what would you do

[dabigguns357]

Something bad happened this afternoon at our local mall,a man dressed in a shirt and tie climbed in a car that was occupied by a baby in a car seat.The man didn't realize that it wasn't his car till he got in and noticed the baby then he looked up and saw the parents of the child loading stuff in the trunk.The guy gets out of the car as the father rounds the back with his wife calling 911.The guy left before anything bad could have happened to him.No explanation from the guy who got in the car,he just ran off.

BTW this is a true story,it was a boss of ours that was the guy who jumped in the car.

I ask this,what would you(father,mother) have done.

it's better to have a gun on your hip than one to your head

 

[Dingoboyx]

?

Your boss was the guy that jumped in the car? then ran away when the father came to rescue the baby?

Wow, I thought my boss was bad.... he's lucky the father was only packing a phone, otherwise you might have been looking for a new boss

I would report him if I were you :barf:

Muzza

 

[OuTcAsT]

climbed in a car that was occupied by a baby in a car seat.The man didn't realize that it wasn't his car till he got in and noticed the baby then he looked up and saw the parents of the child loading stuff in the trunk.

My BS meter is pegged out.

First, think about the location, a mall parking lot.
Second, think about the usual chain of events that would take place:

Parent would load the baby into the carseat, strap him in, etc. This takes several minutes, I know from experience.

Then they would proceed to load packages into the trunk.

Meanwhile some "Guy" just walks up to the car, thinking it's his, and gets in completely oblivious to all this commotion around "his" car?

And Mom and Dad would just not see the guy saunter over and get in?

There may have been some exigent circumstances at play here BUT, either it was not as innocent as your boss claims, or the story is B.S.

I cannot see this kind of mistake happen in this small a time frame.

 

[Naterstein]

I have to agree with OutCast. I dont consider myself 100% aware, sometimes I zone out too much, but I would notice that FAST! I am pretty aware of my personal space, and that of my cars and DEFINITELY my toddler son.

Plausible? Maybe, but very hard to believe that both parties could be THAT oblivious, thats alot of pple with blinders on.

 

[scottaschultz]

BTW this is a true story...

If someone begins a fishing story with this line, you know it is BS!!

Scott

 

[dabigguns357]

No bs to this story,The guy who did this was the one telling all this.As for parents not paying attention to surroundings,that happens all the time.Though i can't for the life of me figure how you could get in the wrong car.

Please don't bash the messenger,i was relaying what was told to us by the guy who did it.

 

[Lost Sheep]

I can believe it

Dingoboy, who would you call? I perceive no broken law(s).

I have heard of stranger things happening. There are a lot of cars that look alike. Many people are not particularly observant. A baby's car seat would normally be in the back seat and many face rearward (putting the baby out of view of the driver). The couple loading their purchases might not have been paying attention, either. I believe it could happen.

I, myself just a few months ago tried to get into a car that looked just like mine. It even beeped when I hit my remote door unlock button on my keychain. Then I noticed that the parking lights did not flash when I pressed the button. The car that was beeping (my car) was behind me. Someone had parked a car identical to mine in the parking spot right next to mine.

A simple mistake was made. The guy who made the mistake, when confronted with his mistake, alarmed parents (and what other circumstances were prevailing at the time) decided to depart. He might have received a beat-down if he hadn't run; I wasn't there. Perhaps retreating was the wiser thing to do?

The original post does not say how long before he noticed the mistake.

Lost Sheep

 

[bullspotter]

Well BS or not, i guess i would have been on the phone to 911 while trying to remove the guy from the car, now depending on the siruation,(kids in the car) would dictate to what level i would be removing him from the car..... was the car running? If the car was running, and i though he was going to drive off with my kids..... well...... their would be alot of paper work being filled out later.............And not for a kidnapping.

2nd..... Uhhh sometimes people do get in the wrong car..... I know, because i did it about 5 years ago. I had a small ford escort i used for work. went into a store for a few things. Went out of the store and headed to my car, hit the remote lock and hopped in, first thing that hit my mind is wow its still warm in here. It was winter here, snowy and cold ext, then i see a open beer in the cup holder. I was like WT heck..... This is when i realized i was not in MY car.... This is the fastest i have ever removed myself from a car... Mine was 2 spots down and thier was a truck in between them, could not even see my car from walking out to parking lot..... I was kinda side tracked from the cold and in a hurry to get out of the weather, and hopped right in the first small 4 door car same color as mine.... oppppps

 

[curt.45]

there have been several times I've tried to get in the wrong car, in a big parking lot.

it happens when you drive a popular car in a popular color.

and don't give me any "stuff" about being aware.

now I do doubt I'd miss a kid in the back seat and people loading the trunk.

 

[OuTcAsT]

Please don't bash the messenger,i was relaying what was told to us by the guy who did it.

I'm Not brother, I have no doubt that this was the story you were told. no offense intended at all.


It just seems that the timeline of the incident as he related it to you does not jive with reality.

 

[Dingoboyx]

Actually, I misread a wee part......

I didn't see the bit where he "didnt realise it wasn't his car" So that was a mistake on my part.

However, I also have accidently tried to unlock the wrong car as mine, wondering why my key suddenly doesnt work It did when I parked it there on more than 1 occasion actually.

