Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Who's watching the kids?

A family returning home from a trip leaves their sleeping child in a cab. They remember after being home for a few minutes; the cabbie is called, the girl found and returned home. The parents are not angry with the cabbie, in fact they give him a big tip for returning their child. All's well that ends well. Except...

The cabbie gets suspended - then the suspension turns into a warning and a reminder that he is supposed to check the vehicle after every fare.

And the parents?

Police would not release the names of the parents but said they were not being investigated.

No child neglect here? No endangerment? The cabbie is more responsible than the parents? I wouldn't expect prosecution or punishment for the parents, but: were they given a warning? Were they put on notice that they need to be at least as careful as the cabbie with their belongings? Were they asked to pay the cabbie's legal fees (he had an attorney with him at the suspension hearing) since they are the ones who forgot their own kid in his cab and caused his problem in the first place? I don't necessarily think there is anything wrong with the fact that the parents are not being investigated; I think there is something wrong with the article. It's incomplete. What about the parents?

I guess I've done my share (or more) of dumb things as a parent. I've never left a child in a cab, on a train, or anywhere else a parent shouldn't leave a kid. I don't understand how that can happen. It just seems impossible to me.

At least the parents aren't suing the cabbie for his neglect. That would really be something.

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