Should The Parents Be Held Responsible?

United States
July 29, 2009 9:59am CST
I just read a new story where a family left a sleeping child in a cab. The family took a cab from the airport home. The cab driver helped them unload the luggage, the family paid the fare, and the cab driver left to return to the airport. On the way back, he got a call that there was a child left in his vehicle. He stopped and searched the cab and found a child sleeping in the backseat. The cab was a minivan style vehicle, so he couldn't see the child in the rear-view mirror. He turned around and took the child home, and the family thanked him and reportedly tipped him $50 for returning the child safely. The next day, though, the cab driver was told that his hack license would be suspended for three days as a result of the incident. He appealed this decision, and it was overturned. The police didn't file any charges against the family. I don't know how many children are in the family, but I can't imagine forgetting one of my children anywhere. I don't think the family should be brought up on criminal charges or anything, but I do think they are the ones that should be held accountable for knowing the whereabouts of their child. I do not think the cab driver should be held responsible in this instance. What do you think?
4 people like this
33 responses
@shav9292 (928)
• India
29 Jul 09
incidents like this happen...if not every now and then but they do happen. when you are in trouble or deep thought you sometimes don't realize what you are doing let alone think of someone else. yes it is morally correct to say that the parents should have been more careful. but all that doesn't matter,because the child was safe. it is not really a question of who is to blame.it is about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.everyone was a victim of circumstance the driver,parents,even the baby...but all turned out good at the end... this even is blown out of proportion and we might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves. in a positive way... the driver,from now on,will check his cab..parents will not be negligent..and what can be said about the baby. :) good day!!! take care!!!
2 people like this
• United States
29 Jul 09
I think you are right about the parties involved here. I think they have probably all learned their lesson and will never make the same mistake again. The important part is that the child is safe and doesn't even realize that anything was wrong.
@Ritchelle (3790)
• Philippines
14 Sep 09
there are instances when the state should be the one to present a case, right? sometimes, especially during these trying times, the state would rather not. sad to say but i've lived long enough to witness, realize and comprehend that this is the case. if citizens would badger the state a little then i'm sure it'd do something. as for the driver having his license suspeneded i believe that there are rules regarding this unloading of luggage and that definitely includes double checking the vehicle (for safety reasons of the driver also). unfortunately the driver got his unlucky share of this stupid mistake of the parents.
@Ritchelle (3790)
• Philippines
17 Sep 09
guess all that is well ends well. well, just an expression . i wonder what the child would think when he grows up?
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Sep 09
I seriously hope the child never finds out, because that could seriously mess with his or her head.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Sep 09
Yes, it would be up to the police to decide whether or not to take any action against the parents. I think they did the right thing by not pursuing any criminal action against the parents as it was a mistake, and it is unlikely that the parents will make the same mistake in the future. You are also correct in the assessment of the situation with the cab driver. The dispatch office has rules about checking the cab to make sure that there is nothing left behind. I'm sure this is not only a liability issue but also, as you stated, for the cab driver's safety. He obviously did not do this, but I don't think his mistake was as bad as the one the parents made, yet he was going to receive a much more severe punishment. Fortunately, the dispatch reconsidered the matter and just gave him a warning instead of suspending his license.
1 person likes this
@Zelda414 (149)
• United States
30 Jul 09
omg are you totally kidding me, that cab driver should have been rewarded, given a medal or something but definately not to be punished geesh it is definately the responsibilty of the parents ok maybe criminal charges arent necessary but im sorry parents you are 100% responsible for your childs safety and well being how dare anyone punish that cab driver or even think of punishing. You from the first time i ever became a mom i swear the first thing i get out of the car is my child and the last thing that goes in my car is my child geesh, you know i know it can be a chore or time consuming taking your children in an out of the car to pay for gas or something like that but you knew the responsibilities before ever having a child so it shouldnt be a chore or even a bother to take your kids anywhere. I am sorry there is no reason that cab driver should of ever been punished and those parents better praise God that their child wasnt kidnap or killed or hurt as a result of their negligence omg, wow some parents, that isnt the worst im heard because i heard something today that just threw me for a loop.
1 person likes this
@Zelda414 (149)
• United States
13 Sep 09
well im glad their child is ok n safe an its true there are some worse case scenerios out there n let me tell you im a single mom of a premature baby n im in a wheelchair so let me tell u it is a trying time getting my wheelchair in n out of the car plus the baby n the diaper bag but man as difficult as it is i dont leave my son for nothing..........
