What happened this morning.....

[B00]

I'd just like to know my fellow ABers views on an incident that happened this morning, if you don't mind that is!

As I was happily walking up the road with the pram, I was stopped by a woman in her 60's (?) who was frantic, she'd locked her baby grand-daughter in the back seat of her car. Sadly I can't jemmy car doors open or else I would have, however i offered to stand beside the car whilst she called into the police station which was literally 20 paces away to ask for their help. She returned from the station and said that the police were unable to help but they'd called the AA who should be with her within 20 minutes.
As I wasn't going to leave this distraught woman on her own, I offered to wait with her. Luckily the baby was asleep in the car.
45 minutes later an AA van turned up, and got into the car within minutes for her.

Now what I'm disgusted and fuming about is that not one policeman managed to get his fat backside off from behind his desk to amble across the road to see how this poor woman or the baby was doing in this baking heat. I appreciate that they may not be able to actually get into the car, but not even to help placate this understandably upset woman?

I'm in two minds whether to write a formal complaint over this, do you think it's justified?

Thanks for reading.

[Ms.Hijinx]

bet if she had be trying to kidnap the baby they would of got her a kfc 2 litres of coke and some fags like they did to that prat on the roof a few weeks back it beggars belief doesnt it but well done you for looking after her what a kind thing to do all the best

[Kay]

Thats disgusting BOO! All police stations have a "master key" which fits all makes of cars. Report the lazy git!

[Kay]

I meant "Gits".

[jno]

good for you B00. I have no idea who this sort of thing should be reported to, but perhaps other ABers will know. It sounds pretty disgraceful.

[jno]

whoops, posted too early... I meant to add that it's possible these days that there was only one person in the station, who would have got into hot water if he/she had left it unattended, even if in plain sight. But I'd have done what you did.

[sherrardk]

I think you should write a letter of complaint - even if there was only one police officer on duty they should have come to the womans aid even if it was just to comfort her. I would have been going bonkers if I had locked one of my kids in the car.

[loopyc]

write a letter police are so lazy now a days i put a post on a few weeks ago about the police telling me to sort out some drink driving idiots down my road because they were too busy!! what are the police for if not to help at times of need?

[unruliejulie]

I think its disgraceful too B00, they could have got into that car easily for her in a matter of minutes, less stress all round. What if the poor baby had become dehydrated with the heat? Its awful and there was no excuse for not one of them coming to help! I would do what you said and write a letter of complaint. I thought the police were there to help us all at times like this! Maybe it was tea break!!!!!

[kazza12345]

had you ever thought that the police people were out actually solving crimes? There aren't an endless supply of police people sitting round waiting to help people in the station. If you were to make a list of everything you thought a police person did, do you think it would involve checking people wernt distraught at their own silliness?
sounds like you are over the top to me

[Catso]

Well, at the risk of being flamed...

No law was being broken, or was likely to be. No one was in immediate danger. So, what have the police got to do with it? AFAIK, placating/comforting people isn't really in their remit. Wouldn't an ambulance have been more approriate for this? And the fire service for breaking into the car? The oft-repeasted mantra "Shouldn't the police be spending their time chasing 'proper' criminals?" comes to mind.

And I doubt they could have got in the car. Don't you think if it were as easy as a 'master key', all the car thieves would have a 'master key' by now? Getting in without breaking something is a specialist job.

[B00]

Yes kazza, I'm being completely over the top, being concerned over a baby in a locked car with the sun beating down on it for 45 minutes? God silly me!!!!

Not sure why you think that it was too much trouble for a policeman to stroll across a road and at the minimum at least show sympathy. If they can't get into the vehicle, fair enough, i wasnt expecting them to rip the roof off with their bare hands for heavens sake, but I was stupidly under the impression that the police were there for a community in need- still, you live an learn eh?

[unruliejulie]

There are more than one police officer in a station at any given time. What the hell is the problem with helping someone out of what was a potentially dangerous situation. That baby could have become ill! B00 said no-one even checked they were OK ! That is not right by any stretch of the imagination.
From what you are saying kazza, there we no police officers in the station if they were " out actually solving crimes" Good grief, what is this world coming too if we can't help one another???? The Police are there to serve the public, no matter what the problem. When they attend road traffic accidents they are not out "solving crimes." there are all sorts of different situations that the Police deal with and on this occasion, it wouldn't have hurt them to have spent 5 minutes helping to get this baby out of a locked car in very hot temperatures.

[kazza12345]

no need to get your knickers in a twist just because i dont agree with you, you asked for opinions and you got mine - i don't think it's justified at all. I'm not saying you shouldn't be worried about a baby, but sirely if they were in immediate danger the woman should have broken a window?. Clearly she wasn't is immediate danger. I would think that there were many professions that were there for a community need, firemen, nurses etc, but i wouldn't expect them to put everything down and just come and show sympathy - what good would it do?

[kazza12345]

sorry julie but boo was helping the woman .. you say why cant we help one another but would you have an expectation that an office worker would stop working and just come and stand by the car and show sympathy? or a shop worker come out and just stand there clucking? So why would you expect a police person to do it?

[unruliejulie]

But they were only 20 paces away, would it really have put them out so much. If a dog was locked in the car in that heat i bet they would have been out!!!!! Then again, there would have been a hefty fine involved in that no doubt.To me, it's all about helping someone out regardless of whether you're a copper or not! Just good old fasioned community spirit.

[unruliejulie]

I would expect a polic officer to do it because they are there, ultimately to serve the public!

[B00]

thanks Julie, that's what annoyed me. It would have taken all of 2 minutes for one of them to potter across the road after the first 20 minutes (when they said the AA would have been with her) to check whether the baby was ok.

Incidently the woman did contemplate breaking a window but I talked her out of it, as the baby was still asleep and I was terrified of shattered glass everywhere.

[kazza12345]

as i said, so are ambulance people, nurse, civil servants etc though. B00, imagine all the time/paperwork involved in making and responding to a complaint! What a waste of time for an overstretched service ... just think what they could be doing with that time ... Attending dim people with children in locked cars to sympathise perhaps :-)

[unruliejulie]

Thing is about me, i would help anyone to the best of my ability, especially in a situation where someone was distressed. I am more than certain that a police station would have a device that would break into a car easily. I guess im just behind the times as it seems to be the in thing to walk by and not help these days.Obviously the Police are taking this stance too and that is a worrying thought quite frankly.

[B00]

Your lack of sympathy for this woman kazza leaves me gobsmacked to be honest, I hope and pray that a similar situtation doesn't happen to you, but I'm not going to get into a tit for tat row with you about it. You've got your view and the majority of us have another :-)

Have a nice day.