[The facts of the following Reader-Submitted article, have been verified by TLS. The incident occurred this afternoon] I would like to share something that just happened that is bothering me very much. I will backtrack a bit just to get my point across. I had just left my air conditioned car for about fifteen minutes to daven Mincha. When I returned to my car, the thought that went through my mind was “Wow, it got awfully hot in here in a hurry”. Suffice it to say that it was stifling in the car.
I drove off and after a couple of minutes I parked at my destination. I stepped out of the car and as I was walking away, I detected movement in the car next to me. I quickly ran over and I seriously could not believe my eyes! There were a couple of young kids in the car. The doors and windows were shut tight! The engine was off! “What in the world is going on here?”, I thought to myself.
I quickly ran around to the drivers door and here was where I was just floored. There was NO handle on the door of the minivan! Ok, now what? The kids still seemed okay (alive!) in the meantime.
As I grabbed my phone to call Chaverim and my eyes were looking for something to break into the car, I see a woman walking toward the car with a look like “Why are you playing with the doors of my car”? I asked her, “Is this your car with your kids inside with the engine off and everything shut tight?” She nonchalantly answered me that she had just run into the store for a minute. I shook my head in disgust and just walked away.
Now, this gets a bit more crazy. I glanced back and saw that the mother had to knock and coax an obviously very young child to come open the door from the inside since there was no handle on the door and I guess her keys to the other doors were in the car. It took a while but the door did open somehow after a bit.The mother just sat down in the drivers seat and promptly began shmoozing with a friend who happened by. The engine was still off. Just another day at work I guess.
I am writing this to bring up a point. I am not here to judge the mother, although I easily could. And maybe even should. As a parent myself, I know that at times the pressures of juggling the children and your errands alone while your husband is in Yeshiva could be overwhelming. It is so tough to lug three young kids out of the car, shlep them across the parking lot and take them to the store with you. I know. I know. I know.
I am begging you to find some other time to do your errands. I do not think you would leave your open purse on the front seat of the car while you left for a couple of minutes. Your children are a most precious gift given to you by Hashem. They depend on YOU to make decisions for them. Many times they do not know that their lives are at risk….until G-d forbid it is too late. I promise you that you will never forgive yourself if the worst case scenario were to play out.
Please, I beg everyone, stop and think before you are trying to do ten things at once. Slow down.
May everyone be zoche to bring up happy and healthy children.
Insane people…
Why did you let her go. You should have called the cops and had her arrested. She will no doubt do it again with c”v a different outcome. At least get her info and have a proffesional speak to her. Why is her life (getting arrested)more important than her kids life.
IDIOTS! To the true sense of the word. True fools!
I would have immediately called the police. It’s people like you (the author of this article) who perpetuate this kind of stupidity and, frankly, child abuse, by not reporting to the proper authorities.
Yes the mother was 100% wrong. I hope you scared the wits out of her!
But do you think it would be GOOD for the children to put the mother in jail, even temporarily??
Does the foster care system have such a great track record?
perhaps send this letter to be hung up in yeshiva as well so more people can be reminded about this life threatening situation
“I shook my head in disgust and just walked away.” Why didnt you give her a telling off? If she does it again, part of the blame will be on you.
Mind your own business. There is ALWAYS a whole nother side to every story.
What you saw and reported is through your obvious very biased sense of how hot you reported being to all of us.
Tell me, how hot was it in the minivan?
i was shopping in (moderated) last week when i cam eupon a stroller in the back corner of the store. inside was a sweet new born boy. i was shoked. no mother in sight? i called out ” anyone baby here” hello. ” anyone lose a diamond!!!” no response. another person came up and we looked at each other. I suggested we move the stroller to another aisle and than see the mother freak out when she decides to head back to the corner of the store were she left her new baby. i just could not bring myself. we waited and waited. the baby woke up and i had an enjoyable time watching this cute baby. until the mother showed up and was just ignorant.
let me tell you. take care or your precious bundels. our kids have grown up and we would love to have had many more kids. but hashem has his plans. dont take for granted by leaving your jewels in the corner of the store or in your cars. each one is special.
please wake up.