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Sep 09
Wow, that is tough! I know how difficult it can be to do routine tasks when you are disabled, and taking care of a baby, especially a premature one, is rough even when you are able to move around without any encumbrance. I give you a lot of credit that you do it by yourself, but I guess that is called being a "mom".
• United States
1 Sep 09
Unfortunately, there have been several reports lately of things that are far worse than this happening. At least this story had a happy ending, but the other stories involving small children at the parents' hands did not. Like you said, I take my child with me everywhere I go, and sometimes it is a hassle getting them in and out of carseats, etc., just to pay for gas or do some small task, but that is my job as a mom. I think these parents realized just how lucky they were, though. They even gave the cab driver a tip when he brought the child home safely. I wish that all the stories like this one had such a happy ending.
@Angelgirl16 (2171)
• United States
2 Aug 09
This was not a chaotic situation like in the movie, Home Alone, where the parents forgot one of the many children. It was a simple ride home from the airport with a child and a few piece of luggage. I can only imagine the terror that ran through the parents' core when they made this discovery. I have used the airport shuttle vans to travel to and from the airport, and I have never had the driver search through the vehicle to see if I have left anything of value behind. In fact, all I have ever seen them do is load and unload your luggage when you reach your destination, and of course get paid. Were the parents so into each other that they forgot the most precious carry-on they possessed or we ther just deliriously exhausted from the trip or did they forget because they don't usually bring the child along on their trips? Qestions,questions, who knows what and why. It would have been fantastic if someone would have noticed the sleeping child before the driver drove off and had to receive a phone call to return to the home with the child intact,I hope he or she was stayed asleep through all of this unfortunate situation. As unintentional and a unfortunate as this situation was, I would have to say that the parents, in my opinion, was to be held responsible for their child being left behind. It is always nice to have a happy ending, especially when a child is involved.
• United States
15 Sep 09
You are definitely correct in that it is always nice to have a happy ending, especially where a child is concerned. You also brought up another good question that I don't think anyone else has mentioned. Perhaps they were not used to traveling with the child. That does not make what they did right, but it does make it a somewhat more understandable mistake. If they have traveled fairly often and have a routine, then they might have just fallen into their normal routine, especially since they were probably exhausted from traveling. I also hope that the child remained asleep for the entire incident. If not, then that child might not be quite as "unharmed" as everyone thinks. As far as I understood from the story, though, the child was in fact asleep until he or she was returned to the parents. Thank you for such an in-depth and thought provoking response. Happy myLotting!
@Metabie (32)
• Belgium
12 Sep 09
That is perhaps the biggest bs that i've read so far . The taxi driver got his licence taken away because of that . Ofcourse it's the parents fault , um do we got everythign lets check , suitcase number 1 check , suitcase number 2 check , ok were good to go , half an hour later oh wait what happend to child 1 . The parents are ofcourse responsible , how could they not have noticed that their child was missing i mean you have eyes in your head no ? Unless they were both blind but that isn't said so .
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Sep 09
Well, I think the child was asleep in the backseat of a minivan, so he or she wasn't really visible. The article even said that the cab driver couldn't see the child in his rear-view mirror. I do understand what you are saying, though, and I totally agree that it was the parents' responsibility not that of the cab driver.
@calai618 (1773)
• Philippines
13 Sep 09
I share the same views as you. I would personally worry more about my children than my luggages. I can't even imagine stuff like that actually happen in real life. Incidents like that should just be seen on the movies. If the story had ended on the family tipping the driver, I wouldn't have argued. But the mistake on the whole situation is the fact that the driver had to face carges for something he had no intentions to commit and is actually some other people's faults.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Sep 09
Yes, I try to look at both sides, too. It just makes me angry sometimes that it seems like most people in today's society try to pass the blame onto someone else, when they should be taking responsibility for their own actions. That is what really struck me about this particular incident. It seemed like the cab driver was being punished far more harshly than the parents, but the child was the parents' responsibility!
• United States
15 Sep 09
Calai, on this subject we are in total agreement. I don't see much that I can add to your response, as you have summed it up very well. Have a great day, and happy myLotting.
