Parking lot "incident" with child

[Westcoastwild]

Maybe, maybe not you should have been with your child. That isn't the issue here. It's about the other driver not giving a hoot about your child. No excuse in my book. He should have had the patience and waited....PERIOD.

Should have, would have, could have. Yes. But the point is that you've got to protect your kid and be aware in a situation like that that someone could pull in suddenly. Or if someone had been sitting in that car- pulled out suddenly. Dangerous stuff happens all the time in parking lots.

 

[kimblebee]

Should have, would have, could have. Yes. But the point is that you've got to protect your kid and be aware in a situation like that that someone could pull in suddenly. Or if someone had been sitting in that car- pulled out suddenly. Dangerous stuff happens all the time in parking lots.

Bless you for saying 'have' instead of 'of'

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, it would have been nice, depending on the age of the kid, for the mother to have been there, at least on that side of the car, to see that he got in okay....
But, even on the DIS, I simply can not believe the number of posts here trying to 'excuse', 'understand' or 'forgive', this other guys dangerous behavior!!!!!
My only post earlier was, "WOW", and how their are no DIS friendly words for what he did and how he justified it.

If the kid had been inside, (not standing in sight) pushing the door open to exit the vehicle, it sounds like this guy would have taken the door off!!!

Having said that... Our new mid-sized SUV that we have not had for too awfully long, has several dings and scrapes where, probably kids (flame me if you want!) are carelessly, or just not big enough to have enough control or awareness, are swinging their door open and closed jumping in and out of vehicles.
Yes, those parents who let this happen are LAME, LAZY, DISRESPECTFUL, poor excuses of a parent.
I am not, in any way, saying that parents have to hold their little snowflakes hand.
But, lack of parental oversight and discipline is just not okay.

And, an adult who nearly plows over an actual kid.....

 

[Albort]

id ask the driver what happens if he did hit your kid... dad def is not patient at all.

 

[cluvsdisney]

That driver took a huge gamble counting on a young kid to not move. I'm glad nothing happened to your child.

 

[Westcoastwild]

That driver took a huge gamble counting on a young kid to not move. I'm glad nothing happened to your child.

That's the part that bugs me the most, honestly. You can really only say that you "know" you won't hit something if it's stationary or reliable/predictable. A 6 year old is none of the above. If it had been a teen, I could understand the guy doing it. But little kids and pets are prone to panic.

 

[Hikergirl]

My kid is 6. I don't care if he thought his driving skills were great, but as a parent it just freaked me out because it seemed unnecessary.

I would normally go there and if the coast is clear I would just open the door. My kid isn't at the point where I don't need to help. At the time it seemed pretty safe. The car hadn't even entered the parking lot yet, but it was a small lot and the driver quickly pulled into the lot and to the space.

He wasn't even a fire breather who was like "mind your own business". He had his own kids with him and seemed otherwise calm. I just don't normally know how to react when someone is seemingly so impatient to not wait a few seconds. I certainly wouldn't pull into a space (even if it's straight in) when someone is waiting.

I wouldn't either and it wouldn't matter what age the person is. I guess this guy just didn't care, he wanted in the spot and it was worth hitting a 6 year old to get in it. Hopefully his kids take driver's ed and don't learn from him.

 

[georgina]

If the kid had been inside, (not standing in sight) pushing the door open to exit the vehicle, it sounds like this guy would have taken the door off!!!

Ok, and in that case it would have been the kid (really his parent's) fault. A 6 year old is not old enough to know to check if it is safe to open his door if another car is pulling in alongside. If I as a driver am pulling into a parking space, I probably can't see a 6 year old about to open his door. Should not be happening.

 

[bcla]

Ok, and in that case it would have been the kid (really his parent's) fault. A 6 year old is not old enough to know to check if it is safe to open his door if another car is pulling in alongside. If I as a driver am pulling into a parking space, I probably can't see a 6 year old about to open his door. Should not be happening.

That's why I have the inside lock active on my car door. Same with my wife's car. Drives my kid nuts and sometimes my kid opens the left door that isn't locked out from the inside.

As far as the driver goes, the gist of what I got from him wasn't "I don't care" but rather "I know what I'm doing".

