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June 2011 Moms
? for those who read the UO thread on 9/12
So I'm posting this here instead of over there because I've never posted over there and if I'm going to get flamed I'd rather it be from people I know
Ok so the whole putting your shopping cart back argument that's going on, I have a question about this. I'm totally guilty of not putting my cart back in the cart corral thingy and I don't understand how other people don't have this problem.
When I take LO to the store and the weather is bad I bundle her up and hold her as I quickly get into the store, then I put her in a cart once we're inside. Once I'm done shopping she sits in the cart thingy (or in her carrier when she was really little) and I push her to the car. I then put her into the car first so she's not out in the cold and then I put my groceries away.
I try to find spots close to the cart corral, but they're not always available. So in that situation I leave my cart out because I'm not going to walk away from by vehicle with my baby inside it. I'm also not willing to leave my LO sitting in the cart while I unload groceries and then take the cart back, then walk back to my vehicle.
So what is the solution here? Do the people who are against this live in places where it just doesn't get that cold? I live in a place where we have snow nine months out of the year and routinely have wind gusts over 60mph, there are times when it is actually -30 here. I'd rather be the *** who left my cart out than the mother who either a) left my baby alone in a vehicle or b) left my baby out in below zero weather.
You can flame me all you want if you disagree with this, but I would like solutions too if anyone has come up with them.
P.S. I don't do this in nice weather if that helps. Oh and sorry this turned out to be so long.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: ? for those who read the UO thread on 9/12
In the rare instance that it has been too gross out for her to stay in the cart while I load it and put it up I have put her in the car, locked the doors, and then taken the cart to the cart holder thingy.
I'm almost always parked within a few spaces of a cart holder dealy though so it's no big deal.
First of all, I did not read the post you are speaking of and second, I knew my answer even before I got to the end of yours. I ALWAYS put my cart back, not matter what the weather is like and I always shunned people that didn?t, thinking, how lazy?!
HOWEVER, since LO?s arrival, I, just like you, will not leave him in the car to go walk my cart back to the corral half a lot away? I leave it (if the corral is near, that?s another story). I am just not going to leave my child in the car to go put it back, PERIOD. Anyone who does should get flamed IMO. This has nothing to do with being lazy?
I usually put the girls in the car first, then I put the groceries away. I do walk to the cart corral because even if I am not parked right next to it, it is only twenty feet away. I lock the car and have the key. It takes thirty seconds, maybe.
Those of you who leave your out, an honest question: what is going to happen? I really don't understand the paranoia about this one.
Hmmm maybe its just my grocery store but there are many times when I haven't been able to get a spot anywhere near a corral.
Plus isn't there a law about leaving your child alone in a vehicle? Even if there isn't a law about it I'm still not willing to walk away from my vehicle with my LO in it. 45 seconds is plenty of time for a person to break a window and get into you car.
It's just not worth it in my opinion.
If I could leave my shopping for days when the weather isn't so horrible I would, but unfortunately for a large part of the year that would mean not shopping at all where I live.
DD born 6.13.11 at 37w5d
DS born 5.23.12 at 36w5d
BFP 6.9.13|heartbeat of 128bpm 7weeks|7.23.13 ultrasound revealed no heartbeat|natural m/c and d&c 7.25.13
DS born 5.20.14 at 38 weeks
All are welcome
Uhh yeah, flame away but I always put the cart back and get really irritated when people don't. It takes me 30 seconds max to run the cart to the cart corral. I strap Reed in his car seat, load the groceries, lock the door, and run to put my cart away.
There are much more pressing issues to spend your time worrying about.
I can't imagine that someone would be able to smash a window, unbuckle a child from a seat or unbuckle the seat from the car in the distance that I would be from the car. I'd see them near the car and RUN screaming like a lunatic and I'd get to them before they had time to take him. I just can't see that this is possible.
Did anyone ever see that GMA a few months ago about the young couple who fought off a carjacking while their baby was in the backseat? I'm probably not remembering all the details correctly but I think this is what happened.
