Right Now I'm FUMING PISSED OFF At Irresponsible Parents.

[The Cleaner]

I simply can't believe this. A couple of hours ago we went to Sams to check out HDTVs. Along the display on the left as you enter in they had boxes and boxes of HDTVs and several on display. But what caught my eye was a six year old boy sitting in a cart ALONE, positioned in front of the largest HDTV, enjoying the show.

I couldn't believe it. I looked around: NO ADULT TO BE FOUND. Where the HELL was his parents? I stood there for about five minutes - looked around, and NO SIGN of his mother or father. I was about to march over to Customer Service to tell them about it but I realized, what could they do?

How dare ANY parent be this irresponsible. How EASY it would have been for a child molester to wheel that kid out of there and kidnap/abuse him. And nobody would have given it a second glance! No wonder this is such a problem in our society today, and it really burns me up to see this kind of idiocy.

:(

[BlooInBloo]

1. They could ask the kid his name, and get on the loudspeaker.

[EFerrari]

7. "Would the idiot parents of this little boy come and fetch him?"

Really, it should be company policy. :mad:

[BlooInBloo]

10. bwahahaha!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Is there any wonder...

Why the maladministration can get away with its apparent "herd culling" policies?

[azurnoir]

3. If it happens again tell customer service

they WILL page the parents on the overhead system.

[Book Lover]

4. Customer Service would have made an in-store announcement

You yourself were irresponsible in that you saw the danger in the situation but did nothing. Be part of the solution, Cleaner.

[muntrv]

5. I have noticed that some of the stupidest people around have kids. And

I mean, many kids. It reminds me of a recent news story in Detroit, where a kid was killed in foster care. The kid's biological parents had 8 previous kids sent to foster care because of neglect, and this 9th one was the ultimate tragedy. :spank:

[kestrel91316]

50. You mean like these folks?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiverfull

[MADem]

6. Customer service could have put a worker on the kid to keep an eye on him.

And then they could have called the cops. They'd probably rather have to do that than deal with the insurance company issues if the kid got snatched.

That's child abandonment, or endangerment. At the least. It suggests that mom or pop needs 'parenting' lessons and maybe a social worker visit.

Hell, I would have wheeled the kid over to the customer service desk, told them the deal, and left him there. Better than leaving him in front of a tv by himself.

If you had a video cellphone, there's always the 'shaming' idea. Hi little boy, what's your name, where are your parents? Tick tick tick, show the kid, show your watch....when they arrive, gripe at them while you film them, and tell them as a parting shot to check YOUTUBE for the video.

[Richard Steele]

17. Wheeling that kid anywhere- VERY bad idea.

Unless you want the crappy parents to cover their sorry asses
by accusing you of attempted kidnapping. Because you better
believe they will.

Keep an eye on him until you can alert a store staffer, sure...
but do NOT get within an arm's length of him.

[EFerrari]

21. That's a very good point. Call the store from your cell or flag

someone but don't touch the kid.

What a friggin' sad world this is any more. :(

[MADem]

28. Well, if you were alone, no, but if you had witnesses about that you could enlist

in the effort, that's another story all together.

Ask every stranger in earshot for help, then. Someone needs to make sure the kid stays safe.

If you can document that the kid was left alone for a long period of time, through either store video or a cell camera, any parental lawsuits will go out the window pretty damned quick.

[Richard Steele]

38. Sure. Witnesses/group effort is a different story. Make sure you CYA! nm

[Bonobo]

69. Jeebus! That's just crazy!

Big brother is actually US watching ourselves. Scary.

[MADem]

86. It's not crazy--it's reality. No matter how angry we might get, it's a done deal.

You don't HAVE privacy anymore. In public, populated areas, it is a completely quaint notion. If you're in a store, you're being recorded.

The only thing a cellphone video offers is SOUND and a different camera angle. But the events described above are already a matter of record, and as the child was in the electronics section in front of TVs, likely from a three or more camera views.

There's no turning back, either. You want privacy? Go to your own home, pull the shades, and don't let anyone in without frisking them first. Oh, and don't ever go out, as someone with a warrant could surreptitiously put a device in your house to record your voice or image.

