Another day in the life ....

Topic: Another day in the life .... (Read 1500 times) previous topic - next topic

Another day in the life ....

September 22, 2009, 11:52:11 PM

I was on one of my normal jaunts across the state for work a while back, and needed to stop for fuel. I pull into the station, get out, start the fuel pumping, and go 'round to the front to check oil, etc etc. A woman pulls up to the pump island across from me. First rule on the placard on the pump? TURN OFF ENGINE. She doesn't. She's driving this huge Caddy, and I see two little rug rats in the back, and start thinking, geez, they're awfully small to not be in a car seat. I go back to what I'm doing, deciding it's possible they're over the age/size requirement for a seat, but they sure didn't look it from where I was standing. She was a nice looking woman, nicely dressed, moderately attractive, and apparently was well kept.

She starts pumping her fuel, and this thing's going to take a while to fill up, so she gets back in the car where it's cooler. Yeah, it's a muggy hot day, and she doesn't want to sweat a little. I'm finishing up under the hood, get the squeegee, and go to work on the bazillion bugs on my windshield. I heard the pump kick off on her island, and sure enough, she gets out, puts the nozzle away, then walks inside to pay for her fuel. First thought I think is, good thing I'm not looking for a Caddy or two small children. Second thought is GEEZ those kids are rowdy in a car. They were jumping around in the back seat having a grand time while Mom was in the store.

I realized one of them was calling to me, and then I KNEW they weren't old enough to be out of safety seats. So, I knda ignored them, so as not to entice more rambuncious behavior, nor come across as some sort of pedophile stalker, meanwhile, thinking, umm, that engine's still running.

All of a sudden, I hear a blood curdling scream behind me. One of them had run the window up with the other's head sticking out it. It is NOT A PRETTY SIGHT to see a small child wriggling around like a trapped animal and choking while the other is giggling. I ran around to the driver's door, opened it, and put the window back down to rescue the one with her head in the window, then set the rear window override so they couldn't move them again. I reached in, turned off the engine, and took the keys out of the ignition. I kept the door open on the car and her keys in my hand and stood in front of the car until the woman came back out. She charged me like she was going to kill me, but then saw the look on my face and thought better of it. Instead she started screaming at me about messing with her car. I just stood there glaring at her until she finally shut up, and just pointed at her little girl in the back seat with a rather nasty se on her neck from the battle with the window. Then, I told her, "I could have let her die, but I cared." I had some rather pointed remarks about child seats, removing the keys from the ignition, and NEVER leaving children in an unattended car. The more I ranted at that woman, the madder I got, and by the time I finished with her, I had her squalling. Rather than rescuing her kid(s), I could have been taking them, AND her car (a Caddy). I was PISSED at that woman. These are the opportunities that criminals WAIT for. Missing kids are too common reading in the papers nowadays. In this case, it would have been just sheer negligence on her part to lose both her kids AND her car. Her stupidity nearly cost the life of one of her children. People that stupid don't deserve children. The children have little chance of being any smarter with that kind of ignorance raising them.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #1 – September 23, 2009, 12:25:22 AM

bravo.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #2 – September 23, 2009, 12:38:19 AM

My god, that was a good "bad" story. Amazing, I thought I had some good ones, but that tops them all.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #3 – September 23, 2009, 01:37:47 AM

I didn't even think twice about c00ching that door open.

I stood there the whole time with her screaming about calling the police, calling me names, and the WHOLE time, missing the fact that I just saved her daughter's life. And griping about the car, NOT ONCE did she even mention the kids. That's what REALLY pissed me off.

When she threatened to call the cops, I suggested she also call child services, because the cops sure were gonna do it after they heard what I had to say.

I intentionally stood in front of the car. A.) The car ain't goin nowhere with me standing there. B.) I'm as far away from the kids as possible, yet still close enough in case one decides to climb out the window.

What an idiot that broad was.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #4 – September 23, 2009, 07:12:32 AM

I would have tossed her keys up onto the roof of the service station, calmly told her the number for the police was 9 1 1, and waited for the law to arrive, hoping the place had a surveillence camera that recorded the whole deal.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #5 – September 23, 2009, 09:31:00 AM

Yeah, easy to react that way, and trust me, I thought about a whole lot more solutions for those kids' safety. But, had I acted on any of my impulses, then I would have been the one in the wrong.

