Monday, March 06, 2006

Am I Overreacting?

Today, as I was coming back to work from a meeting outside the building, I saw a woman pull up to the door and leave her car running while she ran inside. I thought this somewhat foolish as there are 3400 high schoool kids here just looking for something to do. Then I noticed the young child buckled into a safety seat in the back of her car. That put me over the edge.

Is it just me or is that incredibly stupid?

Perhaps it was fear or maybe righteous indignation but I decided to stand by the car until the woman came back out. She wasn't gone more than a minute and when she came she asked I was waiting for. I told her I was making sure no one stole her kid. She mumbled something about only being gone a minute and then promptly sped off without another word.

Maybe I'm overreacting but it seems really, really dumb to leave an unattended child in the back of a running car.

4 comments:

sissy said...

Obviously she doesn't remember the kid that was left in the car when mom ran into the Subway sandwich store. If you remember, the car was taken and the guy either pushed the kid out or the kid tried to jump out but got tangled in the seatbelt and was dragged to his death. I was so traumatized by that story that I would NEVER EVER leave a child in a car. Running or not. Good for you! Of course I probably would have punched her and called child protective services, but that's just me - I DO tend to overreact!

Charlie said...

Sven: Write these numbers down--#17, #18, #32, #33.

They relate to this post and will all come clear in my blog tomorrow.

Meantime, good going.

Rhonda said...

(Hopping over from Charlie's blog)

Good for you for car/kid sitting.

Some people shouldn't breed. So no, I don't think you're overreacting.

simmi said...

It is ironic that it is easyer to bring a child into this world, than it is to obtain a driving licence.
...As a mother living in South Africa's violent society, I find the mothers behavior irresponsible and neglectfull, but I was brought up in Denmark (I know it is not something one should speak too loudly about in this time and age), though they (the Danes) leave their babies in their prams outside the supermarket; let the babies get aclimatised by letting them catch their afternoon nap in their prams outside on the pavement, of their houses or their flats...I guess I will always be a 'second generation dane' when it comes to issues like these, as I would not...no matter how insane it drives me...let my child be out of sight, or out of reach, as a moment could turn into eternal regret