Couple signs up for parenting classes after leaving toddler in car

"This is life-altering," says the mom, who with her hubby has been charged with leaving their 2-year-old alone in a car for 15 minutes. "I am mortified and horrified. I never got a speeding ticket. We just want to pay our taxes and raise our son." (Lohud.com)

Comments

[G-Man]

"We just want to pay our taxes and raise our son.""

That's two steps ahead of Wesley Snipes.

[The Asshole Guy]

"""I never got a speeding ticket. We just want to pay our taxes and raise our son."""

That is some funny chit right there. Do they also have a house with a white picket fence, a dog and desire 2.3 kids?

[Cherie]

What was her point about paying taxes? That she helps pay the officer's salary? Whatever....

Just goes to show that "more mature parents" (being in their mid 30's)...doesn't mean "better parents".

[JJ]

Take the child now.....there is no doubt that people this stupid can only raise a kid to be an idiot, give him new parents and a fighting chance.

[Sean, Torrington CT]

Gotta love that Nanny State telling people how to raise their children.

15 minutes in a locked car with climate control on is a crime? I dunno man...seems like BS to me.

[Howie Feltersnatch]

Oh, is it sizzler season already?

[The Asshole Guy]

So Sean within that 15mins nobody can break one of the windows in the car and run off with the child?

[ULTRA]

ISN`T THAT A CROCK

[oldewave]

TAG according to statistics there is less than a 1 in a million chance of a child being abducted by a stranger. not that it doesn't happen, but more children die in house fires than get abducted by strangers. so should we outlaw allowing children into houses?

[Violent Acres]

Asshole, if someone is crazy enough to smash out car windows and steal children, the parent's presence is not likely to be a deterrent.

[someguyinKC]

So two adults have a sleeping child in their care and need some yogurt, and they think the best option is for both of them to go in and leave the child alone in the car? What the hell? Could they not agree on which one had to stay with the kid and which one got to go on the exciting yogurt-buying adventure?

[sometimesilie]

"So Sean within that 15mins nobody can break one of the windows in the car and run off with the child?"

yeah, paranoid me, that's what I wold think to. He!!, I worry about someone doing just that with my 115 rottweiler (damn son-of-a-b_tch has always been so friendly) But that is probably absurd as he matures he gets increasingly standoffish around strangers approaching my property. I've found those dogs are surprisingly good at reading character and intention.

[sometimesilie]

"What the hell? Could they not agree on which one had to stay with the kid and which one got to go on the exciting yogurt-buying adventure?"

SNORK. LOL!

[*]

Who the Hell wants to pay taxes (besides this nut)?

I was left in the car alone hundreds of times when I was a kid. Now it's a felony (although there should be severe punishment for that remote control air conditioning part).

[The Asshole Guy]

Violent Acres and Oldewave you both just made yourself look like complete asshats with those comments. I'm sure you will have a retort but I won't read it till later this evening as I must go do some work now.

[aj]

Yeah, we were left in cars and we also didn't need seat belts and we all left our doors unlocked. Times have changed! Somethings for the worse but when laws are put into effect to protect those who can't protect themselves I'm all for it! And age doesn't matter stupid is stupid!

[Sean, Torrington CT]

If a parent can put their child (and mine!) at risk by not vaccinating or not teaching about safe sex and not feeding them a proper diet, they can put them at risk by leaving them in a car for 15 minutes.

I couldn't find any stats on the web to back up my hunch, but I must agree with oldewave.

[Sean, Torrington CT]

I mean, shit, what's to stop an attacker from crushing the back of the wife's head with a bat and taking the child from her as she loads groceries into the car?

[JJ]

"I mean, shit, what's to stop an attacker from crushing the back of the wife's head with a bat and taking the child from her as she loads groceries into the car?"

Uh, your ignorance is amazing....WTF does one have to do with the other? I guess you're saying that since it is always possible that a car you are riding in can be hit, people may as well drive with their eyes closed and have the kids ride on the roof.

[Phranqlin]

Now the kid will be traumatized for life by being left alone in a parked car for 15 minutes. And the AC was running -- the horror!

