This is an illustrative shot only.
DASH TO THE SHOPS LANDS IN COURT
A Brisbane mother has pleaded guilty to leaving her three children in the car, with engine running and air-conditioning on, while she ducked into the shops for 10 minutes. A bystander noticed the children – the eldest of whom was 10 – in the car and watched them for five minutes before phoning the police.
Queensland has laws that state children under 12 should not be left alone for an ‘unreasonable’ amount of time.
The magistrate said the woman was co-operative and helpful and had excellent character references.
Her defence lawyer said: “We’re not talking about a car park outside a casino.”
She was released without penalty.
Here’s what else is on our radar today:
1. A dog has won Britain’s Got Talent and claimed the $800,000 top prize. Well, his owner did the last part.
2. The developed world throws out as much food in waste each year as sub-Saharan Africa produces. Whoa. Professor Chris Barrett, from Cornell University, is in Australia warning of the massive increases in the cost of food production to come in the next few decades.
3. ‘One of our greatest Australians’, according to Malcolm Turnbull, has passed away peacefully on Sunday. Don Ritchie saved some 500 would-be suicide victims from jumping off Sydney’s notorious suicide spot The Gap. He lived nearby and would keep watch, talking people down from the bring and offering a cuppa and a biscuit. He was 85.
4. Online shoppers, take note. The Aussie dollar has fallen below parity with the greenback for the first time in 2012. It’s worth 99.80 US cents and is likely to slip lower.
5. How young is too young for Facebook? Australian Bureau of Statistics stats show about 2.2 million Aussie kids aged five to 14 are on the social network, despite its age limit saying users had to be at least 13.
6. Apparently Oprah and the US First lady Michelle Obama are not at all on friendly terms. That’s according to a new book written by a former New York Times Magazine editor. The White House says the stories are ‘made up’.
Comments
197 Comments so far
Years ago a woman came into the shop where I was working to get a few things leaving her young daughter in the car. The car was parked at the front of the shop…it became really noticable though when smoke started pouring from it. We didn’t realise the child was in the car until the mother started scraming and ran outside. My best friend (and boss) pulled the little girl out of the car while we hosed it down. She was on fire, luckily there was a hair salon training facility next door and they could put her under water immediately and got a head start of first aid. It all happened so quickly and that little girl had to go through years of rehab, pressure suits and operations and was scarred for life. I’m sure her mother wishes she had got her out of the car and brought her into the shop.
So, I would never leave my kids in the car while shopping, it’s just not worth the risk .
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How did the fire start?
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Sorry Kris, have just seen your comment now! They weren’t sure how it started, they think possibly an electrical fault or something. She had been driving for a couple of hours previous (fromt the country to town) so maybe something overheated?
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The dog and owner performed, not just the dog. From the couple of clips I saw, it looked like the owner put a hell of a lot of work into each performance.
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My opinion is that the bystander should have approach the mother and offered to keep an eye on the children while she popped to grab a couple of things, that way she could calmly get all her groceries not just snatch and grab….or perhaps if she was that concerned for the childrens safety she could have watched from a distance until the mother returned.
I had an incident the other day when I really needed a hand and all the bystanders just stared like I was a reality TV show. I mean it was desperate circumstances my nephew needed an ambulance and I had my 4 children with me.
The media should bring back the 80′s TV slogan ‘do you need a hannnndd, do you need a hannnd, be the first to say to you need a hand!! I think we have all forget how to contribute to society.
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I’m wasting so much food right now, but is only because I’ve got horrible morning sickness.
So fussy about food, and half of what I do manage to eat doesn’t stay eaten. Still feel guilty even with a good excuse
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I often leave my small child in car when I have to run in to pay for petrol. He is almost 4 and has a physical disability – so there is no way I can get him out into walker, into shop, out of walker, child in car seat, walker in boot, and self organised!!
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and even if you could get him out without the huge amount of work, if it was a busy petrol station it might not be safer with cars everywhere. Leave him there for sure.
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I have a 20mth old and I totally agree that it is riduculous to to have to take kids from the car at the servo. However, personally, im such a worrier of a mum that i never take my son with me to the servo anyway because I am at pains to work out if it is better to leave the car unlocked and rrisk the unlikely event of someone kidnap him o. To lock the car and risk the unlikely event of there being a fire and no one be able to get him out of the care. this goes through my head whenever i see the petrol light come on so i just let my hubby to the fuelling lol!
I am such a worry wart when it comes to my kid. he wiall probably be mentally scarred from my helicopter parenting. Better safe than sorry i say lol
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Man the food wastage. That’s appalling. I’ve certainly done it too. Really shows how well-off people are I suppose.
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I leave my 2 kids in the car when I pay for petrol. I lock the car and I am gone for all of 3 minutes. Come to think of it……for all the posts below from mums that never ever leave their kids in the car I never ever see kids in the queue with their parents waiting to pay for fuel. Just an observation.
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I leave my 2 kids in the car when I pay for petrol. I lock the car and I am gone for all of 3 minutes. Come to think of it……for all the posts below from mums that never ever leave their kids in the car I never ever seen kids in the queue with their parents waiting to pay for fuel. Just an observation.
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I agree, imagine all the irate people waiting for petrol while we take 10 minutes to get our kids out of the car and then another 10 minutes to get them back in again. No thanks!
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I often have to queue just to get to a pump, imagine all the cranky people having to wait longer than usual while all the mums strap their kids back in!
Maybe we should all start doing it to prove a point! There will be servo rage galore….
