Horrible. And totally preventable.

 

I personally cannot imagine any situation where a kid is "accidentally left" in a hot car. I understand that parents can do absent-minded things, get overwhelmed, make mistakes, etc. But those excuses aren't going to bring your kiddo back if something unthinkable happens. When my children were younger and we went somewhere in the car, if 5 people got into the car when we left, then my wife and I made damn sure that 5 people exited the car when we got to our destination.

 

I have to change the channel when these stories are told.

But I did watch a special or something, maybe a 60 Minutes story, explaining how memory can let us down when our routine changes and how cars MUST be adapted so this particular forgetfulness can no longer happen.

I know I rely on routine a lot, so it made sense to me. Sometimes my car goes off in the opposite direction because that is the more likely route, for example, and it can be ages before I notice.

So, for your consideration:

There's science behind why parents leave kids in hot cars
Morgan Hines
USA TODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...-keep-happening-and-how-stop-them/1861389001/

That said, some of them are unquestionably flat out murders. What a horrible, horrible death.

I think (I didn't read the story to refresh my memory) the more people in the car, the more the brain is paying attention to what is going on. It's those quiet, lone babies....

Oh, my heart.

 

I'd say most of them are criminal selfishness, someone not even thinking about the welfare of their child, just whatever else it was they wanted to do.

I think now and then there's a true accident when someone's mind is just overburdened, like when someone starts driving with their baby seat on top of the car.

There are probably a few actual murders as well.

I can't say I'd be a very sympathetic juror regardless of the reason.

 

The science behind this was interesting however I can’t imagine how someone could be so on auto pilot that they could forget their child was in the car with them. I had a little mirror I installed that allowed me to view my kid in her child seat as I drove. I was constantly checking it. When I hear of this happening, it drives me nuts. Same goes with people leaving their pets in the car.

 

I’m curious PepperAnne, do you have any statistics as to how many men vs women have done this? I was wondering if there was a gender divide or if it comes down equally between the sexes.

 

I get that being a parent is never the easiest job in the world and there's probably times where it seems very convenient to just leave them for a bit, but...

pls don't do that

 

Leaving a child in a car would be like leaving a kidney or an eye.
My kids were a part of me, and I would take them into places, even if it were for just a minute.


The truth is out there

 

I would never do this, but I can at least understand the negligence where someone leaves the window open on a crack and then it becomes too hot in the car for the kid, while the parent is in a store. But just forgetting you left a child in the vehicle is bizarre. I wouldn't even leave my phone in a hot car.

 

I think they probably live in their own private hell. It’s bad enough when we fail to protect our children from outside dangers but when we are responsible for their deaths because we were preoccupied, that’s probably unforgivable.

 

You know what PA? I'd bet that if you asked most of them after the fact they'd say it wasn't really their fault for some reason, and they are really the victims because people are now looking down on them.

There's nothing awful about feeling for them, but I'd bet many of them don't deserve your sympathy.

 

How about we all just cut the crap and address the real elephant in the room.... PepperAnn! Did you lock a nephew or a niece or a younger cousin inside of a hot car? Did you go grocery shopping and forget about your little Ewok looking dogs???? Just come out with it already. Fess up!

 

So did you hear about the blonde car thief?

She had to retire when she got pregnant as she didn't want to put her baby in a hot car.

Ha ha ha!

 

Same, I don't even quickly run into the gas station if my 6 year-old daughter is in the car. It's just a thing i have.