Seriously, though, leaving the kid alone was needless -- why couldn't one of them have stayed in the car? (LOL about not wanting to miss the exciting yogurt-buying experience!) But for once, the punishment (parenting classes and concurrent public humiliation) is in line with the offense.

[Cherie]

TAG, JJ, ...Amen...

Do you people that are yacking on about it not being that dangerous to leave a 2 yr old in a car for 15 minutes with no supervision even HAVE children?

If the kid was left WITH climate control on the car must've been running? or at least have the keys in it... When my son was just 18 mos he climbed out of his car seat and shifted the car from park into drive and the car started coasting into the street...luckily I was only about 50 ft away but I was engaged in conversation and not watching him. Not only were these parents TOTALLY irresponsible but they're just plain stupid! My gdaughter could get out of her carseat, unlock the car door and open it when she was 2. Even if the kid was sleeping, what if he woke up and got scared because Mom and Dad weren't there...and left the vehicle to run around the parking lot????
I'm guessing that if you decide not to wear a seat belt you probably have about 1 in a million chance of dying in an accident today....but you probably wear your seatbelt...why tempt fate and leave your child unattended in a car where he/she can risk being abducted????

[Joe]

This whole issue is so overblown now. My mom would leave me and my brother in the car when she went shopping all the time. She rolled down the windows, and gave us something to entertain ourselves. Nothing bad ever came out of it.

[Joe]

On the other hand, i definitely think it'd be a bad idea to leave toddlers or younger in a car.

[Farmer Bob]

To be safe, let's just sterilize them. These days there can be no reason to leave your child alone in the car for any reason.

[person]

Joe, I'm guessing since you remember your mother doing this, you were not a toddler. Sure, my mom left my sister and I in the car when I was maybe 9 or 10, and she was 11 or 12....but not as infants or toddlers.

I am thinking the same thing, that many commenters have never had a baby to know how much trouble a 2-year-old can get himself into in 15 seconds much less 15 minutes. It has nothing to do with remote controller air-conditioning and everything to do with leaving a small child unattended for an extended period of time.

I don't buy their bogus story either. Why would two people need to go into a store to buy yogurt? Wouldn't one person stay in the car? It doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense.

[zoot]

I realize we probably don't need more government in our lives, but there are times I wish a breeder's license/test was required before people have children.

We recently had a case in Omaha where a 3 year old girl was missing for hours (found sleeping in a neighbors apartment after 4 hours of search teams, dogs, helicopters, etc.). Her mother had left her outside to play supervised by only a 4 year old and a 5 year old. The mother said she learned to "never leave a 3 yr. old supervised by other small children".

If you're too damn busy to watch your kids - don't have any.

[Naga Please!]

TAG,

Oldweave and Violent Acres are correct. I looked up the information:
http://victoria.tc.ca/~d.piney/child-crime.htm
http://www.protect-your-kid.com/page/977976

Do a google search for "stranger abduction statistic", and you will see.
Now you could be like Hank and respond with personal attacks simply because you disagree, or be an adult and attack the argument not the person.

[WZ]

It doesn't really matter how rare it is. You wouldn't leave a million dollars sitting there, why leave a child?

To me, though, the relevant part is the trouble the child could get into unattended like that. That's where the serious danger is, as Cherie said. Toddlers are notoriously better at causing trouble and danger than the adults around them are prepared for. If two parents were present, there was no reason for both to go in.

It's not really much different from leaving a two year old just sitting on a park bench because he's napping.

[Anna]

How many idiots does it take to pick out yogurt for a 2 year old?
And she deems this 'life altering'??

It is amazing how some people can actually survive given the 'haze' they continue to live in....

[jj]

"It doesn't really matter how rare it is. You wouldn't leave a million dollars sitting there, why leave a child?".....EAXCTLY WZ.....most of the people on here sayingit's no big deal wouldn't dream of leaving a $20 bill on their dashboard while they ran in to buy yogurt....but leaving a 2 yr old is okay with them.

The whole yogurt story is BS anyway, this is most likely a regular thing for these 2 morons, this is just the first time it was caught/reported. Yeah lady, this is "life altering"......because now everyone that just suspected you are an idiot....is sure of it.