To number, no the foster care system is not good, but if we take one of these mothers or fathers and make an example of them then it won’t have again for a long time. Guaranteed. Unfortunately that’s the way the world works
foster care track record is not an issue when their current mother could care less.
LADYS THESE DAYS
In these cases is does NOT matter what the other side of the story is!!!!!!!! You leave your kids alone in a closed up hot car on a hot summer day and there is another side to this???? What are you talking about? That’s insane!
There can not be “another side of the story” PERIOD . No excuse in the world for leaving kids alone in a car or even with the A/C on. How are people so stupid ????
trust me it will happen again when a parent will leave their child or children in a hot,locked car, and something terrible will happen again, it has happend way to much in this town, there should be a law for leaving your child in the car, jail time fines and jail time, taken your children away, what will it take to keep your children safe.
call the cops! end of story!!!
I hope this isn’t deleted… But in situations like this the Police should be called first not the LCSW or Chaverim… The law is the law and its a child’s life.
To ALL parents.
I BEG YOU – Please adhere to these guidelines.
As an EMT, I have seen horrible, horrible cases of children dying after being left in a car or in a pool “for just a minute”
Stop for a minute and imagine life with your child gone. Imagine waking up every day and seeing their bed empty. Imaging living with the guilt of knowing you could have prevented his death by not “leaving him in car for just a minute” while you ran into the bank to cash a check.
To all those who think it cannot happen… it can, and it does. Every year, infants and toddlers die after being left in hot cars, or unsupervised near pools.
**warning – graphic description ahead**
On a hot day, the inside of a car can rise to 140 degrees in minutes. At that temperature, the skin of a child or infant will turn red and start to bubble. The air in the car is so hot, it will burn the lungs with each breath. Due to the swelling of the skin, it will be very difficult for the child to sweat, so the body temperature will continue to rise. After just a few minutes, the temperature of the brain will get hot enough where brain cells will start to die off. Cells in other organs like kidney and liver will also start to die. The child will experience excruciating pain and it will probably be the most miserable experience he has ever gone through. He will be too weak to cry and will start losing his vision. The poor child will experience fear like never before and cry out for his mommy or daddy, but no one can hear him in a car with the windows closed. Death can follow very quickly.
**
The above description is not a scare tactic. It is real and happens every time a child is left in a hot car for more than a few minutes. Print this out and keep it with you. The next time you think its okay to leave him in the car for a just a few minutes, read it and ask yourself “do I want to put my precious baby through this?”
Sad, scary story. The fact remains, however, you can’t fix Dumb. DB.
How about the fact that people overdress and bundle up their newborn or small baby with velours and blankets in this heat … This shabbos i noticed in my developement a father walking with a small baby in a snap and go with a hood and he made sure to cover the child well with a hot blanket in the stifling heat. Never mind ppl don’t realize that a carseat itself has alot if insulation .. U might notice when u take the baby out even with no blanket he will be sweating!!!
just a week later and again we are being told that someone left their kids in the car. i saw it today too in Grebow plaza kids in car doors and windows open yet no parents in sight. when will people learn? when there kids are kidnapped or worse die from the heat. i can’t understand people there are so many couples out there who would do anything just to be able to have kids and yet the ones who have kids don’t even seem to care about their kids.
on another note about our kids why is it okay for our kids to walk and play in the street on shabbas. just because its shabbas for us doesn’t mean that everyone in this town keeps shabbas. its very dangerous even on shabbas to play in the street yet the kids in many parts of town do and when you telll them not to play in the street they look at you like your crazy. parents need to teach their kids that the street is not a place to play period.
Don’t hesitate next time! CALL THE POLICE! This
Today was 100% humidity and 84 degreees. Yes, call chaveirim for sure! and lady, get yourself a babysitter and go when your kids go to sleep!!!! Its a real rachmanus!
Make it your business to guarantee the child’s safety, but don’t be “righteously” vindictive, because Lamalshinim ein Tikva. If you want to shake up the parent whom you consider remiss, call a responsible member of the community to explain the dire consequences they could have faced Rachamana Litzlan.
always leave the ac on and windows cracked
Break a window away from the children!!!!
Speechless all I can say I feel bad for them:(:(
IRRESPONSIBLE!!!!!!!!!
