AP headline: "Children's deaths in hot cars preventable"

[KlondikeGeoff]

Wow, amazing concept.

[bouv]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If I EVER see a child, or even a dog, locked in a car with the windows up, I am smashing a window and getting it out of there.

Not right away, mind you. I will call 911 first, and if there are people around ask them if it is their car/know who it belongs to, and if it looks like the kid or pet is doing reasonbly well (as well as can be expected in a hot car,) then I'll wait till the emergency crews show up or the kid/pet takes a turn for the worse.

But if it looks like the kid or pet is passed out, or lathargic, I'm not even waiting to call out if the car belongs to someone. In that case, it's smash first ask questions later. Go ahead and sue me, because you just went into the store "for a couple minutes," the jury/judge will love to hear how you left you OWN FUCKING KID in a car in ninety degree heat to die a horrible death, you fuckwad.

[sundog66]

Originally Posted by bouv

If I EVER see a child, or even a dog, locked in a car with the windows up, I am smashing a window and getting it out of there.

I agree that's a good idea, but I'm trying to picture a situation like that, and I'm wondering, what would you use to smash the window? Seems like most car windows would be pretty strong...

[ivylass]

Our very own Doper hero

[Hal Briston]

Originally Posted by ivylass

Our very own Doper hero

Wow...I missed that one the first time around -- great story. I wonder how little Brandon is doing these days?

[MsRobyn]

Originally Posted by sundog66

I agree that's a good idea, but I'm trying to picture a situation like that, and I'm wondering, what would you use to smash the window? Seems like most car windows would be pretty strong...

A tire iron or jack handle should work.

Robin

[KlondikeGeoff]

Ah, good for you bouv! It's impossible to understand how people keep doing this, especially here in AZ, but anywhere it gets hot.

Back east (was breeding Borzoi at the time), I had a bunch of little cards that politely told people how dangerous it was to leave a dog in their car in the summer, even in moderate temperatures. A couple of times I left these under a windshield wiper of an offender, and waited a while to see what happened.

In both cases the guy came out, read the card, crumpled it up and threw in on the ground before driving off. Figures.

If I see any animal or child so being at risk here in the desert, I'll do as bouv suggests, no matter what the consequences. There is not a year that has gone by that at least one baby or kid dies in a car here. Many more, of course, die every year by falling into swimming pools, so must be the same parents, eh?

Gah!

[Mississippienne]

My aunt was leaving a casino, walking through the parking lot, when she saw two little children peeping at her from the back window of a parked car. It was about 2am, so she found a cop who tracked down the parents. It seems they simply locked the kids in the car while they went gambling all night.

[Shagnasty]

On the other end, my wife was riding with her parents and her mother's dog one summer night. Her parents stopped and went into a store for a few minutes. An older women came up to the car and started yelling that it was pet abuse to leave a dog in the car and she was calling the police. She did too. My wife was sitting right beside the dog the whole time. Neither the police nor my wife knew what to make of that on e.

[gabriela]

I have worked on a team that reviewed cases of children forgotten who died in cars. I have also autopsied said children. It is rare that they are the total wastes of skin such as the shithead whom Welby stopped. (Excuse me if my language is too intemperate)

It is actually rare that children die in hot cars because their parents are absolute selfcentered morons. It is much commoner in the cases I have reviewed that children are forgotten. Usually this occurs only in the context of many children - daycare vans, families with so many kids that they employ a "buddy system" of olders to youngers and still have a hard time counting heads.

Break a window. Save a life.

[ivylass]

Originally Posted by KlondikeGeoff

Back east (was breeding Borzoi at the time), I had a bunch of little cards that politely told people how dangerous it was to leave a dog in their car in the summer, even in moderate temperatures. A couple of times I left these under a windshield wiper of an offender, and waited a while to see what happened.

My mother once shopping at Kmart when she saw a dog locked in the car. She had the management page the owner of the car with license plate (whatever) and politely explained to the woman how dangerous it was.

The woman rudely told her to mind her own f-ing business and stormed off.

Hal, welby is now listed as "guest," so I think that's one will have to chalk up to "I wonder..."

[gabriela]

Naturally I meant it is rare that their *parents* are the total wastes of skin, etc...

