Color me confused that anyone would ever consider leaving a child unattended in a car on a hot day for any period of time. If the kid’s tired s/he will fall asleep again.
I’ve seen kids unattended in cars twice: one time in front of a Dollar Tree, the kid was in a big minivan and though it wasn’t sweltering it was still pretty hot (like 85 degrees). I looked around the parking lot to see if anyone was coming and as I walked to the store I saw the mother walking to the van. Stupid woman.
The second time was in the back of my office building. We have a loading zone that’s 30 minutes with flashers on. I saw a little kid in the backseat of a running car - it was early morning and now super warm, but the car was running - I’d be worried that something random might happen.
In my state, it’s illegal to leave a baby in the car, period. That’s the way it should be. If you see a baby left alone, you are seeing a crime in progress, and 911 should be called immediately.
Yeah, any parent who leaves a child alone in the car absolutely deserves whatever hassle/expense comes with replacing a window and defendign their actions to the police, regardless of whether the baby is “all right.”
I mean seriosuly, anything could happen in the “5” minutes youa reion that store. Another car coudl hit yours, the child could thowup and begin to choke, a stranger could come along and steal the child. It’s just pure nonsense this leavinga child all alone anywhere.
I’m not really taking it too seriously. I think there’s a misunderestimation of each other’s interpretation of the OP. I doubt anyone is going to start smashing windows before they take the minimal steps to ascertain that there is actually a baby locked in the car and in danger. I’ll be calling 911, and unless they have some real good reason for waiting, I’ll have a window out as fast as anyone who skips the call unless they just happened to be strolling by the car carrying a hammer or a crowbar.
I do find it curious that are two distinctive ways people answer the OP. Some seem to feel the clock starts after taking the minimal steps to determine that there is a baby in danger, while I and some others seem to interpret it as the clock starting the moment you spot a baby in a car seat and no else obviously in the car.