Tonight, I stopped at the supermarket on the way home from work. I was listening to All Things Considered, so I sat in the car with the radio on for about 15 minutes before heading inside. After about 5 minutes, a car pulled up next to me, and a woman got out and headed for the store. I didn't pay that much mind, until I looked over a little bit later and noticed that there was a small child of about four sitting alone in the backseat.
The car windows were all down a few inches and 5:50 PM in mid-September isn't the hottest time of the year. Still, the sun was still shining brightly, and I was rather warm in my own vehicle, with the window open. Nor is heat the only potential danger to a preschooler left alone in a car, in a supermarket parking lot. I seriously began to consider calling someone, or at least alerting the store. It seemed so stupid and negligent, and could well be a symptom of a greater level of neglect.
On the other hand, I have heard story after story of decent families being torn apart and children being lost in the CFS shuffle. Paired with the fact that I didn't really know *who* to call, and I didn't want to go inside myself and leave the little boy with absolutely no one left to watch him...I was torn. In the end, I decided to wait and keep an eye on him for the last 10 minutes of ATC. If the woman hadn't shown up by then, my choice would be made. She returned to the car at 6:00.
She drove away before I thought to get out of the car and give her a piece of my mind. I wonder if I made the right decision? Part of me says that I didn't. Sure, taking a tot into the grocery store can be a pain, especially if you are in a hurry, but it isn't such an ordeal. Surely the safety of your child should trump convenience. How could you not realize the hazards of leaving a small child alone in your car, in a public place for 10 whole minutes?
I fear that I may have become one of the many people who could have prevented a really bad situation (if not now, then down the road) but didn't. I pray that I am wrong.
