No…Im sorry but you do not leave your child in the car. If you are in your driveway and you are getting out of the car to open the garage door or close it…ok but anything other then that NO. When you say you are just going to be 1minute you have no idea what might happen in that minute. We all hope that nothing bad is going to happen to us but things happen. You leave the kid in the car while you duck in to buy them some water. You dash into the shop and slip on a spill on the floor and fall over and knock yourself out. No one knows you have left a kid in the car. There are so may things that could happen. I know it seems dramatic but how many people that have had children die in their car ever thought it would happen? NEVER leave your child in the car. Get the kid out of the car and take the extra 2mins to go buy that water.

He obviously has strong feelings about it. Why knows, maybe he did the same and his child died or he knew someone who’s did. Or he’s just an angry man. The way he went about it was wrong. He could’ve said nicely “you shouldn’t do that etc etc”. No compassion for busy/tired mums.

I think both were in the wrong, she for leaving her child in the car and the man using such foul language in front of the child-he has anger issues clearly.

I don’t think it was very wise of the mum however the man sounds like he could use some anger management.

She should never have left her child in the car but, at the same time, this man tackled the situation the wrong way.

What could have happened if the Mum had taken longer or even worse had a fall or suddenly taken ill. Yes, I am pessimistic but it has happened. Fortunately I the cases I know of a child had not been left in a car.

she intended on only being a minute but what if there was other people lined up, what if the shop keeper took a phone call?

honestly, no need for this at all. I could understand if she was gone for a longer but she just had to pick something up. If I stop at a roadside bakery or get fuel I don’t take kids. Who would? It’s dumb and safer for them in car. People need to mind their business!

I think what the man did was right – but the way he did it was wrong.

I will never ever under no circumstances leave my kids alone in the car.

• • 
  • • sunflower replied
    • 01 Mar 2019 , 12:10 pm

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  This story is unecessary and irrelevant scaremongering.
  Your headlines says she was less than a minute, not ‘only a few minutes’ so the ambulance comment is totally irrelevant. If we are going to nitpick down to a few seconds how do you actually get more than one child out of the car? how do you put money in a parking metre or return a shopping trolley?
  Save the abuse for situations where there is actually a risk.

This man, while not behaving well himself, will not have known how long the child was in the car. I must admit, now, due to the awareness of this action, if I see a child in a car I will just ring 000. It doesn’t matter if they’ve only been left a short while – no time is a good amount of time.

Both responses were not ok in my opinion.
My youngest is 5yrs old. I never leave her alone in the car, unless one of my older children is with her.

Definitely no need for the abuse, but the mum shouldn’t have left her child in the car no matter how long for. Go through a drive through like maccas and get a water if your desperate!

He may have been a bit over the top, but with all the stupid people who leave their kids and dogs in cars in all sorts of weather, I think he did the right thing. In my opinion, you can never be too careful when it comes to possibly losing a life

You can never tell how long you will be in a shop for, so she should have taken her child with her! The man was out of line for his tirade, I wonder if there was more behind it? Maybe he lost a child after he/she was left in the car? Or it happened to a family members child? Still doesn’t excuse his verbal abuse though

His behaviour was wrong but frankly, so was hers.

What a reaction from that stranger. He used very bad words!!

Deff an over reaction from the stranger. I never get my baby out of the car to pay for petrol unless I there is a line up at the servo.

No need for abuse but definitely need to keep the message that kids alone in cars don’t mix.