Brave new world. It's been here for awhile.

[BeFree]

8. Some people

Should not be allowed to have kids. Heck, we test folks for drivers licenses, etc. We should have a test for making babies. After all we all end up supporting the little buggers at school, we should have a say in how and when they are brought up.

BTW: think about it... is there anything easier than making a baby?

[Clark2008]

62. Making it - maybe, but not carrying it.

If I could, I'd show you my swollen legs, fingers and face and fill you in on how one small burst of energy (house cleaning, laundry, etc.) will land me in the bed for an hour to rest.

:)

[ScreamingMeemie]

87. for me, a million things are easier. Mine didn't come easy.

And two, you're not supporting mine, she goes to a private school. :D

[lligrd]

9. Parents Are People Too

They make mistakes. They get distracted. Some are none to brilliant. But I don't think be outraged is any help. Why not just move the child, find the parents and express your concern? Or let the manager of the store handle it?

[BlooInBloo]

11. And hence don't get "diplomatic immunity" from criticism.

[lligrd]

16. Constructive Criticism Is Fine

Being outraged and degrading is not so helpful. Besides, there are far to many really hideous things going on right now that demand all the outrage we can muster.

[BlooInBloo]

20. I disagree with your first claim. Outrage is not a scarce good in any case.

[lligrd]

25. It Seems You Have An Ample Supply

Mine on the other hand, is limited. So, I try to use it wisely.

[Richard Steele]

18. Move the child? Bad idea. See post #17 above. nm

[AlCzervik]

23. oh yeah touching the kid---not a good idea at all even if that touching is just moving

the carriage.

[lligrd]

24. Have A Little Courage

I think saving a child you believe to be in imminent danger (hence your outrage) would be worth whatever hassle you might have to go through afterwards. In my experience, a simple explanation will ususally suffice.

[Richard Steele]

26. My experience differs GREATLY, to put it mildly.

Watching the kid from 10 feet away will suffice to keep him safe
until store employees can be notified and take charge of the
situation.

[lligrd]

30. You Forgot The TV That Was Going To Fall On His/Her Head

That was my reason for moving him/her.

[Richard Steele]

36. In an "imminent danger" situation like that, I agree. But that's it. nm

[youthere]

85. Funny thing about that:

My MIL works at Wal-Mart (night shift) and they just had a case where a TV fell on a 4 year old. Luckily the child received only minor injuries. The parents of course raised holy hell about Wal-Mart's liability. When they reviewed the security footage it turned out these people had left the kid in the electronics department playing a video game while they did their shopping. Apparently the kid got bored and decided to crawl on the rack where the televisions were displayed and pulled one over.
The parents threatened to sue and Wal-mart settled to avoid any bad publicity, but this is bullshit IMO. I'm sorry that child got hurt, but ultimately it is the parent's fault...not Wal-mart's.

[MADem]

33. Ya know what? If I couldn't find anyone to watch that kid or go for help, I would do it anyway.

Especially if the child was in a remote area of the store.

I'd yell real loud while I was doing it--WHO OWNS THIS CHILD?? I FOUND THIS CHILD ABANDONED IN THE TV SECTION!!! HELP, HELP, I NEED A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP....THIS KID WAS LEFT ALL ALONE!!!!!!!

But fuck that 'being afraid' shit. Especially when a child is endangered. I'd take the chance.

[LiberalFighter]

42. That would be a good response

It would embarrass the hell out of the parent(s). Then when you find out who they are you could point them out to everyone while you were still in the store and tell them what they did.

[Deja Q]

31. The problem is, problems like this were nowhere near as common in the past.

So what's changed?

And store managers, like any manager in general, has to be remembered by three simple words: "Management doesn't care." Peoples' kids are not their responsibility. Ensuring nobody steals out of their store is.

[MADem]

39. Fewer store clerks, bigger, more impersonal stores, and fewer busybodies willing to say

"Little boy, WHERE is your mother?" and then grab little boy and march him to the manager's office.

As for store managers, LIABILITY IS their problem. They may not like dealing with the kids, but that's what they do, in addition to ensuring the store security guards are grabbing that shoplifter. It's why they have cameras everywhere--to protect against liability claims, everything from slip and fall fakes to swiping merchandise to swiping kids.