A young couple left their daughter asleep in her car seat at a rest stop at like two in the morning. They got out of the vehicle and locked the doors and then stepped to the passenger side of the vehicle to speak to the wife's parents who were driving with them in a moving van. They were within two feet of the car at all times and the car was locked.
A man snuck over to the driver's side door, broke the window and took off with the car in about 5-10 seconds. Luckily the mother was able to run along side the car and break out the passenger window and her husband was able to get into the car and stop the guy.
I know it seems unlikely but these things can happen faster than you would believe.
I just can't imagine taking the risk.
This. I can always see my car from where I have to bring the cart. I guess maybe my supermarket parking lot isn't maybe as big as others, because there aren't very many spots very far from one of the cart corrals.
MH and I almost always go shopping together, so normally I don't have to worry about it. But when I do go by myself with Callie, I've never left the cart in the parking space.
putting your cart away with the child in the car is not leaving your child alone in a vehicle....SHOPPING in the store while your child in the car IS leaving your child alone.
Our World!!
Blaine Emerson Bailey Rae
3-31-14 6-10-11
I do the same thing. I never have an issue with finding a space next to or close to the corral.
I get why other mom wouldn't put the cart back though. What really gets me are the people who don't have small kids and don't put the cart back.
do you shop at 2 in the morning?? usually there are a lot of other people around in a grocery store parking lot...comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges.
I've not been to the other board to read it, I simply don't have the time today (and really shouldn't even be on here in the first place I have so much to do) BUT that is a HUGE pet peeve of mine that people just leave their carts all over the place...it either screws up parking, a cart ends up into the side of a vehicle, etc. No excuses. Your vehicle locks, right? I'm sure the cart corral is not a football field away. Put your baby in your vehicle, lock it tight and walk (or run if you're so inclined) your cart to the cart corral. It's called having a little respect for the people around you in addition to the workers who need to chase all of the carts all over the place. I recall one specific time, during a driving rain storm, I sat at my gym and watched helplessly as my vehicle at that time was rammed from all directions by stray shopping carts left where someone decided to leave them rather than making sure they were secure in the corral.
OP I live in Canada so I feel you on the crappy weather...BUT, I also feel that I am always parked so close to the corral that there is no way I wouldn't see someone go up to my car. If there aren't any spots close by I usually just drive around until something opens up. Then when I'm done I strap her in, lock the doors and put the cart away and I'm starring at the car the whole time...in fact I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into another car cause I'm not paying attention to where I'm walking lol
As for the breaking in and kidnapping your child. No, I don't think they could get them out of the car seat fast enough...but I do agree that a car can be stolen in less than a minute. I just don't think it would happen when the thief can see you are 10 seconds away from the car. kwim? Also, I live in a pretty small town so I don't really worry about my car being stolen...it might be different in I lived in the city.
So I guess I should clarify what I'm afraid of.
It's cold enough where I live that to keep her warm I can't just put her in the car, I need to get the engine running to get the heater on. So even if I had remote entry or two sets of keys where I could start my car and then lock the doors, I'm more worried about someone taking my entire vehicle with my baby inside of it.
And yes I totally believe this would be possible in just a few seconds. I don't spend all my time worrying about this, I was just curious about how other people do it. I'm kind of amazed that people walk away from their vehicles, it had just never crossed my mind that that was even a possible option.
Not trying to flame anyone, I was just surprised I guess.
I saw the story on this and the car was unlocked. He didn't have to smash the window (at least if it's the same one you're referring to, which I think it is because the mom held on for dear life until he stopped).
Either way, I think their point is that of all the things to worry about, this shouldn't be one of them. Using your logic, whether you're parked right next to the corral or 15 feet from it, the theft of the vehicle is still a risk, and, thusly, the only "safe" way to return the cart is to wear the baby. Not that I'm against that, but I don't wear my child hardly ever.
I would suggest this as a great alternative.
DUP
This is when I would just leave her in the cart while I walk it to the cart corral... seems easy enough to me.
I don't see how leaving your child in a locked car for 30 seconds would be any different than leaving them in another room of your house for the same amount of time. Theoretically a burglar could be outside their window and break it in that time, but I just don't think that is going to happen.
