Child gets left in cab--who's to blame?
By Phyrre
@phyrre (2317)
United States
July 29, 2009 10:25am CST
I just came across this news article here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090728/ap_on_re_us/us_child_left_in_cab
A couple got a cab and when they got home they ended up leaving their 5 year old child in the cab and forgetting about her.
The police are blaming the cab and tried to suspend the driver's license because he didn't thoroughly check the van after delivering the people, which is one of their rules. He says that she was behind another seat where he couldn't see her from outside of the van or the van's rear view mirror.
But the parents are not being investigated in this instance at all.
Now, to me, personally, I think it's a little of both of their faults. Maybe the cabbie should've checked more carefully because it's part of his job, sure. But the parents were negligent to leave their child in the van in the first place. And the child was not injured and was not gone for very long. It was only a few minutes after he left that he got a call and was informed of the child and he promptly turned around and dropped her off.
So what do you think? Was the cab driver's fault or the parents' fault, or maybe a mix of the two?
1 person likes this
18 responses
@tundeemma (894)
• South Africa
30 Jul 09
the mother of the child should be arrested for neglecting her child in the car, it is obvious the parents are incapable of taking care of the kid hence the state should collect it from such parent and hand the child over to a child care home where she will be taken care off
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
30 Jul 09
Personally, I think that might be a bit drastic. As I've said, sometimes parents get distracted and forget. It doesn't necessarily make them horrible parents and the child didn't get hurt, so hopefully this will be a learning experience. I don't think that's necessarily cause for them to take the child away, though, seeing as how they did catch it in just a few minutes and it wasn't like she was riding around with the cabby for half an hour or whatever unnoticed.
@milagrosdavila47 (107)
• United States
30 Jul 09
I don't see why the cabbie is getting the brunt of all this. The responsibilty of a child lies with the parents. I mean, isn't it just natural when you're leaving a place to make sure you have all your belongings with you? Where was the child sitting that the parents couldn't see her? It wasn't like they couldn't sit next to her! Ok yea some may say that its normal to sometimes forget or miss children when a parent is distracted but I say that's crazy talk. I have three children 6, 4, and 2 months and have not misplaced any of them as of yet. Maybe as I get older it'll happen but I don't think so since my kids whereabouts are constantly on my mind. My kids know that they have to be in my view at all times when they're with me. It's a crazy world we live in and I'm just uncomfortable not knowing where my kids are.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
30 Jul 09
I definitely agree with you. I don't have kids, but when I take my two year old sister out I always make sure that she's either in my arms or she's got my hand so that I know where she is at all times. In the world we live in, I wouldn't want to risk something happening to her, so I always make sure to keep an eye on her in public.
@maikarumike (458)
• Malaysia
30 Jul 09
I think it must the fault of both side. The parents are wrong for not being responsible over their child.How come a parents could forget their precious gem when their handphones and hand bags could be remembered. The taxi driver on the other hand should practice good service, he should observe how many people was in the taxi and how many people got out from there.
1 person likes this
@jules67 (2788)
• Philippines
30 Jul 09
Personally, I believe that in this case, the parent should be held accountable. It is very rare that a child is left in a cab. A child is a human being and the first person who should be responsible for her is the parent. I was wondering while reading it, why on earth did the parents forgot that they have the child with them. It is a human being and not just an ordinary thing.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
30 Jul 09
I agree. Most people wouldn't think to check the cab to make sure a kid was still in it. He looked in the rear view and in the window, which is usually enough to tell if some piece of luggage or something is left behind, but apparently the child was in one of the back seats and unable to be seen from those points of view.
@ksquires2005 (58)
• United States
30 Jul 09
wow when i read this i was litterally blown away. were the people drunk???????? was the kid sleeping???? If it were a 2 year old that couldn't speak i'd say that it's def the parents fault, but the kid was 5, she could talk and be like o im still here, or even wait for me, but to just sit there and allow the driver to drive off wow she must really of hated her parents. on another note..how the hell do you leave your kid in the cab and forget about her. i have two boys and when we leave and go out i'm constantly asking where they are. I don't need some crazy person to snag them or for them to get hit by a car. so when it comes to this i think that it's all three of their fault. the parents for not being more careful, the kid for not speaking up, and the cab driver for not paying more attention to who was in the backseat. simple as that.