[Sean, Torrington CT]

A child is not worth a million dollars, more like a couple of bucks. Oh you meant an American child. The eyes, they roll.

[Sean, Torrington CT]

JJ, I'm talking about over reaction to a perceived risk. I wish I could find some stats about children abducted from parked, locked cars to prove/disprove my hunch. I cannot however.

I mean, you could always get in a car crash, why not just tie giant fluffy cushions to every side of your car?!

Whatever...that's the new America...perceived safety trumps rational analysis.

[troschne]

Obviously, the child didn't freeze/suffocate, nor did anyone break into the car and take it, but Sean--seriously--you make a comment similar to your original comment every time there is a story about a child dying from being left, unattended, in a car. I sincerely hope that you never breed. I don't have children, but it doesn't take a parent to realize that what these parents did was stupid and irresponsible.

[AParent]

All of you non-parents, stop passing judgement.

Sean's right--kids don't get stolen from locked cars. They get hit by lightning more often. When kids are sleeping, it's a smart move to LET THEM SLEEP, because there is no guarantee they'll go down for another nap later.

And for those of you who can't see why a couple would want to get yogurt together and actually act like a couple for a few minutes, you've got some seriously warped priorities.

Some of you can't see the difference between some crack ho who leaves her kid in a locked car on a hot day so she can engage in recreational substance abuse, and a couple of responsible parents who walk away for a few minutes on an errand. Your procrusteanism knows no bounds.

[sometimesilie]

"most of the people on here sayingit's no big deal wouldn't dream of leaving a $20 bill on their dashboard while they ran in to buy yogurt....but leaving a 2 yr old is okay with them."

snork! Too True!

[someguyinKC]

quote from AParent "And for those of you who can't see why a couple would want to get yogurt together and actually act like a couple for a few minutes, you've got some seriously warped priorities."

Are you saying that the couple that leaves a kid in the car to go "act like a couple" by buying yogurt together doesn't have seriously warped priorities? When they decided to have a child, they decided to care for that child 100%. Get a babysitter if it's impossible to choose between going into the store by yourself or leaving the child unattended.

[Sigh]

I think that they shouldn't have left the kid in a running car while they were away. Should they have gotten a warning from the police officer -- I say "yep". Assuming they were properly remorseful when warned, should they then have gotten a ticket, "nope".

That being said, I don't think that a misdimeanor conviction and parental counseling are all that steep of a penalty. Suck it up, sheesh. Use all the effort you are spending btching about this "life altering" sentence to instead teach your kid to read or something.

[The Asshole Guy]

Naga Please I stated that their comments are making them look like asshats. All they are doing is trying to justify leaving a two year old in a car alone for 15mins. There is never a reason, ever, ever, ever to leave a 2yr old alone in a car for 15mins.

So for even trying to justify it, they are being asshats.

[AParent]

"There is never a reason, ever, ever, ever to leave a 2yr old alone in a car for 15mins."

TAG, I do it pretty much weekly. Of course, it's in the (closed and locked) garage when my daughter has fallen asleep in her car seat, and we're not at risk of being too hot or too cold. We leave her to sleep in the (non running, obviously van), leaving the van door and door to the garage open, so we'd hear her if she cried.

Rarely does she need to. We check on her every 10-15 minutes, and as soon as she's stirring on her own, wake her up and take her in. She's a much more pleasant girl than if we try (usually unsuccessfully) to extract her from her car seat and get her into her own bed for the remainder of her nap if she's asleep when we arrive home.

So yeah, I know what I'm talking about.

[Sean, Torrington CT]

You guys who support the government second-guessing parents with zero-tolerance laws are something!

Don't tell me how/when to breed, I don't tell you how/when to breed, do I? Shit, I even subsidize your children with my federal income taxes. The revenue shortfall caused by your tax-breaks for children has to be made up somewhere...

Enjoy!