[SoCalDem]

12. We once found a TWO YEAR old wandering around the neighborhood at 5AM

He pointed to his house.. We took him home. His mother's response? He's ALWAYS doing that.

We called the cops and they said " We'll talk to her".. I don't know if they ever did..

we had a "wanderer", but we put slide latches high up on the doors, so he could NOT "let himself" out :)..and we put a gate across his bedroom door .

[EFerrari]

19. My brother used to do that. He excelled at finding the door

that I used to leave the house to go to school. He was so quick, my mother AND grandmother missed him escaping at least twice. Then, there was much going to the hardware store and blocking of all exits. It was scary enough for me to remember and I think I was 6 at the time. Damn Gene. :)

[MADem]

35. Are you Dave Chappelle perchance ???

He does a riotous riff about a 'baby' standing on the corner selling pot in the hood in the wee hours of the morning....

[SoCalDem]

43. Nope.. this little tyke was in his jammies, just wandering around

not selling anything :)

[CTyankee]

52. I was shocked to find a neighbor's 3 year old boy in my 7 year old boy's bedroom

one morning at 6 am, just standing there trying to talk to my son.

I called his mother and you know what she said? "Do you always leave your doors unlocked at night?"

I thought that was the height of chutzpah!

[sarcasmo]

88. Should have took him right to the Cops and they would have had to talk with her.

[Connie_Corleone]

13. So, did you just walk off and not tell customer service that a child

has been by himself for at least 5 minutes? It looks like you did the same thing the parents did.

[geardaddy]

14. What else do you expect at Sam's?

;)

[Deja Q]

29. It happens at more places than you think...

Such posh stores such as Target are hardly the bastion of civilization either!

[geardaddy]

45. I know.

I'm from MN and Target and BestBuy are headquartered here. They are definitely not blue corporations.

[Arkansas Granny]

32. In a situation like this, the name on the front of the store doesn't

have anything to do with it. The child is the responsibility of the parents, not the store in which they are shopping.

[geardaddy]

46. Did you not see the

;) icon. Sheesh.

[Arkansas Granny]

47. Pardon my eyesight. I didn't notice the winky eye.

[geardaddy]

48. S'ok

I understand your outrage. People sure have let parenting skills go out the window.

[AlCzervik]

15. i understand you're pissed but why didn't you tell someone anyhow?

[MasonJar]

22. You do know that Sams is just another Walmart?

[Deja Q]

27. Same when I went to mine; but the kid was playing Nintendo Wii

The big boxes that show blood, violence, and speak the worst of words (stuff I sure as hell would never say and a lot of it comes from FOX broadcasting network, go figure) are today what "babysitters" were 20 years ago.

No supervision.

Meanwhile, in area S21 security is notified. Who knows where S21 is, but they seem to think something worthwhile is going on there...

[OregonBlue]

34. You were way too polite. You should have started yelling in your

loudest parent voice "There,s is an abandoned child in the store. where are the parents of this child, there's an abandoned child in the store. Where are the parents of this child" and on and on. Why let these lazy bastards get away with it. Make them pay, embarrass them as much as possible. Might even have shouted "help, Help, someone call the police, someone's abandoned a child. Might be a little uncomfortable for you but I guarantee it would be a lot more uncomfortable for those lousy parents!!

[trumad]

37. I can't tell you how many times I have done that with my kids...

but there were never any takers... Damn it!

[MLFerrell]

40. Top candidates for parents of the year.

[LiberalFighter]

41. Call one of your local tv stations and suggest they do a public service

Stressing the following points.

The health danger of leaving a child in a shopping cart unsupervised. And unsupervised means not being within an arms length or two from the child.

AND the danger of being kidnapped anywhere.

[niyad]

44. eons ago, a casino at lake tahoe had a very interesting policy. if security found a child in a car

in their parking lot (parents who could afford to gamble, but NOT hire sitters) it didn't matter whether the car was locked or unlocked, they would break the window and then turn the child over to CPS. so the parents, when they were finally done, would have to explain to CPS WHY the child was abandoned in the car, AND they would have to pay for the broken window. they did the same for any animals in the cars as well.

