Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009) • Hacker News Board

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#41

Post by nervousvarun » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:24 PM UTC

As others have said this is a problem that in 2017 should already be solved by technology.

But in the event you don't have access to a technological solution try this: If you have an infant in your car get in the habit of taking your shoes off and putting them next to the baby when you drive. When you reach your destination you might forget the infant...but you won't forget your shoes.

Edit: My dad (who was an absent-minded engineer way before I was) taught me this trick.

Edit 2: Just called my dad to remind him about this and he said "it was only one shoe...the one you don't use on the pedal". I've been doing it wrong all this time :). So the correct way is...put your non-pedal shoe next to your child. You'll remember it when you start walking :)

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#42

Post by celticninja » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:27 PM UTC

crooked-v wrote: post #37

avip wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure what you are referring to, but leaving unattended children in cars is quite strictly illegal in Canada.

Is it illegal to accidentally leave an unattended child in a car? The entire point of the article is accidental, not intentional, incidents.

And we can tell the difference how?

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#43

Post by celticninja » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:28 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #29

pmoriarty wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have children, but my concern for children makes me not want to be in any position of responsibility for them. I've considered becoming a teacher before, and one of the reasons that I didn't was that I just didn't want to be responsibility for the welfare of children. If something ever happened while they were under my care, I'd feel horrible if something happened, even if it wasn't my fault. Not to mention t…

And yet 40% of kids in the US are born to parents who are irresponsible enough that they didn't intend to get pregnant. By and large they survive. Kids are sturdier than they look and designed to alert you to their survival needs. For example, you can forget to feed a dog, but it's almost impossible to forget to feed a kid.

Yes kids survive these situations but sometimes the result is they become shitty humans. Just keeping a kid alive is not parenting.

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#44

Post by ukd1 » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:30 PM UTC

celticninja wrote: post #42

crooked-v wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it illegal to accidentally leave an unattended child in a car? The entire point of the article is accidental, not intentional, incidents.

And we can tell the difference how?

mens rea vs actus reus

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#45

Post by celticninja » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:30 PM UTC

Yes, someone who can think like this is probably going g to be a better parent than say these two [0] who probably never intended to get pregnant and likely have never considered the well being of their child and are hoping that welfare payments will keep them in weed and cigarettes.

[0]https://i.redd.it/3r7vn6uyemcz.jpg

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#46

Post by k-mcgrady » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:32 PM UTC

cperciva wrote: post #21

Articles like this make me very glad the the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1985 that it is unconstitutional to imprison someone for an "absolute liability" offense. Put another way, while someone can be thrown in jail over a mistake if they were reckless , there must be a "due diligence" defense available. Absent extreme circumstances, it would be very hard for a case like this to come to trial in Canada.

You say it's not possible to imprison someone for an absolute liability offence. You also say it would be hard for a case like this to come to trial. Surely it would still come to trial but the punishment would be something other than prison?

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#47

Post by icebraining » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:33 PM UTC

celticninja wrote: post #45

Yes, someone who can think like this is probably going g to be a better parent than say these two [0] who probably never intended to get pregnant and likely have never considered the well being of their child and are hoping that welfare payments will keep them in weed and cigarettes. [0] https://i.redd.it/3r7vn6uyemcz.jpg

Do you know something about "those two", or are you just judging from appearances?

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#48

Post by rayiner » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:34 PM UTC

celticninja wrote: post #43

rayiner wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet 40% of kids in the US are born to parents who are irresponsible enough that they didn't intend to get pregnant. By and large they survive. Kids are sturdier than they look and designed to alert you to their survival needs. For example, you can forget to feed a dog, but it's almost impossible to forget to feed a kid.

Yes kids survive these situations but sometimes the result is they become shitty humans. Just keeping a kid alive is not parenting.

I doubt there is much correlation between whether your parents are careless/careful and whether you are a shitty human.

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#49

Post by avip » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:37 PM UTC

crooked-v wrote: post #37

avip wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure what you are referring to, but leaving unattended children in cars is quite strictly illegal in Canada.

Is it illegal to accidentally leave an unattended child in a car? The entire point of the article is accidental, not intentional, incidents.

Yes. The relevant charge would be child abandonment, criminal negligence, or failing to provide necessaries of life.

Re: Forgetting a Child in a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? (2009)

#50

Post by icebraining » Sun, Jul 30, 2017, 8:37 PM UTC

crooked-v wrote: post #36

icebraining wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rather than a car feature, what about one of those sensors that alert you if the object is too far? And force the user to explicitly acknowledge that it's intentional (for when you leave them with someone else).

How do you reduce false reports (e.g. dropped connections) enough that people won't shut it off in annoyance, though? For a technological solution to really work for the "break in routine makes someone forget a baby in the car" case, it has to be something that can be left in place forever once activated.

Good question. I wouldn't warn on a single broken connection, only after a couple of minutes without a signal, but I suppose even that could be annoying (e.g. kid sleeping on the next room).