There is no question here, this is child abuse. The police should have been called.
I encountered a similar situation last year. Three children, a newborn, 18 month old and a 3 year old were left on a 90 degree day in the back of a minivan with the engine off and windows open. The windows were darkened and I was parked next to this van. I only noticed the children because they were all screaming at the top of their lungs. I opened the door, gave the two older ones a drink of cold water and asked a passerby who was going into the store to call the owner of the vehicle outside. When she did come out, I told her she was very fortunate that it was me and not a police officer who found them and that had the authorities been notified, her children would be taken away. She seemed completely ignorant of the fact that it was too hot and that a 3 year old isn’t responsible enough to leave as a babysitter for her two younger siblings. I spend a lot of time daavening for all the young, harried, overworked, overtired mothers of this town. Just slow down and give some genuine thought to the decisions you are making. Your husband would be happy to eat leftovers if it meant you were going to leave your children in a hot car alone while you picked up fresh supper ingredients.
I have tears running down my cheeks. Bh we are not yet blessed with children. How dare you, mothers, leave your precious children, which I would give anything in the world for, in a hot car. HOW DARE YOU???????
I’m tearing :(:(:( hardly could write ,but I wish I would I would have a kid and this mother just leaves them in a sakana :(:(:(that’s it I could say:(:(
Some people are simply spaced out. Some are more intelligent then others.
Is it a crime to be less then smart?
People make mistakes. Big ones sometimes.
Yet how we act and re-act is within our own hands.
Leaving children in a hot car is Sakonas Nefoshos. Hatzolah should be called. They will have the quickest response time as well. (Lights sirens off- so as not to draw attention.) – This of course if you truely mean well for all parties involved. – It will surely scare the sanity back into any parents!
in situations like this the Police should be called first not the LCSW or Chaverim
Can’t the husbands run the errands so the mothers don’t have to be tempted to leave the children in the car? I do not think this would happen as often in other communities where both parents are sharing the family responsibilities. Can the powers that be speak to the husbands in Yeshiva and ask them to take on more responsiblity in the home, even if it means a bit less time for learning?
to #26, crack the window or leace the ac on, wow this is another stupid idea, what if someone hears the car running, maybe they will hop in and steal the car along with the baby, never leave a child in a car periodl.
to #24 – simple answer… No. Will not happen.
One thing is it is illegal to leave a child unattended (anywhere) let alone a dangerous and hot car. I have to say I think DYFS needs to take up residence and drive around Lakewood every once in a while. I see baby’s all the time playing outside with no parent close by. I see kids 5-6 running home alone just after getting off a school bus alone, Kids playing in or close to the road, some times taunting drivers by stepping in the road. Please love and cherish you children don’t leave them unattended anywhere, a car, a pool, a bedroom, outside for even 1 second. Anything can happen even in a second. It doesn’t always take a whole min………..
It is clear that no one should leave another person (child-senior) in the vehicle while they run errands. Call LPD to rescue the child. The errant parent needs supervision, and the child needs protection.
Love, protect, and care for your children all of the time. Can you imagine the grief of losing a child because of carelessness, or severely injuring a child. Unacceptable!
If the wives say they are not able to do the errands properly because they cannot shlep so many children, then the husbands, by default, will have to pick up the milk, the dry cleaning, etc. If a wife has taken on the extra burden of working outside the home, which is not part of her obligation as stipulated in the kesuva, then i don’t see why her husband cannot take upon himself some of the household responsibiliites out of hakaras hatov to her. i truly believe that if a shaila were asked, the answer would be for the husband to run the errands some of the time.
the mother is nuts….. unfortunately i have done so in the past as well. so i must be nuts too.
BTW i no longer do it, so no i’m allowed to complain 😉
Just another parent being IRRESPONSIBLE!! I can not judge her for what she did but our children are a gift and we need to be responsible parents. I have 3 small children and I never would think to leave them in a car alone. I am a single mom who works full time and can not depend on my husband . Yes it is a lot of work, but I drag my kids everywhere with me, grocery shopping, to the post office, etc. If you can not handle the responsibility of having children then don’t.
#12
so maybe help them out !
they can use it
women are overwhelmed