What Do You Think??

Husband and I were out at a bank today, and we had differing opinions on a certain situation...

We walked back to our car, and the Explorer-type SUV next to us had the windows wide open, two kids in the back (boy, about age 7, and girl, about age 4). There was also a purse sitting in the front passenger side in clear view of anyone walking past. There was no adult in site. She had gone inside the bank, and it was several minutes til she came out again.

What's everyone's reaction to this??

This is the type of person that is shocked and heartbreoken when someone takes her children! I wish i was there, i would have loved to say something to that woman when she came out!!!!

OH MY GODDDDD that would make me FLIP OUT, I think I wouldhave said something, that is absolutely INSANE, people like that, that live life so CAREFREE are the ones that outlive the rest of us, and that nothing happens to them. If she wasnt out in a few minutes, I would have called the police,or even told security at the bank.

After hearing all this abduction crap....you think this woman would LEARN

I remember being a kid (10 or 12) and my sister and I staying in the car when my mom went into a store. And my mom is not an idiot, halfwitted or irrespnsible. Granted this was 20 plus years ago.

I always am horrified when I hear of someone's kids being taken away for something like leaving them in the car while they go into the bank when there are people who beat their children or worse who don't get reported.

I'm not a parent, so maybe my tune would change if I were. I don't think you can live life worrying about every possible worst case scenario. Kids can be snached from their own homes, too. You don't see people calling the cops on parent who let their kids play in the yard w/o adult supervision. Can't judge without knowing the situation.

Oh my... I'd have had a coronary! Some people should really learn to THINK! It seems okay 'for a minute' but ANYTHING can happen in a minute!

Hey, she asked for opinions, I'm giving mine. From the post, they both had different opinions on the subject. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way, I just think most people would feel that other posters would attack them and make snide comments if they posted their opinion.
I'm not condoning that woman's behavior. I am saying that you can't snap to judgement on people.
That's like taking a parent to jail for smoking around their kid. To me, that's a form of abuse. To most people, that's ridiculous. Go figure.

KGB, I was responding to the original post, not to yours. The world was a different place 20 years ago, and what was done then can't often be done now.
I still feel that the women who left her children in the car was dead wrong, no question about it. I also think people who smoke around their children are setting a poor example. It's a person's choice to smoke, but their children should not be forced to breathe in second hand smoke. JMO, of course.

I agree KGB. Although I'm not a mother and also think that I would never in a million years do such a thing, (in fact I'd probably do banking at a bank with a drive thru and live in Dairy Barn to avoid hauling the kids around! )
But the fact is by 3rd grade I was walking about 3/4 of a mile to school (no, not up hill both ways like my fathers always says he did), coming home to an empty house, keeping an eye on my six year old brother and fixing us both dinner. My neighborhood wasn't the greatest even all those years ago but my parents had to work. I think it made us more aware, cautious and well adjusted for it. How many kids do you know now, even in middle or high school that walk to school? It seems 'Mom's Taxi' is not an understatement.
Whoa I rambled so much i think I went off topic.....

I have to say, I think there is a big difference between kids ages 7 and 4, and kids ages 10-12. Sure, hauling the kids around is probably inconvenient at times, but when you decide to have kids, don't you realize inconvenience is part of the equation? And in this case, as far as I'm concerned, the mom left things very tempting .. with the purse in snatchable grasp. Oh, and as for the kids, the little girl was definitely not buckled in to a child seat .. she was squirming all over the seat, twisting and turning .. there was no way she was buckled into anything at that point. The only smart thing the mother did in this case was she didn't leave the keys in the ignition .. but for all I know, maybe they were somewhere in the car .. who knows.

Believe me, I understand parents need to work, and kids are left home to fend for themselves because it's so hard to make ends meet, especially while trying to raise a family. But, the fact is, let's not forget about how quickly someone can make off with kids .. there was a lady whose kids were sitting in the car as she loaded her packages, and some wacko jumped in and took off with the car and kids while the mother clung desperately to the car for something like 30 feet before she broke loose from the car. If someone can jump in a car like that and take off, then running into a bank, even for a minute, is just that much more dangerous. People take risks, sometimes they survive them, sometimes they don't.

I think times have changed alot in the past 20 years. I remember so many things as a kid that we did or were allowed to do that it would be foolish to allow a child to do today. Sign of the times. I think it's insane to leave children in a car in the scenario you described (based on what we are assuming the situation is).
However, I would not have approached the person and told them what I thought of what they were doing. If you don't know the facts on the situation, and if it's not illegal, it's really none of your business and truthfully just your (or mine or anyones) opinion of their parenting. There are plenty of situations where stepping in, notifying authorities etc. is warranted but I don't know that telling off a parent is really doing anything except venting. Somehow I find it hard to believe that a ranting stranger in a parking lot is going to be the motivating factor in someone changing their thinking or habits.
Definitely a topic that can be further debated.

While honeymooning in Menorca, Spain...I saw a kid in a car with the windows up!! Spain in August is HOT!! I kept saying to DH, I can't believe it...Is there really a kid in there, where are the parents? not too loud, but I was shocked...then the guy sitting at the next table got up and went to get his kid out of the car (they were British, so I guess he understood me lol)

I think that I don't want to haul kids around everywhere, so I will not have kids right now :)