@Cutikins (13)
• India
30 Jul 09
well, in my view there is no fault of cabby, because nobody can think that the parents can forget their child. and if the parents forget their child then it was the biggest mistake of the parents because the children are totally dependent on their parents and they are the responsibilities of the parents,,so how can the parents forget about their child. fortunately the child was not injured but if any kind of mishap would happened with her then who were responsible for this. of course the child is the biggest responsibility so according to me there is parent's fault only.
1 person likes this
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
30 Jul 09
hello phyrre,
In my own opinion, I think the parents should take full responsibility of the child since they go together and a family. They knew that the child was with them and that they should wake up her when they were almost there in their destination. They were the parents so they should know what they're doing for she's already five years old. Why put the blame to the taxi cab driver? It's the parents that they should blame not the driver.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
30 Jul 09
I definitely agree. I think the cabbie might get blamed for not checking, sure, that's his fault, but the fact that the child was there in the first place is the parents and I can't believe that they're not acting out towards the parents in any way but completely blaming the cabbie.
@YoungInLove (1254)
• Canada
29 Jul 09
Id say the parents are at fault. I know the cab driver has an obligation to check their cab after to just make sure, but its a child for goddsakes. It came outta you, you had it in your household for 5 years, she was ilkely sitting right beside you. Unless the cab sped away before they could properly take her out, if the parents just walked away without thinking "oh the childs still in there" then its their fault for sure.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
30 Jul 09
Yes, I understand that. It is hard to imagine forgetting a five year old. Maybe a baby or something if you're new parents and not used to having a child, but by the time they're five you get pretty used to getting them out of the car first and everything.
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
29 Jul 09
hi phyrre,
i responded to a similar discussion a while earlier..
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2086070.aspx
anyway, it sort of reminds me of the movie "home alone" - but not at all amusing!
, i wouldnot blame the cabbie at all - the couple should have made sure all of their children were safely in the house, before the cabbie took off..
, i wouldnot blame the cabbie at all - the couple should have made sure all of their children were safely in the house, before the cabbie took off..1 person likes this
Anyway, I agree that the parents definitely should've made sure their child's whereabouts.
@smileonstar (4007)
• United States
29 Jul 09
Hello,
well, I think both fault. The Cab driver should get out of the van and fully check the whole car to make sure customers never leave anything behind. Another thing is parents fault; come on, you have a child and she has been with you for 5 years and you forgot about her???????? how stupid they are. this is very silly...
For me, I always make sure I have my kids right by my side before I pull out my luggage. I never forget my own kids, cuz they are my eyes and if I forget them then I shouldn't be a mother at all.
They should learn how to be more seriously about this... it is a good thing that the cab driver came back with her, and thanks God.
well, I hope they learn this time and never do that ever again.
1 person likes this
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
30 Jul 09
It's true that the driver should have checked because it's part of his job, but for heaven's sake, who would think that parents would leave behind their child in a cab? The parents should really be the ones to blame here. They were completely careless and negligent. I would understand if they leave something behind like an umbrella or a bag. But a child? It makes me furious.
1 person likes this
@allisonbrk (155)
• United States
29 Jul 09
I'd say its a bit of both. It happens all the time. I can remember a time when my dad was taking me to camp and my mom was taking my sister to a doctors appointment and my other sister was left at home because she was playing quietly in the living room and both parents thought she was going with the other. The mistake was quickly realized when my mom called my dad and said 'you were taking caroline, weren't you' and he said 'i thought you were' and we quickly turned around, but the point is it happens all the time and the child wasn't hurt. I don't think the cab driver is to blame at all, I think the distracted parents probably realized it shortly after they got out of the cab, but it was too late and now it is getting media attention for a silly mistake that resulted in no one being hurt.