[bouv]

Originally Posted by MsRobyn

A tire iron or jack handle should work.

Robin

Yeah, and I also have a small hatchet in my car at all times. I mean, hey...you never know when it might come in handy for chopping wood, breaking a window, defending oneself from homicidal maniacs...





(or for becoming a homicidal maniac.)

[ivylass]

I think there's a device that you can keep in your glove box that will pop out a window in case your car suddenly goes into a lake.

I would imagine swinging a crowbar at a window would put the child in danger of being cut by flying glass.

[Glory]

Originally Posted by ivylass

I would imagine swinging a crowbar at a window would put the child in danger of being cut by flying glass.

Aren't most car windows made of safety glass? A kid shot at my car with a BB gun and shattered the left passenger window. It wasn't hazardous to clean up, just annoying. Just break a window that isn't near the child.

[Dunderman]

Originally Posted by sundog66

I agree that's a good idea, but I'm trying to picture a situation like that, and I'm wondering, what would you use to smash the window? Seems like most car windows would be pretty strong...

I'm under the impression that an ordinary household elbow will do fine.

[RickJay]

Originally Posted by Mississippienne

My aunt was leaving a casino, walking through the parking lot, when she saw two little children peeping at her from the back window of a parked car. It was about 2am, so she found a cop who tracked down the parents. It seems they simply locked the kids in the car while they went gambling all night.

Mrs. RickJay and I discovered two children locked in a car on a sunny day while Mom was in the convenience store mindlessly going through hundreds of "Nevada tickets." I waited five minutes and then summoned the police.

Priceguy, trying to break a car window with your elbow would be a good way to break your elbow and maybe cut your arm all to hell. Use a weapon of some kind or else you might go to the hospital.

[bouv]

Originally Posted by Priceguy

I'm under the impression that an ordinary household elbow will do fine.

Despite what many movies and tv shows have shown us, this is just not possible 99% of the time. Maybe every now and then someone with strong arms encounters a weak window, but it's best to use something made of hard metal that can be swung with great force.

Just ot give you an idea of how tough they can be, I once had the opportunity to go smashie smashie on a car once, and the act of throwing a fire extinguisher full force at a window did nothing. A crowbar, however, worked fine, because it transferred its force over a much smalelr area (hence, shit tons more pressure) and the window basically just fell to pieces in its spot, so not a lot of glass will get into the car.

[Dunderman]

Originally Posted by RickJay

Priceguy, trying to break a car window with your elbow would be a good way to break your elbow and maybe cut your arm all to hell. Use a weapon of some kind or else you might go to the hospital.

Really? You live and learn. Lucky me that I've never had to break a car window.

[chrisk]

Am I the only one who saw the OP subject and thought of 'hot cars' as in stolen, not a high physical temperature??

[Spongemom]

On the other hand, there are people like me...

A few years ago, I had to grab some stuff at the store, and I had my dog with me. I rolled up the windows, locked her in the car, and went to do my shopping.

About ten minutes later, I came back out to find a woman beside my car, pulling out her cell phone, and giving me the dirtiest look she could muster.

I don't blame her in the least, but the look on her face was priceless when I pulled the spare key from my pocket, opened the door, and she got hit in the face with a cold blast from the air conditioner that had been running on high the entire time. My dog was perfectly content, gnawing on her toy in the back seat.

Looking back on that now, and after reading some of these posts, I got lucky that I didn't come out to find a broken window and cops all around. My 17 year old mind didn't think like that, only about the comfort of the dog. So I guess what I'm trying to say is to hold off on breaking windows unless there's something in distress inside.

Note: I am NOT advocating doing anything like this with a child. Even in comfortable temperatures, kids can get into a lot of trouble in a car, even if it's not running. I speak from experience from when I was little and found out that car lighters still work even if the car isn't running. If you cannot take your child inside with you wherever you're headed to, then leave your child at home with someone else.

[eleanorigby]

I think in IL that it is child endangerment to leave a child unattended in a car, no matter the weather. So, if you have to shop w/o Jr--leave Jr at home with a qualifed sitter.


These stories make me sick. I cannot believe the stupidity of some people. We all know how hot a car can be in a parking lot in July--why do they think that any animal or human could survive that? bah.

Being forgotten is no better than being abused or neglected--dead is dead, afterall.