I leave her in the car and put the cart away if it is cold. I take her with me if it is warm. Today I left her in the locked car and walked 30 ft away to use the ATM. Someone call CPS.
I agree. For those who won't leave their LO in the car for 20 seconds, do you sleep next to your baby's crib too? I mean, someone could break into LO's room in the 11-12 hours he is alone in his room and steal him. That possibility doesn't make me stand next to his crib the entire night though.
Also, my baby is not going to get heat stroke or frostbite in the 30 seconds the car is off and locked.
I do not put the cart away when it is just LO and myself.
There have been many cases that a baby was taken from a car while the parent(s) where less the 3 feet away. They did not see anyone in the parking lot /turned their backs for a few seconds and when they turned around the locked car door was open and the baby was gone.
Child abductors don't take their time to undo the straps they cut them they have all the tools they need to get in and out fast they don't waste time. most also don't work alone, they have someone set to cause a distraction. So your fast run to the corral is now 2 Min's.
Also something that bugs me is ppl who turn their backs on their baby/toddler in a store. I have walked past many parents doing this and they don't even turn their heads to check on their child as someone walks by. Then when a child goes missing they can't figure out how it could of happened.
Friends of the family had their child taken, and she was never found. So I will never leave my child for a second alone in the car or turn my back on her. It is not being paranoid it is being a responsible parent.
I just looked under your pic to see where you live...LOFL!!
Some of y'all crack me up.
I will start by saying I live in Utah, so high desert. 100+ degrees in the summer. Below freezing all winter. Feet of snow at times.
Not putting the buggy (yes I said buggy) back is just lazy. Using your baby as an excuse, not acceptable.
Walking away from your unlocked car at what was likely a damn near desserted rest stop at 2 in the morning and walking away from from your easily secured car in a busy shopping parking lot in broad daylight, completely different. To even try to compare the two is absurd.
Your baby will neither freeze to death, nor die of heat stroke in less than a minute. If you really are worried, get remote start. I have remote start and will never again not have it. I can turn on the car in line at the store and it will start warming up or cooling down pretty quickly. And if you think that will cause someone to steal the car...wrong. As soon as the brake pedal is touched, which has to happen to put the car in drive, without the key in, it turns off. If the car is not warm, guess what, I didn't take him out in shorts and a tank top, he is wearing pants, socks, shirt, jacket, hat and a blanket. He will be ok.
Walking to put the buggy away is not illegal. You are not leaving your child unattended in the car. That is for the people who go do the shopping and leave the kiddo in the car alone. Again, the two are so completely different that it is absurd to compare them.
I think you summarized everything very nicely.
I have to admit, it's taking a huge amount of self restraint to not go troll on this post, TBH. I fear that I'm about to fail in my quest. To suggest that you're a bad parent because you take your eyes off your child, no matter for how long, is seriously ridiculous. So then I guess when you're shopping at looking at items on the shelves, or racks, you're staring at your child and reaching out blindly to grab what you need so that your eyes never leave them?
I know that this poster probably just meant to keep an eye on your kid and not to like, let them run around without your attention, which I agree with, but it really didn't come across that way. It came across as an indictment against those who can't move the two eyes independently of one another.
this. and in heat waves (we get them here too) i go to the store at night when it's cooled off and DH stays home with LO. i agree that LO is the most important thing to me, which is why i won't put him in the hot car while it cools down.
Your last sentence implies that everyone who leaves their child secured in the car for the brief time it takes to return a cart is a irresponsible parent. I think that's a little unfair and short sighted.
I live in Texas. I know hot. I ALWAYS put my cart back. It's not about thinking people are lazy, it's about being courteous and respectful. Frankly, it's rude. Often, they end up banging into cars or taking up spaces.
1. No one said you have to leave your kid in the car if it's hot. Leave LO in the buggy until you get to the coral, then carry him/her back to the car. If it's too hot for LO to be outside that long, then you probably should not have brought him/her out in the first place.
2. Park next to a coral. Problem solved. No space next to a coral? Refer back to #1.