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I have done it before, the petrol station was quite large, and so the pump was far enough away that i wouldn’t of been able to see the baby if i left her in the car. The problem was that it was busy, but i didn’t care. Surprisingly the car that was behind me didn’t mind, and smiled at me (elderly couple), however the car behind them well she was giving me daggers, she was a young mum, go figure!
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I hate the chore of getting fuel so hubby usually gets it for me. But when I do have to get fuel I never take my son (now 5) with me to pay for fuel. The car is locked at all times and I can see from the register. As for kids climbling out….seriously, kids can be fast, but really, what child can undo a buckle and climb out of the car (if using the child locks) in the time you have paid? Most servos (my local does anyway) you can see from the register so you would know what your child is up to with more than enough time to get back.
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Imagine being responsible for saving 500 lives? I mean if you’re not a Dr or something. That’s amazing. And it also goes to show the power of a cuppa and a chat! Never understimate the cup of tea.
I’ve always pulled my kids into the shops/petrol station/pharmacy with me even if i’m parked where I can see them but now the 2 yr old cracks it if I put him in his stroller and he runs wild if he’s not in it so it really makes the quick dash into the petrol station a long drawn out stressful situation so last time I got petrol I left them in the car!!!!! That was a big deal for me, and nothing bad happened and in fact I it made the whole trip go a lot smoother because I wasn’t getting angry and frustrated with them and he wasn’t screaming and howling to get away. I’d only do it if I could see them though.
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Oprah lied ??????????!!!!!!!!!!
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I am the proud co-owner (heheh) of three kids. I have NEVER taken them into the petrol station, even if I can’t see the car. I have NEVER locked the car when I go into pay for petrol. I have faith that the majority of people (statistics back me up here) are NOT child-stealers, or car stealers. I would rather leave the car unlocked in case the children need to be pulled out for whatever reason.
They are trained to wait for me quietly in the car. Or, sometimes when they were smaller, they would squall. Too bad. A couple of minutes in the car is the least of my parenting worries. They have more chance of being severely injured and burned by hot water in my kitchen.
Wise up. Stop the paranoia. All these ‘I read about a baby in a car….(disaster)’ These stories are rare. Have a crack at some actual statistics.
I will now state (obviously) that there are caveats. Hot cars, dangerous situations blah blah.
As stated in the original comment, the majority of mothers are sensible.
I have 5 siblings. The youngest two were high school age one time when mum went into the shops. Our car at the time was the ubiquitous Hyundai Excel. My bro and sister were in gales of laughter as they watched mum hop into the drivers seat of an identical car with two teenagers sitting in it (presumably waiting for their own neglectful mother to come back)
When mum got back to the real car, she said, in her defence, that she’d glanced into the passenger seat and seen two hairy knees (like my brother’s) and thought it was our car. I still laugh about it.
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There is never a good age to leave a child in the car. I heard a paediatrician say once that we’d not leave a million dollars on the back seat or even our hand bag, so why on earth would you leave a baby or child there unattended and at risk? Fair point.
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How old then? 18, once they’re legally an adult?
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Babies are all so vulnerable and should never be left unattended in a car, 2yo’s can undo their restraints pull up the button and step out into traffic, 5 year olds don’t make good decisions and can release hand brakes, put cars in gear. I have heard high school should be about right! It is us that minds taking our children in and out of the car, kids don’t care less. But go with 18 if in doubt.
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LOL!
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Wow. My 3yo can’t undo her belt and she would have to have the strength of an adult to release the handbrake…..BTW I drive a manual car and leave parked in gear so even if handbrake was somehow released the car would not roll.
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Wow. My 3yo can’t undo her belt and she and her 6yo sister would have to have the strength of an adult to release the handbrake…..BTW I drive a manual car and leave parked in gear so even if handbrake was somehow released the car would not roll.
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Go with 18 if in doubt?? Yes, I can see the 14, 15 and 17 year olds climbing out of the car to accompany Mum in to the garage to pay for petrol….. Especially if the 17 year old has a driver’s licence! I’m sorry, I’m trying not to make too much fun of your statement (if it’s not in jest) but it’s pretty unrealistic. Kids get jobs as McDonalds as young teenagers and babysit their younger siblings from 13-14 onwards. I get what you’re saying about babies and younger kids but ’18 if in doubt’ just lost me!
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I do agree with this. I know many people who would never leave their bag unattended for a minute, but who wouldn’t think twice about leaving their kids unattended. Not saying leaving your kids in the car is wrong, just that it’s interesting what we prioritise.
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Because it is highly likely that your handbag will get stolen; and not so likely that your child will!
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Agree, they may steal my hand bag ,its lovely.My son they would return rather quick, he is loud, smelly and a bit of a bother.
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Love it
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We aren’t talking about an unattended baby or toddler. These kids had their 10 year old sibling with them. In many countries 10 year olds are raising their brothers and sisters so lets credit them with a bit of nouse. I personally think my eleven year old son has more sense and better judgement than my handbag.
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The voice of reason again … thank you Kate!
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Mum once left my sister and I in the car to pay for petrol (we would of been ~7 and 12) and she forgot to put the handbrake on and we started rolling away… luckily my sister knew to pull up the hand brake and we didn’t roll onto the main road, Mum felt so guilty
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Um, OMG. I have been reading the comments for ages, and I JUST realised that I leave my 4yo in the car when I run into the petrol station (always) and sometimes when I run into the post office or supermarket. I never thought it was a massive issue! I am most worried that she will get out into [car park] traffic and always tell her – stay in the car! Is that really a CRIMINAL OFFENCE?