The do indeed have security cameras, even in the smallest of service stations here. There were enough drive-offs when fuel broke $1.25/gal, that there were laws passed to revoke a driver's license if they drove off without paying. The state actually funded most of the cameras to help enforce those laws. I'm sure that's what she thought about when she came at me intending to do violence.

Even if she didn't want to take the kids in the store, she more than likely paid for the fuel with a credit or debit card anyway. HELLO. The pumps in most places have that capability and you don't even have to go inside. I VERY seldom go in unless it's to get a bottle of water or something on a really long trip. That solves the problem quickly if I have my grandchildren with me. I can keep an eye on them while I'm doing what's necessary to the car, and don't have to worry about them getting themselves into trouble, AND I don't have to continually say no to them screaming I WANT I WANT. I've pulled in, and immediately left many a service station when I see they don't have pay at pump equipment.
I never saw anything about it on the news, but then again, that was one of the times I didn't go inside. After I gave her keys back, I just got in my own car and left. She was smart enough not to put her hands on me, so I figure she knew anything she did would be captured on video, and was smart enough to know I wasn't stealing her car since I was calmly standing in front of it.
The window ordeal was bad enough. But, there was NOTHING to prevent one of those kids from hopping in the front seat and putting the car in Drive and having it roll right out onto a busy highway. The whole situation could have escalated VERY badly without some intervention. I was not prepared to watch a couple small children killed by an 18 wheeler t-boning the caddy. Even before the shifter locks found on most cars today, when I had my own children with me, if I got out of the drivers seat, the keys went in my pocket, the parking brake was set, and the wheels turned toward something with the steering locked just in case all the measures I took still failed. I'm not paranoid, I've just seen too many stupid "accidents" that could have easily been avoided.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #6 – September 23, 2009, 09:47:39 AM

Well, I think...No, I know that you did the right thing and after that goofy woman calmed down, i'm sure that she realizes it too.Hopefully this was a wake-up call for her, maybe now she'll be a more responsible parent.I didn't notice thier estimated ages.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #7 – September 23, 2009, 01:22:10 PM

Good job man, I'm a father and these sorts of things piss me off too. Bravo brother, bravo!

Another day in the life ....

Reply #8 – September 23, 2009, 06:33:44 PM

You did a good job. The bitch needed a bitch slap, You know one of them hits that knock some sense in them.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #9 – September 23, 2009, 08:02:08 PM

I think you definitely did the right thing. Once the embarrassment wore off, hopefully, she realized she screwed up and won't do it again. Good job!!

Another day in the life ....

Reply #10 – September 23, 2009, 08:14:43 PM

good job on saving the kid, it was the right move even though it interrupted the "natural selection" process. i see people like that woman and i just blow a gasket.

Another day in the life ....

Reply #11 – September 23, 2009, 11:08:51 PM

Yes, Darwin was right, and stupid people shouldn't procreate. Unfortunately, there are no laws against stupidity, only what that stupidity is used for or results in. In fact a lot of laws are stupidity in progress (e.g., don't have to have a windshield, but must have working windshield wipers in this state).

I'm a grampa now, and was at the time. When my kids were young, if I moved the car before they got buckled in, they'd start screaming. I must have done something right back then. Same goes for the grandchildren. If they're with me, they're buckled in. The eldest is big enough and old enough he doesn't need a car seat, but he likes his booster so he can see out the windows better. The middle one, is old enough (5), but she has the attention span of a gnat, and won't sit still unless a 5 point harness won't let her move. The youngest is no problem at all about the seat (just 19 months old). All of the better half's kids (teens) KNOW they better put on their belts when they're with me (or her for that matter). If I get a ticket because someone's being a moron about the belt, I'll get my pound of flesh back. I still have LOTS of stumps that need digging out.

Oh, the approximate ages, just guessing, the little girl was maybe 4, and the little boy was probably about 3. Neither was large enough nor looked old enough to not be in child restraints. I still have flashbacks about seeing that little girl looking like a small animal with it's head stuck in something and gasping for air. I'm just glad she got the scream out before the window choked her. That kinda gives ya bad dreams. The sheer panic on her face is something I'll never forget seeing.