France - Child deaths in cars

[CHAZ]

This is a horrible one and has happened twice in the last ten days in france. Being so close to l'hexagone, I get the national news from French TV.

In two seperate cases, a toddler has been left in a car by his parent who seems to have completely forgotten only to return some 3-4 hours later to find their child dead. In the first case, a pharmacist stopped by his pharmacy and got held up for a while so completely forgot about his son in the car. The was parked not in the shade and with temperatures in the 40°C inside the poor chap fell into unconsciousness and then died of dehydration and hyperthermia. In the second, a father dropped off his daughter at the creche and then went of to work forgetting his other child in the back seat. Same fate here.

As a new father, these stories are horrendous and have evoked a lot of reaction in the French press. How can a parent be so clueless? It seems according to specialised doctors that if our routine is broken by an event that we often forget what we are meant to do. The pharmacist was witness to an accident and so was caught up in helping out the victims. Afterwards, so he told the inquiry, he got back in hhis car and drove to the pharmacy without even remembering his toddler was in the car! The second guy was on school drop run and as he rarely did this, this also put a spanner in his routine.

Awful.

Does this happen in UK? Reactions?

b

[marty]

Chaz, I've heard of a few cases in the UK but with dogs instead of children. Some people really are very stupid. Especially the French.

[Vonny]

It defies belief that this kind of thing happens. I have heard lots of stories about pets (dogs mainly) being left in cars and the odd one or two involving children. I wouldn't even leave my shopping in the car let alone a child

[icomefromalanddownunder]

It defies belief that this kind of thing happens. I have heard lots of stories about pets (dogs mainly) being left in cars and the odd one or two involving children. I wouldn't even leave my shopping in the car let alone a child

What's that saying about not criticising someone until you've walked in their shoes?

I regularly leave shopping and dogs in my car (with windows open, and never in summer), and do confess to having killed a pair of expensive Croc flip flops by leaving them in the car. And it wasn't even that hot by SA standards. Bl**dy irresponsible to sell such things here: they could have started shrinking while I had them on my feet while walking on hot sand.

I have also left my newish second born outside a shop, and once left our staffy tied up outside the local deli. Didn't realise until he didn't show up for dinner (which was served immediately after I got home, fortunately).

My neighbour had twins and a singleton within three years and once drove off with one twin and older sister, leaving second twin in her cot. Older sister, who could hardly talk, alerted Mum to the omission.

A colleague arrived at work with son still in back of car. She usually dropped him at school, then daughter at her school, then to work. That particular morning she dropped daughter off first, and son sat silently waiting to see when she would realise her error.

We have all been lucky: only hurting our pride and a pair of Crocs.

xx

[hillary]

A friend of mine, in her dazed, exhausted, new baby, not yet in the habit of pushing a pram around all day state, left her son outside Barclays. It was a branch where you had to go upstairs/escalator for the everyday counters (as some branches were/still are) while downstairs is the useless/fluffy stuff.

She had to leave the pram downstairs, did her banking, and realised something was missing when she got home and started to make a cup of coffee. Home was only a 10 minute walk from said bank. Pram and sleeping baby were waiting patiently when she'd run back to the bank in a bit of a state. The guilt still haunts her (albeit with a bit of a wry smile thrown in).

I'm just thankful I've not done the same when equally too tired to function.

[kayinbaja]

"Chaz, I've heard of a few cases in the UK but with dogs instead of children. Some people really are very stupid. Especially the French."

I've almost stopped visiting this site, but now I really have to. Someone's CHILD DIED!!! They made a tragic mistake. They will never get over it. I don't care if this was meant to be a joke. From here, it looks like a sick, racist slur. Over and out.

[marty]

"Chaz, I've heard of a few cases in the UK but with dogs instead of children. Some people really are very stupid. Especially the French."

I've almost stopped visiting this site, but now I really have to. Someone's CHILD DIED!!! They made a tragic mistake. They will never get over it. I don't care if this was meant to be a joke. From here, it looks like a sick, racist slur. Over and out.

Calm down and don't be so PC.

[J.R.]

I think it must be a 'Europe' thing !

Something along the lines of leaving your YOUNG children asleep in your holiday accomodation and going off on the p1ss with your mates in the local bar.

Ring any bells ????????

[Jo]

"Chaz, I've heard of a few cases in the UK but with dogs instead of children. Some people really are very stupid. Especially the French."

I've almost stopped visiting this site, but now I really have to. Someone's CHILD DIED!!! They made a tragic mistake. They will never get over it. I don't care if this was meant to be a joke. From here, it looks like a sick, racist slur. Over and out.

Well, yes it does a bit. I put it down to a bit of gratuitous and - in this particular instance - rather ill-judged Frog-bashing that the Brits love to do (I like the French myself but I often think I'm in the minority. But we're not all like that. Please don't let it chase you away.

[marty]

"Chaz, I've heard of a few cases in the UK but with dogs instead of children. Some people really are very stupid. Especially the French."

I've almost stopped visiting this site, but now I really have to. Someone's CHILD DIED!!! They made a tragic mistake. They will never get over it. I don't care if this was meant to be a joke. From here, it looks like a sick, racist slur. Over and out.

Well, yes it does a bit. I put it down to a bit of gratuitous and - in this particular instance - rather ill-judged Frog-bashing that the Brits love to do (I like the French myself but I often think I'm in the minority. But we're not all like that. Please don't let it chase you away.

Maybe it was a bit "ill-judged" but my point was to criticise the stupidity of the people who caused these wholly unavoidable deaths (albeit a bit jovially but that's just me). I mean how dumb do you have to be to leave a child in a hot car? As for French-bashing, it's a national past time, just as 'rosbif bashing' is across the channel. To suggest I'm racist or to imply I don't have any sympathy for the children who died is wrong. I will however draw the line at defending those that caused their deaths - people should take more responsibility for their actions. As for Kay's other reasons for stopping visiting this site I'm nothing to do with that whatsoever so I don't feel the blame for chasing her away should be laid at the foot of my door.

[englishangel]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sout ... 533948.stm

Idiots are idiots wherever they come from

[marty]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sout ... 533948.stm

Idiots are idiots wherever they come from

Quite agree. Some people really are very stupid. Especially those from the north...

[midget]

Haven't lost your touch, have you, Marty.

[marty]

Haven't lost your touch, have you, Marty.

No, Maggie. All stupid people are fair game! x

[J.R.]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sout ... 533948.stm

Idiots are idiots wherever they come from

Quite agree. Some people really are very stupid. Especially those from the north...

Is the Waford Gap still the dividing line, Marty ?