Seems a 16 month old child was left in a car ‘for hours’, in Vancouver during ‘a heat wave’ and died, apparently from heat exhaustion.
Some years ago, I was in BC during an Indian Summer heat wave; it reached 80F, which is considered ‘comfortable’ here. Even so, most people here are aware babies and animals should never be left in a locked car, at any time.
This incident simply leaves me sad. Seems the baby was in the care of his father. Who would reasonably expect a child to die from the heat in a car in Vancouver?
I guess that’s the end of one marriage, and the beginning of a lifetime of guilt for the father. It was not known what charges will be made. I doubt if any legal punishment will come close to the self punishment of the guy.
Makes me wonder about the level of awareness of this issue in Canada generally and BC specifically. My Mum was born in Vancouver. She came to Oz as a war bride in 1946. Over the years, I remember her telling me it hardly ever snowed in Vancouver and never got very hot in Summer.
Babies can develop heatstroke very quickly, even in Vancouver’s mild climate. Without knowing more details, I’d say a child left in a car for “hours” indicates dumb ass, negligent parents first and foremost. Heat-safety awareness probably wasn’t going to save this kid.
Morons here will often leave their child or say a dog in a car .Fatalities are rare ; passersby will break a window and get the child out. Police are called and guardian of the child is usually charged.
So far I haven’t noticed a limit to the stupidity of John Q Citizen in my country. We even have our own version of the Southern US; Queensland.
We call it ‘the deep north’. It’s tropical, arse deep in retirees, is our bible belt, and is home to hippie types we call ‘ferals’. Also a hotbed of right wing politics ,and loopy minor parties. Queensland even had a premier (like a US governor) who was arguably as corrupt as Huey P ‘Kingfisher’ Long.
Pertinent aphorism “None of us are as stupid as all of us” (anon)
If the little ones survive until they are big enuf to get out of a hot car by themselves, some random freak with an automatic weapon might still have a shot at 'em (or multiple shots). If they miss out on that, they might still be victims of abuse, and wind up killing themselves with drugs or just flat out suicide. Or they might volunteer to go fight in some bogus military action, and die that way. But mostly they will die a good bit older from debilitations of lifestyle like late onset diabetes, hi bp, obesity, etc.
Salient points. I gather you’re referring to the Darwin-award behaviour of the parents. Sadly true I suspect. It’ s a tragedy when such people get to breed. Although, in Oz we DO need people to do all those nasty jobs illegal immigrants usually do in the US. Simply aren’t enough here on work visas.
My ‘favourite’ here is a guy who left his child in a car at night while he went into the Casino to gamble for several hours… (every Oz state has a legal casino) His night did not end well for him.
When in college, I remember often having bad dreams about missing class or being unrecoverably late for a test or something. Those dreams felt crappy, but to my recollection, were never true. I don’t want to imagine what a parent feels like who dreamt that they left their child in a hot car for its brain to boil until that baby died, and then wake up to realize it was true.
Those dreams sound like anxiety dreams. I had similar dreams. Also dreamed of falling and of being naked in public.
The most terrifying dream I ever had was of actually dying.It was blackness, with a feeling of falling helplessly. That’s probably the best my brain could come up for ‘nothingness’.
My ‘concept’ of being dead is that of a permanent dreamless sleep; it is not an experience.
Morons here will often leave their child or say a dog in a car .Fatalities are rare ; passersby will break a window and get the child out. Police are called and guardian of the child is usually charged.
Good thing Australians lack the typical Canadian introversion and politeness.
“Good thing Australians lack the typical Canadian introversion and politeness.”
You better believe it mate!
In fact Aussies are really very shy and very lazy. Eg we don’t call you ‘mate’ to be friendly. It’s because we can’t be bothered to remember your name.
A tip: if a smiling Aussie ever says to you, through gritted teeth" now look, MATE"–run. Run very fast.
Tips on etiquette; if going to a barbeque, take about double the amount you expect to drink. A slab (24 cans) of beer is always a safe bet.
DO make a pass at the host’s wife .(only sober counts)-- She will be just thrilled. He will be flattered to know you admire his taste in women.
DON’T make a pass at the gorgeous blonde with the vacuous expression sitting in the corner. That’s young Chantelle, she’s 12. Look sideways at her and her Uncle Trevor, the kick boxer ,will bloody deck you.
Worth trying to leave before first blood. That avoids some embarrassing moments with the local constabulary .
DON’T worry about sharks. One simple thing to remember; there has never been a recorded shark attack in an Australian swimming pool.---- lethal funnel web spiders and king brown snakes are another matter entirely
There were 6 other younger children in the car with him. So he may have saved them also. I don’t know if the phone was his or if it was one of the younger kids phone. Or maybe it was left absent mindedly by the woman who also left 7 very young children in a hot car alone.