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I really don’t understand the usefulness of prosecuting, or persecuting might be a better word, mothers who simply need to buy things for the family. This harks back to the MM story “where’s my f*&^%ing village?”
1. Petrol shop attendants could come out to mums so mums don’t have to leave their kids in cars. Petrol shop attendants used to do this once upon a time for all their customers. Or install card/cash facilities that *work* in the petrol pumps. Win-win.
2. Who are some of the biggest customers at supermarkets? Mothers, with children. Why? Because their families need food. If I was a Westfield etc CEO I would be looking at helping mothers to do the shopping as a priority of marketing and meeting the needs of the community. Win-win.
Self-righteously punishing a mother for trying to feed the family? FFS. Where is mum’s village? Indeed. The neglect of society that mothers have to endure is tragic. Keep the babies safe by all means but look after the mums too. Win-win.
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But then our petrol would cost even more than it does now as they’d have to employ extra staff (especially at peak hours) to man the pumps.
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Our local petrol station used to have eftpos attached to the pumps so you could serve yourself. Then they realised no one was going into the store and buying extra items and removed them. If they installed these in more petrol stations then parents wouldn’t have to make a choice about leaving their children and would probably get more business.
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Indeed Susan As Well! But the CEO of Westfield doesn’t want to make it easy for Mums to run into the shops with their kids … they want you to walk past three hundred other shops, right to the back of the supermarket to get nothing more than 3L of milk.
And they wonder why kids are left in the car!
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I really love this comment! And yes, I do leave my 2yo in the car when I go to pay for petrol and no, I don’t feel guilty about it either!
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We have a large family and I have managed to sort out our meal quantities so that we dont have any left overs after each meal. I only buy what I know we will use and avoid buying food on sale just because its cheap because I know it wont be eaten and will be wasted. When I was growing up we had leftovers all the time. And lots of gladwrapped stuff in the fridge that was thrown out at the end of each week!
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Leftovers can be a really economical way to go though, Lu. I often save a little bit of dinner for KDot to take to school the next day, for example. She’s not huge on dinner at the moment (she eats a LOT at school), so I figure she gets a taste of whatever I’ve made, then it’s not totally new for her for lunch the next day.
One of the features I really like about the Michelle Bridges eating plans is that she incorporates leftovers into it – so you make a double batch of say, soup, have it for dinner then have it for lunch a couple of days later.
I also try to make something for leftovers for my school prac days to make life a bit easier.
If there are lots of leftovers in the fridge, we have them for dinner until they’re gone!
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Wow, reading these comments is a fascinating insight into the small minded judgmental attitudes of so many people! I’ve seen 1 comment that mentioned the food waste issue, a handful that mentioned the death of the Gap guardian, and the rest are criticizing or defending types of parenting. No wonder here are so many articles about the mummy wars!
Hello people, did any of you read the bit about the fact that Australians waste so much food everyday? Isn’t that kind of damning on all of us? Do any of you give a $&*! About your own contribution to this shocking over consumption of resources? Or are you too busy pointing the finger at other peoples parenting?
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I totally agree! I felt horrible when I read about the food situation!
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I think we all agree that food waste is disgusting.
Nobody needs to defend their position on that.
People are more likely to post about things that are controversial.
It would be a fairly dull site if we were all just nodding in agreement about universally acknowledged failures of the Western World.
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Im so happy to hear that our massive over consumption is universally acknowledged. I suppose that means everyone is putting conscious thought and effort into how to reduce their footprint? Next I will see sharing of tips into how to best do this, and finger pointing at those who are too lazy, just like the mummy attacks?
Um, sorry, but the evidence, to me, seems to point to this issue being universally ignored, not acknowledged!
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Facebook for kids can be used for various reasons. My 3 older kids (ages 8,9 and 11) all have a Facebook account but in all honesty they don’t use it a lot but they check their FB more for their personal interest such as their AFL teams. My 8 year old son is a big fan of Gary Ablet and through Facebook yesterday he was able to wish him a happy birthday. This meant the world to my son!
The mum that did the dash into the supermarket would feel very embrasssed but she is not a bad mum it just so happens that she broke the law even if we agree or disagree with the situation. It was the supermarket not the pub so she was not doing something self destructive, just a mum who forgot what the law specifies ( havent’t we all broken the law in some way such as being 2 km over the speed limit, parking on the nature strip) without giving it a second thought?
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There’s an educational version of FB called Edmodo which can be great too. It looks like FB, but you can set up class groups for the kids to share stuff.
I think people who don’t understand using social media are the ones up in arms about it the most – as Mia has pointed out when she gets hauled out as the “expert” – use it yourself, don’t just write it off as something the kids use and that you’re too old for. Then you know what you’re looking at and what they’re up to. I agree it’s a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family – it’s fantastic for jobs like the ADF where people get posted around the country regularly – great way to keep in touch!
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I don’t think it’s that we don’t care – it’s just that most people are programmed to respond to thnigs they can relate to in their everyday lives. When I read about the poor mum I just thought OMG that could have been me splashed all over the papers.
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So you’ve never thrown out mouldy leftovers?
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Great point Feyla. It’s horrifying that people are starving out there when we just throw out food in Australia. I have been concerned about the amount of food my family wastes for a while. I’ve found that the best way to cut back on this is to do all my dinner cooking for a month, freeze them in portions the right size for my family and then just heat them up every night. It saves me time of the evening, and the food that we seemed to waste the most was vegetables and meat, because I would buy enough for the week, but for whatever reason didn’t get a chance to cook it in time. So by cooking it all in the one day, none of it got wasted. That’s just what is working for me. I’d love to hear anyone else’s tips for not wasting food?
