February
2008
Overheard at the Gas Station
The other day the following was overheard at the Esso in Clairview. “Stop taking your brother’s teeth!” “You, you stop crying about it, he’s not really taking them it’s just pretend” “I said stop taking his teeth and give them back, now!” The poor mother had locked her kids in the car while pumping gas and was yelling at them through the window. Thankfully for the most part the kids were keeping themselves entertained except for the occasional bout of teasing (and teeth pulling?!). Normally I might have thought one of two things depending on my mood and how the kids had been that day. Either “That poor mother, she’s really keeping herself together over that and the kids are real troopers too. I hope I will be like if I ever end up in that situation.”, or “What kind of mother locks her kids in the car?”
Turns out…
…it was me!
I left the keys in the ignition so the boys could keep listening to a new CD they got at Kindermusik class. The front door has never locked before when I’ve gotten gas, but then I’ve never left the keys in the ignition either. When I went to get back into the van, all the doors were locked. I called AMA and of course got the, “Oh my goodness you’re kids are in the car!?” but they said someone would be out as soon as possible. About a half an hour later I decided to try my neighbor Jon to see if he happened to be home and had access to his car (usually Connie takes it to work). It just so happened that he was home and Connie was out of town so he had the car! He got the spare key from our house and saved the day!
Lest you are one of those thinking, “What kind of mother locks her kids in the car”, a friend sent me the following link from the automobile association in England, apparently I am not alone.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/news/children-locked-in-cars.html
An average of 4 children a day locked in the car! You’re definitely not alone.
that’s one of the things i’m paranoid about- that and getting locked out of the house