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.

[Kay]

Kazza. Seeing as the "police people" are paid to serve the public,surely one of them should have helped? That poor baby locked in the car and yes her grandmum made a mistake but I bet she wont do it again. The woman did'nt commit a crime she just needed help. I would'nt say any of us are over reacting and Catso,there are master keys btw. My daughter in law once left her keys in her car,yeh her own fault and the police unlocked it for her.

[unruliejulie]

I think this was purely a case that the officer on the front desk couldn't be arsed to do anything!

[kazza12345]

ok, you are right, we will have to agree to disagree. Maybe my percieved lack of sympathy is due to the fact that panic/distress can be very infectious and you being actually at the situation means that you may have caught some of it yourself? Me not being there allows me to take on my rather snooty, detached attitude of "silly woman for locking the door in the first place"?
I also hope i am never in that situation. If the police station had been 30 minutes away, would you still have expected them to attend just to sympathize, or was it just that their proximity made you think that? I'm really interested as to what the woman herself thought, as if anyone were to complain, i would say it should be her if she is disgruntled about it.
Julie, what makes you think that the police keep means to break into cars? do you think they have house breaking kits, and safe openers too?

[unruliejulie]

Lets just say, Kazza that i would imagine they have to break into cars, stolen, abandonded, or ones with drugs or weapons, or God forbid, a body inside them, on a regular basis. It would be a pretty poor police force that didnt have the instuments to get into a car wouldn't it???? Or am i missing something!

[kazza12345]

well from my extensive knowledge of the police (LOL I ONCE WATCHED AN EPISODE OF "THE BILL") wouldn't they just get a truncheon and break a window?

[B00]

Think that's it kazza, the very fact that the station was so close, hell they only need to look out their window and they'd have seen us stood there. Perhaps I did catch some of this ladies near hysteria, but I'd have been concerned for the baby regardless of whether she'd have been distressed or not.

I think my main point was the lack of community spirit I feel that the police showed in this instance. Personally had i been one of the ones at the station I'd have at least phoned the AA again after the initial 20 minutes then popped across the road and advised the woman what I'd done.

That would have taken all of 2 minutes to do, and would have given at least one woman (me!) a better impression of the police than the one i've now got.

Obviously I've no idea how the grandmother feels, I would imagine she's just relieved that the baby slept through it blissfully unaware of what was happening.

[unruliejulie]

well, even that would have been a help! The woman wouldn't have had anything to break the window with herself and at least they would know how to do it safely! btw kazza, i think you need to watch some episodes of the Sweeney, see how REAL cops work!!!!! lol

[kazza12345]

lol@ julie - its a bit before my time is that the "you're nicked" one?

[unruliejulie]

Yeah, course it is ;-) thats how you know the catch phrase!!!!! lol

[jno]

I suppose the police could reduce their workload considerably if they just told people 'We can't help you, it's your own silly fault.' But I have to say that in my long and distinguished life I have on occasion managed to lock myself out of not only my car but my home. It happens. And when it does, a little help is welcome. So cheers for B00 and none at all for the policemen too busy fighting the Ernst Stavro Blofelds of the world to help a worried grandmother.

[mycats]

Kazzaa - Do you understand that a baby can DIE in a very short time if locked in a car on a hot day?
"In 2002 30 children died in the United States after being left alone in cars, and in 2001 there were 34 such deaths. A parked car on a warm day can quickly become the last place you'll see your child alive. Some days, it takes only 30 to 45 minutes to kill a little one left inside"
I would write a complaint Boo,

[Octavius]

Actually it may have more to do with humanpower resource than anything else. Perhaps the policeperson on the desk were duty bound to stay there and deal with enquiries from the desk, and many of the bobbies (or bobesses) were out on the beat. The AA is the 4th emergency service after all.

If this woman was so distraught and panicky, why didn�t she just break the window to get to her child? A window is easily replaced. Incidentally, did the AA man have view?

You are of course entitled to write a complaint, but I have done this many times with public services mainly the London 'effing' underground, but there rarely is any point and never any satisfaction.

[dilligaf]

Claws away girls !

[Scotman84]

Hi there,
Being a retired police officer, I can say that one of your earlier answers is patently wrong. The police (contrary to popular opinion) do NOT have ANY kind of master key ! When i first joined in the late 70's the traffic dept would come out to these types of calls, but due to the changes in car security it became the norm just to smash a window - then the litigation started - claiming off the police for a broken window, so at least in our force, we just phoned the AA or RAC as they have the neccessary expertise.

[Scotman84]

As an aside - dilligaf - you a Kevin Wilson fan?

[Octavius]

You mean Kevin 'bloody' Wilson?
Of the, Hey Santa! Where's My F***ing Bike? fame?

Great song!!

[Scotman84]

Thats the one Octavius lol

[B00]

Nice one Scotman, nice to hear from an ex policeman- perhaps you can help restore my faith in our bobbies then :-)

Could there be a REAL reason why one of them didn't come across to us? Other than they couldn't be bothered?
Cheers :-)

[Scotman84]

I hope so BOO - I would have to at least offer an apology to the poor woman, but most probably the person behind the counter at the police station was a civilian employee - it's very rare to find a cop at a public counter any more. I don't know how big the police station was, but when i worked at a station of 20 officers, they had a whole list of jobs to be done when they cam on duty, and sometimes went from one to the other, with no breaks, for eight hours !! It' the manpower problem that the government says doesn't exist!