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Don't Leave Your Kids in a Hot Car
It's sad that that this isn't common sense for everyone. The state is reminding people not to let kids stay in a parked car. Since 1999, 13 children have died after being left in a hot car.
Last summer, my husband and I were up in Brier Creek. It was a warm day, but not really hot. There was a car parked in front of the party store and I heard a baby crying. I looked inside and there was a baby and an older child in the car by themselves. We stood there for several minutes wondering what to do.
It wasn't a hot, hot day, but it was cause for concern.
Even if the weather was fine - what would happen if the car was hit or someone try to steal it? We ended up dialing 911 and just as we started talking to the operator, the mom came out of the store, climbed in the car and left. We'd gotten as far as giving the operator the plate number. I have no idea if anything happened to her - I'm sure nothing.
I've always felt guilty about not saying anything to the mom because I'm sure it's happened again.
What would you do in that situation?
Comments
It seems we read about at least one kid dying in a hot car every summer. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I won’t go to a gas station that doesn’t have pay at the pump because I won’t leave my kids even that long and I don’t want to have to get them both out. Many of the cases of kids dying though are instances where someone didn’t intend to leave them. Like maybe mom usually drops the little one at day care and one day dad does it and forgets she’s in the car. Then she sits in his office parking lot for a few hours. If I saw one or more kids in a car, I’d probably do the same. I doubt I’d have the guts to confront another mom, but I wouldn’t leave the site until someone (a parent or emergency worker) was with the kid(s).
A couple of years ago a dad left his baby girl in the car instead of dropping her off at daycare. He forgot about her b/c she was asleep and she died. I get so scared that I've forgotten my baby and do a doublecheck to make sure she's not in the back seat! I'm tempted a lot of times to leave my kids at the Food Lion like my dad used to do with me (he'd say, "Just honk the horn if there's trouble!") but we live in a different time now and I drag the kids along.
Alice Osborn, MA
www.aliceosborn.com