Photo: TikTok
Some viewers felt leaving the little one along for a couple of minutes was perfectly fine while others believed he should have reported her.
By Ethan Cotler — Written on May 10, 2023
After a mom left her child in the car, she’s come under scrutiny from people online. So, how long is too long to leave a child in the car? Many think parents shouldn’t leave a child in a car at all, even with the windows cracked. And many laws support this belief.
One man on TikTok captured a video of a child left unattended, which has sparked fierce debate over the topic.
He confronted a mom after seeing her baby sleeping alone in her car outside the gas station.
Jesse Cooper usually posts comedic content to the video-sharing app TikTok. But in a recent video, he was outside a gas station when he discovered a young child asleep in a booster seat in the back of a car. The windows were open, but Jesse wanted to watch over the child until the parent returned.
“I’m going to stand out here and see how long they’re going to leave this baby out here in a car,” he said. Jesse explained that she was unsafe since she was left unattended with the windows open.
“If I wanted to, I could easily snatch that little girl out of her car seat,” he said. “I’ve only been out here for a couple of minutes, but that’s all the time it takes.”
He continued to record the car from a distance. After not much more time, a mother came out to the car carrying a bag of groceries. Instead of standing back and expressing his opinion to TikTok, he confronted her.
Jesse held the phone up to record himself as he leaned on her driver-side window.
“It’s probably none of my business, but leaving your kid out in the car while you go into a gas station is very dangerous. Someone could’ve snatched her and been gone with her,” he said. “Think differently, make better choices.”
However, the mother didn’t say anything back to him. It’s unclear whether she noticed he was recording or just didn’t want to invite a further argument or if there’s another reason for her silence. But some people sided with the mother, critiquing Jesse’s approach.
“If you[’re] uncomfortable with it, watch the baby for her and talk to her when she comes out. No need to try and get famous off of others,” they commented. “I go in to pay for petrol and leave my kids in the car when paying my petrol, and I watch from the window,” another added.
Despite some support, most people in the comments felt that she was in the wrong.
People overwhelmingly bashed the mother for leaving her child unattended.
Many took to the comments to say that Jesse should have called the police. And others thanked him for spreading awareness and for watching over the young girl. But a lot of people pointed out that what the mother did was illegal. Though, the laws regarding leaving a child in the car are tricky—the regulations vary by state.
Only 20 states have laws in place against leaving children in cars. According to an October 2019 report, KidsAndCars.org found that Jesse’s home state of South Carolina has proposed legislature but no laws prohibiting it.
Whether or not you believe the woman was in the wrong, it’s important to be respectful when confronting people on their respective parenting decisions. Instead of approaching the mother the way Jesse did, he could have alerted the gas station clerk or even the authorities despite the laws not making what the mother did illegal.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news and human interest stories.