As children, our parents probably all left us in the car at some point. Or perhaps you were kicking the back of your father's seat and kicked out of the car at the tender age of five to make your way home? For the record, I walked to my Aunt's house and made up a fabulous story about my parents forgetting me at the park - they do have five kids to corral - only to have my story invalidated by my parents arrival too. They'd been watching from a few car lengths behind as I walked.
Today, I was chastised for leaving Mikaela in the car while I ran an errand. We were parked in the closest parking space to the library steps, literally right next to them. She was engrossed with eating her pink frosted cupcake and had expressed no interest in joining me to drop off our library books. As it was four steps and another eight footsteps to reach the return box just inside the door, I was willing to lock her in the car and make the thirty second trip solo. It was broad daylight with the usual comings and goings of any library, all in all, I felt this was as safe an environment as when I dash in to pay for my gasoline purchases.
As I reached the top of the steps, an older lady stopped me...
Old Lady: I don't mean to be rude, but why are you leaving your child unattended in the car?
Me, offended at being thought an inadequate mother: I'm just popping inside the door to drop off my books.
Old Lady: Then I'll do it for you.
Me, annoyed at how this conversation has taken longer than dropping off the books would have: I'll drop them off at the outside return box if it'll make you feel better.
Old Lady: Yes, it would.
As luck would have it, the outside return box was locked. The old lady stared at me as I crossed back to the car, unlocked it, and collected Mikaela. Although I can appreciate that she was concerned for my child's safety, am I so wrong in believing a child can be left alone in a locked car for thirty seconds? Logically, many of us know that there are very few cases of children being abducted by strangers yet we are often paralyzed by the possibility. I'm not trying to be flippant, and I'm sure I will ruffle a few feathers, but did she really think someone was going to smash my car window, reach in and unlock the door, extract Mikaela, and make off with her in broad daylight in an area frequented by Moms & Tots, and the Elderly? I think not.
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3 comments:
Dude. Totally not a big deal to not want to unstrap your child for a 30 second run into the library, especially if you locked the door. There are a zillion people out there who offer their unwanted assvice though :P
Kari,
Easy question, easy answer.... Definitely UNFIT!
Not because of your actions regarding locking your daugther in the car but because you appeared to lack the intestinal fortitude to 'deck' the ol' biddy standing in your way while trying to tell you how to raise your own children.
Next time turn back toward the car & then quickly come back around with a right-hook. Problem solved. Time for a Latté.
Interesting blog - I have had the very same dilemma and actually approached a police officer once about it. He agreed that it is not always practical to unstrap your baby/child, bring them inside, etc., and that there is no law against leaving your child in the secured car for a brief time (i.e. 30 seconds) provided you feel comfortable in that you can keep an eye on the car and you are only a short distance away for a short period of time (i.e. dropping off library books, paying for gas, etc.). God, I remember sitting in the car with my sisters when mom went in the store to get a full cart-load of groceries. Granted, times were different then - but it's very sad that we are now so worried about human kind such that this situation turns into a moral dilemma, no matter how it is imposed. I'm sorry you had to experience that.
P.S. A friend of mine was once verbally abused by a retired nurse in a parking lot for not putting a hat on her daughter (who, incidentally, was fully lathered in sunscreen) when she took her into a store that was 10 steps away from the car. I think that lady got an earfull.
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