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Those green stay fresh bags help me get the chance to use the veggies before they get too old. Plus I’ve gotten less fussy about how firm/fresh potatoes etc are, even the old ones work in soups etc!
I’ve also gotten more disciplined about eating what needs to be used up, rather than what I’m in the mood for.
Ive been trying to teach my son to be more conscious of wasting food. He is not allowed to dish himself out more than he will eat, and he is certainly not allowed to turn his nose up at the food in front of him and ask for something else!
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I’d love you to come to my place and cook our dinners for a month in advance. That sounds fantastic!
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I’d just like to say that in my case, I don’t waste any food – I know that sounds like a tall call, but I simply don’t have the money to buy food and not eat it. So for me the leaving kids in the car for 3.5 minutes and potentially getting prosecuted for it is a much bigger issue. I’m not being judgemental, but I am thinking that ‘no wonder people panic when they find out they’re pregnant’.
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OMG one of the kids was 10! Poor woman – a lot worse than leaving her kids in the car is the embarrassment she now has to face
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The point most of you seem to be missing in the whole lets attack each others parenting style is : It is illegal to leave children unaccompanied by an adult in a car. It’s a LAW not an opinion.
Children and pets can suffer injury or death when left in a car. The law is not there to be an inconvenience but to protect your children.
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Just because it’s law doesn’t mean it’s sensible or can’t be questioned.
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I think from a brief scan of the piece, the law says they may not be left “for an unreasonable amount of time”. THe legal issue then, comes down to the definition of “unreasonable”
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No you seem to be missing the point that it is an ambiguous law! An ‘unreasonable time’ for some might seem perfectly acceptable for others. Would like to know more about the person who called the police on her……
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My mum is an amazing mum – compassionate, caring and would go to the ends of the earth for us.
I have definitely been left in the car with my brother for ten minute periods.
I recall nominating to stay in the car rather than wait for a prescription filled so I could continue to listen to the radio or what-not.
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Sorry Rick I know you probably hate the early mornings but I miss daily buzz first up. I have become used to sharing my first coffee of the day with mamamia and catching up on the news that has emerged overnight! Wake up sleepy head!
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I have no official position on the timing of buzz! Although I did wander around my house in a daze this morning after a slight sleep in. Twas nice.
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Bring back the days when a uniformed attendant would fill your car for you, check your oil, tyres and wash your windscreen. Yes they used to exist.
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Why didn’t the fool woman drop the kids at the library? http://www.mamamia.com.au/parenting/the-shopping-centre-dump-and-run/
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Love it Kate
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LOL must admit you came into my head when I read the headline!
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It’s an interesting society that kids are growing up in, they apparently don’t have the maturity to sit in the car for 10 minutes by themselves, but they can be trusted to navigate social networking sites. I find this really conflicting.
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Great point!
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SO SO glad that the news section is back!
It’s how I get my fix of daily Aussie news stuck here in the UK where everything is so depressing……..
Can understand why she left the kids in the car, but would never do it. I know of a woman who did it and got busted, as the police station was across the road from the supermarket car park!!!!! She was facing never being able to work as a school teacher again if she had a conviction against her, so really not worth it in that instance.
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I agree with you about the depressing nature of the news in the UK!! I’ve been living here since January for my gap year and have watched the news less than five times because each time it’s just too depressing to describe. I stick to mamamia too, a lot of the time
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I’m one of five we got left in the car quite a bit, much better vantage point to watch my mum fall and roll across the road. Bahahahaaa! we called it her version of genuflecting for the weeks she hadn’t gone to church.
All things considered we are probably lucky she didn’t take the handbrake off and let us disappear. (we were such cheeky monkey’s)
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I’m one of six, and we spent countless boring hours in the car. We preferred it over more boring stuff that mum was doing.
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Sorry but: I’ve got no children, just an ex-fireman dad with expertise in combustible fuels. Children locked in cars at petrol stations No NoNo!!
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How many incidents did he attend that were caused by kids in the car at the servo while Mum or Dad paid?
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It would only take one!
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But has there been one? That’s why I asked.
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I don’t think anyone under 16 should be on facebook, there is a lot of dodgy people and groups on there, which an adult can navigate, but children can’t be relied to.
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Those were exactly my concerns when faced with the dilemma. At the end of the day, if you are going to give your kids any kind of responsibility it is your job to monitor how they are doing with it. They do have to grow up some time and they can only do that my having some independence and being faced with decisions- hopefully, you have taught them enough to make the right ones. Facebook may not be the ideal example but it is the same as letting them ride to school, stay home by themselves for an hour or go to the park with their friends. Of course, you could just give them no freedom and follow it up by popping over to your 30 year old son’s house every day to make sure they haven’t let strangers in.
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Son’s house? Don’t worry – they’ll still be in their room in your house! Ha
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Oh for a busybody law…
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I do feel sorry for the Mum but I think she went too far. I am familar with the shopping centre where it happened and I would never leave my children in the car park there. I do leave them in the car when I pay for petrol, I put the windows down a bit and lock the doors. There was an incident in Melbourne in 2010 when a Mum put the kids in the car, started the engine and turned the air con on while she was putting the groceries in the boot. A pair of desparate junkies jumped in the car and drove off with her 3 kids in it. The oldest was about 8 I think and he convinced them to let them out. Ever since that happened I have been paranoid about leaving kids in running cars.
