POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Im SOOOO annoyed at what I saw...

This small truck was parked in a parking lot, big shopping center lot, and there were TWO KIDS, left there unattended and the CAR WAS RUNNING !!!!!


ETA: Ages about 9 and 4.

I looked and looked and looked, and they WERE ALONE for SURE! and not only that but they were totally horsing around and goofing off ! one kid in the front, one in the back, so they were practically wrestling.

It was a pickup truck so there was NO room for anyone to be there that I didnt see.

I was just BAFFLED that the car was left running. So I stayed around to see if anyone was nearby. Nope.
I drove around and came back, and was ready to dial 911.

If anything it would have been a wakeup call WITHOUT anything happen. Hey, a fine, or whatever the penalty would have been better than something else happening.

So just as I get there again, this guy walks over with a huge cart full of stuff, and loads the car as if nothing happened.

and I said to him, "excuse me, thats VERY DANGEROUS, leaving the kids in the car" and he goes "there's an adult" and he points to the back..

but I TOTALLY dont beleive it. I Stared at the backseat earlier and only saw one person and all space, nothing else.

SHame on people like this!

Am I over reacting???

Message edited 2/27/2007 5:49:18 PM.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Good for you! I probably would have called the police, but I'm not brave enough to say something to him directly. I would have waited in my car until the police came and just watched what happened, annonymously.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

i just called someone in a 7 11 parking lot this dad came out and i turned becasue i dropped something and realised the kid in the back seat ohhh about 5 in the car, you bet your bottom dollar i called the cops on that a**

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

I have a friend that was left in the car when he was a baby..toddler..
he pushed the cigarette lighter in and the car went on fire, it had popped out and landed on something.
he is burned on like 90% of his face and then some...
Not worth it!
yes........I would have called..always follow your gut I say.

Message edited 2/27/2007 6:18:27 PM.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Calling the police is definately the right thing to do! I'm pretty sure it's illegal even if the car isn't running, because the children are unattended and could get hurt or worse, but with the car running? There's no end to the bad situations they could have gotten themselves into. If not 911, I certainly would have called the local police department.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

ummm...yeah! My mom left my brother and I in the car- I was about nine and he started to drive the car and I couldn't stop him! It was awful!

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

I don't know. My nine year old niece is pretty mature for her age. My mom probably did the same when I was that age too. I would really have to see something completely horrible for me to do call the cops.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

nope. not your business.

i know i was DEFINATLY mature enough at 9 to be in a car by myself.

besides, you hvae no way of knowing it wasnt really a 13 yr old who looked really young.

imo the police have bigger things to worry about.

Message edited 2/27/2007 6:37:53 PM.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

I think irresponsible parents deserve to have the police called when they are endangering their children's well-being, which this guy was absolutely doing. To think what could have happened to those kids, it's just horrible the so-called adult with them didn't care enough about them to look out for them.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Posted by Lisa

Posted by ThusSpokeLaLolita

nope. not your business.

i know i was DEFINATLY mature enough at 9 to be in a car by myself.

besides, you hvae no way of knowing it wasnt really a 13 yr old who looked really young.

imo the police have bigger things to worry about.

I totally agree!!

I remember when I was 9 I was watching my 2 y/o sister....I am so glad no one called the cops on my parents!!

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

i dont think i would've called the police. i would've sat in my car just to make sure the kids were okay and left once i saw an adult. i would've called the police if it was 2 infants, but i think the 9 year old was aware.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

If the car was turned off and both kids were in the back seat, and didn't look like they were in distress, I probably wouldn't have thought about calling 911. Kids in a running car with a young one in the front seat, I probably would have called.

BTW, is a 9 year old even supposed to be in the front seat at all?

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Yes! I would have called 911. We had a similar thing happen in Costco's parking lot when I was pg w/ Sean. A toddler.. TODDLER was asleep in his carseat. We called 911 and stayed by the car. Poor baby woke up and just stared out the window at us.

OMG, I wanted to beat his mother when she finally non-chalantly walked out with her cart. Thank God the cops were already there. I have no idea what happened to her. Can you imagine!?!

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

WOW, Im surprised that a few said they wouldnt call.

Why does something have to be terribly wrong in order to call ? How long does it take for a sicko to open that door, put the car in drive and drive off ??

A "mature" 9yr old should be in those cicrumstances?

It showed how mature he was by how he was behaving in the car. They were literally wrestling eachother from the back to the front of the car.. At one point they were both in the back seat. I thought the parent had taken them, and then saw the older kid reappear, climibing back to the front.

It's ok to have different viewpoints. Im just discussing this, so dont take it as a heated debate anyone

I guess I would call (if this happened again, or something simiiar) the local precinct, not necessarily 911, but offhand, I dont have the # (I wanna put it on my cell phone now )

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Posted by My2Boys

Yes! I would have called 911. We had a similar thing happen in Costco's parking lot when I was pg w/ Sean. A toddler.. TODDLER was asleep in his carseat. We called 911 and stayed by the car. Poor baby woke up and just stared out the window at us.

OMG, I wanted to beat his mother when she finally non-chalantly walked out with her cart. Thank God the cops were already there. I have no idea what happened to her. Can you imagine!?!

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

I guess my question is....How old does a child have to be to "stay by themselves" ?

I think that children these days are protected just a little too much and are not allowed to grow up. I feel bad for them when its time to get a job or go off to college...they are not going to be able to do anything by themselves...

Im not saying that a 9 y/o should go and get a job but did you ever think this was the first time the mom or dad did this as a test to see if the child could handle it and maybe they were right there...watching the whole time???

Message edited 2/27/2007 7:54:34 PM.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

but a TODDLER is NOT a 9 year old.....

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

I'm not sure.

My sister and brother were born when I was 8 1/2 and at 9 I was absolutely capable of watching them for a few minutes if my mom had left us.

As someone else said - you don't know if it was an older child who looked young.
Unless the kids looked like they were in distress or crying or banging on the windows, etc - I probably wouldn't have.

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Posted by Lisa

but a TODDLER is NOT a 9 year old.....

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Posted by My2Boys

Posted by Lisa

but a TODDLER is NOT a 9 year old.....

I was sharing a story that related to this. IMO, a 9 year old should not be left alone in the car with his younger sibling. Especially when the car is running. One doesn't have to be a parent to have common sense, KWIM?

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Im not sure if the kid was like 9.


BUT I was in Florida it was like 100 degrees out we walked by a car and saw this little girl maybe about 6 sitting in the car with the windows rolled up and the car was not on.


I called the cops and the lady came out of the store and was like "is there a problem" I said "ummmm ya you left your kid in a hot car" She was like "oh please" OH PLEASE PEOPLE CAN'T HAVE KIDS!!!!!!!!!

Re: POLL: Would you have called 911 ?

Posted by Lisa

Posted by My2Boys

Posted by Lisa

but a TODDLER is NOT a 9 year old.....

I was sharing a story that related to this. IMO, a 9 year old should not be left alone in the car with his younger sibling. Especially when the car is running. One doesn't have to be a parent to have common sense, KWIM?

You said you had something similar happen,,,,but I dont think leaving a toddler in a car is the same as a 9 year old...thats all I was saying!