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So yesterday I was getting something to eat for my kid before going to a county fair.

However, as we we getting back to my car, my kid walked towards the right rear door like always. The space to the right is empty, so it seem pretty safe.

Suddenly a car pulls into the space while my kid is still there and then my kid is pressing against my car to avoid the incoming car. The driver is turning into the space and comes within an inch or two of my kid due to the turning angle. When the driver stops and gets out I just ask what the heck he's doing. He has his own kids with him, including one about my kid's age. He doesn't necessarily apologize, but rationalizes what he did by claiming he wasn't going to hit my kid and my kid wasn't moving. It wasn't necessarily a confrontation, but it just seemed like all kinds of wrong to knowingly drive that close to child, rather than waiting.

Good thing your kid was paying attention!

 

[anniemae]

Yeah, he was def being reckless. It would be one thing if he slowed to a crawl and inched in the space. I personally treat young kids like wild unpredictable animals when I drive. They can bolt at any second in front of a car, and they have poor judgement. He took a chance by assuming your child would stay put.

 

[Wishing on a star]

A SIX year old!!!! And he did that....

I will say that, at that age, I would be accompanying my child into and out of the car.
"Technically", a 6 year old... especially a smaller one, would be in a booster seat?

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, the other driver was in the wrong. So now you know there are crazy drivers out there. You can't control them. All you can do is control the things you can control. I'm not blaming you but the only way to avoid this happening again is to stay by your child in a parking lot.

If something happens to your child, it won't matter if it was the other party that was in the wrong.

 

[OZMom]

A SIX year old!!!! And he did that....

I will say that, at that age, I would be accompanying my child into and out of the car.
"Technically", a 6 year old... especially a smaller one, would be in a booster seat?

By 6 the kid can usually buckle themselves in, at least both of mine could / can. As far as them needing to escort their child at all times, I'd say it's really a case by case basis. Busy parking lot on a weekend when everyone is sharking for spots, maybe not. However, I have let my kids walk to their doors and get in the car alone while I am loading groceries or whatever. It really depends on the maturity of the child and the environment. I may hesitate if the spot next to us is empty or if the car next to us is running, but obviously OP thought it was safe enough at the time. OP's child obviously could handle it as they did the right thing by standing still right against the car and OP could see their child from where they were if they saw the incident so it wasn't like they walked away. I think adult or child, if someone is standing next to / getting into / getting out of and vehicle, you wait the 30 seconds it takes them to get to a safe spot before pulling in.

 

[Hikergirl]

A SIX year old!!!! And he did that....

I will say that, at that age, I would be accompanying my child into and out of the car.
"Technically", a 6 year old... especially a smaller one, would be in a booster seat?

I went out with my friend and her 5 year old dd the other day. She managed to open the door, shut it, climb in her seat and buckle her seatbelt all on her own. 6 year olds are not helpless or babies, and they should at least know how to get themselves in and out of a car and their buckles. While being there while they do it is good, your post kind of implies that you would be doing it. Not sure if that is what you mean though.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I never said that all or even most kids could not get themselves into a vehicle at any given age.
I said that I would 'accompany' my child.....

But, hey, thanks again to my crew, who love to quote me directly, try to twist my words, and challenge me....
Nice to know you are all out there!!!!

 

[undertheradar]

Sorry, in a parking lot, the parent should watch the kids. OP, you are responsible for your children, not the drivers entering the parking lot.

 

[Hikergirl]

I never said that all or even most kids could not get themselves into a vehicle at any given age.
I said that I would 'accompany' my child.....

But, hey, thanks again to my crew, who love to quote me directly, try to twist my words, and challenge me....
Nice to know you are all out there!!!!

You know you could just clarify what you mean there is no need to become so defensive. Maybe you don't realize how your posts come across, but if multiple posters get the same thing from them then maybe its not them but it is you. Especially if that happens to you often here.

 

[Mirielle]

Same with my wife's car.

You're male? Shocked! I pictured you a young, very shy mother who was intimidated by the other driver.

 

[ols386]

Op I'm glad your child was not injured. The other driver was in the wrong. It sounds like he needs to slow himself down and not be in such a big hurry.