It seems like there's more to the story. I find it hard to believe she was arrested just for what is stated in the story. If this is truely the whole story then please spare me. I don't think she did anything wrong. I always take my kids out of the car even if they are sleeping, but I can understand why she didn't. I am slightly neurotic!!!! I could understand a cop giving her a little lecture but arresting her.......that's over the line!

I agree with the question someone asked earlier. How did she not see the police officer approaching the car? I know moms will do things like this and that is fine for them. I always park next to the carriage corral or take the kids with me to put it back. I also only go to gas stations that I can pump and pay outside. If I run into a problem yes, I take all three young children inside. I am bothered that she was arrested but I also think there has got to be more then we know. What if someone had skidded on the sleet that had fallen and crashed that 2 year old into the building. There are people always lurking to take advantage of a situation and as quickly as the cop got to the car, it could have been a predator. I can see why this has caused so much aggression.

I do not understand the comment about being white and having different expectations on this. I do not believe that is an accurate statement.

I think a big concern, too, is the possibility of a carjacking. There was a case a few years back where a woman ran into a convenience store, in sight of her car, and someone stole her car with her baby in the back. That would turn a simple errand into a real tragedy.

The bottom line is that she DID technically break the law, whether she thinks it is a stupid law or not. I don't think she deserved to be handcuffed, but since we are only hearing her side of the story, we don't know if she got belligerent with the officer or not.

Your action can cause physical damage to the property of another. I have a five, three and one year old and yet I still manage to return the cart and we all walk back.

Watch the news . . . read the newspaper . . . many will argue that it's just the opposite, if anything. I don't think race or social class had anything to do with this or any other case of child abuse.

I'm too paranoid to leave my kids in the car for any length of time no matter how inconvenient it is.

My questionis this...don't we have bigger and worse things to worry about? This poor woman will NEVER do this again, she took steps she believed to keep her child safe, and was prompt in her time away...given a choice I would rather be the kid left sleeping in a nearby car than the kid hit with the pressure washer at the car wash...come on people, the baby was asleep and seeming safe. I would be arrested if in her situation too...very sad for everyone...now isn't there a true child abuser, drug dealer, rapist or thief to catch out there somewhere? Let's protect chiildren from those who intentially put them in danger or hurth them.

Also what I said about income levels, race and areas is true from my observations.

For Example: True situations

- In the area I grew up mostly white, middle to upper middle class. If a kid shows up at school with a black eye or large bruises. The teacher, the administration and a social worker end up calling the parents home several times to make sure the kid is not beat. Even if the parent explains how it happened and the child says nothing has happened many times. Also in an area close by a mother smacked an out of control teen 1 time to gain control and was nearly hauled off to jail and almost lost her child. Because she smacked a teen that was screaming, cussing and calling her mom an F-ing B.

- In a mostly black, inner city area a child showed up to school with bruises all over her body and it was obvious it was abuse and the child confirmed the abuse. The child was unable to sit because she was hurt so bad. Parent was told by the administration not to leave bruises next time she is disciplined. Also in the same school one of the parents gave an adminstrator permission to spank an unruly child in a non corporal punishment state and he did. All of us knew he did this.

It sucks but it is often true

Okay so everybody keeps saying....that's only her side of the story. What about this quote straight from the news story?
"even though child welfare workers found no credible evidence of abuse or neglect."

It says right there that child welfare workers found NO EVIDENCE OF CHILD NEGLECT.

what if, what if, what if???? Well what if she had taken the child out of the car and somebody ran them over because she couldn't get out of the way fast enough. I know that things can happen if you leave your babe in the car, but things can happen if you take them out too. Geesh. She shouldn't be charged. My God.

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Mommy to Hope (10.10.06)
Monkey mommy to Allyson (10.13.02)

Why don't you park your vehicle next to a cart corral so you don't have to leave the cart out in the parking lot? Then you won't have to leave your kids alone and no one will get their car dinged up.

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Cheers!
-- Suzie, mommy to Katarina (02.22.2005) and Sebastian (10.18.2007)

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