I live in Houston and every summer, some re-tard leaves their kid in a car to die.

"Oh, I forgot."

Well, you'll have 25 years to remember; hands behind your back."

In the early 1990's, I worked for a grocery store here in Houston. Someone was freaking because a baby was in the back seat and it was 100 degrees outside. Who knows what it was inside.

Good reason to freak.

One of my co-workers calls 911; they send fire (for rescue), police, and ambulance; the whole sha-bang.

I go outside with a metal rod I kept handy for robbers (which was a bad idea but thankfully, I was never in a hold up). I figure I will break the window and snatch the baby if he starts to lool "BAD" before the Calvary shows up.

As I head to the doors to leave the building, the news about some idiot leaving her baby in the car is traveling like wild fire. I am walking toward the car and I realize people are following me like I'm a celebrity.

"Are you gonna break the window?" BREAK IT, BREAK IT!" I wasn't carrying the rod to be a hero....

As I approach the car, I hear the sirens. People are chanting for me to break the window (weird), but I am going to let the first responders do it. I was worried about a possible legal issue so I was happy to pass the risk.

They all show up at about the same time; the fire department pops the lock (slim jim?) and hands the baby (turns out to be a toddler) to paramedics.

The police dart into the building and have an employee page the owner. No response.

They manage to get out of the toddler that mommy is buying food. So the employees keep paging mom.

Nothing.

Then the police take over the PA. Still, no mom.

So they bring the toddler in the building and case the aisles with kid in tow. "Where's mommy? Do you see your mommy?"

The tactic worked.

Mom knew why she was being paged and didn't want to own up to it. What she didn't know is if her toddler was dead or alive. The kiddo was fine but she wasn't off the hook. She was on it.

They cuffed her on the spot. "Bad news, your going to jail. The good news, it's not for murder."

As they took her away and placed her in the back of a police car, people clapped. Some yelled some choice kat calls but the police put that fire out quick. The baby was finally put in the ambulance and was driven, no red lights, to a hospital.

Not sure how it all worked out but we never saw her in the store again.

The local media never picked it up and the first responders I talked to said they didn't know because they didn't do the report.

Folks, you just have to use half a brain when it comes to driving. Always do a 360 around your car before you get in. Look at your tires and make sure nobody is already in your car waiting for you.

When you get out, keep in the back seat one more time.

Common sense stuff.

It beats going to prison. Prisoners might all be punks but many of them have kids (lots of them). They don't take to kindly to child abusers. And they don't care about your lame excuse.

"This might hurt a little."
"Umm..., what are you gonna do?"

I never understood the mentality of leaving a child Or pet in a vehicle for even the briefest period of time. The temperature inside the vehicle goes up quite rapidly once the engine/AC is off and the doors/windows closed.

Here in PA it's barely noon and already 100+ today ... but I'll only be gone a few minutes.

Originally posted by Kailassa
I'm sure most people who've had long-term responsibility for a child will remember at least once when they fell down in their responsibilities as parents.

I've always tried to put my kids first, and I just couldn't live with myself if I let anything bad happen to them, but I've been less than perfect.

Once I forgot to pick my daughter up from child-care.
Once I ran to answer the phone, leaving a child in the bath, found a fire had started in the living room. Baby nearly drowned.
Once I left my two young sons at the supermarket and had put away all the groceries before I realised the house was too quiet.
Once I lost my 4 year old at the beach.

Yes, they were all my fault. But chronic exhaustion and being a daydreamer played a part too. I can only thank god that I was lucky, my incompetence didn't kill them.

Most parents, especially overworked single mums with no support, are going to make a mistake. If no-one who made such mistakes had children, mankind would quickly go extinct.

I'd suggest we give most parents who allow their children to die this way the benefit of the doubt. They made a terrible mistake.
And they will pay in grief for the rest of their lives.

On the other hand, I'm glad it is now illegal in my state to leave any child in a car while you go to the pokies.
That's pure stupid selfishness which I see no excuse for.

ARE YOU FOR REAL?? EVERYTHING I'VE PUT IN BOLD ABOVE THAT YOU SAID IS EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR CHILDREN TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU THIS VERY INSTANT. YOU'RE A POOR EXCUSE FOR A PERSON, LET ALONE A PARENT!!!! SHAME ON YOU!! YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR OVARIES REMOVED AND BE FORBIDDEN TO EVER REPRODUCE AGAIN!!

I never type in all caps, but your post has severely pissed me off!

[edit on 7/7/2010 by pjslug]

Summer is here - its been 95 to 100 the last week on the east coast. A little boy down the street was taken to the hospital with heat exhaustion - that was just from being outside too long in the heat. Do not leave your children and pets in a hot car, also keep a watch on their outdoor activity, make sure they drink water and keep hydrated. If they appear overheated, try to cool them off, have them rest in the ac or fan, drink water slowly. I spray my dog down with a spray bottle of water, he loves it and it keeps him cooler. I know some of what I have is a repeat, sorry I just don't want to hear of a child dying in a hot car this season.

Sorry Pjslug - my last post reply was intended for Kailassa - I got upset and replied to the wrong person.

the saddest part of this is we need to bring this issue up. I cant in any way see how the human race has managed to survive its own stupidity.. Actually I do know why, Up until recent times we were animalistic.. and the advent of social systems has made us tame and uneducated and oblivious to even the most simple principles like that the sun can heat up a enclosed space..

On ATS we hear of all sorts of potential TSHTF events.. I think all that it will take for the human race to be virtually eliminated, now is simply talking away all the modern luxuries and people will just kill them selfs off through there own stupidity.

Heck we see this happening today.. take for instance railroad crossing arms.. they go down you know a train is coming, heck I look even when they are up in case they failed. But people will try to beat the arms or go around them.. how stupid are these people.. you never win against a train.... and these people still do this?