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Paying for petrol is one thing, going to the shops with the kids in the car with engine running for 10 minutes is another. Paying for petrol takes 90 seconds max. And you can usually see your car the whole time. Big issue here for me is the kids and the car could have easily been stolen. A baby in NSW was kidnapped in exactly these circumstances a few years ago. Car stolen while engine left running while mum went into shops not realising baby was in the back, when thief realised abandoned car and baby was left in hot car alone. Cant remember if the baby survived.
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That’s not kidnapping though – that’s not realising a baby is asleep in the car that you’ve nicked.
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Yeah true, but poor mum was frantic for hours not knowing where her child was or if it was dead or alive. Just because she didnt want to get it out of the car while she ran into a shop. I know its a hassle but not worth risking that.
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Car can easily be stolen in petrol station too.. Not understanding your reasoning there?? It’s illegal to leave yr kids in the car.. Don’t do it.. Ever!!! No excuse for it really.. Your child’s safety is number one priority yes???
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The woman left her car turned on with the engine running! Nobody does that at a petrol station. Most modern cars have computers that prevent them from being stolen if the engine is turned off and the keys not in the ignition, which is why carjackings are on the rise because car thieves cant steal them in the old fashioned way any more.
When my kids were little I sometimes went to a family run station, where i knew the owner and she would run out and sit with them so I didnt have to wrestle them all in, which seriously was a far greater risk to their safety, when I did get them out and take them with me occassionally. It was a nightmare, trying to get them out of the car without using a pram, hold their hands through the carpark while carrying one, pay and then repeat it all again to get back into the car. Which usually ended in some sort of trantrum because someone would want an iceblock or lolly. And then have to deal with the crankypants behind waiting for your spot at the bowser.
Anyone who says you have to take your kids with you to pay for petrol has either never tried it themselves or only has one child to deal with.
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In reality though, if you go inside to pay for petrol, you wait for the person to bring up your pump and key your sale in the register and then into the card machine, key in your PIN… and that’s if there isn’t a line… what are you going to do if you see someone jump into your car? Run after them?
If someone wants to get into your car, even if you’re at a red light, they will. It’s scary but after living in some quite frightening cities in the US, I’ve seen and heard it all. Car jackers are nothing if not determined.
*And I’m in no way judging this woman or anyone who does the same as I haven’t driven since having a child purely because a Melbourne roundabout and hook turns scared me from driving on this side of the road for life. I’m just trying to emphasise that what we think is 90 seconds, often isn’t and a criminal will still find a way to be a criminal.
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In reality, you’re probably not going to get in trouble for legging it were someone to approach your car at the servo while you’re paying.
In reality, it’s really unlikely that anyone would approach your car and try to steal it at a servo if it’s locked, and likely parked in one way or the other.
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In reality it happens and you’re not going to catch someone. In reality I have no judgement against parents who leave their kids in the car when they go pay for petrol. Which is sad because in reality you appear to be a bit over-zealous in here trying to defend something that I don’t even see anyone throwing stones about. Best of luck to you and yours.
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I’m not over-zealous, I just don’t think there’s any point in drumming up the what ifs of something that *in reality* is highly unlikely to happen.
I’d love to see the figures for this happening, now and in the past. I just think what I described is closer to reality than the fears of someone deciding to steal a car with kids in it and the prospect of them getting away from somewhere where there are people around to see it happen, and say something, have the cops on to it straight away with video footage.
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I personally wouldn’t bank on strangers noticing or even stepping in to do something and yes police will most likely find your children safe and sound – once they respond to the call – but it won’t be immediately.
Honestly, I didn’t even know this was a law before I read it on here and never would’ve guessed that it was. Yes in extreme cases where a parent leaves a child in the car for hours while they go hit up a pokey machine or leaving a newborn on a boiling hot day but not in a scenario like this. And I was +1′ing quite a few comments – probably even some of yours – that were echoing my thoughts of how this law seemed to be quite ridiculous in this woman’s case considering the age of her oldest child. Especially when “unreasonable” isn’t defined (or if it is, no one’s quoted the statute). Ask 10 people and I’d bet they won’t come up with the same precise # of minutes they consider to be reasonable. Not sure who came up with this law but it seems they didn’t quite think it through.
But as I went back to re-read the comments of those who were saying they never left their children in their car, I started to think about it more and realised their points were very valid as well. I don’t even want to contemplate something going wrong because it was easier for me to leave them in the car for a few minutes… whether the chances are 1 in 100 or 1 in 1 million of this happening. This is part of my growth as a parent: Opening my eyes and learning that although my parents did a great job in the 70′s and 80′s, the same rules (and so it seems, laws) may no longer apply. I’ve been way too trusting and lax as far as my parenting style is concerned at times until I’ve been pulled up on it – either by friends or by something like this. And although truthfully I could see me darting into pay for petrol alone if I drove, at least now it’s on my radar as something to consider when I am driving again.
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If it’s the one I’m thinking of in Sydney, the baby died. He was about 2 I think and his mum left him in the car with aircon on because he was sick and she ducked into a shop to get him something, asked a passer by to watch the car, the passer by left and some kid stole the car. He abandoned the car when realised child was in back but by the time it was found the poor fella had died from the heat. Absolutely terrible and it could happen to anyone.
I should add that I have the utmost sympathy for the mother, think of her often.
