PA parents are leaving kids in cars to gamble

[IDrinkaRum]

Parents in Pennsylvania are leaving their children (many under the age of 13) alone in their cars as they go to gamble

In this year alone 7 patrons of various gambling establishments have left a total of 12 children alone in their cars as they go about their business of doing whatever.

State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-Bucks, and state Sen. Robert Tomlinson, R-Bucks, say they will introduce legislation that makes it a third degree felony to leave a child younger than 13 unattended in a vehicle. Tomlinson calls the incidents shocking, but some critics are pointing out that they shouldn't be.

[HYHYBT]

A few thoughts:

1) Parents shouldn't be leaving children in the car for extended periods of time, (or at all under some (but not all) circumstances, but I'll come back to that);

2) Casinos ought to, if they don't already, have a safe space for such children; and

3) The proposed law is WAY overbroad, unless it's more limited than it appears. For instance, by request, Mom occasionally would leave me in the car for *short* trips into the store, when I was maybe 9-12 years old, weather permitting. I could read instead of having to follow her around, and had sense enough not to start the car or otherwise try to move it. For that matter, it sounds like it would be illegal even to go pay for your gas without hauling the kids into the store. Do people really do that? All the way up to 13 years old?

[NateSean]

For that matter, it sounds like it would be illegal even to go pay for your gas without hauling the kids into the store.

It's illegal in California to spank your kids.

These days it seems the masses need the government to tell them how to raise their own children, which leaves the few parents who actually know what they're doing to suffer.

On the otherhand, it would seem to me that they should streamline this law just a little. It seems like their focus is entirely on the casino going parents of the state as opposed to the entire population of Philidelphia. So maybe the focus needs to be on not bringing children through the gates of the casino's parking areas at all.

[Bronzebow]

On the otherhand, it would seem to me that they should streamline this law just a little. It seems like their focus is entirely on the casino going parents of the state as opposed to the entire population of Philidelphia. So maybe the focus needs to be on not bringing children through the gates of the casino's parking areas at all.

This is what I'm thinking, too. You don't bring your kids to a heavy metal concert and expect there to be a babysitter (at least, I don't think...?). Same for a strip club. Why would parents bring their kids to a casino in the first place?

Major, major suck with these parents. Those poor kids...

[LexiaFira]

growing up as they called it a latchkey kid mom would leave me for about 30 minutes to go put gas in the car about an hour after coming home, but 30 minutes was the max as the gas station was within walking distance and i always made sure the door was locked until she got home. I was maybe 10 and knew to call the police or 911 if anything ever happened. So the whole maybe 30 minutes in the car for kids of a certain age that KNOW what to do but....to leave your kid alone for an hour to go gamble....that....that I cannot condone.

I mean I should talk as I plan on taking Lisa with me everywhere but that is my choice and I plan on dealing with it. Its other parents leaving their kids in the car for undetermined amounts of time

[Kimmik]

I was a latch key kid.. I was home by myself for hours... Hell parents would take off for the weekend when I was 12... and it wasnt an issue since I could cook and where we lived I think the biggest crime was being drunk in public or some of the kids driving and stupid shit like that. How ever growing up the casinos in Tahoe had children areas and a rocking arcade. I stayed in the car numerous times.. how ever my folks wouldn't take me anywhere I could not go.

[BlaqueKatt]

For instance, by request, Mom occasionally would leave me in the car for *short* trips into the store, when I was maybe 9-12 years old, weather permitting. I could read instead of having to follow her around, and had sense enough not to start the car or otherwise try to move it.

I was maybe 10 and knew to call the police or 911 if anything ever happened. So the whole maybe 30 minutes in the car for kids of a certain age that KNOW what to do

what 10 or 13 year-old "knows" what to do during a carjacking? Or if the car gets hit, thus injuring the child. A child should not be left alone in a car until they are old enough to at least deal with a carjacking, I'm betting most kids when left in a car do no continue to wear seatbelts-so an accident striking the parked car would lead to possible severe injury.

[Kimmik]

what 10 or 13 year-old "knows" what to do during a carjacking? Or if the car gets hit, thus injuring the child. A child should not be left alone in a car until they are old enough to at least deal with a carjacking, I'm betting most kids when left in a car do no continue to wear seatbelts-so an accident striking the parked car would lead to possible severe injury.

Actually I did know what to do if someone wanted the car.. you give it to them. It was like what I was taught in case someone broke in I was to aim to disable.. if they had a weapon I was allowed to do what ever I needed to do to protect me.

I taught the children in my car when I ran into the store that the car was replaceable they are not... I grew up in California and spent a lot of time in the less then nice parts of Sacramento.

[LexiaFira]

what 10 or 13 year-old "knows" what to do during a carjacking? Or if the car gets hit, thus injuring the child. A child should not be left alone in a car until they are old enough to at least deal with a carjacking, I'm betting most kids when left in a car do no continue to wear seatbelts-so an accident striking the parked car would lead to possible severe injury.

no question about that, thus the objection to that as back in the day (or at least in my day lat 1980's) carjackings were not big. But now, obviously its a threat thus the objection to leaving the kid in the car at a casino. That covers the possibilities of carjacking, windows not rolled down for hot weather, kidnapping or if kid decides to get out of the car locking himself out or another kidnapping thing or worse. And that parents don't teach their kids or shelter them from it thus they don't know what to do.