[John Meeks]

Not to sound crass but adults who want to have total freedom from children should remain childless. Without kids, they can run out and get all the sweets they want to have!
Otherwise, there are plenty of safe options for parents to utilize when they have a sweet tooth and a kid in tow:
1. One parent stays in the car with the child while the other goes inside for the yogurt.
2. Both parents take the child inside with them.
3. Both parents wait until they get home, hire a babysitter and have a night on the town with yogurt as their mission.
4. Do without and add yogurt to their shopping list for their next grocery store expedition.

BTW...Even with climate control in the ride, could the kid easily put the car in gear by accident? Just wondering.

[Anna]

"And for those of you who can't see why a couple would want to get yogurt together and actually act like a couple for a few minutes, you've got some seriously warped priorities."

Hmmm! Let me mull that one over a sec...
I can think of a million other ways to 'actually act like a couple for a few minutes'...& it has nothing to do with yogurt!
Call me warped, but I gotta say NO to the yogurt.
Whipped Cream, maybe...

[John Meeks]

I can see why a couple would want to 'act like a couple' for a few minutes - that's how they got the baby in the first place!

All kidding aside, the parents still have to find ways to be responsible about being able to have time to themselves. They just can't leave their child anywhere so they can have 'alone' time...

I still wonder why some people have kids. Are they human beings, pets or accessories?

[Anna]

That's my point exactly, John.
This was an irresponsible, unnecessary act of negligence.
These 2 parents needed the wake up call to assure the safety & future of their child.

Years ago, I fired a babysitter who left my children in the car while she went to the store. Fortunately, a friend saw them & called me, immediately.

In the early 80's there were a large number of kidnappings from cars @ convenient stores, gas stations, grocery stores, etc., nationwide. Locked or unlocked cars didn't matter. More recently, cars are stolen with infants & toddlers sleeping in the backseat.

Parenting is 'Life Altering' -in and of itself - as well as a 24/7 responsibility -forever- that can change in a blink of an eye.

[John Meeks]

Re: AParent. I don't think that we 'non-parents' are being judgmental. I think that we're mostly tired of reading about parents who leave their kids in cars every year. I recall that 'News of the Weird' (and even Obscure Store, if I'm not mistaken) are both still SHOCKED by the number of parents who cavalierly leave their offspring alone in cars - running or not. I don't think that non-parents have a monopoly on placing judgment on parents who should know better, either.

[Starman]

"most of the people on here sayingit's no big deal wouldn't dream of leaving a $20 bill on their dashboard while they ran in to buy yogurt....but leaving a 2 yr old is okay with them."

I'll wager that 99 out of 100 jerks that would think nothing of taking that $20, would not dream of touching a kid.

That being said - in these times...Anybody that would leave a small child alone in public, anywhere, for any length of time is not firing on all pistons.

[Starman]

Note: Scratch "in public" out of that sentence.

[Naga Please!]

You wouldn't leave a million dollars sitting there, why leave a child?

These are two totally different things. I see little kids all the time and never get the temptation to take one with me. A million dollars, on the other hand, is a temptation. If you truly believe that you feel temptation to take money the same as taking a kid, then you may have some pedophilia issues.

There is never a reason, ever, ever, ever to leave a 2yr old alone in a car for 15mins.

Point taken. Interestingly, this wouldn't have been such a big deal 20 years ago. /shrug

[Me]

I'll say this: I was fully expecting the outrage of many posters to be dialed down a few notches, since this was a "nice" middle class couple who weren't in a bar drinking or in a casino. It's nice, at least, to see some consistency.

[Brenda]

I can remember as the eldest child being left in the car with my 2 very young siblings, the youngest less than 2 years old while my parents went food shopping. I was 7 years old.
we would be alone for close to an hour in an unlocked car with the windows down. Of course this was over 40 years ago.
This day and age I am worried about allowing my grandkids to play at the playground and if the littlest is asleep in the car seat, I unbelt the whole thing and take her and the seat in the house.
Between the crazys and the people who stick their noses into every ones business it isnt safe anywhere.
Also 40 years ago we didnt have air conditioning, so we had to leave the windows down in the summer. It is real easy to forget to roll electric windows down to let in air in a car. and we never had baby seats, it is real hard to forget a kid who is crawling all over the car. lol