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Thankyou, thats the one I was referring to. I couldnt remember the details because I probably wiped them from my memory as they’re so sad. But continuing on from that, what do mums in isolated circumstances do? Say they have no family or close friends nearby, their child has a contagious illness and cant be taken out in public and mum has to buy some basic supplies? I guess they take a calculated risk and do the best they can under the circumstances and pray nothing goes wrong. Never judge what mothers do until you know the full story. I saw a woman I knew from preschool at the shops a few weeks ago. She asked me to stand by her car and talk to her 3 kids through the window while she grabbed some lunch as they all had chicken pox and obviously couldnt get out. Nobody wants spotty contagious kids roaming Woollies!
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Hmm – I think our Aussie dollar would be worth 99.80 US *cents* not *dollars*. Can you imagine!!
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Damn, I can’t blame 6am start on this one!
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Seriously???
People take their kids with them to pay for petrol???
Really??
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You know what? Now I think of it, I can’t think of really seeing kids in servos to pay for stuff. I reckon everyone does it and is lying, Bec!
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When I go to a service station I go when it’s quiet! I fill to a dollar amount , lock the car, run inside and leave the money on the counter! Even if there is a line! I simply state I have a baby in the car! No one has questioned me! I feel this is the easiest way of filling my car and keeping my son safe!
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Really!
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I usually try to go in the morning when I don’t have my toddler with me. Otherwise I usually take him out and take him in to pay for my fuel. We usually have the same attendant and she always comments on how big he is getting or asks what are plans are for the day. Love living in a country town.
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I try to fill up when I don’t have the kids or when I have someone with me. If I can’t do it like that, then I take them with me. I wouldn’t judge another person for not, as you can see them the whole time, but I just can’t do it.
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When I lived in Sydney I used to. I only had one baby then though and she was little so no fights about “doing it myself”.
I left the kids in the car at the petrol station here the other day with windows down and car locked and the attendant told me not to because there are too many bad people around. It was a week after an 11 year old expat boy was kidnapped on his way to school.
I was an idiot for doing it even if I was parked right in front of the cashier window. It only takes a second for something to happen.
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Yep, really, cause I can’t stand to think that someone would ring the police if I didn’t. And someone would, cause the world is full of busy bodies who think they know better.
I have to say I have never seen anyone else do it at the two local servos I use, but I haven’t got the courage to leave him in the car.
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I never left my children in the car because a family friend’s two year old burned to death while playing with a lighter after she was left alone when her mum ran into the shop. The doors were locked and by the time they got to her it was too late. That was back in the days before car seats but it’s a chance I wouldn’t take.
Having said that, it grates on me that a parent would face criminal charges for doing so when parents who run over their children in the driveway or have children drown only get sympathy.
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If your kid is buckled in their car seat, how would they play with the lighter (which probably isn’t there anyway, or could be taken out) and burn themselves to death??
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I said it was in the days before car seats.
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Yeah, but you also said it’s a chance you wouldn’t take, which implies you’re talking about what you do now.
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sheesh she means that she wouldn’t take a chance that something bad could happen. Lets not criticise someone for being safe with their child…are you feeling guilty about your own choices thus lashing out at someone else’s (someone else’s better choice perhaps)?
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No. I’m having a discussion – she told the story of what happened then said it’s not a risk she’d take. I asked, if it’s something you’re worried about happening, now we do have car seats stronger than Fort Knox, why you would worry about it? How is it criticism or “lashing out”? I don’t think I’m the one with issues about my choices here. Sheesh indeed.
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Kris, my nearly two year old can unbuckle his car seat (and his “Houdini strap” on it. I am desperation stage to keep him strapped in. It is possible for kids to get out of their restraints.
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I thought they all had buttons that need an adult’s strength to undo? KDot’s does. Even if he got out, and bearing in mind you can see him the whole time, what could he realistically get up to? Or if he’s asleep, you’d get him out? Seriously?
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I had one of my kids get out of his carseat when he was about 2 while we were driving down a freeway. Very scary. We made the straps so tight after that he could barely breathe!
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My daughter starts screaming if the buckle accidentally comes off (that car seat has since been replaced btw)! Boy do I get a lecture if I back out of the driveway without buckling up first!
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While it is an sad story, she could just as easily (probably likely so) hurt herself alone in her room at home if she found a lighter, knife or some other dangerous material.
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My Dad used to leave all four of us in the car outside the pub with the radio on, a bag of chippies each and a jug of pink lemonade. I was the youngest and so my eldest brother would have been at least 10 or 11. We actually enjoyed it and Dad would have his jug of beer with his mates and return within about half an hour. Can you imagine if someone did that now? I also wonder how we never spilt the glasses of pink lemonade on Dad’s cream leather seats.
I only leave my girls in the car if I can see the car and it’s within a reasonable distance – I’d never go all the way into the supermarket – that just seems wrong. Sometimes I may leave my 10 year old in the locked car if she doesn’t feel like coming in and it’s just for a couple of minutes.
With regards to paying for petrol – our local petrol station has parks right out front of the door so I usually move my car to park closer and then pay so I can see the kids. This way I’m not holding anyone else up at the pump either.
Just like smacking – it’s a fine line and each situation is different – there really can’t be any blanket rule.
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Why have I never heard of Don Richie before? That really is incredible! Amazing what a cup of tea and a friendly ear can achieve. I want to know more about him! Was he ever given recognition for all that care? Did he have anyone to listen to him? Did he ever leave the house?
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Yes, he received several. If you google him there are several articles. A truly wonderful human being. May he rest in peace.
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Re: kids left in cars -
I have twins. My husband travels for his work and during the first year of their lives he was regularly gone 4-5 days a week. Occasionally during that time I had to refuel the car when I was out on my own with the babies. We didn’t have bassinets – only the fixed kind of reversible car seats.
