Mom to Mom

[missy1]

I would have told the store manager, or call LE. Too young to be left alone. You said they were under the age 5. I NEVER left my  alone even to go to the ATM,  or pay for gas inside until much older. It's not worth the risk.

[Mj12]

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@tockerman wrote:

you are all right but i do not want to here it from people and by the time i got there they would have been at the car. my cell phone was dead so i could not call 911. the way people act today i would be afaid they might shoot me for getting in their business. i seen people fight at stop light and over things. so i will not get involved in anything. they had the window open halfway so they seemed ok to me. I would not do that. but others would.

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You don't want to get involved, your cell was dead.  You could have at a minimum had customer service at the store you were parked near, call the police.

[NYC Susan]

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@KarenQVC wrote:

I would have called 911 and stayed with the car until police arrived.

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Me too.  Absolutely.  I have never been in that situation, but I am 100% sure that this is exactly what I would do.

(And I wouldn't care if it was illegal in the state or not.  It's incredibly irresponsible and careless.  To me, it has nothing to do with the law.  It's about holding parents accountable and it's about the safety of children.)

[Sister Golden Hair]

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@Annabellethecat66 wrote:

@tockerman None of you really know me, but if you did you'd shake your head and say, "Oh! Yes she would".  When I say I would have gone right into the the grocery store (after copying down the license plate) and gone over to the CS and asked that they made an announcement that someone reported there were children in car bla bla all under the age of 5.  Please go out and get them".

I swear to you I would have done that in a heart beat.  You hear all of the time about children dying in cars.  I could never live with myself if something happened to those children and I did nothing.

I believe in speaking up when I see a way that might prevent a tragedy.

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@Annabellethecat66 Amen Sister

[Candyapple]

I may be extreme, but I still won't leave my very young teenager in the car alone. And if I was in the position of the OP, I would've sat in my car to keep an eye on the kids until their mom came out. There's no way I would've pulled away.

[Imadickens]

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@Annabellethecat66 wrote:

@tockerman None of you really know me, but if you did you'd shake your head and say, "Oh! Yes she would".  When I say I would have gone right into the the grocery store (after copying down the license plate) and gone over to the CS and asked that they made an announcement that someone reported there were children in car bla bla all under the age of 5.  Please go out and get them".

I swear to you I would have done that in a heart beat.  You hear all of the time about children dying in cars.  I could never live with myself if something happened to those children and I did nothing.

I believe in speaking up when I see a way that might prevent a tragedy.

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My dh is retired Juvenile Aid police officer. I absolutely agree something should have been done! However, what you might have done might also have gotten you killed! Anyone who cares so little about their children could easily carry a gun and use it if confronted! The best thing to do is get the make, model, and color of automobile, including any identifying marks it may have...bumper stickers, special paint, dents, etc. This is in case the plates don't belong to that car. Then, call 911 with the info. If possible, watch fro a distance (until PD arrives) and make note of time person returned to car. If you can get a picture of person, without being seen, that might help, too! 

It it could be a babysitter with the kids and parents need to know! Or, the non-custodial parent, again, the other parent needs to know!

[Imadickens]

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@Mj12 wrote:

Infuriating. I would have called the police. Equally (yes equally) bad are those who leave a pet in a car while they shop. Should be illegal.

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I was stunned when I found out that animal protection laws were on the books years before child protective laws! I believe both are illegal in our town, as they should be everywhere!

[libbyannE]

Always report it to 911 and watch the children until officers get there. Take the license number of the car, too, so police or social services can follow up if necessary. The parent will be angry, but it is about safety of the children, period. A caring parent will appreciate the lesson.mNever just walk away shaking your head. The heat--or a stranger with bad intentions--might get the kids. I don't understand how a parent can ever leave a child in a car unattended. 

[CalminHeart]

I would call the cops.  period.  No one should ever leave kids in the car.  

Last winter, in zero degree weather, I saw a car in a parking lot.  Inside were 3 kids ages 3 and under.  I called the cops so fast it made my own head spin.  I waited nearby until the cops arrived just to be sure the kids were safe.  

[CalminHeart]

I retired a couple of months ago and now work in CS at a grocery store.  You would be amazed how many people come in to tell us kids are alone in a car.  It might be 100 degrees out or 20 below zero and parents still leave kids and dogs in the car.  It boggles my mind how careless adults can be.