spelling
[+] [-] lt|11 years ago|reply
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21537988
[+] [-] lsaferite|11 years ago|reply
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/15/us-restaurant-baby...
[+] [-] peterwwillis|11 years ago|reply
Sigh..... It's such a tragic, fucked up thing that our society could do this to a child and his mother. We all really need to think more about the consequences of our actions. The bystander who called in should have done more than just call the police. The mother should have brought the kid in. The cop(s) shouldn't have let it get to court. The courts shouldn't be able to split apart families for a single, momentary, stupid, virtually riskless act. And the media needs to not villify and capitalize on the fear and hate of people who judge situations like this without context.
[+] [-] aidenn0|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] imgabe|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rsync|11 years ago|reply
It is illegal to leave a 6 years old or younger unattended in a motor vehicle when:
There are conditions that present a significant risk to the child's health or safety. Example: Leaving a child in a closed car on a very hot day.
The vehicle's engine is running, the keys are in the ignition, or both. Children can start or move the car causing injuries and/or deaths to themselves or others. An opportunist may (and many have) seize the moment to jump in and drive your car away, child still strapped in.[1]
So ... as long as there's nothing unsafe and the engine isn't running, you're "legal".
[1] http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/safety-laws.php
[+] [-] shasta|11 years ago|reply
Leaving your child in a car for five minutes is definitely a lapse in judgment. Not because it's dangerous so much as because your peers are stupid. I remember a time where I was really tempted to leave my kid in the car. He was asleep. It was a nice cool day. I was going to be gone for much less than five minutes. I was going to be able to see the car the entire time. Nope. Better safe than sensible.
[+] [-] SeanDav|11 years ago|reply
In any case - if you wanted to make the safe decision, why did you put your kid in the car in the first place? Don't you realize how dangerous it is to drive on the roads? Ask yourself - which is safer - Your child spending 5 minutes alone in a car with a window cracked open on a cool day - or 5 minutes driving to that place, with oncoming traffic that with the slightest lapse of attention by a driver could have their car crashing into yours in a second.
This is the madness of this whole situation - people have left common sense at the door.
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] IanDrake|11 years ago|reply
For the younger crowd who may not understand, I was born in '77:
- I rode in the back hatch (no seats) of my dad's corvette until I was 8, cops would wave to us.
- At 6 I could ride my bike around pretty much anywhere I wanted, but wasn't allowed to cross rt6 (which I didn't, though no one checked).
- Left in the car in parking lots for up to an hour.
- Arrived home from school with no one home starting in 1st grade.
[+] [-] Pxtl|11 years ago|reply
Cars are what kills kids, even now in our hyper-safe society. So it's worth re-examining that stuff.
Which means the thing with the Corvette? Probably wasn't a good idea in hindsight.
But yeah, the total lack of independence in today's kids is a different story. There is no epidemic of kiddy diddlers, of kids wandering off and getting lost and somehow dying. So the obsessive "have your kids with you at all times" thing is probably a modern over-reaction.
But the stuff about cars? Yeah, respect and fear traffic.
[+] [-] tptacek|11 years ago|reply
Not everything that used to be S.O.P. for parents was good judgement. Not every safety concern we've developed over the last 20 years is wrong. Some of them are very valid.
[+] [-] claar|11 years ago|reply
Please, have kids and raise them reasonably according to your own standards, not the nanny-state's. If we don't defend personal freedom, who will?
[+] [-] pbhjpbhj|11 years ago|reply
I too rode in the boot of the car, but presumably some other kids did that and died in an accident slamming in to back of their parent's heads and the windscreen when the car had to break suddenly. Or maybe they got crushed when a lorry rode in to the back of them.
[+] [-] claar|11 years ago|reply
Leaving a child in a locked car in the situation described is perfectly acceptable. The police getting involved is ridiculous, which makes it a great story. Hopefully the correct lesson is learned.
[+] [-] sadris|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chazandchaz|11 years ago|reply
The last line of the article reads: "Kim Brooks' fiction has appeared in Five Chapters, Glimmer Train, One Story, Epoch, and other journals. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she teaches writing and is at work on a novel. You can follow her on Twitter @KA_Brooks."
[+] [-] fixermark|11 years ago|reply
My mother got pretty upset when she came back and found me in that state. She told me that's how people manage to die in the car, and when I realized how hot it was I should have popped the door open and come inside.
And, well, she was right! :)
[+] [-] jack-r-abbit|11 years ago|reply
Just this week a woman got media blasted for having her infant pulled down the church aisle on her wedding dress train. Now I find that a bit tacky as far as weddings go but I can't imagine that child was in any more danger than I was while speeding down a dirt road on an overturned hood.
Times have changed.
[+] [-] sliverstorm|11 years ago|reply