I HAD to leave them in the car and go into the servo to pay. Ever tried carrying two infants? Let alone car keys and a wallet?!
Just thinking back to then made me think back even further, and I just realised that mum used to leave my siblings and I in the car ALL THE TIME! And for long periods too… And guess what? Nothing happened.
I still leave my twins in the car occasionally (they’re nearly 4) but only when I’m paying for fuel or using our local shopping village where I can park right at the door of the shop I want and never be more than about 20m away from the car!
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I have a 4yo – the thought of him having his own Facebook next year is ludicrous. What sort of message does this send to very young children about the way we conduct our friendships? “Back in my day” (born in 84 & grew up in the 90s), when I wanted to see my friends I rode my bike to their house or mum called their mum to arrange a playdate!!… We certainly didn’t socilaise via a computer screen!! It’s a worry, that’s for sure.
Regarding the mum who left her kids in the car at Coles … Not so much a case of neglect but maybe a case of laziness?
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She’s not neglectful or lazy. She left the aircon on, car locked, and just needed to grab some shopping. We’re talking 10 mins – she was making it easier on all involved.
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I am sure majority of mums would love to leave the kids behind while we grab bread & milk from the supermarket (most of which are located inside other shopping centres), but it’s not something a responsible parent would do imo. We’re not talking about 2mins paying for petrol at the servo.
Can someone please enlighten me how it is possible to leave an air con running while the car is locked and you have taken the keys with you?
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I guess the kids could lock the car from the inside – the keys would be in the ignition. She would just have to trust that they would let her back in!
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I was babysitting my 2 younger brothers at 10 (aged 1 & 2). Mum would happily leave us all in the car. Nothing ever happened!
I think it depends on the child rather than the age.
Taking all the kids out & back in of the car for a really quick trip into the shops/fuel station is ridiculous!
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Not ridiculous really.. Just responsible…
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I sadly hadn’t heard of Don Ritchie before today. What a TRUE hero. RIP.
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Right on. What a man.
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And, quite frankly, don’t think I would leave a 12 year old alone in the car – at that age you never know what they would do – you can’t strap them in a seat like a baby or toddler, so they are free to roam around the car, playing with the handbrake, even leave the vehicle!!
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Im hoping you’re not serious and that you would have talked to your child about basic safety such as handbrakes and wandering off.
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Obviously your children are perfect and always do what they are told – you must be the perfect parent, and I am obviously a very bad parent because my child occasionally disobeys me and does things he is told not to.
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Oh dear. At the age of 12, a child should be well informed on not touching the handbrake. If they haven’t been taught that by then, I’d suggest there are some bigger concerns at play. And saying you never know what they’d do? Surely, you would have had enough experience in the last 12 years to know whether they are likely to be trustworthy in the car by themselves for 5 minutes.
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A couple of years ago, I did a meditation class and this poor woman in it was so freaked out because someone called security on her and threatened the cops as well because she left her 2 kids in the car at Woolies after school. She was a migrant but had been here a few years, and was stressing about having left the kids – did she make a major faux pas that she had somehow overlooked??
The kids were 12 and 10, and both sitting there quietly reading. ALERT THE AUTHORITIES!!!!!
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Haha you just reminded me of when I was about 9 and brother was 10. We had been left in the car while Mum popped into the shops. She had accidentally left the handbrake off and the car started rolling back. My brother (in the back) shouted to me (in the front) to “pull the handbrake on!” I yelled back “what’s a handbrake!”. He promptly leaned over me and pulled it on before we rolled into a car behind us. Haha. It was very exciting at the time.
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When I was a bit younger than that, Mum left us in the car (it’s OK, I’ve called the UNHRC to report it) and was gone for a while, and I decided it would be better if we were out. So we got out and dutifully locked it. With the keys in there. The NRMA guy was lovely, when he finally got there…
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That just highlights how crazy things are. There are kids being seriously neglected who are ignored and authorities are called on mature, well cared for kids whose mum left them in the car for a few minutes. Crazy.
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I don’t have kids yet, but not trusting a 12 year old to stay in a car and not touch anything seems absolutely crazy to me! How on earth are they going to follow directions at high school? Has the world changed that much? At 12, I was fully capable of driving around on the farm on my own and I thought my parents were pretty responsible and safety conscious. As the eldest of 4, I was probably going into the petrol station to pay for petrol at that age. Maybe I’ll be different with my own kids, who knows?
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Dunno about the world changing, (crime statistics have dropped drastically in the last 50 years, not risen) but ridiculously overprotective parenting definitely seems to be popular these days! How about the damage done by infantalising older children? Preventing them from developing the ability to take responsibility for their actions?
At 12, I was working as a paid baby sitter, running the church crèche on Sundays, regularly cooking dinners, etc etc. now I hear people say they wouldn’t trust a 12 year old alone in a car? That’s simply absurd.
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I’m not trying to be an over protective parent. I was a very responsible child too, but I also know that kids can get bored and do things they are told not to.
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Ahhhh…the Facebook dilemma. I was totally against my son having Facebook at all (along with mobile phone). He eventually won on both fronts. I set him a series of challenges that involved him earning a mobile and then Facebook, and he completed all challenges effortlessly (the phone involved chores to earn the money for the phone and credit and both the phone and Facebook involve me having all passwords and full access to check he is using them responsibly). He does not have the password for his Facebook and it can only be used when I am there and in a public area of the house. I do not regret it because he actually uses it to contact his family and school friends. We have recently moved 2000kms from family and friends (yes, that is possible in WA) and the benefit of this easy method of contact is priceless. I still have to pull him up occasionally for saying certain words with his young uncles or adding people he doesn’t know but overall, he knows that as long as he uses it responsibly it won’t be deactivated. I go through all of his messages every second day or so and he HATES it but it is the price to pay for having it and he accepts that (reluctantly).