[ComerPerro]

49. Good thing you did nothing.

[gollygee]

51. There was a bigger risk of him trying to stand in the cart, falling out,

and dying of a closed head injury than getting nabbed by a child molester. The molester thing is widely reported but not as common as people act. Though of course it could happen. But kids are seriously injured and killed all the time by falling out of carts. That's a common danger. And at 6, a kid is big enough where it wouldn't take a lot of movement for the cart to get top-heavy and topple over.

So I'm shocked too but for a different specific reason.

[davsand]

56. I see kids STANDING in carts and it makes me nuts for that very reason!

I have majorly pissed off parents in stores when I see kids standing in carts and I ask the kids to PLEASE sit down before they fall. Usually these kids are too little to know any better, but those parents should be kicked in the butt for letting it go on.

Literally, one time I had a woman tell me off for asking her kid to sit down before he fell. I asked her if it was worth it to her to watch her kid take a trip to the ER with a skull fracture, and that did shut her down a bit. I then explained to her that one common cause of head injuries for kids is falling out of grocery carts, and that head injuries for kids are painful, potentially life threatening and fairly avoidable. The child was standing on the seat and leaning out over the handles when I spoke to him...

Some parents just do not get it, I swear.

----
Poor little kid to be abandoned in a Sams! Just makes me want to smack the snot out of those parents who do not see their kids for the gift they are.


Laura

[Lars39]

53. The cops should have been called.

[John Q. Citizen]

54. I think anyone who shops at Sam's is probably a little bit irresponsible. Kids are working

in sweat shops in foreign countries to make that stuff.

When you buy there you are paying for child abuse in foreign countries. And Sam, name sake of the Walmart fortune, was a strong Repo supporter.

How dare American consumers be so irresponsible about the welfare of children in foreign countries.

Wow, that outrage stuff is fun.

It makes me feel, well, kind of smug and superior.

[GoneOffShore]

55. "Children Left Unattended Will Be Given Chocolate and A Free Puppy"

That was a sign I saw in a store recently.

There was not a kid left alone in that store.

[Berry Cool]

59. I personally have always liked those signs that say

"Unattended Children Will Be Sold As Slaves"

[Catchawave]

63. "Unattended children will be sold"

was the sign I saw in a little gift shop :D

[DawgHouse]

76. I've seen similar signs,

but it was an espresso and a free puppy. :)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

57. What was the outcome? Did anyone tell customer service about this? eom

[NotGivingUp]

58. how DARE any parent live or breathe in today's world.

i remember way back when...at the age of 7...just being a kid and enjoying myself BY MYSELF in the toy department. seriously, it's become a sin to do anything now-a-days.

[Laurier]

60. In situations like that, I have talked to the child and asked

if he was there with his Mom or Dad, and if he knew where they were. A six year old should be able to provide enough information to enable store staff or management to locate or page the parent or whoever brought the child there. Failing that, as in the case of a younger child, perhaps, store staff or management would still be able to page the parent or whoever brought the child there by broadcasting a description of the child over the store P.A. system.

While it is understandably annoying, and perhaps even maddening, to see children left unattended like that, I don't think I could have just walked away and done nothing, thereby leaving the child unprotected just as his parent (or whoever brought him there) did.

[Dastard Stepchild]

61. That does seem dangerous... and as an FYI...

You can certaintly approach the customer service desk and request assistance. I've worked my fair share of retail, and we had informal and formal protocols in place to deal with this situation. For example, we would post a worker near the child to observe the scenario and make sure the child was safe while attempting to page the parents. Of course, you have to do it sensitively because of privacy/safety concerns, but if you had 2 employees (1 to watch the child, 1 to page the parents and walk them to the child from the customer service desk) a safe transfer could be enacted in the store.

I was always really struck when this happened. Aside from the kidnapping concern, I've seen a number of little ones get hurt from a lack of parental supervision. One of the worst injuries was a little one that pulled a whole shelf of items down on himslef while attempting to climb up and reach something. He was pretty badly hurt.

When I was little, I was a wanderer, too, but I don't think I strayed very far. Of course, even a few steps out of eyesight can probably elicit a panicky feeling in most parents.