@calai618 (1773)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
I usually look at both sides of things regarding controversies but this time, I really can't think of anything to say to justify why the cab driver has to be sued. I think it's really unfair. It's better to leave the situation alone since the child is back to its family but if there's really a need to sue someone for what happened, I really think it should be the parents instead.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34314)
• India
30 Jul 09
Hi A child left like a luggage… I support your thinking, cant’ imagine forgetting one of our children. While traveling parents are more concerned on their children than luggage but here they left the child in cab and the cab drive got punishment. I really can’t understand the logic of punishing the cab driver. The parents should warn for their negligence.
• United States
1 Sep 09
Yes, it does seem odd that the parents remembered the luggage but forgot the sleeping child. It just bothers me that our society seems to try to place blame on everyone else, such as the cab driver in this case, instead of stepping up and taking responsibility for their own actions. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the parents blamed the cab driver, but the media and the cab company apparently did.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jul 09
I read the headlines, but haven't had time to read the actual story. If it appears how you just described I definitely think the parents should be held responsible and even be brought up on criminal charges, where else do they forget their kids or their needs? how can parents forget their child, this is stupidity and ignorance and NOT the capdrivers fault - these parents doesnt deserves to have kids.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Aug 09
Thank you for your response. I definitely think the parents are responsible. However, it was a mistake that will probably never happen again, so I don't think that they should be brought up on any charges or lose their kids over this incident. If there is a pattern of this type of behavior by them, on the other hand, then I agree with you.
30 Jul 09
I dont think the cab driver is in any way responsible. I have a few friends with new babies and they have said they can understand how this happened. I know as well how tired I was after travelling long distances and I can see how they might have forgotten. Maybe the mum thought the dad had got the child and vice versa. I think that it was a genuine mistake and some people are being far too quick to condemn the people as bad parents. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
• United States
13 Sep 09
You make a good point that there might have been a misunderstanding between the parents and each thought the other had the child. That is totally possible and understandable, especially since they not only were tired after traveling but also had other children to take care of (if I remember correctly). I'm sorry if I implied that they were bad parents. I can't imagine doing it, but I'm sure that I do things that other parents can't imagine doing. I never thought that it was anything but a mistake on the parents' part, but I do think that they are responsible for the whereabouts of their child. I was objecting to the cab driver almost losing his license over the incident.
@tomjoad (551)
• Philippines
30 Jul 09
thanks for the news alert. well, i also agree with you that the cab driver is innocent and that the parents should have been the ones held liable. i know that it was unintentional on the side of the parents and they should not be punished for it. the driver also wasn't at fault. he had no responsibility over the child and i couldn't understand why his license was suspended. they should have just forgotten about everything the next day. i pity the taxi driver.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Sep 09
Thanks for responding, Tomjoad. I think we are in agreement on the whole situation. I feel bad for the cab driver, too, because he seems to be getting in trouble for trying to do the right thing. I think that is why they decided not to suspend his license and just issue him a warning for not thoroughly checking the cab after the fare, which apparently is company policy.
• India
30 Jul 09
It's very rediculous,disgusting.I wonder how could parents be like this.You are absolutely right.Parents of the child are responsible for this but not the driver of the cab.How can they forfet their own child.Is that much they are busy?This means they are treating their child as a normal thing which they can say that forget.Don't they feel shame for this.If they don't have that much responsibility then why they gave birth to a child.They should be punished hardly for this act.There is no fault of driver.In my country(India) people cant even imagine it in dreams also.
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Sep 09
I don't really think that they need to be punished, because it was an accident. I understand that it never should have happened, and it is irresponsible. I'm also pretty sure that they have learned their lesson, and no further action needs to be taken. However, I totally agree that the cab driver should not have been held accountable for it, either. I'm very glad and interested to hear how people in other countries view something like this. Thank you very much for your response.
@grace118224 (1038)
• China
30 Jul 09
i agree with you that the driver shouldn't be held responsible for this losing child. It's the parents who should take good care of their own child . Who supposed the driver to know that there was a baby in the luggage . The parents are really carefuless indeed.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Aug 09
Thank you for your response. I don't think the baby was with the luggage, because that was taken out of the vehicle. I think the child was sleeping in the back of the minivan where the cab driver couldn't see him or her in the rearview mirror. I definitely agree that the parents need to be more careful, though.