I really think it depends on the circumstances and the child’s level of maturity but for us, having relocated, it has helped him stay in touch with his loved ones more easily and it has helped him make new friends in our new home.
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That’s such a SENSIBLE way of doing it! I don’t have kids, but I’m not sure I would have ever thought of not giving him the password.
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Just out of curiousity, how old is your son?
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Sorry Nora, he is 12 (13 in October). I posted his age in an earlier comment and didn’t repost it in this one. In all honesty though, his age wasn’t the deciding factor. It was whether he could use it responsibly and so far, he’s doing ok. I’m still reluctant to admit to my friends that he has it but I just can’t argue with the benefits now that he has gained from it!
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Since moving here, and especially now that I have a little one, I have always wondered why you can’t pay at the pump with a credit card. In the US, 99% of “gas” stations allow you to swipe and pay at the pump. Why not here…this would totally negate the whole paying for petrol with children in the car issue!
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The reason is that the petrol stations would miss out on all of the ‘impulse’ buys that they need by people coming into the store. True.
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That’s ridiculous (I totally believe you, it’s just ridiculous). Are Australians considered more impulsive than Americans?
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I have seen a lot of petrol stations with the “pay at the pump” option. I live on the Gold Coast and there are numerous stations here who offer it – I’ve also seen it in country stations in Qld and NSW…
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The Woolies ones do, but I think only for their master card?
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Ive been told those pay at pump ones often “don’t work”
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They’re credit card only and you need to know your pin. I purposely don’t know my pin so that I don’t get cash out and pay ridiculous interest forever more! Ha
And they don’t take debit cards, I think.
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I’ve tried to use them, but they only do the Woolies master card or whatever it is. They actually say stuff like you could pay now if you had a Woolies master card. Meh.
I’m pretty sure a Visa Debit card gets accepted the same as a Visa credit card- they certainly do anywhere else, it shouldn’t matter.
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I leave my toddler strapped in his seat with his bottle of water, sometimes a snack, and the window down (but not far enough for anyone to reach in) and the car locked when i go to the ATM (inside the front of the local servo) if i can get a park right outside the door where I can see him. I am always tense because any minute I expect someone will see him there, come storming in demanding to know where his irresponsible mother is!! I take him with me if I am getting petrol though, cause I feel the distance is just too far.
To Anonymous who says take an extra 5 minutes, I bet you are one of the people who sit behind someone at the servo pulling faces and in many cases gesturing rudely to the poor parent trying to get babies and toddlers in and out of the car at the petrol station (its like herding cats) and be quick. It is a marathon effort when you have a baby and a toddler to get them in and out and can take way longer than 5 minutes. I have been abused so many times because I have taken my child with me, but I bet those same people would be the first to ring the cops if I didn’t.
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Kids are safer I. The car at. The servo. lugging three kids into the shop would be a bigger risk of getting ran over or running into traffic.
I leave my kids in the car at the servo and at the ATM as I can see the. From the store. If I have to go into a supermarket I would never leave them in a car as they Re young and silly.
I remember pulling up next to a play group friend and she left her kids 2 and new born in the car and I was somewhat shocked as they were so little and the supermarket can take a while. I ended up staying to watch them butI wouldn’t waste police time.
To many busy bodies
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The eldest was ten, give the poor Mum a break. It’s not like she left two toddlers to fend for themselves!
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Dinosaurs used to leave their kids in the car when paying for petrol and a giant asteroid fell out of the sky and killed them all.
Ever since I found that out, I never leave my kids in the car. You. Just. Don’t. Know.
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You make me laff.
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So, Rick. Press the publish button a little early or what? So much for 6am spelling mistakes excuses…
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I’m doomed, I tell you. We’re trying something new…
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I leave my 4 year old in the (locked/ airconditioned) car when I pay for petrol too. I can always see her through the window and it usually takes me less than a minute to run in and pay.
I have never left her while I have gone into the grocery store but If I had 3 kids and my oldest was 10 I don’t think that running in to the store for a few minutes is a problem. I mean it’s not like she left 3 kids under 5.
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How do you lock a car while keeping the a/c running?
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If you’re at a servo you’re usually undercover, and if the air-con has been running, the car will still be cool if all you’ve done is jump out, fill it up and run in and out to pay. That’s what I’ve done.
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Kids lock it from the inside?
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If you have 2 sets of keys – leave one in the car so a/c is running and then lock the doors manually (the clicker won’t work) on driver’s side.
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Ooh, handy to know!
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I feel for the mother. It’s hard herding kids in and out of cars. She probably only meant to grab a loaf of bread and it only takes a few people ahead of you at checkout to make it a 10 minute exercise
I’m surprised the police can’t just caution once and make it a court matter if she offends again.
Definitely think police and legal resources could be used better
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Not the kids in the car thing again!
I think most parents have done it at some stage. I admire anyone’s persistence to take say 2, 3 or even 4 kids out of the car at a petrol station. Particularly when your children are mid to late primary schoolers and don’t want to come out, or if you have a baby and toddler.
It just shows how bad reality tv has become when animals are winning.
The food wastage thing is a disgrace. I feel awful when we throw food out.
I think 13 is plenty young enough for Facebook. What’s a five year old got to say online anyway?
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