[Clark2008]

64. He was six and sitting in the cart?

My son hasn't fit in one of those since he was about four. Or are you talking about in the front - where the merchandise usually goes? Not in the little toddler seat...

Sorry - OT - that just sounded odd to me.

[Missy Vixen]

65. Oh, I have a story for you

>How EASY it would have been for a child molester to wheel that kid out of there and kidnap/abuse him.<

While I was musing on this whole subject, it brought the following true story to mind. We used to own a townhouse in Redmond, WA. The woman who lived across the street had two children, one of which was kindergarten age. The bus would drop the older child off at the front of the development, and the bus driver wouldn't allow the boy off till he saw his mother waiting. The mother in question would put her younger son and the young lady she babysat in her car and leave the car running while she walked away to get the older child. One afternoon, some teens walked by the running car (complete with two children under 3 in the back seat) and decided to take it. The mother was 30 feet away. I wish I were exaggerating when I tell you that police departments on Seattle's Eastside emptied out that afternoon. The FBI was going door to door in our development. The local media barricaded the development all afternoon. One of our friends was a Redmond PD detective and told the mother in question that "this will not happen on my watch."

They found the kids six hours later. They were, luckily, fine. The parents involved were on every morning show known to man. There were interview requests from as far away as Germany. Several weeks later, we were outside getting into our car to go somewhere. We looked across the street. The neighbor whose kids were taken's car was running in front of their house. Neither parent was outside, and both kids were strapped into the back seat. Our friend the detective could do nothing but shake his head when we told him and say, "How did I know she'd do it again?"

IMHO, YMMV,
Julie

[tinfoilinfor2005]

66. I manage a resort on a busy waterway that flows out to the ocean.

Extremely busy boat traffic, very swift current, very deep water. We have a boardwalk lining the waterway that people fish off of. I actually saw a father throw his six year old kid into the waterway, for fun (!), after I was told by another guest what the guy was doing. Meaning, he threw her in more than just the once that I observed. It made me sick to my stomach, thinking about the odds of this kid getting hit by a boat or drowning in the current. I was so angry I was screaming at him at the top of my lungs, spit flying in his face. I'm telling you, some people are just pure and simple nuts.

[Catchawave]

67. Had that child have pulled a t.v. on top of him

The store would have be sued for millions!

That happened at a local WalMart a few years ago, the child was two and climbing on the shelves an aisle over from her parents. Sadly, she died :(

[Goblinmonger]

98. And I'm sure that WalMart

offered that family $0.00. Sam Walton's creed was that they would not pay anyone a penny unless the supreme court told them to.

Bastards.

Yeah, my wife's a plaintiff's attorney.

[youthere]

99. That just happened at the Wal-Mart my MIL works at...

(see post 85 above)...
although the child only received minor injuries (thank goodness).The parents threatened to sue and Wal-mart settled to avoid the publicity-even though (IMO) the parents were negligent.

[Bonobo]

68. Child Molester! Oh my god! That's rich!

You sound like one of those people in NY that called the police on the Scanidnavian woman who had put her child in a stroller in front of the cafe window where she was having coffee.

We Americans are frightened, panicky people creating the hell-hole we live in with our fear and loathing of each other.

What burns me up is to see people throwing fuel on the flames of our self-imposed terror.

[MonkeyFunk]

70. Exactly!

Good God, when I think back of what my parents did (and ALL the parents of that generation) to their children.

We played outside without adults watching every second. We were told to wait in the car on many occasions while the folks had to run in and get something. We rode bikes, skateboards, rollerskates and even mini-bikes without helmets.

Every parent I knew as a child would be thrown in jail today. America has gone nuts about "protecting the children".

[Bonobo]

73. Guess us "monkeys" think alike!

:toast:
:applause:
:hi:

[Puglover]

83. Glad to know that you and Bonobo

grew up with Pollyanna in the Swiss Alps. :eyes:


While I agree that using the term "child molester" is somewhat hyperbolic I am wondering if you really think it's a wise parenting move to leave a 6 y/o unattended in todays society. If that is the case, and if you haven't already done so I'd fore go procreating if I were you.