1 person likes this
@cwong77 (2010)
• Malaysia
29 Jul 09
The cabby is at no fault... how the hell he could expect that a parents are being so negligence in leaving their child behind? As for me, my girl is the one that I care the most.. if I am in a cab, I will normally ensure that she is in the house, before settling for the cab fare or handling the rest of the stuff. This is not the first time, parents are also negligence in leaving their child in shopping centres too! Gosh.. just don't understand what other stuff that is so much more important that their child!
1 person likes this
@kevhol2259 (182)
• United States
29 Jul 09
i would agree that both parties would be at fault, but i would also argue that the child was returned unharmed. It was only a matter of a few minutes. So as far as i'm concerned i dont think anyone should be punished for this....and why is it making news??
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
29 Jul 09
That was my first thought, too. I'm sure this is quite a common occurrence where children are left someplace and returned unharmed after a little while when their parents realize.
I think part of it might be the uprage by the cab unions that the cabbie is being punished for it? I'm not sure. Then again, I'm not sure about anything that manages to make the news anymore.
@iskayz (5420)
• Philippines
30 Jul 09
Hi there!
To me this is more of the parents' fault. I mean how could they have forgotten their child? It's pure negligence on the parents' part and though checking the back seat is a part of a taxi cab's responsibility, still checking on all the passenger's belongings and making sure they haven't left anything, including a child is solely and more of a passengers responsibility.
The taxi cab should be spared the trouble when it's clearly not his fault. It's more shameful on the parents' part.
Ciao!
To me this is more of the parents' fault. I mean how could they have forgotten their child? It's pure negligence on the parents' part and though checking the back seat is a part of a taxi cab's responsibility, still checking on all the passenger's belongings and making sure they haven't left anything, including a child is solely and more of a passengers responsibility.
The taxi cab should be spared the trouble when it's clearly not his fault. It's more shameful on the parents' part.
Ciao!
1 person likes this
@lovesexmoneymaker (143)
• Singapore
29 Jul 09
I got just one thing to say is what kind of idiot forgets their own child in a cab. I rest my case.
@YoungInLove (1254)
• Canada
29 Jul 09
thats different. People get so overwhelmed with their daily lives sometimes they do things without even thinking bout it. Ever drive home and once you get there dont rememeber the whole ride, since its so routine and you didnt think bout it? theres instances like those. But the parents were probably sitting beside the child, or at 5 years old the child was probably talking to them the whole ride. How do you honestly get outta a cab and walk away. I mean theres instances I can understand but it was someone else driving, and they were probably watching the child the whole time as they were either beside behind or infront of her and could see her at all times. You dont just forget after seeing her like 2 seconds before getting out.
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
30 Jul 09
Actually, in the article it said that the girl was sleeping, so she would've been as quiet as ever. I know that I sometimes forget my little sister is in the car with us when she falls asleep she's so quiet.
I'm not necessarily defending the fact that they forgot her, I'm just saying that it does happen sometimes.
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
29 Jul 09
People forget their children sometimes. Doesn't necessarily make them idiots. I've known very responsible parents that have gotten out of the car, headed into a store, and then turned around and rushed back out when they realized their baby was still in the car! I think it's something that most parents can relate to at one point or another.
@suchi60 (912)
• India
30 Jul 09
The couple ofcourse. They couldn't have forgotten that they have a child in minutes unless ofcourse they were brainwashed. The news then went on to say that the cab driver was let off, and why shouldn't he? What were the couple doing inside the cab to forget their own child? I guess that's a matter which should be discussed elsewhere and not on mylot.
@jeg2315 (197)
• United States
30 Jul 09
It is the fault of the parents. My goodness, FORGETTING YOUR CHILD in a cab. That's ridiculous that the parents weren't investigated. Completely the parents' fault, I just think you don't transfer the accountability to the cab driver for someone else's child.
1 person likes this