I guess folks over there dont lock your cars for this to have happened? Otherwise, surely the boss coming back to HIS car and finding it unlocked would have alerted him to something being wrong? (other than 2 strangers loading something into HIS trunk)

If I had sat in a car not belonging to me, and with a genuine excuse, (ie Same as mine) Rather than run away (unless the guy was getting his .45 out of a holster) I would have got out, apologised and told him the situation, then showed him my car the same as his (or same colour) and how I could have mistaken his car for mine. If he had called the cops, (911) I would have waited to show the cops that arrive how the mistake happened)

The reason for this, is if I had run off, the cops arrive, some other citizen had photographed my "escape" the cops fingerprint the steering wheel or door handle, someone recognises my pic, the prints match.... i risk getting arrested for attempted Kidnapping. By staying and talking to the guy and the cops, showing them the same (or same color) vehicle and was an honest mistake.

IMO, only people feeling guilty (unless the dad was 7' tall and coming at me with a tire iron, or getting out a .45..... that would be a ligit reason to run)
would feel the need to run. Running away would suggest guilt or at least suspicious intentions to me?
On putting a baby in the car before packing the trunk, I have done that. If the kid is asleep (or I am carrying him), I would put him in the car, then quietly pack the trunk.

So again I say, the father was right to call the cops on your boss, I would have. If he (the boss) had no bad intentions and it was a genuine accident, he should have stuck around and the parents would probably laughed about his silly mistake
Muzza

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I must admit that the story sounds a little suspect unless this guy was stone drunk. On the other hand, people have left their children in the car to die in the summer heat, so I guess if you're that preoccupied then anything can happen.

First off, if you have any reason to believe that the police are looking for him then I'd turn him in.

Second, I'd find a new job, if possible, he sounds like a real piece of work.

 

[Naterstein]

Ive walked to the wrong car a few times, even put my key in the door, but I ve never made that mistake while someone was loading it. And thats my biggest problem witht he story is that someone was there loading the car.

As the wrong-car-getting-into'er, I would have probably apologized and quickly explained that I have a similar car, then apologized again, finally depending on their reaction offer to help load their car for the inconvenience/scare.

As the parents, if they guy just ran away as in the OP's second-hand story, HELL yes I would potentially have my hand at the ready and either the wife or I would be calling the police. The guy could have been a potential car jacker/kidnapper how could I know when he just up and ran after seeing me.

 

[a7mmnut]

Yeah, I don't know who I'd call the cops on first: some guy wandering into their car while they're standing right behind it, or the stupe that left a baby in the car for some dude to teach new words to. :barf: -7-

 

[Keltyke]

Given the story as told:

With no obvious hostile intent shown, you'd be hard-pressed to do much more than, "Get out of my car!"

It's not strange that someone would mistake another car for theirs. I've gone so far as to try and unlock the wrong automobile a couple of times. You're tired, got other things on your mind, the cars look identical - it can happen.

Not noticing that someone else was loading into "your" car is a little unusual. However - If (for example) someone has blood sugar problems. If they bottom out from too much meds, they're NOT really aware of their surroundings. They're like "walking zombies". Yea, not likely, but possible. Several people have died in holding tanks from being "drunk" when they were having BS issues.

Also, it's a little strange to me that the owners of the car didn't see this guy coming and getting into their car.

It's a strange story all around.

 

[seeker_two]

Also, it's a little strange to me that the owners of the car didn't see this guy coming and getting into their car.

Not to me....most people operate in Condition White 24/7. I could easily seed this couple being so engrossed in their car-packing activity while discussing dinner or arguing about the price of her new pair of shoes that someone could get into the car without their knowledge....

Situational awareness....always keep it on....

 

[chilie23]

Boss should have stuck around IMHO. I'd definatley call the cops in the father's shoes. But then again I would hope to have noticed some walking up to my car like that. Weird stuff

 

[Maromero]

I know I would be wrong and it would be a tradegy but the guy would be DEAD if I notice before he did. He can leave with my wife but no F@ w/ my toddler.

 

[nkriptor]

I've seen this as someones quote and it applies here...
When seconds count, the police are just minutes away...

Anyway, the right thing was done. The person left and left all parties without incident.

Still though, report it to the police just to have record of it just in case there is another similar scenario.
Have the report logged if not to just give a heads up to the courageous patrolmen scouting troubles while on duty.
It gives them something to look for while riding around, and just in case a kidnapping or carjacking is later committed...
the log will show a conspiracy and intent.

However, if this was just incidental and a mere accident, public awareness of this kind of action might wake people up to this type of incident, and when something like this does just happen, to be prematurely frightened, and have the intruder chased, beaten, or worst... shot, can be devastating to all parties involved, turning a sheer accident of mistaken car identity, into a criminal trial and you becoming the defendant, then convict.

 

[Sigma 40 Blaster]

From the perspective of the Mom or Dad, I would not have been worrying about calling 911, I would have been worried about the intent of the guy in my car and stopping him ASAP if it was bad.

That being said I'm pretty anal about locking doors...I have been known to use my remote keys to unlock the doors, open the door I want to open, and lock all doors back. All that and situational awareness aside...

Realistically, in today's world if I see a stranger trying to gain entry to my vehicle with my son in it I would at least obtain a firing grip on my CCW (if not draw to low ready) and give a strong short verbal warning. The actor's decisions from there dictate what happens next.

Depending on what state you are in that particular situation would be perfectly legal to display a firearm to create the apprehension that you will use it...and again, the actor's next move will clarify their intent.

Regardless I don't see how just running away was a good decision on the part of the guy who made a mistake.