[MonkeyFunk]

92. Nope

I grew up in a suburb of NYC.

As to "today's society", I'm not convinced it's much more dangerous than society was when I was a kid - people are just a lot more fearful.

[Puglover]

97. Do I agree that we had more fun as kids?

Hell yes! We would throw the books in our rooms and slam out the door, make a brief appearance for dinner and come back in when Mom would scream for us after it got dark. I feel badly that kids don't get to do that these days as much as we could.

But that wasn't my point. My point and question(although somewhat snarkesh)was.....Do you think it's okay to leave a 6 year old unattended in a LARGE store in an urban area? If you do, I think with all due respect that you are at best naive and at worst negligent.

On edit. And just in case...I didn't REALLY think that either of you had grown up in the Alps with Polly. I was being somewhat sarcastic.

[MonkeyFunk]

106. Is it OK?

hard to say, because I don't know the details.

Maybe the Dad was just down at the end of the aisle, talking to a salesman, facing his kid the whole time. Maybe the kid was left unattended for 15 seconds - the OP doesn't say.

But I'm not convinced it's worth the righteous judgment of a total stranger. I understand that it's considered god-awful by today's standards, but my point is that today's standards are silly.

[Bonobo]

94. I grew up in Long Island in the 70's.

Tough blue collar Italian suburb. And I agree, things aren't any scarier, but the people are way more scared.

Also, I have 3 healthy, happy kids thank you.

[ScreamingMeemie]

84. Oh totally! Because every decision our parents made was the perfect

decision. And boy, if we had been unlucky enough to have paid dearly for their mistak...er decisions, well then, By Golly Oh well! Shit happens! Make another one! :sarcasm:

[MonkeyFunk]

90. Nope

not perfect by a long shot.

But in many ways, our childhood was better than that of many kids today. Not as safe, physically, but we spent a hell of a lot of time outside, on our own, making up our own fun.

We didn't have play dates, we didn't have every moment of our lives planned and structured. We made our own friends (and sometimes enemies) and learned how to resolve problems on our own.

We got exercise, breathed fresh air, and yes - took more risks than kids today are generally allowed to make.

My issue with the OP is that it's based on the irrational fear that a child molester lurks behind every big-screen TV at Costco, and to turn your back for a minute is equivalent to handing your kid over to a child sex ring. That simply isn't the case. Stranger-abduction and stranger-molestation are exceedingly rare. That's not to say it DOESN'T happen - it's saying it happens at nowhere near the frequency people believe it does.

Further, I think people are far too quick to jump to judgment about others' parenting. If I'd seen what I saw in the store, I'd just keep an eye on the kid myself for a few minutes, then forget about it. I wouldn't get angry and presume the parents are unfit, nor would I post a rant about how shitty parents are these days. As pointed out elsewhere in this thread, a kid is far more likely to be molested in his own home than in Costco.

[Bonobo]

95. MonkeyFunk speaks for me as well.

I loved going to TSS I remember and running free through the racks of clothing. My mom didn't worry about me getting picked up by a child molestor.

Probably it was a lot more dangerous for the Italian Catholic kids at their local church...

[NotGivingUp]

79. I agree. It seems people cannot get enough of sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.

[REP]

91. Next Time I See A Baby Left In a Hot Car, I'll Mind My Own Business

What I have been doing when I see a small child or an animal alone in a car on a sweltering day is call the police, but I guess I've been sticking my nose where it doesn't belong.

No kid has ever been taken from a store, so leaving them unattended in a store is nothing for anyone to be concerned about. I mean after all, if the parents don't give a shit about the kid, why should I, right?

[NotGivingUp]

107. hmm...yes, very logical comparison...i am being sarcastic. eom

[John Q. Citizen]

89. Bingo! We love to jump to conclusions especially when we have few facts.

[cgrindley]

93. I'd phone the cops in a second

there's no excuse for child abandonment.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

101. Agreed.

[flvegan]

108. So...5 minutes. How long does it take to snatch a kid, Bonobo?

Self-imposed terror has nothing to do with it.

