WWYD - 5 y/o left alone in front seat!!

[supercalifragilous]

In the 7-11 parking lot, I noticed the car next to me had a little boy sitting ALONE in the FRONT PASSENGER seat (seatbelt only) eating a sandwich. The car was a Dodge Magnum stationwagon, and there was plenty of room in the back seat. Dad had apparently run in to buy cigarettes. When he came out, he noticed that we were waiting for him, keeping an eye on this boy. When I asked him how old the boy was, he curtly replied "Five," rushed in the car, and drove off in a hurry.

1.) Even though the car wasn't on, you cannot leave a child unattended in the car - isn't there a law about that?

2.) You can't have a 5-y/o (average size, same as DD) in the front seat!!!

If I had called 9-1-1 to report him (even after he drove off), would it have done any good?

That's gotta fall under some kind of child negligence/endangerment law!! I wonder if I had taken a picture with my cellphone, would that be considered proof?

[lorinick]

I'm not sure what age you can start to leave children in cars legally. I have left my DS in car recently to run into dry cleaners. I could see the car it was not running and it was locked and it was pouring out. The DS is 8. I felt safe with the situation. I'm sure others will not agree with me. I don't even know when it's legal to do so. But I felt it was fine. And I feel he's old enough to seat there when his in my view and locked in for a few mintues. He was in the back seat in his booster seat which is important to me. HE was waving the whole time to me.