This past Friday afternoon, in the 115 Technology Costco gas line, Bad Mom suddenly discovers she needs to use a toilet. [1] She leaves her vehicle [2] with her young kids inside totally unattended [3] with the engine still running [4] blocking the gas line [5] while there are SIX empty parking spots right next to her car and [6] a Costco attendant who is always on duty.
Is leaving kids in a vehicle unattended with the engine running against some law? I don't actually know. What I do know is I personally count the cost of getting in a line in the first place. And if I have an emergency (which I have had), I still get my vehicle out of people's way and take my kids with me even if I risk wetting myself or worse. It would never enter my mind to do what she did. Maybe if you can give birth, you can also clench for 2 more minutes.
Back to our story: Maybe she tells someone in the adjacent gas line, one of whom apparently considers himself a Great American Hero. He's sitting in the passenger seat so he's entirely available (that is, he's not the driver of his vehicle so he's free to get out and help). He decides to continue sitting in his seat to watch the kids. He assumes anyone else who approaches the vehicle means to scare or harm the kids inside (instead of merely trying to see what's up and then reacting in utter shock at an empty driver seat and young kids inside).
Instead of standing next to the car and re-directing other drivers around the vehicle like a Useful Gentleman Hero, he sits in his car leaving other drivers to discover for themselves. Then he takes his false assumptions about one of the other drivers who tries to tell the Bad Mom that it just wasn't cool (she's talking on her phone, unapologetic, not listening), and our Lazy "Hero" tries to pick a fight with him by invading his personal space, yelling, and issuing threats.
Don't leave your car running, unattended, with kids inside, blocking traffic.
If you want to be a hero, you might need to get out of your seat in order to help the rest of us lesser mortals.
If you're unwilling to get out of your seat to be a Hero, then don't get out of your seat with your false assumptions and try to pick a fight. That's not what a Hero does.
Is leaving kids in a vehicle unattended with the engine running against some law? I don't actually know. What I do know is I personally count the cost of getting in a line in the first place. And if I have an emergency (which I have had), I still get my vehicle out of people's way and take my kids with me even if I risk wetting myself or worse. It would never enter my mind to do what she did. Maybe if you can give birth, you can also clench for 2 more minutes.
Back to our story: Maybe she tells someone in the adjacent gas line, one of whom apparently considers himself a Great American Hero. He's sitting in the passenger seat so he's entirely available (that is, he's not the driver of his vehicle so he's free to get out and help). He decides to continue sitting in his seat to watch the kids. He assumes anyone else who approaches the vehicle means to scare or harm the kids inside (instead of merely trying to see what's up and then reacting in utter shock at an empty driver seat and young kids inside).
Instead of standing next to the car and re-directing other drivers around the vehicle like a Useful Gentleman Hero, he sits in his car leaving other drivers to discover for themselves. Then he takes his false assumptions about one of the other drivers who tries to tell the Bad Mom that it just wasn't cool (she's talking on her phone, unapologetic, not listening), and our Lazy "Hero" tries to pick a fight with him by invading his personal space, yelling, and issuing threats.
Don't leave your car running, unattended, with kids inside, blocking traffic.
If you want to be a hero, you might need to get out of your seat in order to help the rest of us lesser mortals.
If you're unwilling to get out of your seat to be a Hero, then don't get out of your seat with your false assumptions and try to pick a fight. That's not what a Hero does.