[Madspirit]

71. 1000s of kids

Are abused every day. Unfortunately, it's usually the parent doing the abusing. Maybe all kids should be stolen from their parents.
Honestly, this does sound stupid, considering the amount of time you observed and there are nuts out there but a child's biggest threat is from the home in which they live.
Lee

[Jamastiene]

72. Sam's is basically a Wal Mart wharehouse store and

they have a policy called Code Blue for lost or unaccompanied children. You could very well have told customer service and they could have kept an eye out for the kid until their parents came to claim them. They do take their Code Blue policy very serious. Of course, you didn't know that, but next time you will. It's a good thing you watch out for the kid for a while though. I see why you would be furious. Someone could have snatched that kid so easily. It would have been a tragedy that could have been avoidable if only the parents would be more responsible.

[BlueStorm]

74. This happened at a Meijer's I was at...

I was cashing my check when a woman and a small child approached the service desk. The woman said that this three year old boy was found wandering by himself so the employees brought him back behind the desk and got some information from him. They then made an announcement over the PA system. They kept the boy behind the desk and that was where I last saw him when I left. I have no idea if the boy's parents came and got him or what, but yeah it irks me when I see kids all alone and their parents are not found.

Blue

[Marrah_G]

77. I used to take off on my parents all the time!

At 6 years old I got distracted by something shiny at disney world and wandered off, when I turned around they were no where to be seen. A nice lady took me over to a security guard and I colored in the security office until my parents found me. They were SOOOOOOO mad. I had a habit of doing it... especially in stores. I think I drove my mother off the deep end a bit.

Also....6 years old in a cart???????? That's a 1st grader!

[youthere]

102. You and my seven year old!

:spank:

She used to wander off in the stores any chance she'd get. I swear she was watching me, just waiting for me to look away for a second! Thank goodness she outgrew that!


:spank:

[Tracyjo]

75. How do you know that the kid wasn't waiting for a parent

The kid could have been waiting for his mom or dad to get off work. The parent could have been watching him the whole time. You should have said something, then you'd know for sure. Was the kid still there when you left?

[Ilsa]

78. Yeah, it's done here in south texas all the time.

parents throw their kids into the toy aisle and let them wreak havoc while they shop. Sure they get upset if the kid is kidnapped, but they blame it on the store.

Some people are too immature to have kids, IMO.

[GreenZoneLT]

80. Oh, good grief.

There are not child molesters lurking behind every bush, kidnapping children. People freak out WAY too much about child kidnapping; nearly all of it is by noncustodial parents.

Yes, there are some child molesters, and yes a few children do get snatched. But compared to the thousands who die in car wrecks on the WAY to the store, that kid was in relatively no danger at all.

Damn, in Europe, they leave babies in strollers OUTSIDE the store, because they haven't been driven batshit paranoid by amber alerts and crap on TV.

[ruiner4u]

81. hooo-boy..

:popcorn:

[noonwitch]

82. When I worked at K-Mart in the 80s, people would abandon their kids at the store

It happened a couple of times during the year I worked at the Kalamazoo store.

[Contrary1]

96. I ran into a similar situation a few years back...

After observing the child on their own for a few minutes, I picked him up, and took him to the service desk. I did take the longest route possible. I wasn't in a hurry. Thought maybe a few minutes of panic would serve the parent well.

[paparush]

100. You could have hung a sign around the kid - "Free Kid to Good Home"

[treestar]

103. He could have been lost

Parents might have been hysterical in another part of the store looking for him.

[ends_dont_justify]

104. That's a part of the reason child trafficking is becoming so strong

I agree 100% with you. Irresponsible parents totally infuriate me. I remember a horror story my mother told me some years ago about how she was camping and saw a man in a fancy car drive up with a child who refused to call him father and kept trying to run away. A strange woman shows up and guards the tent all night, they were gone in the morning before anyone could report them properly.

Why is it a few seconds minutes or even hours of conveniance is worth more than the life of a child to some people?

[gravity]

105. I don't think it is a big deal

There isn't a child abduction epidemic in this country, and the child was in a crowded store. The chances of anything happening is close nil. If someone did tried to kidnap the kid, the kid would scream and someone would have noticed the suspicious behavior.

There are more important things to worry about.