• China
2 Aug 09
Undoubtedly, it is the parents who should hold the responsibility for that incident. I really feel sorry for that little kid, he is born in a family lacking of care and responsibility. I can't imagine what kind of education they can offer to their children, because they don't even know the whereabouts of their child, the basic duty as parents. Wish they can learn from this fatal mistake and be responsible to their children in future.
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Sep 09
I understand your concern for the children and their safety. Fortunately, this was not a fatal mistake, as the child was returned totally unharmed. However, it could just as easily have been a fatal mistake, and I'm sure that the family is thanking God that this had a happy ending. Hopefully, they will never make this mistake again, which does teach the children the value of responsibility and that mistakes can happen but you need to learn from them. Thank you for your response and happy myLotting.
• China
30 Jul 09
I think the parents should be held responsible. The cab driver is a good man for taking the child home safely.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Sep 09
I agree that the parents should be held responsible and that the cab driver was a good man for taking the child home safely. Thank you for responding to my discussion. :-)
@quinnkl (1667)
• United States
29 Jul 09
Well, DUH!! Of course it is the parents' responsibility. That they would blame the cab driver is just outrageous to me. The parents "forgot" they had a child for a few moments? The child wasn't their first priority when removing things to their home? This makes no sense!!! No way the cab driver should be held responsible in this case, in my opinion either!
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Aug 09
LOL at the "well, DUH!!"! That was pretty much my first reaction to the story, too.
@apples99 (6556)
• United States
29 Jul 09
Well as you said we dont know how many children the family has in this instance, and I cant imagine leaving a child especially if it were my own child behind in someone else's car or cab, but its not completely unheard of, in fact I've known of other instance's where loving and caring parents accidently forgetting there child for only a split second and that dosent necessarily mean that there bad parents, but do feel that the parents should be a bit more careful in keeping track of there child. But to answer your question I dont think that what happened is the cab driver fault I think that its the parents responsibility to keep track of there children, but I also think that this was just an accident and I dont really think that theres anyone to blame in this situation.
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Aug 09
I know that it does happen, but I still can't imagine doing it. I agree that it was an accident, and I'm sure that all parties will be more careful in the future.
@delrene (158)
• Philippines
30 Jul 09
thats the parents responsible, though they left the child there by accident. besides the cab driver took the child back home right? so why suspend his license? its very disappointing news :( happy mylotting
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Aug 09
I agree that it was the parents' responsibility, even though it was an accident. The cab driver did return the child unharmed as soon as he was notified that the child was left in his vehicle. They were going to suspend his license, however, because he violated protocol by not completely checking his vehicle before he left the house.
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
30 Jul 09
Wow, that is SO stupid! I mean the cab driver has a little bit of a fault, but hey its not HIS job to babysit the parent's kids. the Parents SHOULD be held responsible. I agree with you, I CANT Imagine leaving my kid in the back of a cab! When my parents n me go on a trip they ALWAYS check for me and my brother first. Then they worry about taking the bags. So the parents should be the ones blamed. IF they knew they had to go back for the kid and just took d bags first, it's THEIR responsibility to have told the cab driver to wait. And it's bad parenting if anything. The best thing was NOT to fine anyone. The parents are at fault, but they should've just LEFT it as it is and forget about it and not file charges.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Aug 09
I don't think that the parents are the ones that wanted anything to happen to the cab driver, especially since they tipped him $50 for returning the child safely. They did call the police when they realized the child was missing, however, so I think that is where the disciplinary action came from and the fact that he violated dispatch protocol by not checking his vehicle before he left. I still agree that it was the parents' responsibility, though, and not that of the cab driver.
• China
30 Jul 09
That's a good question you posted. Well, in china it is unlawful for parents to abondon thier child. And if one did like that they should be damned by social responsibility and aslo accept the legal sanctions. So I suggest the parents should be held responsible.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Aug 09
Thank you for the compliment. I didn't know that about China, but it makes sense. From what I understand about Chinese culture, they take their responsibilities very seriously, which is good. It seems that in the United States, however, people tend to blame others for things that should be their own responsibility. That is why I was wondering how other people felt about this issue.
@dlindsay (18)
• United States
30 Jul 09
I agree with you. It makes you wonder what could have been on their minds that made them forget a child?!? If a parent is that preoccupied, then they don't need children.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Aug 09
I know that things happen and people make mistakes, but I am curious what was on their minds that made them forget their child was asleep in the cab. I am sure that they will be more careful in the future, though.